I am looking into buying a Bigger Machine

[mike69440]

The Loader on the L3400 is weak for a 6' bucket. The L3400 is a lightweight.

Kubota's are made well, but you can get a heavy stronger machine like a Kioti DK sized machine for a lot less. If you are staying with a Kubota look at a used L35.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I would and have always chosen the HST over gear drive and gladly paid the difference and accepted the lost HP which is mostly not an issue for these Kubotas. You'll lose traction before the motor won't pull and get pto equipment for the HP of tractor.
To do FEL work with out HST is ........well you can find out by a search. It keeps coming up and most recommend HST with a few hold outs for gear drive and I mean very few for gear drive.
The HST is something that most people on this forum recommend and according to my Kubota dealer what most customers purchase. With FEL I don't hesitate to say get HST. Can't even imagine using gear tractor with FEL. One hand on FEL stick, one hand on steering wheel and foot determining back and forth and speed. Can't figure where the third hand for the gear shift comes from. Resale brings the extra cost back and HST used sell quicker than used gear drive plus the benefit of using it while you own the tractor.
I don't want to spend another mans money but I don't think anyone should be trying to pinch pennies/dollars for you on something that's well........get HST if your going to use FEL. If farming and forward plowing then gear is OK.

 

[Ken45101]

I agree that HST is faster for loader work, but I have a M5040DT with gear transmission and synchro shuttle and do not find any real problem with loader work other than bucket movement is slow when the engine is idling slow. Sometimes I'll kick up the RPMs just to get the bucket to move faster. My B21 has the hydro so I have used both.

But I do agree that hydro is nicer for loader work. I see the hydro even more valuable for mowing where you need slow forward speed for maneuvering around shrubbery, etc.

Ken

 

[TripleR]

I agree that HST is faster for loader work, but I have a M5040DT with gear transmission and synchro shuttle and do not find any real problem with loader work other than bucket movement is slow when the engine is idling slow. Sometimes I'll kick up the RPMs just to get the bucket to move faster. My B21 has the hydro so I have used both.

But I do agree that hydro is nicer for loader work. I see the hydro even more valuable for mowing where you need slow forward speed for maneuvering around shrubbery, etc.

Ken

We also have both except with a hydraulic shuttle shift, used a synchro shuttle for 12 years. My son and I recently mucked out a pond using both and really didn't find one that much quicker than the other, but my son who was running our M8540 looked like he was swatting flies and stomping rats. At the end of the day, you could sure tell what you had been driving.

For a really good operator and one who does it regularly, the "ease of use" between the two may be small, but for the rest of us...

 

[Ken45101]

but my son who was running our M8540 looked like he was swatting flies and stomping rats. At the end of the day, you could sure tell what you had been driving.

ROFL

You bring up a good point though about the difference between short term use and all day long.

Ken

 

[k0ua]

looked like he was swatting flies and stomping rats. At the end of the day, you could sure tell what you had been driving.

:laughing::laughing::laughing: LMAO good one! I had never heard of that one!!

James K0UA

 

[TripleR]

We had a real narrow window of opportunity as deer season started in two days and it was also supposed to rain. It was a really old pond and we had reforested that piece of land. We had to cut down some trees and trim some limbs just to get to it.

Once we got into the pond and got a bucket full, we had to thread our way up out of the pond then up a steep hill to a path where we had to lock up and pivot 90 degrees while still on a slope then down the path to a road, along that to our dump site and repeat. Lots of gear changing in addition to back and forth.

We couldn't pass each other, so used radios to communicate. It was a lot of "work", but we both like that sort of thing; nothing like time spent with family.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

We had a real narrow window of opportunity as deer season started in two days and it was also supposed to rain. It was a really old pond and we had reforested that piece of land. We had to cut down some trees and trim some limbs just to get to it.

Once we got into the pond and got a bucket full, we had to thread our way up out of the pond then up a steep hill to a path where we had to lock up and pivot 90 degrees while still on a slope then down the path to a road, along that to our dump site and repeat. Lots of gear changing in addition to back and forth.

We couldn't pass each other, so used radios to communicate. It was a lot of "work", but we both like that sort of thing; nothing like time spent with family.

Enjoyed the pictures. Not suitable for the sales brocure but I like em better.

 

[TripleR]

Enjoyed the pictures. Not suitable for the sales brocure but I like em better.

Thanks, I got a new camera for Christmas that is smaller, but easier to use and have made a commitment to take more pictures. I wish I had done this while my dad and father in law were alive; sure do miss them.

 

[bikerdib]

We had a real narrow window of opportunity as deer season started in two days and it was also supposed to rain. It was a really old pond and we had reforested that piece of land. We had to cut down some trees and trim some limbs just to get to it.

Once we got into the pond and got a bucket full, we had to thread our way up out of the pond then up a steep hill to a path where we had to lock up and pivot 90 degrees while still on a slope then down the path to a road, along that to our dump site and repeat. Lots of gear changing in addition to back and forth.

We couldn't pass each other, so used radios to communicate. It was a lot of "work", but we both like that sort of thing; nothing like time spent with family.

I wish I owned enough land to have your kind of problems. Once I reached a point in life where I could start looking for property, the land prices in my area went up like Apollo.