Buying Advice Kubota L3560 hstc or LS XR4140HC or any XR41 series

[dan8152]

The only thing they really have in common is the price.
I have a Kubota L2501hst 4x4 and it's just a bit too small for my 40 acres and what I need it to do.
I really like kubota but for the same price as the L3560 hstC I could get the XR4100 series from about$3000 less for 40 hp to the just under (well about $1000) the kubota price for 55HP LS.
Ls has air ride seat, 3 hydro hook ups, free upgrade to R1 tires. It's heavier, can lift more, and so on. to go up to the frame size in the kubota that was closer to the LS was another $7grand. I thought green paint was expensive

The LS deal is 5 minutes from me, Kubota is around 30.
The kubota has better brand recognition and the customer service is much better than the smaller LS dealer. I just can't get over that price difference. Even the farmall dealer (is LS) is 10 minutes away but he charges more for the red paint.

Everything is pointing at getting rid of my small kubota and getting an LS. My budget is no more than $30,000 (it's really $25,000 but I'm pushing it a bit to $28,000 for the LS 40HP)

I feel that the L3560 is not much of an upgrade from the L2501 besides the cab. The XR4100 series is a huge upgrade in size and pretty much everything else. Am I blinded by blue?

 

[jeff9366]

The L3560 is a huge upgrade from the L2501, in chassis weight and kit. Kubota's HST/PLUS transmission is the single best feature on Grand Ls. Kubota Grand Ls are very quiet relative to the L2501.

LS makes excellent tractors too. I have shopped LS. LS build quality is evident on close inspection; confirmed by reports of many contented users here.

Either tractor brand will do well for you. Buy enough tractor and heavy enough implements this time.

 

[goeduck]

LS owners seem to be very happy. That said dealer quality is important as well. Did you let the Kubota dealer know that you were pricing LS so he knows to grab the sharpest pencil he has?

 

[cford36]

LS owners seem to be very happy. That said dealer quality is important as well. Did you let the Kubota dealer know that you were pricing LS so he knows to grab the sharpest pencil he has?

I’m sure all dealers are different. That said when I was looking to purchase my cab tractor the Kubota and John Deere dealers could have cared less that I was looking at LS. In fact the JD salesman couldn’t bother to get out of his chair to show me one on the lot, just pointed to it. The arrogance was obvious.
I love my LS. You won’t regret it.

 

[lostcreekranch]

I just traded in my LS XR4046HC for a new LS XR4155HC. You do get more value for your money with the LS tractors. You’re correct that the XR4155 does have three rear remotes. It also has improved telescoping stabilizers for 3-point lower arms and is CAT 2 hitch. The loader will lift a bit over 2700 lbs.

The seat is vastly improved over the seats on the XR40 series but, it is not air ride, at least mine isn’t.

As noted above your confidence in dealer is a big part of the sale as well.

When I originally looked at my prior XR4046HC, I also looked at Kubota. The $$$ difference between the LS and comparable Kubota bought me an Woods 6’ Brush Bull cutter and a Woods 84” Rear Grader with scarifiers. My Kubota sales guy did get out of his chair but, struggled to sell me on the extra value of orange paint over blue.

I’m very happy with my new XR4155HC and the LS engine is, IMHO, a bit quieter than the Shibura in the XR4046HC. The extra 9 HP is evident to me.

 

[TSO]

I agree with Jeff, the L3560 is a big upgrade over the L2501. Much bigger, heavier tractor. The loader is a big jump too.

My friend on here, KenB2920, is a Kubota guy. He started with a B2920, upgraded to a L3540, and now has a L5240. At the same time, i had started with a Kioti CK20, then an LS R4041 & 4047, then a Massey 1648, and now currently a Massey 1652. The point of that background story is to explain that we have gone through the same upgrades as you are looking to do, and also keep going up in Horsepower and size. In fact, I'm even considering going bigger than the 1652 yet again.

When Ken owned his L3540, and I had my LS R4047, we did some comparisons. We've also done comparisons and run our current machines as we run them together often (his 52 HP Kubota and my 52 HP Massey... Spoiler alert, besides minor personal preferences, the machines are nearly 95% identical for performance).

But going back to the l3540 versus the r4047, those machines were more similar than they were different. The weight difference was negligible, the loader lift height was nearly the same, and I would say that the loader lift strength was only tipped in the "larger" LS machines favor buy a fairly small margin (25%), All Things Considered. Here's the thread for that... http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ng/297621-fun-loader-tonight-pallet-fork.html

But besides the extra 500 lb of pallet lift ability, there was nothing that my LS could do that his l3540 could not do. We could both spin the same implements on the PTO, and we could both lift the same implements on the three-point.

Now, when we stepped up to the Massey 1652 and the Kubota l5240, we found at those loaders were a lot stronger than the other machines. I guess my point is, unless you need the high horsepower numbers to spin some large Implement with the PTO, the l3560 will probably be enough tractor for you. But if you need to lift 2000 pounds on pallet Forks, the l3560 won't be enough. You'll have to step up to the LS, and that will get you right about 2,000 pounds on pallets and forks.

I'm not trying to talk you out of the LS in any way, it's a nicely built machine. But, the loader specifications when they talk about the huge max weight lift ability at 2700 lb, is skewed by the fact that they have the lowest lifting height of any loader in this class, by a large margin. In actual application, the loaders weightlifting ability is only equal to or actually below many of the other tractors in this class. But when it comes to sheer value, you can't beat the LS.

 

[goeduck]

I’m sure all dealers are different. That said when I was looking to purchase my cab tractor the Kubota and John Deere dealers could have cared less that I was looking at LS. In fact the JD salesman couldn’t bother to get out of his chair to show me one on the lot, just pointed to it. The arrogance was obvious.
I love my LS. You won’t regret it.

I guess there are enough bad salespeople to go around. Having been in sales I don’t understand not wanting to close every sale possible. Their loss. Congratulations, LS makes good equipment.

 

[art]

The only thing they really have in common is the price.
.
Ls has air ride seat, 3 hydro hook ups, free upgrade to R1 tires. It's heavier, can lift more, and so on. to go up to the frame size in the kubota that was closer to the LS was another $7grand. I thought green paint was expensive

I find it interesting of the "free upgrade" to the cheaper ag tires!!! lol Lets see, "all tractors are the same" fit into this as well!

 

[dan8152]

I find it interesting of the "free upgrade" to the cheaper ag tires!!! lol Lets see, "all tractors are the same" fit into this as well!

Kubota wanted to charge more for R1 tires and special order them when I got my tractor.

looked at a mahindra 2538 with cab that had low hours and pretty good price that made me think. Smaller in size than the LS but more sized like the Kubota. Not a lot of features but the cab and savings that could buy a UTV or implements is making me think. I think that model is made by TYM though.

and thanks everyone for the great info in posts!

 

[jeff9366]

Kubota wanted to charge more for R1 tires and special order them when I got my tractor.

I believe you are confused.

R1/ag tires are standard on Kubotas. R4/indurstrial tires cost somewhat more. You can confirm this on BUILD MY KUBOTA.

Kubota wheels with mounted tires are shipped separate from the tractor chassis assembled into a unit at the dealer.

In the instance of the Grand L's, the chassis, engine and transmission are manufactured and completely assembled into a single unit in Japan, shipped to Georgia on really nice steel pallets, then shipped to the dealer.

I am not sure where the wheels and tires are manufactured. It probably varies with what combination is ordered.