New L47: configuration questions

[Nemmy]

Hi all, medium time lurker, first time poster/potential Kubota owner here. I have some questions about a new L47 configuration below. I went to a local dealer and was disappointed at the knowledge of the salesperson and his listening skills, so I decided to ask my specifics here and try another dealer.

Intro: I'm finally at the point of upgrading from garden and yard tractors to a real sized one. I'm homing in on an L47 for three reasons: I want high lift capacity for logs/sawmilling, I have light excavator work (ditches, electrical, stumps), and want general PTO support for post holes & brush mowing a couple of acres of non-turf vegetation/trails. I imagine I would still use my yard tractor for the flat grass areas near the house that would otherwise require a finish mower. In addition I generally like to overbuy once so my tools last a very long time before I think about upgrading or adding to them. In an ideal world I would get a tracked excavator, skidsteer and pto mower, but I'm not seeing being able to spend that kind of money to own all three. For the once a year larger projects I can just rent an excavator locally but for normal monthly items I believe the L47 backhoe will be more than enough.

Questions related to getting a L47:
1. What features are best to get from the factory/dealer when buying up front instead of trying to add them afterwards? The 0% for 5-7 years makes this simpler to purchase, so I'd like to get whatever I will need all at once if possible. Specifically, what do I get when I move from the TLB to a TLB-LB and how does that relate to the single lever valve quick coupler for the loader and the remote valve kit for the rear attachments?
2. I'm looking at the qc heavy duty round back bucket based on some reading I've done here. Do I want the bolt on cutting edge? in what scenario does that really help?
3. Attachments from Kubota/LandPride: any to stay away from or to definitely get? I know there are a ton of third party and I've had mixed success with some in the past. How do these compare to what I can get at a place like everything attachments or similar. One of the benefits is to roll this into the initial financing and pay it off over the long term. I'm currently thinking of one of the front grapples, a post hole digger w/9 and an 18+ (posts & trees), pallet forks and a brush mower to begin with.
4. Backhoe: rubber pads and qc thumb, anything else? what's a cylinder guard?
5. Backhoe buckets: 12" or 16" for trench digging (electrical/water/buried conduit) and something bigger. The tilting grading bucket looks really cool but I don't see a real use for it on my property especially for the extra ~$4k.
6. Dealer installed options: seems like some of those are either packaged with the build or not. Which do I want to ask for specifically? (3 pt linkage kit, 3 pt linkage storage, draw bar kit, draw bar clevis, top and tilt kit)
7. Hydraulic 2-lever quick coupler: do people really get these? seems a bit (a lot?) wasteful given the likelyhood of changing the front bucket/grapple more than a couple of times in a day and the likelihood of yet another hydraulic breaking or leaking over time. Also does this take the third function away in the front then?
8. Separate but interesting: recommendation for an aftermarket cab if I'm interested in those?

Thanks for any help and advice.

 

[deathtoblackberries]

My dealer sales guy is like a walking encyclopedia of Kubota, I do my own research and have never stumped him.

 

[Fallon]

Look at a hydraulic PHD. A PTO PHD is $600-800 & a pain to put on. Additionally it doesn't have any downpressure so might not dig in a lot of situations.

A hydraulic PHD will be pushing $2k or so depending on mounting options. You can reverse hydraulics if they jam in the hole. My 40hp L4060 with 10ish gpm has noticably less power & speed with my hydraulic PHD than my old 32hp L3200 had with a PTO PHD. The flexibility & usability, not to mention ease of hook up makes it worth it. The bigger hydraulics on a TBL might offset that letting you get a PHD rated for more flow. Hydraulics mean you can hook the PHD up to your hoe or the loader giving you lots of flexibility.

Augers for hydraulic PHDs (2" hex or almost 3" round) are 30-40% more expensive than PTO augers (2" round), but are that much heavier & beefier at least.

I like having the right toys... Er tools for a job as well. Despite the hydraulics transmitting less power than PTO, the quality of life in a hydraulic PHD is better.

You may consider getting a 3rd function on the loader and how. It would let you run hydraulic angle on a snow plow, grapple, or hydraulic PHD on the loader. Generally the main use would be for a thumb on the hoe, but it would run a PHD too.

