Time For a bigger Tractor (Kubota)

[KingQu]

Hello, First post for a longtime lurker (and learner). Have owned my BX2360,' (FEL, BB, 54"MM) for about 5 years and I love my tractor! Recently purchased 36 acres and Im shopping for a bigger tractor. Think Ive settled for a L series and was looking at new L2501, I think Id prefer more Hp, but dont want DPF stuff. Also looking at bush hog but Im confused about all the different models in land pride product guide. Thanks to all the posters in this forum.....Ive learned alot. Thanks Mitch

 

[TripleR]

Welcome to TBN, we own tractors from 22 to 85HP and while we have none with DPF, I'd personally take that over an under powered machine every time.

A description of your needs, chores and property will help a lot, but just going on acreage, I'd want nothing less than 35HP. I use Woods and Land Pride and agree differences between models are considerable. I really like the medium duty line for my uses as even the medium duty RCR26 Series will handle 3" material and mine looks great after about five years of hard use.

 

[jeff9366]

Recently purchased 36 acres and Im shopping for a bigger tractor.

This is not very informative. What are you going to use the land for? Are you in Mobile, Alabama?

 

[KingQu]

Sorry,This property is a hobby farm.... Mostly I will use new tractor to mow 10 acres high grass (old hayfield) and want to use 5' bush hog to cut it. Also plan to use FEL for light clearing and moving dirt ect.. Might want to buy tiller in the future. I'll still have my bx2360, which will stay at my main residence. (perfect for my 3 acres) . Yes Mobile Alabama Thanks
''[

 

[walter boatwright]

You would only be getting 2 more hp. Maybe look for an older low hour unit. The DPF is a joke of a trade off. "IF" you have clean fields a sickle bar or small disc type mower should work.

 

[jeff9366]

Mostly I will use new tractor to mow 10 acres high grass (old hayfield) and want to use 5' bush hog to cut it. Also plan to use FEL for light clearing and moving dirt ect.. Might want to buy tiller in the future. I'll still have my bx2360, which will stay at my main residence. (perfect for my 3 acres) . Yes Mobile Alabama Thanks
''[

I do not think you are going to notice much difference between your current BX2360 and a new L2501, other than sitting up considerably higher. I would not want to maintain two prime movers for this minor difference. BX2360 will power a 48" PTO powered roto-tiller just fine.

(I went from a Deere 750 sub-compact to a light Kubota B3300SU, perhaps a tad larger than the L2501, so I speak from experience.)

Moving from the light Kubota B3300SU tractor-loader to a heavy (Grand) L3560 tractor-loader, with all the standard bells & whistles is a whole new and happy experience.

Is transporting the tractor from one property to the other an issue?

Do you have secure tractor storage on both properties?

 

[KingQu]

i have garage storage at both locations, and would like to keep a tractor at each place. Is the L3560 similar to the new l3901? I would'nt mind buying a low hour 32-39 hp L model but they seem to be hard to find. Do you know what year they started putting DPF on Grand l models. thanks for the help

 

[jeff9366]

The Grand Ls with a model number ending in 40 are Tier III. (L3540)

The Grand Ls with a model number ending in 60 are Tier IV. (L3560)

There is a 30-hp New Holland tractor-loader in Jackson, Mississippi for $15,500 advertised as NEAR MINT at 230 hours. Most likely Tier III.

Tractor New Holland TC30 by Owner Near Mint Condition | eBay



Here is a link to all tractors on eBay, with those nearest Mobile, Alabama, listed first.

Industrial Tractor | eBay


The (Grand) L3560 is a current, Tier IV, Kubota model:

http://www.kubota.com/product/L60/specifications.aspx

 

[varmint]

I loved my grand L 3130, and would still have it were it not so big/heavy for our property. (loaded rear R-4's didn't help). I may be wrong, but I'm guessing in 5 years we won't even be talking about the Tier 4 stuff. That said, I always buy used. If you can take your time and lurk on the classifieds here, and TractorHouse and Craig's List, you will get a good idea of what's selling, for how much, and when the right used tractor comes along, go for it. Once you get a sense of what you think will work, focus on watching for it. My mantra these days is go for a SSQA loader bucket! You'll most likely be glad you have it.
Something like this might make sense, although it has a lot of hours, if taken care of, not an issue.

Nice Kubota L 3710 4 x 4 Loader Tractor | eBay

 

[jeff9366]

Also looking at bush hog but Im confused about all the different models in land pride product guide.

The heavier rotary cutters can stand being pushed into thickets in reverse. They have heavier gear boxes/bearings, thicker decks which are resistant to deformation, heavier wheel supports with more bracing and heavier blades, which retain momentum.

An L2501 has just 19 or 20 PTO horsepower when new. An L2501 has only enough PTO horsepower for the lightest of 60" rotary cutters. Light duty rotary cutters need the tractor to clear the way for the implement. If you cannot spin a rotary cutter at its designed speed it will not cut satisfactorily. Powered by an L2501 your cutter will be pretty much restricted to mowing medium height grass and the lightest of brush.

With a 60" rotary cutter I would order 4-WD, not 2-WD. You will want 4-WD with a loader, anyhow.

Land Pride is pretty clear about the PTO horsepower required for each "tier" of rotary cutters.

If you need to clear heavier brush, buy a Ratchet Rake attachment for the bucket on the L2501. Use the FEL + Ratchet Rake to tear out brush, then mow horizontal brush to mulch it.

