PTO Power - b7800 vs l3130

[RayMunising]

I have no experience with either machine but I've been scratching my head between the B7800 and the L3130 for a while now. I'm going to want one or the other for snowblowing in Michigans upper peninsula (lotsa snow!). At any rate, do you think a b7800 might actually be more powerful at the PTO then the L3130 in actual use? Yes, I know the L3130 is rated 24hp at the pto (HST) while the b7800 is 22 but it's got to take some extra hp to move the extra weight of the L3130 around. Of course the 3130 would be far superior to the b7800 in using non-pto ground engaging implements because of the extra weight it has but for pto implements that require moving the tractor as you use them do you think the b7800 might actually have the advantage? Say for a snowblower or a mower. With implements like that you want the engine to use its hp turning the pto NOT wasting it moving a heavy tractor. Now I have no way to know if what I'm suggesting is valid or not. It's just something that crossed my little head when trying to decide which tractor might be better for my purposes (front mount snowblower). I have an incline to go up while I'm blowing so I know at least some portion of the tractors hp has to focus on getting the tractor up the hill as I blow. What do you all think? Maybe the ?gearing? (HST) is so low that the tractor really doesn't use much hp to move or maybe heavy is great for traction but bad for pto implements. Thoughts anyone?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[DmansPadge]

Bigger is better! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You are not going to notice the 2hp difference. And the L will have no trouble moving itself around. I would buy whatever machine you like the best and keep the HP rating out of the desicion. If I was in your position... I would buy an L series. But that is just one mans opinion!

 

[DK35vince]

For 15 acres I would want the 3130 and the extra features that come with it vs the 7800.
My opinion

 

[RayMunising]

Thanks for the opinions! That's what I'm looking for.

I have 15 acres but it is totally wooded and VERY rolling. It's very pretty with two 50 foot deep ravines and mounds and dips everywhere. I wouldn't want to take ANY tractor far off the driveway! We're going to keep the land in it's natural state for the most part. Just clear for the driveway and the house (will hire that off to someone with serious equipment). Tractor will be used for keeping the driveway clear in the winter and puttering around the house. Nothing too tough. The soil up there is very sandy and I'll undoubtedly want to move some from point A to point B (with a FEL) but snow removal is its real job. No lawn to mow, just snow to move.

I'd probably be able to get around better on the b7800 with all the trees and such but I'd probably be safer with the l3130 because it'd be too big to go very far!

Anyway, the thought occurred to me that maybe heavy isn't a real good attribute for a tractor to have for my particular needs. I also have this picture in my head of Ramon (remember him?) with his l3130 with BH & FEL and couldn't get his tractor to go up a slight incline. I know he had issues and I certainly wouldn't base a decsion based solely on his experience but nonetheless it seems to me it is possible to have more weight on a tractor than you need so the engine is working hard getting you where you want to go rather than doing the task you want it to do (i.e. snowblow in my case).

So maybe I should ask my question this way. To all you B7800, B2910 and B3030 owners ... When you're mowing or using some other implement that makes heavy usage of pto power do you notice a significant drop in power if you're carrying around extra weight? Say for example mowing with your FEL on or off?
Does the extra weight make much difference in your tractors ability to handle cutting heavy grass? How about while going up an incline?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[SkyPup]

Last person you want to listen to is Ramon.

Get the L-3130 and don't look back.

 

[DK35vince]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have 15 acres but it is totally wooded and VERY rolling. It's very pretty with two 50 foot deep ravines and mounds and dips everywhere. I wouldn't want to take ANY tractor far off the driveway! Tractor will be used for keeping the driveway clear in the winter and puttering around the house. )</font>

After reading about your property and intended use, you may be better off with the smaller/lighter machine.
My opinion (AGAIN /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)

 

[medfieldtractor]

I have a b2910 (which is essentially the same tractor, same hp etc. as the b7800 with a few extras) and use it with a 72" cutting deck, FEL and the big (I think it's 63") Kubota front mount snowblower. I have 9 acres of forest and rolling hills and a very long driveway with a fairly steep upgrade at the end (as you are coming out of our property). In other words, this is pretty much your situation and contemplated tractor.

In my experience, the b2901 has never been short of horse power. None of the above implements or attachments even tax the engine, much less slow it down. I live in New England and have cleared snow that was deeper than the blower (i.e., deeper than 18") in one cut with no problem. The only possible issue you will have is traction (the 2910 will run out of traction before it runs out of hp) and, in that regard, a heavier tractor would probably be a benefit. The 2910, however, which is exactly the same size and essentially the same weight as the 7800 is very maneuverable and, at least for my purposes, more versatile for getting into the spots (I have a lot of trees) and doing the chores I need.

One important thing to consider if you are looking to use your tractor primarily for snow blowing - - a heated cab makes a very big difference for your physical comfort. I had a heated Curtis (the one with the soft, removable doors) put on mine, and love it.

 

[RayMunising]

Yes, I'm not taking any advice from Ramon but I found the responses to his problem thought provoking. Several people thought his problem stemmed from the fact that he was putting a lot of weight (BH & FEL) on a heavy tractor (l3130) which has a fairly small engine for its size. Well, that got me to thinking a bit and I thought maybe getting the smallest engine in a Grand-L machine isn't such a good idea and maybe I'd be better off with the biggest engine in the B series.

We all naturally think adding weight to a tractor (or a heavy tractor) is better than a light tractor but of course the more weight the more HP it takes to move it. My primary use is snowblowing which I understand takes a lot of HP to do. I can certainly see the benefits of the heavier L series when using ground engaging implements but for me/my use I'm thinking I should be more concerned with getting the HP to the PTO shaft than traction to the wheels. I figure pushing a 300lb snowblower through snow shouldn't be too hard to do traction wise since its 4-wheel drive and I could add chains if needed.

Is my thinking good or bad? I have no experience with tractors other than the lawn kind so I'm wondering if there is any logic to what I'm suggesting or not. Less weight is better IS NOT what I hear (unless you're talking about preventing lawn damage) so I suspect my theory is wrong.

 

[RayMunising]

Thanks for the real life experience medfieldtractor! Invaluable!!!

 

[herringchoker]

I bought the B7800 because its light weight would be easy to trailer behind my ancient 1/2 ton. I have not been disappointed, although as said above the light weight means it loses traction long before it runs out of power. I have a LA402 FEL and an old 72" (yes - 6 ft.) rear blower that I use for snow removal, the blower is the primary tool with the FEL used for scraping down to bare gravel on a grade where I don't want ice buildup. After one winter with this setup I am totally satisfied (actually impressed) with the B7800's performance. I used to run this blower on an old gear tractor with 25 PTO HP, transmission driven - that could be a pain at times. The joy of the Kubota is the HST and independent PTO - I can feed the blower as slowly as I need to. Even so, I can move snow just as fast, if not faster, with the B7800 as I could with the old tractor. The blower has handled 24" fresh wet snow full width with ease and even the 36" bank rolled up at the end of the driveway by the town plow. You just have to feed it slowly. The only drawback with the wide blower is that it sticks out 9" wider on each side beyond the FEL bucket so it can get in the way when I scrape down to gravel.
As mentioned above, a heated cab is mandatory IMHO for blowing snow. (I built my own cab.)
Anyway, sorry for rambling. I can't comment on the L3130, but I highly recommend the B7800 if you need the compact size and weight.