Kubota L48

Jonnydiesel · Jan 29, 2003

Hi all. This is my first post. I currently own a 01 NH TC40D w/Bradco 609 and am working on a deal on a new L48 TLB. I have a few questions for any current owners of this tractor. Number one, witch side are the brake pedals on? Are they on the same side as the HST pedal? Two, I'm getting aux loader hydraulics to power my grapple and I'm wondering where they put the control for that, is it with the other aux hydraulics or a joystick on the loader control? With the backhoe I will be digging in both heavy clay and sandy soils, my 609 has a 20" bucket and handles it ok, I wouldn't get any bigger, but it does ok. The specs on the bota are similar and I'm wondering if anyone has the 24" bucket and how well it handles it. Also on some previous posts I read some issues with the loader bucket having problems with curl power (auto level feature messed up), has this been resolved? Thanks for any input and opinions.

Anonymous Poster · Jan 29, 2003

I would be glad to help you out but I know NOTHING about L48's. Sorry, someone will chime in soon and let for you.

Blake
WA

whoodle · Jan 29, 2003

The brakes are opposite the hst, I'm not sure about the aux front hydraulics. I demo'd the 20 inch in semi frozen ground and thought it was a little weak on the lift. I filled the bucket Heaped and could not lift it. I also thought the cycles were slow. Go demo hard! this is a nice machine.

Jonnydiesel · Jan 29, 2003

Thanks for the reply. It only makes sense for the brakes to be opposite the HST pedal, but I had to ask. As for the backhoe, I initially was leaning towards the 18" bucket, but then thought I would get a 12" (for digging stumps and heavy soil), and a 24" for the bulk of my digging needs. I really want to demo one, but it seems almost impossible to find one on a lot in my area these days.

DavidInNH · Jan 29, 2003

I have an L48 with the 24" bucket. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/2-226255-backhoe.gif>Here</A> is a sample of the kind of soil I dig in. About the only time I wish for a smaller bucket is when digging stumps. I haven't found one that I couldn't dig yet, but I have wondered how a 12" bucket would work for cutting through those roots. But then you might want that 24" bucket to lift the stump out.

JATO_RaT · Jan 30, 2003

Whoodle, are you sure it was an L48 you tried? The brakes are on the same side as the HST, the loader is very strong, a heaped bucket of lead would probably not stop it. Its a very smooth and powerful TLB. It has great specifications. The loader issue which was a problem opn the first L48's has been eliminated. It had to do with the control valve and interaction with the hydraulic leveler componet. The underside of the L48 is obviously built for a backhoe, it has a considerable amount of steel in it to carry the constant use of a backhoe. The loader is integral so its there to stay, a downside for me now that I am doing mostly mowing. I did not think it would be an issue. The good thing is that it is very solid, for mowing though it is cumbersome. I have used my L48 for boxblade/loader work almost exclusively. It worked exceptional well for that. The bucket heaped with the toothbar holds about 21 cu ft. of material, a snap for the loader. Since I don't have the backhoe, I can only mention what those folks with it have said. IMPRESSIVE. Many of them have traded from a L35. Two things that are really a standout for them is A. the hoe B. the HST. Rat....

Dozernut · Jan 30, 2003

I have an L 4610 HST. I was told that it is basically the same tractor as the L 48. The brakes are on the same side as the HST pedal. The clutch pedal is on the left side and it has a safety built in that won't let you start the tractor until the clutch pedal is depressed.This tractor does not run out of power when lifting a loaded bucket. I have a 3 pt. hoe on the back and at times this is not enough counter weight to keep the rear wheels from rising. This is a real strong tractor and believe it or not it has pulled out several stuck semi- tractors. Granted they were not buried and assisted during the pull outs by spinning their drive wheels. The L 4610 pulled them out as if a semi was not attached. This is my experience and as Robert Ripley would say, " Believe it or not "! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Anonymous Poster · Jan 30, 2003

RAT- I thought you had a L35? Or do you have a few different tractors? Just curious.

Blake
WA

whoodle · Jan 30, 2003

Boy it has only been a little over a year since I used the l48, I could have sworn the brakes were oposite the hst. (I'd give you one of those faces with the red cheeks, but i don't know how) How do you lock one side for quick turn? My current rig has brakes left, and I must have fabricated the memory! The loader had absolutely no problem lifting anything, I just thought the bucket on the bh overloaded the lift. It is very possible it was an early model, because I remember thinking the springs under the seat looked kind of rusty.

Jonnydiesel · Jan 30, 2003

Thanks for all the info guys. I learned to operate through the years with Kubotas, and when I started my own business and got successful enough to buy a new tractor, I wanted a Kubota, but the then new Boomers really impressed me and were about $4000 cheaper than a similar bota, so that's what I bought. Other than some of the same problems other people on this forum have had (which the dealer has been very good about fixing, INCLUDING FREE TRANSPORTATION AND SERVICE CALLS) it has been a good piece of equipment and there are still a lot of features it has that the other colors don't that I don't care to give up. My reasons for wanting to go to a Kubota are as follows: 1. Better loader. I want/need more lift capacity and I terribly miss the Kubota control box (multiple functions at once--which makes for very fluid operation) 2. The L48 is built much stronger all around which makes a better long term investment. My opinion of all the colors has come to that they are basically built for homeowners and hobby farmers, can't blame them, that is the majority of the market. The Kubota TLBs and Deere 110 are industrial tractors, built to take industrial use. While my Boomer does 90% of what I need very well, the increased capacities of the L48 will greatly improve my business productivity since I am a one man show and now have taken on another full time job, so I need to get jobs done on my three day weekends. 3. I believe Kubota has the best HST on the market.
Things I don't want to give up on my Boomer: 1. Detachable loader. I take it off a couple times a year for mowing. 2. mid mount PTO. I plan on buying a front mount broom. 3. Folding ROPS. I only have a seven foot door in the garage. I don't know how I'll get the L48 in there. 4. Boomers nice flip up hood for maint. 5. Brakes on opposite side of drive pedals. What is Kubota thinking? I can get over many of the these, but just some things I would miss. I haven't been able to demo one yet, or even look at one in person (bad economy equals low dealer inventory) but I used to operate an L35 regularly when they first came out. The company I worked for had one. That was a fine tractor. Please keep the input coming, and let me know if there is anything I can help anyone else with. I'm also knowledgable about Farmall tractors (I collect). Thanks

Steve Carver, If you're reading this, I'm the guy in WI that you recently sent a quote to--I'm still waiting on a reply regarding my last email to you.