L4400 questions

[bigfrog]

I have been browsing this list for weeks and appreciate all of the information that this site offers. I have just parted with my Ford 801 and am looking to upgrade to something newer.

As far as use, the primary use will be maintaining (bush hogging) about 40 acres of CRP land. For my farm plan, I only mow once per year maximum, so it can get really brushy in places. Lots of fescue, but also 1-1.5" saplings, briars, etc. I think I would like an FEL, but have never had one. Also, I have done some food plots in the past and would like to again, so small acreage discing is an intended use.

I am leaning strongly toward a Kubota L4400 4wd, with LA703 and a 5' rotary cutter of some type, but have a few questions that I hope someone here can lend some insight to. I have a dealer here, but they do not stock a lot so I haven't been able to get an answer to some of my questions yet.

1) Does anyone know what the height of the L4400 is with the ROPS folded? I have a shed that I had my Ford in, but it had a low (about 6') door. I had to duck a little when I drove my Ford in.

2) Also concerning storage, what is the length of a 4400 with the LA703 FEL? This may be asking a bit much, but what I really need to know is the overall length with the FEL and 5' Bush Hog attached. My shed is just shy of 20' on the inside.

3) Lots of good posts on deciding between Ag vs Industrial tires, but I have not found any information relating to the difference between the two as far as durability. If the plys are similar (for instance 6 ply), is there any durability advantage to the industrial's since they appear to have more of the surface of the tire covered by tread? These are fields, so I'm not worried about tearing up the ground. What I have had problems with are thorns and short cut-off stems from saplings gouging the tires.

I'm going to try to do some looking at some other dealers this weekend and hope to make a decision soon. Thanks.

 

[dlm]

Kubota specs say the L4400 is 85.3 in high with rops (deduct for folded condition) and 118.3 in long (add for fel & mower). As for the fel, once you have one, you will wonder how you ever operated without it. If you can afford it, it is a must have!

 

[bigfrog]

Thanks for the reply DLM. What I am not sure of is how much to deduct for the folded position. I am going to try to visit some dealers today and take some exact measurements. My local dealer just doesn't stock much, so I am having trouble getting the dimensions I need. The same is true for the overall length. While I can get published dimensions for the tractor, rotary cutter, and the FEL, I am not sure that adding these together will give me the actual overall length once the attachments are mounted on the tractor. In my case, my shed dimensions are such that a few inches may make a difference for me. Thanks too for the thoughts on the FEL. If I can get this to fit in the shed, then the FEL is definite. If not, I may have to wait on the FEL until I can get a bigger building.

 

[bigfrog]

I was able to get to a dealer this weekend that had an L4400 in stock and so can provide some information to my own questions that others may find useful.

1) Folding the ROPS only lowers the overall height about 13". With 85" total, one still needs at least a 6' opening to get the tractor inside.

2) Overall length with LA703 and 5' bush hog is right at 21', but this can vary by 6" or more depending on the make of the bush hog.

3) I would still like to hear some opinions on which option to go with on the L4400 for tires if there are any out there. Does anyone feel strongly that the industrial tires offer any durability advantage (especially with regarding puncture) over the ag's?

As I get closer to purchasing, I will try to provide some pricing information.

Thanks!