B3030 Review

[bandit67]

I just passed 62 hours on my B3030 that was delivered by Brady at Barlow Equipment the end of April.

So far, I love it! Did the 50 hour service myself, and replaced the engine and hydraulic oils with full synthetics, and am about to load some synthetic grease into the gun (it should hold up better than the regular grease).

I am extremely impressed with this machine. It's been worked pretty hard as a TLB for at least 85% of it's life so far, and is holding up very well. I am also very pleased that I haven't had one issue (problem) with it yet - my previous CNH machine had a laundry list of problems by the time it hit 50 hours.

I've mostly been working on my own property, with a few hours logged on paying jobs off my property. Because the small paying jobs will most likely be few, I figure the B3030 will hold up just fine for me for years to come.

If the paying jobs were to increase significantly, or I was a full-time commercial tractor-type business owner, I would opt for one of the commercial TLB units (B26, L39, M59), as they are much better suited to daily jobsite abuses. A lot of the work I'm now doing (digging out decomposed granite ledge) is probably better suited to the B26, but I wanted the extra ponies of the B3030. However, realizing the B26 has a stronger FEL and stronger and larger backhoe, I am still impressed with the B3030's LA403 & BH75, and what I've been able to do with them - Kubota did a real nice job of engineering those attachements to work well with the B3030.

Overall, I love the machine, and have no regrets or wished I'd gotten a different machine. This is the first tractor I've had that I did not soon wish I had gotten something else, and I think that says a lot about the B3030.

Looks like the rain's stopped and the sun's coming back out, so it's back out to do some more rock excavating.

 

[8226hamer]

No complaints on mine. Nice tractors (After I got my new seat anyway)

 

[RussMan]

I am happy with mine as well. I obviously don't use mine enough. I have 71 hrs on mine and I bought the last day of '06.

 

[lawn_king]

I ran a 3030 for 3 years, i also was very impressed with the overall performance of the machine (commercial use). The engineering of that tractor was awesome, 25 hp @ the pto, amazing!

 

[Sully2]

... However, realizing the B26 has a stronger FEL and stronger and larger backhoe, I am still impressed with the B3030's LA403 & BH75, and what I've been able to do with them - Kubota did a real nice job of engineering those attachements to work well with the B3030.

If the B3030 had been "engineered" so well...why didnt they know you cant get a cab model and use a Kubota backhoe

If you want the heaviest duty FEL and BH for a B3030....leave the Kubota items at the dealer and have Woods equipment installed instead. Less $$ and better built and much stronger!

 

[bandit67]

I'm sure Kubota engineers knew that the BH75 wouldn't work on the cab model long before everything was built. I think Kubota could make the BH75 work just fine on the cab version if they added another 12" of rear overhang, like the Woods hoe has. I prefer the shorter overhang, higher ground clearance, and thus superior departure angle of the BH75 - on my property, I'd be hanging up the frame of the Woods hoe on a regular basis. That's why I chose the BH75 over the BH80X, in addition to the lower price and ability to add it into the financing.

I personally have not once wished I had gone with the Woods hoe, and for 3 years prior to buying the B3030 when I was doing all of my research, the first 2 of those years I was planning on going with the BH80X until I moved to my current property.

Oh, and as for the Woods curved boom FEL - they didn't do nearly as good a job as Kubota did on the BX series. Why get a curved boom loader that offers no better view than the old style dog-leg booms?

 

[Sully2]

I'm sure Kubota engineers knew that the BH75 wouldn't work on the cab model long before everything was built. I think Kubota could make the BH75 work just fine on the cab version if they added another 12" of rear overhang, like the Woods hoe has. I prefer the shorter overhang, higher ground clearance, and thus superior departure angle of the BH75 - on my property, I'd be hanging up the frame of the Woods hoe on a regular basis. That's why I chose the BH75 over the BH80X, in addition to the lower price and ability to add it into the financing.

