B3030 owners - how are your machines holding up?

[bandit67]

Wanting some feedback on how well your B3030s are holding up. Talked to a salesman at at dealership this morning that made some comments and got me wondering.

This dealership sold Kubota & New Holland for years, until they switched last year to JD (I don't know the reasons why). This salesman, who I've talked to in the past when they sold Kubota, told me that he sold a ton of B3030's, but he felt that Kubota was making their newer products a little cheaper in recent years, and replaced too much of the metal with plastics. He recommended that I go with the B7800 because it is a good, reliable, well-built machine. He did say the B3030 motor, FEL, and 3pt were all strong and well designed, and that he didn't see any weakness compared to the B7800 FEL with all of it's additional bracing (I specifically asked him about that).

Now, before you think that he was just another JD dealer badmouthing a competitor to get me into a product he sold, he suggested I go with the B7800, after discussing my needs and the fact that JD has a gap in their product line with no offering that suits my needs/wants, and that he found the B7800 to be a very good, reliable machine when he was selling them. He really had nothing to gain, knowing that there was basically no JD model that I was interested in (I had called wondering how long until the JD 2720 was coming out, and it appears it will be a while).

After a while, tractor shopping starts to become a real drag, and I've about had my limit after researching new machines for the past 8 months. I already went through all of this back in 2004, and I don't want to go through it again in another 3-4 years. I plan on staying on this property for quite some time (finally), and the size/power of the largest B's is perfect.

So what kind of feedback can you guys give me? Please include the age and number of hours on your B3030s. Do you guys think you'll get a good 15 years out of a B3030? I don't want to feel like I opted to pay more for features I know I'll like, only to get a product with flimsy parts that don't stand up to the test of time.

 

[amigauser]

I have less than 100 hours on my B3030HSDCC and I have owned it about a year and a half. It has performed flawlessly and the factory cab is nice in the cold and the heat. If your use includes finish mowing they are a great way to go. If your use is mainly 3pt and FEL then a Grand L40 gives you much more loader and potentially more 3pt horsepower for not much more money. But the Grand L's are not as friendly to finished lawns do to the weight. For 2 acres the "B" should be fine.

I expect this tractor to last at least 15 years. I am not sure what plastic the dealer is talking about as the B3030 is all metal just like the B7800. It is just a more rounded, "prettier" design than the more traditional looking B7800. It also has "delux" features such as position control etc which the B7800 lacks.

Norm

 

[Volfandt]

Not a B3030 owner but I'm interested in tha tmodel myself.
I don't know what it is with some Kubota dealers but the one I purchased my BX23 from recommended going up to an L series instead of going w/a B3030. To him it wasn't a matter of B3030 not being well made, he just felt the L would give more tractor for the $$$'s....
I mentioned I'd like to have a cab and a few premium features and he recommended going w/a Grand L.
He said they sold more B2630's than B3030's and way more B7800's than both premium B's combined.

As of two weeks ago, of the 3 Kubota dealers within 30 miles of me, only 1 had a B3030, two had a 1-B2630 each and all 3 had at least 3- B7800's.

I dunno, a cab B3030 is still high on my list but they are not very common around these parts.

As to your original question, the only negatives I've read of the B3030's were that they had a noticable vibration that I didn't notice on a thorough test out and the early models had an uncomfortable seat that Kubota has since replaced. I recall reading of one having an AC compressor failure at around 300 hrs but thats about it. They've been around going on 4 yrs now and they seem to have a very impressive service record.

 

[wushaw]

That dealer must have had the BX on his mind since the B series are all metal.

I am sure that dealers will sell more B7800's since they are cheaper than the B3030's. That is why the L2800/3400 has done so well is due to the price and it fit's the owners needs instead of wants.

 

[AMR]

OK, I'll take the bait. I only have 40 hours or so on my B3030, about 15 mowing, about 10 plowing, 10 on the BH and 5 on the FEL - Awesome all the way around - good hp, great ground clearance, nimble, stable on the hills, attachments are on and off in minutes, sips fuel, doesn't rut my yard, comfortable, coolest lawnmower on the street, chicks dig it, on and on. This is only my second tractor but I can't imagine another.

 

[bandit67]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I haven't heard anybody griping about the cheap plastic on the bigger B's yet, and don't recall hearing any of the guys that actually use a B3030 in a commercial business griping.
Just wanted to be sure, because I really like the machine on paper, and in the brochure, and in the pictures on TBN, and in my foggy memory banks from looking at it on the dealers lots back before I was looking for a new tractor.

 

[Barnboy]

I have 250 hrs on my B3030. I bought it in March 2005. It is a good tractor for Mowing, tilling, drive maint. and landscaping. It does have some plastic around the fender controls. The plastic is a little flimbsy but mine is still in good shape. I keep my B3030 inside out of the elements. Im sure if you had to leave it outside the plastic may fade and become brittle but i dont think that would interfere with the workings of the tractor. The dash cluster is plastic just as the B7800 is. I really dont have any complaints with the tractor. Its very dependable and sips fuel.

 

[teeravis1]

I have 111 hrs on my B3030HSDC and had it almost 2 years. The only real negative thing I have to say is the old seat which I have is crappy. No worries for you because it has been replaced by Kubota. I have used my B3030HSDC to put in a 1.5 acre yard with a lot of time spent pulling a drag, using a landscape rake, hauling tons of gravel and dirt with the loader, as well as using the loader to dig up many large rocks. I also have moved quite a bit of snow with the loader. I also have used it to skid some trees out of the woods around the house. One of the things I haven't got to do with it is mow, I am hoping to get a mmm for it this spring. For what I have done with it I have never ran out of power, but there's a few times I could of used more weight! However, thats what will make it good for mowing though! Anyway I have to go and clean the drive with it right now, when I came home from work my wife had our minivan stuck in a 2 ft plus snowdrift in the middle of the driveway. I got the van out earlier, but now I need to clean up the snow so I don't come home to a stuck minivan tomorrow too!

 

[skywaterbanjo]

I asked all of the same questions over the past 2 weeks and heard many of the same answers you did. Two dealers here on the Western Slope don't even order the 2630 or the 3030. They both feel that the $2500 price difference between the 7800 and the 3030 isn't justified.

I went with the 7800. For my rather minimal needs, it is perfect. Although I haven't needed it yet, I think my first mod will be to replace the 7800's non-telescoping 3ph with the arms from a 2910. Other than that, there isn't anything about this machine I would change.

I've only had it 1 week with 10 hours of moving tons of snow (Durango) and I even got it stuck in a 6 foot drift (dumb move on my part).

The 7800 is a great machine, as I'm sure the 3030 is but for a significantly less price tag.

 

[lawn_king]

I have 300 hrs on my B3030 HSDC, all commercial work, year round. My only complaint is the stereo, thats an issue with panasonic, not kubota.