Price Check L3130 question

[DanMosher]

Hi, I have been wanting a tractor since we bought our house and 7 acres last year. I’ve enjoyed reading this forum and have much to learn.
I found a 2004 L3130 HST 4x4 with low hours (264)and I will be going to see it on Saturday. I have never owned a tractor and need some pointers.

First question: Is the price right? They are asking 13,900.
It doesn’t have a FEL. It has turf tires,canopy, 72” belly mower and a rear blade of some sort. It was probably used primarily as a mower. And has been kept out of the weather under a carport.

How much am I looking at to add a FEL?
Are there any known issues I should be concerned with on this model?

Any suggestions or help is appreciated.
Semper Fi,
Dan Mosher

 

[ericm979]

Seems a little high for not having a loader, based on a quick scan of tractorhouse. Maybe it'd be appropriate if your location is Oakland, California. Used tractors are more expensive in the SF bay area. It will be expensive to get a loader and subframe and may be difficult to find. Loaders for the B7100 I used to have were very hard to find. People who had them did not want to let them go. Changing the tires to Ag or R4s will require changing the wheels too, making that more expensive as well. 3130s are common and there are many other tractors that size. Buy the one that has the features that you want.

 

[DanMosher]

Thanks Eric, the seller has already dropped it to 12900. You make some very good points I do want different tires and a FEL. The thing looks well care for and barely used. I wonder what the price would need to be to make it work my while? I already have a commercial zero turn so the belly mower isn’t that attractive to me.

 

[varmint]

I had a L3130 for a while, and it is (was) a great tractor. Heavily built, adequate power is you aren't in a rush, and fuel efficient. You didn't write what your intended uses might be, so answers will be limited. You can add a loader, but the cost will be fairly high. A wild guess might be $5000, or more if you aren't doing the installation yourself. If you want to get an idea, Westendorf is a good company, maybe not the cheapest... but this site will give you an idea of what a good loader would cost. Used? Probably not going to find one.

Loader Selector | Westendorf

The Kubota loader on mine was 72" and would lift a lot, with good clearance. The hours on the one you are looking at mean it is basically a new tractor assuming it was serviced, and the tires aren't cracked. Turf tires might be okay, again depending on your uses. Keep in mind that you would have to replace the wheels if you change to R-1 or R-4 tires.

 

[nybirdman]

I purchased a 2004 L3130 HST with 723 FEL new and paid around $16,000.Very nice all around tractor;I traded for a L4240 HSTC(cabbed).As stated a FEL will cost between $5-7000.I wouldn't be too quick to get rid of the Turfs;my BIL purchased a used L3300 with turfs and is happy with it.
Maybe you can sell the MMM or trade towards a FEL.

 

[bspeedy]

Seller would be lucky to get 10 grand around here for that machine. Lack of loader would be a no-go for me. Kubota Grand L's are the best. I'd wait for a loader or at least understand the cost of a loader before buying. The 13,900 price would be about right with a loader and mower around here.

Good luck.

 

[DanMosher]

I have a good zero turn for most of my mowing. ~ 3 acres. I have about 3 acres of wooded I would like to clean up. Maybe cut some trails through. I have a long ( to me ) gravel drive to maintain. Getting older and just need muscle for chores, clean up etc. I’ve seen some vids of a grappler that I could sure use. I have a few elderly neighbors who could use help as well.

 

[moship]

Won't comment on what the tractor may be worth, but I still own the L3130 as shown in my signature. It has Turf tires and I'd be hard pressed to give them up (they are original). There's pro's and cons to each type of tire, but I have not found a situation where I contemplated switching types unless it was to go with R-1's and plowing a field. My L4740 cab has R4's and they don't have as much traction as the turfs in most of my situations. Wet muddy grass, snow covered driveways (asphalt or gravel). For ultimate traction there is no substitute for chains.

While the L3130 is on the low side of HP within the Grand L series, it hasn't stopped me from doing anything with it. Roading the tractor up hills is where I notice the lack of HP the most compared to the L4740. I can brush hog or blow snow with either machine, but the L4740 will do it faster with the extra HP. But in most of my situations, I can not take advantage of going faster with the L4740 (brush hog trails, snow blow with many obstacles or steep driveways) and be safe. Of course your situation might be different.

I believe the wheel/tires are still available through Kubota wholegoods and used on newer tractors. If true, you'll likely find this is the best solution as they are competitively priced and ready to bolt on. You might even find tires/wheels available used or folks wanting to trade. Assuming your tires are in reasonable shape they have value and can be sold to recoup some of the conversion cost.

The loader is your biggest obstacle, so see if one is available used, old stock, aftermarket, etc and then make a determination on price. If they accept fine, if not walk and find something that better suits your needs from the beginning.

FYI... Two different size loaders were available from Kubota when new. One was a 5xx series and another 7xx. I have the larger of the two along with the quick attach setup. The larger loader was required with the backhoe.

Good luck in your tractor pursuit and let us know what you do.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Price seems a bit high for no loader. I traded mine, with loader and canopy, in 2010 for around that.

 

[varmint]

Forgot to add that eBay often has take-off Kubota wheels with tires for sale, so that would be a good place to start if you really need to get rid of the turfs. For example, I considered buying a set of new wheels and R-4 tires for our L3400, following a seller that must have had them listed on eBay for almost a year, at $1150 + freight. But I didn't, since the turfs we have work just fine, even for hauling firewood out of the woods. But I am not running over cut saplings or other stuff that might require R-4s.