Question about purchasing L4400 HST
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Bob_Young
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2002
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- North of the Fingerlakes - NY
- Tractor
- Ford 4000; Ford 2000(both 3cyl.);JD40; 2004 Kubota L4300; 2006 Kubota B7610; new 2007 Kubota MX5000
Photoguy, you're on the right track. The L4400HST will tread more lightly than any of the Grand L's while giving you enough power and lift capability for that 5' Med. duty brush cutter. The smaller Grand L's are built on the same basic chassis as the L4400 anyway, the wheelbase is the same. But they do weigh more and cost more while generating less power. The paper improvement in 3PH lift capability is only a few hundred pounds and that's academic since the L4400 has the muscle...as long as something holds the front down.
The only issue is with a 6' med duty mower. It'll still work, but the rig will be unbalanced, you'll feel it and it'll make you uncomfortable. I'd be surprised if the smaller grand L's are rated any higher than the L4400 in terms of mower capability. Maybe someone here can look at their L3240/3540/3940 manual and tell us. I know the MX5000 is rated for a mower maximum of 84"/1000# and that's with a 3PH lift capability that's exactly the same as the L4400's. It's just a little longer and wider than the L4400, as well as being about 500# heavier, so it can handle the added weight better.
BTW are you going to leave the tractor and mower out at your prairie site or will you trailer it? With tractor, loader and mower you'll probably need a 20 footer to trailer.
Bob
The only issue is with a 6' med duty mower. It'll still work, but the rig will be unbalanced, you'll feel it and it'll make you uncomfortable. I'd be surprised if the smaller grand L's are rated any higher than the L4400 in terms of mower capability. Maybe someone here can look at their L3240/3540/3940 manual and tell us. I know the MX5000 is rated for a mower maximum of 84"/1000# and that's with a 3PH lift capability that's exactly the same as the L4400's. It's just a little longer and wider than the L4400, as well as being about 500# heavier, so it can handle the added weight better.
BTW are you going to leave the tractor and mower out at your prairie site or will you trailer it? With tractor, loader and mower you'll probably need a 20 footer to trailer.
Bob
Racer71
Silver Member
swampvol said:I had planned on getting a 5' md hog for my l3400. I guess that ain't gonna happen.
I have a 5 footer with my 3400 and it works just fine. I wish I had a 6 footer.
The lift is great. I leave the FEL on.
The 3400 can lift 900 pounds 3 feet behind the lifting points. The 4400 can lift 1,500 pounds at 3 feet. So the brochures state.
Bob_Young said:
Bob, I intend on looking up info on the Woods Standard Xtreme duty and maybe even call Woods about it. It certainly sounds interesting. The last thing I want to do is tear up a new Kubota. I will be storing the Kubota in a building. The little piece (16 acres) of prairie my wife and I own is considered an area of interest by the US Department of the Interior or the National Park System. The Regal Fritillary is a butterfly that is considered pretty rare in the Midwest and occurs almost entirely on good healthy prairie. One afternoon last summer, we counted over 150 of them on a small piece of our prairie. My wife and I even choose different routes when we walk on the prairie as not to make a trail on it. So, a light weight tractor like the L4400 probably will actually work to our advantage.
I have a Woods BB600 on the back of a Kubota L3410 HST. It's over the listed weight, but IMHO, that is only for tractors without FEL or front weights.
So, I leave the FEL on the front and the BB600 (with chains) is not a problem.
If you have a FEL on the tractor, you should be able to get the BB720 or other equivalent brand of medium duty mower. If no FEL, you would need to max out the front weights. No big deal, people have been doing that exact thing on tractors since re the 8N was popular.
jb
So, I leave the FEL on the front and the BB600 (with chains) is not a problem.
If you have a FEL on the tractor, you should be able to get the BB720 or other equivalent brand of medium duty mower. If no FEL, you would need to max out the front weights. No big deal, people have been doing that exact thing on tractors since re the 8N was popular.
jb
N80
Super Member
Bob_Young said:
That's good information and confirms your idea that the implement weight limit has more to do with the balance of the machine than the capacity of the 3pt hitch and its hydraulics to handle the weight (which is my main concern). If the hydraulics and the lift components (lift arms, spindle, etc) can handle the weight then it is not that hard to ballast a tractor to handle it (i.e. keep the loader on, add suitcase weights etc.) Although I still have concerns in the back of my mind about bouncing a 1200 pound mower (or in my case a 1200 pound disk) in the lifted position.
N80
Super Member
swampvol said:
Well, it sounds like the jury is still out on this issue. I'm just quoting the manual. Obviously other folks here have used medium duty mowers on this size tractor without problems. If you really need a medium duty, I'd do a little more research before I gave up on the idea.
N80
Super Member
photogman said:
Yep. We're just putting all the info out there. You have to decide. And the simple truth is, for your needs the L4400 will likely exceed your expectations. It certainly has mine. And while an M5040 sounds real neat, truth is, there is nothing in my experience with my L4400 that indicates any need for a 5040 whatsoever. Even with HST I think the L4400 is still the best bang for the buck you can get in a CUT....and in fact, the L4400 is pretty close to a utility tractor. And I can say without hesitation that in the last 2.5 years there hasn't been anything that I wanted the tractor to do that it couldn't do. (When I lifted that 1200 Tuf-Line HD disk, the tractor did 'grunt' a little bit, but from what I've read in this thread, I feel like it could have carried it just fine, and I know that it could pull it just fine.)
So you really can't go wrong. And I'm with you on the luxury stuff. If I was going to spend more money it would be on HP, not a tilt steering wheel.
In the owner's manual of the L3400 and L4400, you will find maximum 3pt weights and sizes. These number are quite a bit less than the numbers you will find on the spec. sheets.
I spoke to 2 dealers about the matter.
The local dealer said you can go over the weight on the 3 point if you have an appropriate counter balance.
The other dealer said that these maximums have nothing do to with counter balance. It is related to the tractor and the components included in the 3pt.
Of course no one wants to break their 3pt. So what gives.
What is correct answer?
Thanks, Mark
I spoke to 2 dealers about the matter.
The local dealer said you can go over the weight on the 3 point if you have an appropriate counter balance.
The other dealer said that these maximums have nothing do to with counter balance. It is related to the tractor and the components included in the 3pt.
Of course no one wants to break their 3pt. So what gives.
What is correct answer?
Thanks, Mark
N80
Super Member
markanth said:
The correct answer is not to exceed the limits given in the owner's manual. Of course, that's not what anyone wants to hear. We want to know why. But, the fact is, you're probably not going to get the reason.
So my recommendation is to follow the recommendation if you can, but if you can't then counter balance approriately and be very careful when exceeding the limits. In other words, if you need a 1200 pound medium duty mower then be very careful while travelling with it in the raised position. When you hit a bump that 1200 suspended 6 feet behind the lift point is going to bounce hard. So go slow. Or consider a pull type mower which puts no load on the 3 pt hitch.
Etc, Etc.
