Just bought a L3710 :D

[Skully]

G'day, all!

First, I want to say "hey" to everyone...it took me a while to register on the forums. I appreciate all the dicussions/information in here as they helped me in my purchase decision.

I own a landscape design/contract company in Lancaster, PA that has grown to the point of needing a tractor/FEL/backhoe. Honestly, Kubota was the only company I had in mind (I rented L35's and B20's dozens of times) as I'm comfortable with the machine, and it's superiority in the tractor market.

The tractor I just bought is a used 200x (sorry, can't remember the year) L3710 HST with a Bush Hog M246 FEL and a LIC (Landcare Implement Corporation) hydraulic rear blade. The tractor has 100.5 hours and the FEL is new (zero hours). The previous owner kept the MMM for his other tractor.

Now, I start the hunting process for a backhoe! AAAARRGGHH! Any suggestions? I mean good suggestions, as in, through experience, not just "well, Woods makes one!"

Ahh, it's good to finally be registered in the forums...now I can speak! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[NIXON]

Skully .
Welcome to Tbn ,and congrats on the new machine !
Looking forward to seeing you here more often . John

 

[MarkLeininger]

There is a kubota backhoe for sale on ebay right now, but I don't know if it will fit your model.

 

[JJT]

Welcome to TBN. I think you made a great choice on the tractor, (although I may be a little biased....) I have 400+ hrs on my 5 yr old L3710 and the only things I've replaced are a pair of tubes and the air filter sensor. Other than that just normal maint.

 

[dlgmt]

I would suggest looking for a sub-frame mounted BH they are stronger, safer and put less stress on the tractor. I have a Kubota BH90 on my 3130 it is a very solid unit and takes only minutes to remove and reinstall, the only tools needed are a couple of wrenches to install the 3pt. arms and stablizers after the backhoe is removed.

 

[grandad]

Congratulations on that 3710! It's a great tractor that should be very useful in your business. I have a similar tractor (L4610) and just went through the experience of buying a backhoe for it.

First of all, backhoes come in two flavors for these compact tractors based on how they are mounted to the tractor... 3 pt and subframe. The 3 pt types are usually regarded as lighter-duty since they rely on the existing implement attachment points. As the name implies, a subframe unit has an additional frame assembly permanently mounted to the tractor, giving it more rigidity and taking much of the stress of the backhoe off the tractor itself.

Backhoe attachments range in size from 6 1/2 to 11 ft., referring to the depth below grade they are capable of digging. Even if you won't be digging very deep, having more reach is good because you don't have to stop as often to reposition the tractor.

There are numerous brands out there. Woods, Bradco, and Bush Hog are probably the most popular.

For your use, you probably will want a subframe type. Some things to look at when comparing different brands are ground clearance with the subframe, how snug is the backhoe to the rear of the tractor and ease of putting on/taking off. I would think a 9 footer would be about perfect for your 3710.

I happened to choose the Kubota factory subframe unit (4560), which would be the same one that would fit your 3710 if you went the same route. It's expensive, but really built. While it's technically still available from Kubota, you might have some issues actually finding one since the L10 tractors have been replaced by the new L30 models.

Many people buy the Woods 9000 hoe, which is a really good unit. Bradco has a reputation for building really rugged hoes, but they are also expensive. The Bradco 509 is probably the model for your 3710.

Finally, with these aftermarket backhoes, you get your choice of a separate PTO pump or inline hookups to the tractor hydraulics. That is the only regret I have with my Kubota factory hoe, which only comes with its own separate pump. Unit works fine, but it's more hassle to hook up.

Didn't mean to be so long-winded, but maybe you can find a nugget or two here that's useful.

 

[L3710GV]

I just bought a Bradco 509 backhoe for my 3710 and would highly recommend it.

After much research the Bradco was alot better than the others, the differences are considerable.

1-the overall construction is very stout and clean, hoses are run inside (gates super flex on critical ones) paint is powder coat, pins are oversize, swing cylinders are on top out of dirt

2-the break out force is more than all the others,3" cylinders on dipper and boom (buckets have hensley pin on teeth)

3-the subframe is very stout and easy to take hoe on/off- 3 point arms stay on-nothing to remove-true 4 point

4-Bradco customer support is very good-before and after purchase-very helpful

I was concerned with the hydrulic flow (7.8 gpm) being enough to run hoe-not a problem at all

As it turned out I actually got a better price than the woods 9000-and got alot more hoe. Hope this helps /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JerryG]

Welcome to TBN and Congratulations on your new equipment.
Since you are needing a backhoe for a business, I would definitely suggest that you look into a Bradco. They are as close to a industrial as you will find in a add-on hoe for a compact.

 

[grandad]

I came that close to buying the 509... absolutely top notch product... in my opinion probably the best for these larger CUT's. Backed out at last minute because I wasn't getting good vibes about the local Bradco dealer, and bought the Kubota factory product from my regular dealer instead. It is a quality, heavy duty unit also and I figure it would be splitting some fine hairs over which is "better", but that 509 was indeed my first pick.

 

[Skully]

You guys ROCK!!!

Thanks so much for the replies! I apologize for not responding sooner...spring is always the busiest season for landscaping, and I barely have a moment to eat.

You guys provide excellent information. Having done a bit of preliminary research myself, the choice between sub-frame and 3ph mounting is obvious. After many years of renting L35's I am used to operating backhoes in a "heavy-duty" manner. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm gonna contact a BradCo dealer and get the low-down on their models. Before I keel over from sticker shock, what kinda price should I expect?

Oh, and btw, Grandad, my L3710 was purchased in the "high country" of NC just a few hours from you.

Thanks again, guys!