do not buy too big of tractor!

   / do not buy too big of tractor! #1  

BWS

Silver Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2002
Messages
208
Location
seattle area
Tractor
kubota l3830 hst/723 fel
i picked a kubota l3830hst/filled r/4s. after asking and reading many posts but i have too say after buying it i now wished i would have gotten a smaller one here's why.[1]i bent the flatbed when i brought it home[2]the tractor is mass heavy and wont mow well due too the wieght[crushes the ground][3]the r/4 tires are 72.3" wide and the new tilt/boxed flatbed dump trailers are 71.5" wide so the tractor wont fit.[4]it will take about a 10klb flatbed to move this around[safley][5]a smaller tractor would have worked better as a combo riding mower/tractor.this is a great tractor but these[l3130/3430/3830]are big tractors for heavy duty applications.for my 6 acres we have a lot of ground work[moving dirt]for which this will work very well but when i,m done i will still have to buy a garden tractor.just my input.bws
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #2  
You should trade to a smaller size. Me thinks you will be happier.
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #3  
Hi BWS,

I don't remember if any of my posts were directed at you recommending a larger tractor, but I believe your first post was about the Kubota L3410 and NH 33 or 35. So, the tractor you got was "in the neighborhood" of your original post. Most of us here recommend the largest tractor you can afford that fits into your useage requirements. The new LXX30 series is quite a bit bigger than the previous LXX10 series.

Just a question: Why did you load the tires if you were planning on doing a lot of mowing? I would think you'd try to keep it light for mowing, then if you needed the ballast for loader work, add a boxblade.

I guess trading is an option, although I would exhaust every other option before doing that. It might be hard to take a step back after using the L3830.

Good Luck,

~Rick
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #4  
I agree, think you have too much tractor for 6 acres (won't see THAT said too often on this board!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). Re the tire width you can PROBABLY set them a little narrower. (My 2500 has 4 settings done by which mounting flanges you use and flipping the tires around). However having them loaded means you may not be able to do this yourself due to weight.
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #5  
I also bought a tractor that most would say is too large. I have 6 1/4 acres, mostly wooded, approximately 3/4 to 1 acre cleared for the house and lawn, approx 800 feet of driveway. But I do have a Craftsman lawntracto with 42" deck to do the mowing. The Kubota L3130 is for moving dirt, snow and my boat around the yard, as well as other heavy objects. It will also be used to clear most of 1/4 acre for future barn site. Probably the ideal size for me would be a New Holland TC-30. I liked the Kubota B7800, or B2910, but it was a little light for my liking. For a few extra bucks (less than $3000 difference for tractor/loader/backhoe) I got about 2x as much tractor. Sure more than I need, but that's OK
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #6  
If your not happy I would let the dealer know before I put any time on it. See what he can do. He might be able to trade down. You might not get much if any money back. It could be done for you. You might as well have what you want.

Dave
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #7  
BWS,

Aside from trailering that tractor...which sounds like a problem you will overcome...and while the b2910 or b7800 might have been what you might want after you get all the work done on those six acres...If I got the right impression from one of your original posts, you seem to have a lot of work to do cleaning up those six acres.

My guess is that when the ground gets drier and the grass a little thicker you may be able to live with the amount of digging in that the tractor does. And I will bet you will appreciate the extra capabilities of that tractor while you are doing the initial cleanup of your property.

I do agree that you did buy a BIG one though! After seeing a L3130 I concluded it was too much machine for my 3.7 acres. And I can only imagine how big that 3830 is.

Right or wrong, I have an image in my mind of abandoned cars and stuff like that on your property. If you have to drag things like that around, the extra power and weight of that 3830 will certainly be in your favor over a B2910 like I have.

You may also be suffering from a little buyer's remorse. Questioning your decision, even if you don't know it! Remember, if one guy can be happy with a b2910 on 2/3 of an acre, you likely will be happy with yours on six!

My neightbor has had 36 hp Massy F. tractor on his 4.5 acres for years. And yes, he has a smaller garden tractor too for grass cutting. And a brush hog on the big one for rough cutting.

Many people who have the larger tractors seem to end up with a smaller one for grass cutting. Especially when the smaller lawn/garden tractor can end up costing less than a mower deck.

Don't jump too quick to change things, especially if it will end up costing a fair bit of change. The worst thing you could do is lose money going smaller and then find out that you were right the first time.
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #8  
i have 2/3 of an acre that is grass. I have 10 acres of land alltogether.

Dave
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #9  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Remember, if one guy can be happy with a b2910 on 2/3 of an acre.... )</font>

Hey....I resemble that remark! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Actually, when they delivered my Woods HBL-72-2 rear blade yesterday, it was attached to an L3710 for the delivery. After seeing the B2910 in my yard for 3 years now, the L didn't look so big! My wife was a bit nervous when she saw him drive the L3710 back on the truck without the blade. I told her they had brought the wrong tractor...I had ordered the bigger one. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Hey, ya' gotta keep 'em guessin'. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I suppose if I didn't spend all this money on tractors and implements, I could buy enough property to justify a bigger tractor...but then I wouldn't have any money for the tractor. So I guess I made the right decision for me. I'd rather have a big tractor on a little piece of property than no tractor on a big piece of property. I really envy you guys and gals with big tractors AND big properties. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Oh well, to each his own.

~Rick
 
   / do not buy too big of tractor! #10  
I mow my yard with a JD 4610 (3,400 lbs), works fine for me. Give yourself some time and I bet you'll love that BIG tractor. If you don't need the weight, get rid of the fill in the tires. That should lighten things up a bit.
 
 
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