JD790 / Kubota 3000DT

[canoetrpr]

After some research I've realized that I really have to watch my budget and have ruled out a new machine. I've been keeping my eye open for used machines in my local area.

The two machines I've located that both look good are:
- JD 790. 2001 model. Just over 300 hours. FEL.
- Kubota 3000 DT - 1998 or so. Just under 500 hours. FEL.

Both machines are in approximately the same price range $15000 CDN. From looking around at other used machines here thats a resonable price given the condition. The 790 works out a bit cheaper because it is a private sale and I get to save on taxes.

I have a 14 or so acres of pasture to bush hog. I expect I will be doing this about 4 times a year for the bulk of it and for about 2 to 3 acres where I train the dogs I will bush hog more regularly. Whatever the case I will keep the grass low enough so that I can comfortably walk the pasture through the summer. There are areas right now with very high grass that I will work on one time and then maintain after that.

I'm not farming, I don't have livestock. Eventually we might get horses but that won't be for quite a while - >5 years.

Other than the bush hogging I will be using the FEL for this and that. I don't typically take on big projects myself but it would be nice to have the ability to move dirt from here to there and do a small amount of landscaping around the house.

I'm told that I want something that can run a 5ft bush hog. The Kubota dealer assures me that I can do a 6ft with the 3000DT. The JD is less HP so I don't know if a 5ft will work fine for me.

If you are familiar with one or both these machines I'd love your input on one vs. the other.

They both seem like very nice machines - well maintained. Kubota dealer seems decent. There are a LOT of JD dealers around and they all seem to be very very good. Better than the only Kubota dealer in the area.

Other than the HP I am partial to the 790. Bit less money. after tax. Private sale means I get to talk to the guy that actually owns it. Lots of deales to choose from.

 

[RoyJackson]

"The JD is less HP so I don't know if a 5ft will work fine for me."

5' cutter will work fine on a 790. 14 acres is a lot for a 5' cutter though. I'd say about 1 or 2 weekends of work...or a little less.
That Kubota is cool too...you're gonna have a tough choice!

 

[777777]

Hi,

Don't know where you are in Ontario but if you go to this URL you can browse through most of the used inventories for many of the dealers in Ontario.
Just click on the dealers name and go to used equipment.
http://www.orfeda.com/dealer_list.html

Later
Tom

 

[canoetrpr]

I went out and drove the 3000DT today. Was a nice tractor. The manual did not make it hard to drive at all. I've pretty much made a decision that being on a limited budget, I'm going to try to stick with a simple machine and manual will give me the best bang for my buck. My land is very flat so even though I'm new to this I don't think it is going to be a problem. My wife drove it too and had no problems with it.

The one thing that I wasn't a fan of with the 3000DT was that you could not shift on the go. The tractor had to come to a complete stop.

Roy and any one else who is familiar with the 790 - is the 790 the same in this respect with the 3000DT? I'm sure there are shift on the go manuals out there. Not really sure how much this impacts me for open field cutting. All my ground is very level.

Found out a bit more about the used 790. They guy who is selling it buys and sells used compact tractors. Its not a private sale after all. He says he does not know much about the history of this tractor - picked it up at an auction. He claims that with 300 hours its pretty much brand new and from what he can tell it has just been used around a yard somewhere. I'm a bit nervous not knowing about the history of the tractor and buying from someone that is neither a dealer nor a private sale (he's hours away too). Is this nervousnes justified with a tractor with such few hours?

I am also going to go and evaluate a new 790 with a local JD dealer. The 0% financing for 3 years may make it a worthwhile choice if I can get a healthy discount.

 

[Michigan_Mike]

I have a 790 and use a 6' cutter with no trouble at all.
The 790 doesn't have shift on the go, but it hasn't been an issue with me. I've found that with level ground, and an open field, once you find the speed you feel comforatble with, there really isn;t much need to shift. Just my 2 cents.

 

[CostaRica]

I had 2 L3000DT and they are simple work horses, and the shift on the go is only -if you can call it usefull- when operating on a road, in the fields, normally as soon as you depress the clutch, the tractor comes to a stop by itself and then you shift if necesary, wich might not be that frecuent on tractors.

 

[wushaw]

To shift on the go you have to have the engine and tranny rmps in sync. Run the engine rmps low with throttle lever and just use the accel pedal to match eng with tranny till you get in whatever high gear you want then you can set your rpms with the throttle lever to your choosing.
OTR trucks have non-syncro trannys also and trying to start out in high gear wouldn't work very well in their application.