Once again- B2630 vs. B3030

[QuartzCreek]

I'm trying to decide between the B2630 and the B3030. Question for those who secured the former- any regrets? Do you wish you purchased the 3030 instead? Any 3030 owners who wish they saved a grand or so by getting the 2630?

Decisions, decisions.

Mike

 

[Upfront]

I got it down to the same choice you are making. Went with 2630 mainly because of the grand difference in price. It seems to have more then enough power for what I do. Handles very well which helps in the woods. I have had the B-2630 about six weeks. All is well.

 

[tigerbait]

I throw a little bit of a curve to this in that I wanted the cab, so the B3030 was the easy and only choice for me. Depending on the job it has all the power you need. If the job is bush hog or ground engagement the more horsepower the better. The B3030, with a 5' rotary cut mower, gets it done, but grunts through it with 24' to 30" high grass. To quote someone else wiser than me on the forum, you have never heard anyone complain about too much horsepower. The converse certainly isn't true. The $1000 though buys you that rotary cut mower.

 

[BCNU]

I bought the 2630 and I am very pleased with it. For what I will be using mine for, it was my choice over the 3030. What will be your uses with the tractor? Maybe we could help a little better if we knew what you would be doing with it. Good luck in your decision!

 

[kingoflawns]

The 3030 is worth the extra grand. What is the pto hp on the 2630?

 

[Backup]

According to Kubota,
2630 has 19.5 PTO HP
3030 has 23.0 PTO HP

I trying to decide the same thing. I'm a tightwad on a tight budget, so the 2630 is appealing. I do need it to run a 5' rotary cutter, but most of it would not be on 30" grass. Both seem capable of running 72" MMM or RFM.

Somewhere on here I've read that a rule of thumb is 4 PTO HP for every 12" of rotary cutter. That would say 20 PTO HP for a 5' cutter, or just about exactly what the 2630 has. If the 3030 grunts a little in the tall grass, I'm sure the 2630 would too, but how much more, and is that worth $1000 or so?

 

[QuartzCreek]

BCNU- We live on 11 acres of mostly wooded land. I plan to use my existing (and paid for) simplicity for mowing. New tractor will be used for moving mulch, gravel, stone, etc for multiple landscaping projects, excavating for a couple of walkways, maintaining a 450 ft gravel driveway, snow removal, leveling some soon to be cleared areas, and clearing brush and scrub from various wooded areas. Other projects to be determined and as yet, unknown. I expect to buy a box blade and rear blade, and am considering a grapple per Cart99.

Kingoflawns- pto hp is 19.5 per Kubota website. I'd like to hear your reasons for saying the 3030 is worth the extra grand.

Any suggestions/thoughts that can be offered are much appreciated.

Mike

 

[kingoflawns]

Having made the jump from a kubota 3 cylinder to the 4 cylinder, the difference is huge in power. Working in lawn fertilization & landscape construction for 3 decades, i can assure you that 4 hp at the engine and pto is a substantial amount of power. It may not look like much on paper, but its a lot when you are bogging down in dense vegetation.

 

[Devildog]

I have had mine almost a year (2630). I got the TLB I also pull a befco 72" RFM and use a PHD, I have never lacked for any power. If you think you will have any power issues go with the 3030. If not save the $$$$ and go with the 2630 /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[kingoflawns]

Im sure you must stay right on top of your mowing. If you run that set up into tall wet grass with 19 pto hp and 72" of mower you will bogg down!