Buying Advice Kubota GL3240 vs. Kubota B3300SU vs. Deere 3320

[TripleR]

You give up some thing when looking at the MX4700 v MX5100 that to me are well worth the extra money.

NEVER discount ergonomics. It may not seem like a big deal, but will sure matter at the end of a long day.

Some people have to get use to the heel and toe, but most of us like it once we do. I don't know about the GST, but I operate a Hydraulic Shuttle Shift as well as HST and while I like the HDC, I am less fatigued at the end of a day with the HST.

My preference is the Grand L, but it sure is hard to beat the utility and value of the MX.

 

[crazyal]

My best advise is to look at the Grand L line if you want extra features. If you are the type of person who just wants a basic tractor then you're not going to find anything in the GL line that you'll want to spend money on. I know I would never get a MX or regular L tractor now that I've used the extra features of the GL but everyone is different.

If you think there is a chance that you may get a GL then you really need to go down to the dealer and try one out, mainly the HST. Have the dealer show you the features and tell you when they would be used. For me I could never own a HST tractor without the H-DS feature. I now dead doing loader work with my much larger backhoe with a shuttle shift transmission because of how convenient the H-DS is. Just siting on one is not going to be enough to understand the differences.

 

[Grandad4]

Anyone know which of the Grand L series comes close to the MX5100 in price? Also, how much less should the MX4700 cost than the MX5100?

A lot of people get thrown off track thinking the "Grand L's" are cushy "gentlemen's tractors" because they have some convenience features. Not necessarily so. Power-wise, an L4740 and L5240 have the same engines as the MX4700/Mx5100. Performance-wise, the L's have more hydraulic capacity and more lift capacity on the 3 point. The primary functional difference though is the Grand L's have the new HST-plus while the MX's have an older HST design similar to what is on my earlier generation Grand L. The older setup has worked great for me, but virtually all owner accounts of the new setup say it's a worthwhile performance improvement, and it's probably the feature that accounts for much of the price differential between the GL's and the comparable MX models.

I'll second TripleR's comment about the HST pedal. Lots of noise on the subject, but it has simply been a non-issue ever since we took delivery. Took all of 5 minutes to get used to it and has been second nature ever since. My trick... don't put both your heel and your toe on the pedal at the same time. Keep the heel on the floor when going forward just like you do with the gas pedal in the car. Backing up is a simple press with the heel when you need it.

When you do loader work, the HST gives you the great advantage that your hands are free to steer and run the loader while moving the tractor is done with your left foot. With a gear tractor, you either need 3 hands or you look like you're conducting a symphony trying to steer, start, stop, reverse, stop, go forward and operate the loader simultaneously. Up to you whether that's relevant to your needs.

Bottom line is the MX's offer great value and performance. They are very similar to the Grand L's but are slightly more basic machines. You can be a happy tractor operator with either setup and you wouldn't go wrong with either.

 

[jpsheb]

Good things to think about. Regarding the heal-toe pedal, I admit, what I describe is only my first impression. The thing that takes time is to learn those things that, once learned, can be 2nd nature that you don't have to think about. (like a stick-shift car).

I do like the econony & control of the GST type shifting, but I can apreciate the ability to let the machine do more of the work with an HST system, freeing up a hand to steer and operate machinery. I intend to be using the FEL alot and later on would like to be using a grapple type attachment on the back end when doing low impact/small scale logging.

I do like the MX5100. I also like the GL3240. Can anyone tell me which GL-series Kubota is on cost parity with the MX5100, as I try to make the quality (GL) vs. quantity (MX) decisions. Another thing I'm trying to think about, as if it's not complex enough of a decision, is looking for a tractor that for the dollar has the most of the things I can't easily get, or upgrade, with aftermarket items later (power, transmission, vehicle size, PTO, 3ph, etc.). Unlike many tractor owners, I would really like a machine with the least baseline weight for a certain power class (e.g., the L4400 vs. the MX4700, or B3300SU vs. L3200). I can always add weight for most work, but can't make a heavier tractor lighter for the soft-ground work in the woods.

Regarding price, after seeing and liking the MX5100 (& GL3240!) yesterday, I spent a while on the phone today with a friend who recently purchased an MX4700--her first tractor. She got it with full HST, 4x4, FEL (quick-attach forks & bucket), box blade, bush hog, and trailer to haul it for $27000. I've put together a price baseline based on this and on the price on the Kubota "Build Your Tractor feature (deducting 15% as some other posters have suggested). Based on that, there is about a 10% disparity between the dealer's offer and what I'd realistically like to pay. Is this a typical situation? Generally, I would like to find one dealer I can trust and with whom I can deal and stick with them for the long run. But when I sense alot of negotiating tricks up front w/ some dealers, rigidness and opacity with respect to price, it does have me rethinking buying new.

