Kubota TLBs ~ How many hours is too many? (L39/L45/L47)

[sunstardude]

How many hours is too many? Looking at used L39/L45/L47 TLBs on craigslist and MachineryTrader.com. Looks like some in my price range but they have around 1000 hours. How many hours can these things go if well maintained? Also, I'm on west coast and most of what I see for sale is on east coast or midwest. Are there any tips for buying site unseen and having tractor shipped out to me? I need one of these machines to maintain my small 1.3 acre farm, also I am developing a 4 acre RV/tiny house trailer park, and I also hope to hire out for trenching, tilling, mowing, grading, etc. I think one of these TLBs would be a perfect fit for my needs. I just wish there were more on the west coast.

 

[bspeedy]

1000 hours on one of these is no big deal if properly maintained. I'd say 1000 hours on a tractor is like 50k miles on a car. By 4,000 hours (200k car miles) you might find one that will run a while. Some will have already given up. Some will get to 6,000 hours (300k car miles).

That's my analogy, anyway...

 

[RichM752]

Saw this one last night on eBay. Even with say $2000 shipping to Bend, look like a good deal.

214 Kubota L45 Tractor Loader Backhoe | eBay

 

[sunstardude]

Saw this one last night on eBay. Even with say $2000 shipping to Bend, look like a good deal.

214 Kubota L45 Tractor Loader Backhoe | eBay

RichM752, my budget is about $30K tops, but wow, that looks like a gem! Question: I've never arranged this type of freight shipping. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Is it safe to spend this kind of money on ebay? Thanks.

 

[fried1765]

RichM752, my budget is about $30K tops, but wow, that looks like a gem! Question: I've never arranged this type of freight shipping. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Is it safe to spend this kind of money on ebay? Thanks.

Type auto transport into Google, and you can get an estimate for transport (you will need to call).
I have had very good luck with E-Bay items. Bought a used Suburban, and a used Jeep.
$30K is a LOT though, and you really should make the effort to put your hands on the machine BEFORE you buy.
That said: If I were buying a tractor from Messicks (in Pa.) or Ken Sweet (Sweet Farm Equipment - in Canmer, Ky.) I would trust them to accurately represent what they are selling. Ken Sweet has access to some very reasonable shipping.

 

[FlowRoll]

RichM752, my budget is about $30K tops, but wow, that looks like a gem! Question: I've never arranged this type of freight shipping. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Is it safe to spend this kind of money on ebay? Thanks.

NeedaHauler.com will send your leads out to various freight companies. For about 500 miles I was getting quotes around $600 for a Kubota B21.

 

[mike69440]

How many hours is too many? Looking at used L39/L45/L47 TLBs on craigslist and MachineryTrader.com. Looks like some in my price range but they have around 1000 hours. How many hours can these things go if well maintained? Also, I'm on west coast and most of what I see for sale is on east coast or midwest. Are there any tips for buying site unseen and having tractor shipped out to me? I need one of these machines to maintain my small 1.3 acre farm, also I am developing a 4 acre RV/tiny house trailer park, and I also hope to hire out for trenching, tilling, mowing, grading, etc. I think one of these TLBs would be a perfect fit for my needs. I just wish there were more on the west coast.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...d-hydraulic-clyinders-loaders.html?highlight=
See Post number #40

Loader will get some slop in it after 1000 Hours, I refreshed mine to get it fairly tight again. Pushing snow on unpaved roads beats up the loader, but it's very tough. $30K for a nice one is fair price. Look it over if you are serious first!

 

[rScotty]

How many hours is too many? Looking at used L39/L45/L47 TLBs on craigslist and MachineryTrader.com. Looks like some in my price range but they have around 1000 hours. How many hours can these things go if well maintained? Also, I'm on west coast and most of what I see for sale is on east coast or midwest. Are there any tips for buying site unseen and having tractor shipped out to me? I need one of these machines to maintain my small 1.3 acre farm, also I am developing a 4 acre RV/tiny house trailer park, and I also hope to hire out for trenching, tilling, mowing, grading, etc. I think one of these TLBs would be a perfect fit for my needs. I just wish there were more on the west coast.

