Stability - 2038R vs L3902

[JimTB]

Hello,

First time poster. I’m in the market for a CUT and need some feedback from those who have more experience riding these units.

Between myself and my family we’ve owned in the last 10 years a Cub Cadet garden tractor, Simplicity garden tractor, Kubota BX2660, Ventrac 3400, multiple Deere 445s, Deere 345, an older Deere CUT (model escapes me) and a Scag Turf Tiger 2. We have a few properties to maintain but the most notable is a 20+ acre lot with steep hills.

We want a CUT to perform FEL work (bucket, forks, snow pusher) and maybe occasional rear PTO usage involving a finish mower or a tiller.

I’ve looked into and sat on nearly every available <40HP tractor and have narrowed down to JD 2038R or Kubota L3902. Both seem to be excellent tractors but I’m having a hard time choosing just one. FEL capacity for NSL is near identical with the same rear PTO HP. Without getting into the details, there are many things I like about one vs the other.

One of the most important traits must be stability on hills. I don’t plan to drive sideways on them but nonetheless I’d prefer to maximize stability since I will not be the only one using the tractor. Both units would feature 2” wheel spacers, wheel weights, and 3-pt ballast. I will *not* fill the rear tires because I need to have the flexibility to minimize weight for certain flat surface turf applications. Tires would be R-3+ Galaxy pros for the JD or R-14T for the Kubota.

Would a L3902 be more stable because of the wider track and heavier frame? Or would the 2038R be superior because it is more compact? If anyone has driven both or any of their sister engine models or previous generations (e.g. L3901 or 2032R), I would appreciate sharing your experience. Thanks in advance.

Note: I should add I am not interested in the LX series or 30XX series. Both had ergonomic issues for us.

 

[drumminj]

Can't offer direct experience on any of these, but it might be worth looking at the Kubota L3560 LE vs the 3901. Fancier tractor, but based on some posts I've seen the price may be in the ballpark of the 3901 yet it'll have larger frame, heavier, and I believe had adjustable wheels to set them out wider for stability.

The 3901 wheels are only adjustible with R1 tires I believe.

 

[dodge man]

I can’t directly answer your question but I have a comment. I moved from a BX2350 to a JD 2025r. The JD isn’t a huge step up in size but is noticeably taller and wider. Your initial reaction is it will be less stable since it sits higher but because is wider it is more stable. In other words a larger frame size might make it more stable.

The truth is unless you get a speciality tractor they all can be unstable on hills and you just have to be careful. Working up and down a hill is always better if possible.

 

[milkman636]

My initial thought is that the 2038r on galaxy turfs would sit a bit lower to the ground, which would be a plus for stability.

And the 2038r would also have a slightly higher power to weight ratio, which should be benefit on every climb back up the hill.

None of this was fact checked with actual data, but it’s my impression from seeing both tractors.