In the long run, I'm sure all this work in shopping for the tractor will pay off--shop carefully, shop once. And when you realize that every 1% of the final price is a difference of ~$300, it makes studying, looking, driving around, researching, etc. worth it--for both price and for knowing that I bought the right machine.

So, now you all have me leaning more toward the 40-50hp range and rethinking getting a GST type tranny!

This thread is really giving me alot of good advice and things to think about--hopefully it will provide good info for others too! Thanks and keep it coming

 

[Whitnel]

jpsheb,
Like you I read about and priced tractors until I though my eyes were going to pop out. My wife got so tired about hearing me talk about them all the time. But I am glad I looked as much as I did.

The thing that drove my decision the most was wanting to pull a 6' rotary cutter, wanting the loader joystick coming up from the floor board like a backhoe, not suppended up in the air from the loader arm and the HST pedal. I almost ended up with a John Deere because of their two pedal design. I don't care for the U shaped kubota pedal, I finally found the bigger pedal on the GL and like it.

I drove a GL 3240 GST that my friend has. The thing I did not like was bushhogging with it. You have to keep the RPM's up to use the cutter but that gave me the feeling of going too fast or not having control when getting real close to objects and backing under trees and brush. With my HST I can run the RPM's up and speed up or slow down with just the push of the pedal. I can back under something with control, looking back the whole time at a speed I want and stop on a dime. I am not worried about hitting the foward / reverse stick with my left hand that gets twisted up while steering and out of positon from turning around in the seat to see behind me.

 

[Grandad4]

I was going to use the "Build my Kubota" to figure which GL has about the same MSRP as an MX5100 but that function is evidently undergoing maintenance. Hope they're not raising prices!

Lacking that... suggest you try it yourself when it's back in service... I seem to remember one thread indicating there's about a $5k premium to get a Grand L equivalent (i.e. L5240) to the MX5100. That would suggest the L3540 or L3940 are probably in the same ballpark with the MX regarding MSRP. Anyone who has better information handy, please jump in if I am off base here.

 

[jpsheb]

Like you I read about and priced tractors until I though my eyes were going to pop out. My wife got so tired about hearing me talk about them all the time. But I am glad I looked as much as I did.
...

That's exactly where I am! My wife has been very patient with this whole thing, simply saying for me to focus on making sure take the time it takes to get the right machine so we don't have to do this again for a Loooong time.

Having done this before, would you do anything different in your search process?

 

[nybirdman]

I think your situation comes down to the GL3940...the sweet spot,good all around power and not too big.Of course mine is the L4240HSTC..which gets the larger loader(854).My first new tractor was the L3130 HST,traded for the cab and more power.It's cheaper to do it right the first time.The HST+ alone is worth it in the Grand L's.

 

[Jay4200]

Just to throw another wrench into the works, anther model you might consider is the L4400. It is about the same weight and size as the L3240, but with more power and bigger tires. Also uses a loader similar in size to the LA724, and uses the BH92. They also cost about the same if not a little less than the L3240. It is built on the Grand L series chassis, just without some of the frills.

Some people report that the L3240 is a bit underpowered since it weighs as much as some of the larger tractors, but only has 32hp. I can only imagine this problem would be compounded by the large (and heavy) loader and BH options.

I second the L4400. I have an old L4200, and it is a beast. The 4400 is a bare-bones workhorse, so if you want fluff, it's not for you. The 3240 is a nice machine, but you are paying a lot of dough for bells n' whistles that don't make it work harder, but if you want those creature comforts, its a good consideration. Another thing to possibly consider, at least that I've noticed, is that the smallest engine size of a given series seems to take a big hit in resale valve compared to the larger engine sizes. I see a whole bunch of used L3130s for sale, and nobody wants them. The L3830s sell immediately and for a bunch more money. If you are planning on keeping it forever, then that doesn't matter, but a thousand or two up front for a bigger motor may yield in the future if you are worried about resale. The B tractors are nice if you want or need a small machine for maneuverability, but the L series are much stronger.

JayC

 

[Whitnel]

Having done this before, would you do anything different in your search process?

I should have narrowed my search down sooner. At first I was looking at every tractor under the sun. It seems like you have done alot of research and are headed in the right direction. Since it does not seem like you are restricted by budget you first have the decision of used vs. new. I was limited on budget so I had to look at only used to get what I needed.

First - I figured what I had to have and what options I wanted the tractor to have. I did not want to wish I had gotten a tractor with X, that would just make me mad everytime I got on it.
I wanted to run a certain size cutter so that put me in a certain HP range and I wanted HST, some want to pick up a certain size load, you may want to pull a certain size log out of the woods.

Second - The dealer is huge factor. That may be the reason you are looking at Kubota's don't remember if you mentioned that. How far do you have to travel to get parts and service. You will do that for the life of the tractor. Some dealerships were over an hour away from me and I did not want to travel that far. The other factor is do you like the people at the dealership / service shop.

Thats what really helped me narrow down my search. What you need / want in few areas narrow down the model and then the dealership narrowed down the brand.