I personally have not once wished I had gone with the Woods hoe, and for 3 years prior to buying the B3030 when I was doing all of my research, the first 2 of those years I was planning on going with the BH80X until I moved to my current property.

Oh, and as for the Woods curved boom FEL - they didn't do nearly as good a job as Kubota did on the BX series. Why get a curved boom loader that offers no better view than the old style dog-leg booms?

Because of the STRENGTH is why...same as with the loaders. If you look at both side by side and cant see the difference..I sure dont know what to tell you.

As far as KNOWING a BH wount fit on a cab model...total BS! Its an engineeering screwup and nothing more. The BH wont fit ANY..repeat ANY of the cab model CUTS. My farmer friend bought a 5030..no BH for the cab miodel...had to buy the woods..which BTW he wanted anyway..same as the FEL

I have the B30 30 and love it...but Ive found more than 1 single engineering screwup in its design! And their MARKETING of parts is a total joke. Break out a headlight lens and see the hoops you have to jump thru to get a replacement ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLAR headlight lens ( I didnt stutter or mistype that either ($150 headlight lens) Good tractor..sure is..well built..Id say so...engineered properly...*raspberry*

BTW: The "well engineered" cab controls for a cab model ( Kubota controls now) for various rear impliments...IMPROPERLY SPACED. Even with my SMALL HANDS...my knuckles strike one of the controls when using the other..AT LEAST 2 inches TOO CLOSE together. The dealer had to make a new lever and weld it inplace to operate the side controls.

 

[amigauser]

Now that I have the improved seat from my dealer, I have no real complaints with my B3030 cab model other than the missing interior cab light. It can be "fun" finding controls in the dark. I will have owned mine for 2 years as of this October. When I was looking there was NO other factory cab model in this tractor size range. I am not sure if there is even now 2 years later.

I have never had any problems operating any of the controls and my hands are not exactly small. Can you explain which control you are talking about? If you dislike the B3030 so much why not sell it and get something you want to replace it?

 

[Sully2]

Now that I have the improved seat from my dealer, I have no real complaints with my B3030 cab model other than the missing interior cab light. It can be "fun" finding controls in the dark. I will have owned mine for 2 years as of this October. When I was looking there was NO other factory cab model in this tractor size range. I am not sure if there is even now 2 years later.

I have never had any problems operating any of the controls and my hands are not exactly small. Can you explain which control you are talking about? If you dislike the B3030 so much why not sell it and get something you want to replace it?

1) I wouldnt sell mine for what I paid new for it. Its fits MY usage almost 100% perfectly. ( But then again I DONT have a cab model either...)

2) JD has a CUT with a cab..but if you get their HST tranny..it has a pedal..( cant remember what it does exactly now..??) on the WRONG side

3) The levers are the cruise control and the 3 point hitch levers. About 1/2" too close together and thats because the "shafts"?? for them are straight lengths. Had the cruise control had a bend..??..in it to bring it more inboard there would be no problem. "We" ( farmer buiddy and I) found this out on his 5030 cab model..and I thought it must just be a fluke on HIS 5030...so we went to the dealer and looked at various Kubota CUTS....Nope..they ALL are spaced that way! Dealer cut and re-welded his cruise lever and more it inboard slightly. My hands are small and he is 6'2" and weighs 140 lbs..so its not like he is carrying a load of fat on him!!

But just as you meantioned...why no interior LIGHT on the cab model?? I mean its not like they cant afford a $6 light fixture ( whoops I forgot..Kubota...its probably a $75 dollar interior light!! )

Every PART that Kubota sells you are charged "war prices" on...its total absurd what they WANT for some items....like the radio in my friends 5030. $250... His dealer sold and INSTALLED a radio that fit perfectly thats a NH...for $100. ???

As I said I wont sell mine at all. Its well built...it will do me fine in anything I attempt to do with it...but dont tell me about their
"great engineering"!!

 

[Piperflyer]

I have had mine for two years now and it has done what I expect of it. Move snow and brush hog grass. Once the new seat was installed it put the comfort into using it.