Buying Advice I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs.

   / I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs. #41  
Gary, I believe the hour meter on the newer Kubotas are electronic. I'm not sure about the L3800, but certainly on the Grand series they are. On my old L4400, it was like you described. If you did idling work, you could go all day without putting on more than a couple hours. Mechanical driven tach/hour meter. On the newer stuff, being electronic, it's just a simple clock that starts ticking when you turn on the key. Makes buying a used tractor with mechanical tach truly a guessing game as verified with your comments.

Interesting thought, but just because the tach is digital/electronic does not necessarily mean that it does not read RPM and calculate the amount of work done like a mechanical tach. I think most ag tractors still calculate as they did in the past, even though there is no mechanical cable. Most construction equipment seems to use (whether digital or analog) a simple Hobbs type meter that is basically a clock that runs when the equipment is running, regardless of rpm.

I'm not sure about the Grand L series, I'd be curious to know if an hour at idle really puts on an hour. Over the life of a tractor, this could make quite a bit of difference in an hour meter reading.
 
   / I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs. #42  
The first of the electronic hour meters in ag equipment was in the seventies and I can't think of any that are built for todays production farmers that don't!!!! This is not new technology at all and is used virtually across the board today with the tractors we sell.
The older tach on most tractors did convert the hours to PTO speed hours and yes you might be able to run a tractor for two hours and only get one hour applied. With the ag tractors we figure about 1/4 to 1/3 more hours are accumulated ove the PTO speed rated hour meter design.
 
   / I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs.
  • Thread Starter
#43  
The tach info is interesting but I was hoping for opinions on my post from yesterday afternoon?
 
   / I was wrong. L3800 too small for my needs. #44  
The tach info is interesting but I was hoping for opinions on my post from yesterday afternoon?

You may have more luck posting a new thread with a title comparing the choices in which you can refer to this post. Some may have already posted and feel they have offered all they know on the subject and here is nothing that seems to stir more debate/discussion than Kubota v John Deer or vice versa.:laughing:

As mentioned this is not an apples v apples comparison which makes it especially hard. I prefer a 12/12 over 8/8 any day for anything and you have to step up to an M8540 or newer M60 Series to get the 12/12 in Kubota. For much less than the difference in the two tractors, you can add the "standard" features to the Kubota.

Then you can throw in the option of getting the cheaper L5740 and the 12 foot cutter from Land Pride RC2512.

Your thoughts on contacting individual M7040 owners or asking their input may work great as well as I have never used one; seems to be more M95/8540 owners currently posting. I know GWDixon and Builder own them, but forget the others.

Good luck.
 
 
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