 

[Fallon]

7. Hydraulic 2-lever quick coupler: do people really get these? seems a bit (a lot?) wasteful given the likelyhood of changing the front bucket/grapple more than a couple of times in a day and the likelihood of yet another hydraulic breaking or leaking over time. Also does this take the third function away in the front then?

Speaking as a guy who built a power SSQA with a linear actuator for his old L3200 & is planning on a hydraulic SSQA for his new L4060. Don't bother. OEM price is $1,200-1,500 or so & you may or may not loose your 3rd function. My build will use a manual diverter on the OEM 3rd function & cost me $300ish in parts. Probably a couple partial weekends to build. You already have to get off the machine to hook up or unhook hoses, so a manual diverter up on the loader will work just fine.

Even at my cost it still isn't worth it as a practical matter. I'm lazy, like my toys & cool projects so that ballances out my equation.

 

[Peter 315]

This is what i bought . I also got the 4 in 1 bucket

 

[mikester]

Questions related to getting a L47:
1. What features are best to get from the factory/dealer when buying up front instead of trying to add them afterwards? The 0% for 5-7 years makes this simpler to purchase, so I'd like to get whatever I will need all at once if possible. Specifically, what do I get when I move from the TLB to a TLB-LB and how does that relate to the single lever valve quick coupler for the loader and the remote valve kit for the rear attachments?
2. I'm looking at the qc heavy duty round back bucket based on some reading I've done here. Do I want the bolt on cutting edge? in what scenario does that really help?
3. Attachments from Kubota/LandPride: any to stay away from or to definitely get? I know there are a ton of third party and I've had mixed success with some in the past. How do these compare to what I can get at a place like everything attachments or similar. One of the benefits is to roll this into the initial financing and pay it off over the long term. I'm currently thinking of one of the front grapples, a post hole digger w/9 and an 18+ (posts & trees), pallet forks and a brush mower to begin with.
4. Backhoe: rubber pads and qc thumb, anything else? what's a cylinder guard?
5. Backhoe buckets: 12" or 16" for trench digging (electrical/water/buried conduit) and something bigger. The tilting grading bucket looks really cool but I don't see a real use for it on my property especially for the extra ~$4k.
6. Dealer installed options: seems like some of those are either packaged with the build or not. Which do I want to ask for specifically? (3 pt linkage kit, 3 pt linkage storage, draw bar kit, draw bar clevis, top and tilt kit)
7. Hydraulic 2-lever quick coupler: do people really get these? seems a bit (a lot?) wasteful given the likelyhood of changing the front bucket/grapple more than a couple of times in a day and the likelihood of yet another hydraulic breaking or leaking over time. Also does this take the third function away in the front then?
8. Separate but interesting: recommendation for an aftermarket cab if I'm interested in those?

Thanks for any help and advice.

1. Get everything you want/need up front. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission...

2. Bolt on cutting edge is nice especially if you do a lot of loading from asphalt or concrete. Low priority in my uses.

3. Never had problems with land pride attachments. I have not had the best of luck with Woods brand.

4. Get the cylinder guard...its a metal cover to protect the jack cylinders. Rubber pads? Do you do a lot of digging on asphalt?

5. You won't be sorry with the bigger trenching bucket...too small is bad unless you do a lot of small pipe work.

6. Definitely you need the 3PH kit if you plan on using the PTO. I don't use my 3PH on board storage it's a PITA. I've never used the OEM draw bar, only a 3PH draw bar with pintle because I can hook up, lift and move trailers without getting off the machine. Top-and-tilt is next on my radar.

7. I would have got the hydraulic quick coupler if it was available for me at the time. I still wish I had one as constantly climbing on/off the machine is getting hard on my knees. You still have to climb off the machine if the attachment uses hydraulics.