 

[KingQu]

Thanks to all who posted....you have helped me realize at I need a L3200 or bigger. I think the perfect tractor for me would be a low hour L3540 or maybe a L3800. Thanks again Mitch

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks to all who posted....you have helped me realize at I need a L3200 or bigger. I think the perfect tractor for me would be a low hour L3540 or maybe a L3800. Thanks again Mitch

I do not know your age nor financial condition, but at age 68 I can tell you that you will appreciate the bells on whistles on a 'Grand L' more with each additional year.

 

[TripleR]

I do not know your age nor financial condition, but at age 68 I can tell you that your will appreciate the bells on whistles on a 'Grand L' more with each additional year.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Speedex]

I was able to still order a L3200. Picked it up two weeks ago. I didn't want the emissions either and my dealer contacted another dealer that had one and made it happen

 

[varmint]

In reading this thread again, my advice would be to look for something a bit heavier than a L3200. I have an L3400, which is similar, I think, and for your situation, more tractor makes sense. The L4*** series might be good. And a "Grand" L would be appreciated as you get used to its features! I had looked at a L4330, if memory serves, and it was sweet, but just too heavy for where I would be using it.

 

[KevT]

All I can say is I love my L3901 and everything it can do/ does for me. The tier 4 system is no big deal in the 4 months / 120 hours I have owned it. About every 20 hours you have to cycle it at an RPM that I am using anyway, so it never slows me down. As far as the cost of replacement parts sound high, parts for older tractors are going up too as they are less available. In my old crotchety opinion it is a pay me now, pay me later.

 

[jeff9366]

All I can say is I love my L3901 and everything it can do/ does for me. The tier 4 system is no big deal in the 4 months / 120 hours I have owned it. About every 20 hours you have to cycle it at an RPM that I am using anyway, so it never slows me down.

Nor have I had issues with Tier IV on my L3560, with 485 hours. The L3560 is a major design upgrade from the predecessor L3540. Probably no more effective at work but many areas are more accessible, especially the fuel filler.

The price for the L3560 was $4,000 more than L3540. Two additional horsepower with the L3560.

I do regeneration at home. It is a hot process which I am afraid to do in the woods, where I work with my tractor most of the time. Every 60 hours (+/-) it takes 16 minutes to perform regeneration @ 2,200 RPM.

 

[Fallon]

I have a L3200 HST. The L3200, L3800, L3301, L3901 & L2501 all have more or less the same frame & are the same tractor. The only difference is the engine & wether or not it has the tier 4 junk. The 01's probably have a slightly smoother 3pt.

I mow my 5 acres of pasture with my L3200 in about half a day with either my LandPride 5' rotary cutter or a very old 7' For 917 flail. A few extra HP over my 32hp would be nice on occasion, but not to often. I'd be disappointed with less HP though. In retrospect I'd have paid an extra $1k for the extra 5 odd HP, but not the $2-3k they were asking for my L3200 vs a L3800. My rotary cutter will occasionally bog when cutting hood high grass, but not to often. It was slow going running a tiller across 2.5 acres when reclaiming the pasture (previous owners massively overgrazed it, nothing but packed dirt & weeds left), but it went pretty good with the HST.

You'd be a moron to get a 2wd or not load the tires unless you were just cutting golf course greens. You need the weight for the traction & being a small light tractor it really needs 4wd to put all the power down. Even with loaded tires, you need proper ballast on the back to lift stuff with the loader safely. I'd highly recommend you get a loader with a SSQA interface, makes swapping implements so much easier & implements are MUCH more common with SSQA.

As others have noted, with 10 acres, you might want to jump up to a 4 series tractor with a bit more weight, HP & able to pull a 72" or larger cutter. It depends on how long you are willing to take to mow the 10 acres. A Grand is a nicer fancier & heavier tractor, but generally doesn't have more power than the base 00 or 01 series. More bells & whistles & options for a cab. Down the road I might be upgrading to one for the cab & some of the other cool toys. The base models are very capable tractors though & a lot more bang for your buck. When properly ballasted a base model will do 95% of what a Grand will do other than lift capacity on the loader or 3pt.

Unless you are mostly going to be doing PTO related stuff, weight is the primary limiting factor, not HP. That doesn't help with your mowing & rototiller scenario, but it very relevant for dirt work. A L2501 will outwork any B or BX all day long because of the extra weigh (and associated traction & lift capacity), not that I'd advocate for an under powered L2501. All the L3x0x tractors clock in at about 3,500 lbs with a loader & loaded rear tires if memory serves.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I do not know your age nor financial condition, but at age 68 I can tell you that you will appreciate the bells on whistles on a 'Grand L' more with each additional year.

Truer words have never been spoken.

When I bought my Kioti DK50SE, I debated on whether to spend the extra $5,000 - $6,000 on a cab. I finally decided that I've been standing in line a long time (I was 60 at the time) and I've worked my tail end off my entire life, and I can afford it. My other option was to save the money so my kids could inherit it and p!ss it away when I'm gone.

So I bought the cabbed model and never had a moment's regret.

 

[KingQu]

Thanks again for the help and info. Ive decided the best fit for me is a used low hour L3540 or L3940.. Ive been scanning craigslist and tractorhouse. Would like to find a private seller and maybe get a bushhog and trailer too.