Hey Tags, I'm glad you finally got the bugs worked out of the "Spider". My dealer as I mentioned awhile back also has 2 new machines sitting in his yard. One is a JD 110 with a 4N1 and the other without. I was wondering why they are still there for a new spiffy machine. Like MaK, I'm wondering if he's charging considerably more then the price you paid. I know Carvers is selling
L48's at about 38K and in some cases less then that. At any rate, a few thousand either way for the machine you really want shouldn't get in your way. I'll ask him when and if I get the chance. Hes a real straight shooter and since he has both the Kubotas and the JD line (actually he carries no green tractors only orders them for folks) I'll pick his brain for differences between the 2.
My
L48 seems to get better with time. The power steering is the one thing everyone comments on that "try out" my
L48. Whether its fully loaded to the max or empty, the steering is always the same, super easy. I have never yet used or owned a tractor where a loaded bucket didn't have an impact on the degree of difficulty in turning the wheel. The maximum lift of the loader, its hard to say how much more it is then the JD 110 because there has not yet been a load I could not lift with the exception of chaining to a tree or wedging out a rock. The loader on the
L48 will tweak (actually destroy) the bucket if your not careful especially with the toothbar on. My tooth bar is pretty bent up and those tooth brackets are some thick steel. Fortunately, its mostly the replaceable teeth that have been bent over, almost as if they were heated. By all means, the only bucket to have is the heavy duty and then some. I've been digging out some of my pond where my driveway crosses it and the wet muck coming out of there lightens up the rear end even with ballast and 1200 lbs of boxscraper. The loader has guts. I am so incredibly impressed with the hydrostatic drive on this tractor that I was glad to hear you like it as well. That has been my local dealers biggest concern with JD's and why he carries very few of the green JD's, he was tired to the point of sending the hydrostatic JD's out to be repaired, a complete split of the tractor.
The heat you mentioned just does not exist on my machine and I have got to the point where my H20 temp is about 3/4's up, pulling a loaded bucket up a 20 degree slope on our 100 degree days and even at that, there just is no heat placed on the operator. I have to say, I really like the engine on the
L48, very quiet and as I have found out, really no need to exceed 1800 RPM, after that, there just doesn't seem to be any benefit other then a little extra ground speed. Its got tremendous power, not quite as much as the
L4850 5 cylinder I also use, but its got HST which now that I have it, I just don't think I could go back. When I use non HST tractors like my International, it reinforces my opinion about HST even with the power loss that is inevitabe.
I did not get the hoe with the
L48 as I mentioned awhile back as I would rarely use it, so I cannot comment on that other then to say the mini excavators still have it hands down over the hoes and probably the only way I'd end up going myself as there is just no way I'm throwing a hoe on and taking it off for my boxblade, mower, or Harley rake, I'd just as soon have a rental company bring out a hoe or excavator if needed for my very infrequent use. The JD 100 looks like a great machine, almost as nice as my
L48. Take Care, Rat...
P.S. rarely get on TBN much anymore, just to busy to bother. Its always good to see a few familar names none the less. Where's Mark Chalkey?