8. I'm very happy with my Laurin cab. I did a post here a while ago on it.

 

[Nemmy]

Look at a hydraulic PHD. A PTO PHD is $600-800 & a pain to put on. Additionally it doesn't have any downpressure so might not dig in a lot of situations.
...
My 40hp L4060 with 10ish gpm has noticably less power & speed with my hydraulic PHD than my old 32hp L3200 had with a PTO PHD. The flexibility & usability, not to mention ease of hook up makes it worth it. The bigger hydraulics on a TBL might offset that letting you get a PHD rated for more flow. Hydraulics mean you can hook the PHD up to your hoe or the loader giving you lots of flexibility.

Interesting idea and I went off to research. Here’s what I found out:
L47TLB has an 11.5gpm flow up front and that may be shared with the loader so I don’t really think that helps me with a hydraulic phd nor will it really give me the ability to run at speed and put downward pressure.
In addition I found many folks online who are saying that if you need to push down on the auger with any kind of serious force than something is wrong with the bit.
Thanks

 

[Fallon]

Interesting idea and I went off to research. Here’s what I found out:
L47TLB has an 11.5gpm flow up front and that may be shared with the loader so I don’t really think that helps me with a hydraulic phd nor will it really give me the ability to run at speed and put downward pressure.
In addition I found many folks online who are saying that if you need to push down on the auger with any kind of serious force than something is wrong with the bit.
Thanks

My L4060 has 9-10gpm or so, pretty much the same as you. 2500psi * 10gpm = 14.5hp. Ya, flow is anemic compared to a skid steer, or the 25pto HP in my old L3200. But I can keep up or outdo the holes per hour I could do with the L3200. The usability & visibility of the reversable hydraulics up front on the loader beats killing your neck looking over you shoulder & working about getting the auger stuck & having to dig it out.

I rebuilt my old 3pt PHD to be quick hitch compatible on my old L32pp due to the pain in mounting & to get some hydraulic downpressure. I also added 200lbs of ballast over the gearbox for more downpressure.

To some degree what you hear has some validity. You need sharp teeth appropriate to your soil conditions. But in many soil conditions like the clay I have, good unworn shart teeth aren't enough. You need downpressure to drive that auger into the ground to get a bite.

 

[Nemmy]

My L4060 has 9-10gpm or so, pretty much the same as you. 2500psi * 10gpm = 14.5hp. Ya, flow is anemic compared to a skid steer, or the 25pto HP in my old L3200. But I can keep up or outdo the holes per hour I could do with the L3200. The usability & visibility of the reversable hydraulics up front on the loader beats killing your neck looking over you shoulder & working about getting the auger stuck & having to dig it out.

I rebuilt my old 3pt PHD to be quick hitch compatible on my old L32pp due to the pain in mounting & to get some hydraulic downpressure. I also added 200lbs of ballast over the gearbox for more downpressure.

To some degree what you hear has some validity. You need sharp teeth appropriate to your soil conditions. But in many soil conditions like the clay I have, good unworn shart teeth aren't enough. You need downpressure to drive that auger into the ground to get a bite.

View attachment 539893View attachment 539894View attachment 539895View attachment 539896

Which hydraulic PHD is that and what are those tractor wheel mats in the garage?

 

[Nemmy]

1. Get everything you want/need up front. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission...

2. Bolt on cutting edge is nice especially if you do a lot of loading from asphalt or concrete. Low priority in my uses.

6. Definitely you need the 3PH kit if you plan on using the PTO. I don't use my 3PH on board storage it's a PITA. I've never used the OEM draw bar, only a 3PH draw bar with pintle because I can hook up, lift and move trailers without getting off the machine. Top-and-tilt is next on my radar.

7. I would have got the hydraulic quick coupler if it was available for me at the time. I still wish I had one as constantly climbing on/off the machine is getting hard on my knees. You still have to climb off the machine if the attachment uses hydraulics.

8. I'm very happy with my Laurin cab. I did a post here a while ago on it.

2. Does the bolt on cutting edge protect the bucket in the case of asphalt? I can see getting material dumped on my driveway/etc.

6. Top and tilt details? which 3ph draw bar do you recommend?

7. How does the hydraulic quick coupler work with hydraulic attachments? not only do I get down anyways, but wouldn't I need to unplug/replug in hoses?

8. Very cool, read your blog post. Seems like a lot of work but a really cool end result.