Bob M,
I agree with the above posts, the key element is your work environs and application. The FEL is w/o a doubt the best investment as well consider your use. If mostly steady operation w/o a lot of maneuvering the
L3000 is a great tractor.
I had an L185DT with 3PTH Hoe which I restored to "new" and was looking for a replacement. Well the way I used it between trees and rocks - no mowing (thats the garden tractors job) I found the manual tranny to be a chore esp when trying to balance and move between trees with 1200LBS in the bucket, plus things get a bit tippy when navigating the ledge and stumps we all deal with in NH. These early verisons had the same loader as the larger units could lift a lot more than the tractor was set for..
In any event, when I was shoppng (20 mos ago) the
L3000 was a new version, looked the same mech as the
L185 8 Spds, but with PS, a bit longer WB and much bigger engine.
These were all positives, and nearly bought one,until I tried the B21TLB (and my wife said this is the last one), and looked at the sturdy subframe setup and easy removal of the BH having done this many times on the 185 with the 3PTH took an hour or so vs 10 min now.
Other considerations are the center of gravity, e.g stabilty factor, the B21TLBs tend to hug lower but still give nearly 12" clearance and the
L3010 about the same with the subframe. All this leads to a lower "pucker factor" when navigating. The TLB's do differ in many ways than the Std B series - tho thats a topic for another forum.
What tipped to scales was the HST, ease of use. stability, and removal of the hoe for other tasks. Cost is a factor, and I consider the
L3000 series a "best buy" for performance, power and capabilty but it really depends on your application. Drive them all and decide what works for you. We are all happy in the seat..
Carl
I would have gone with 3010HST model if I had the extra cash at the time. The 790 was too tight a fit in the seating area for me.Have a blast. Marty