It's important to know the hours, but the important thing is how it was used. With good photos and year sold you can make a pretty shrewd guess as to how the machine was used. That's important because if these little TLBs are used within their limits they last a very long time indeed. These smallish TLBs tend to fall into two categories: either they are homeowner machines or else someone is using them to make a living. To get a clue as to which type use, ask how long they've owned it and look at closeups of wear on levers and paint. Homeowner machines - even if used quite a bit - are doing good to get 50 to 100 hrs/year on the meter. Commercial machines will have several times that. There's can be more to it than that, of course. But on these commercial type machines the outer appearance does tell you a lot. In fact, a whole lot.

If you can find a good homeowner machine out there - perhaps like that L45 above - then 500 hours would hardly be noticible. Same as new. At 850hrs/8 yrs our homeowner M59 doesn't work any differently than it did new. The paint is a bit faded - dull orange rather than bright reddish orange. Sun will do that. We tarp the operator's area. Repairs have consisted of one throttle cable replacement. Regular maintenance by the book. Everything is still tight. I wouldn't trade it straight across for a brand new one; there would be no reason to do so. Keep in mind it is a homeowner machine. It sits outside, but I warm it up and don't abuse it.

A couple of years back we had to do a lot of flood rebuilding on our land so we bought an old commercial TLB - mostly to have a cab in the winter. An old yellow John Deere 310 - made about the same year as our Kubota but it had been used every day commercially and had over 6000 hours on it. That included lots of heavy work like running a hydraulic concrete breaker - which comes pretty close to being machine abuse. Nothing on that tractor is tight... every single aspect shows use.... switch labels are illegible... but everything still works fine. Engine/brakes/tranny & electrics are all original and work perfect. Engine just purrs. Service records show that one front hub was replaced at 4000 hrs. I replaced the door hinges and some weather stripping. Other than that, tires, belts, & batteries and one hydraulic cylinder ($1500). Biggest job was cleaning years of accumulated compacted clay & dust out of the cab. Overall I'd say it was used very hard, only abused sometimes, and serviced regularly.

You can tell a whole lot about a tractor or TLB by simply looking at it. TLBs are honest machines that way; they tend to show their wear. Then drive it around for half an hour, go through the controls to make sure everything works, and make your decision.
good luck,
rScotty

 

[Gary Fowler]

How many hours is too many? Looking at used L39/L45/L47 TLBs on craigslist and MachineryTrader.com. Looks like some in my price range but they have around 1000 hours. How many hours can these things go if well maintained? Also, I'm on west coast and most of what I see for sale is on east coast or midwest. Are there any tips for buying site unseen and having tractor shipped out to me? I need one of these machines to maintain my small 1.3 acre farm, also I am developing a 4 acre RV/tiny house trailer park, and I also hope to hire out for trenching, tilling, mowing, grading, etc. I think one of these TLBs would be a perfect fit for my needs. I just wish there were more on the west coast.

I have 450 hours on my B26 and it is still like new. All of these hours are with FEL and backhoe, no mowing etc with it. All the joints are still fairly tight so I would expect it to be pretty much the same with 1000 hours as long as it is kept greased and serviced.

 

[mike69440]

"On these commercial type machines the outer appearance does tell you a lot. In fact, a whole lot."

If you can find a good homeowner machine out there - perhaps like that L45 above - then 500 hours would hardly be noticible. Same as new. At 850hrs/8 yrs our homeowner M59 doesn't work any differently than it did new. The paint is a bit faded - dull orange rather than bright reddish orange. Sun will do that. We tarp the operator's area. Repairs have consisted of one throttle cable replacement. Regular maintenance by the book. Everything is still tight. I wouldn't trade it straight across for a brand new one; there would be no reason to do so. Keep in mind it is a homeowner machine. It sits outside, but I warm it up and don't abuse it.

rScotty

I agree and also have made the comment I would not want to trade for new, mostly because I've modded the tractor to where I want it. That is saying a lot because my homeower L39 has +2,,000 hours and admittingly is not as tight as brand new, but just fine. About the only things I wish were new Is I'd like all new hydraulic hoses and the heavier L45/L45 M type front axle. So a 500 Hour machine nice condition is better than new because it's broken in for you!