Have had a B3030 for about 9 years, been a great tractor but always seemed a bit too light/small. Originally got that model due to hp at PTO with small, maneuverable size.
Current main/ most important use is clearing my 1/2 mile drive and my neighbors offshoots. For this its been ok but we average about 100" and often it comes in heavy or gets rained on etc. too often i am gone for a bit, it gets driven on etc.
Been using a woods hbl72-2 blade for most and the kubota front blower for when its too deep or sides need to be moved back. It's really too much blade but lighter blades really did not seem to do the trick. I prefer an open station and usually thats fine, occasionally when blowing its miserable but we don't seem to get a lot of wind or really cold temps. so i can limit those times. The blower works great but is slow so i have found it much faster to blade. The tractor gets pushed around a bit by the blade even with 2 link chains all around. I just damaged the three point by catching the extended blade on an embankment when backing up. Did more damage than i or my dealer expected so the theory is that the oversized blade may have cracked a few things that went unseen. Regardless i want to go bigger/ stronger. just not so big i run into clearance issues
Other uses - general lifting,hauling, have 5 ft brush hog (again feels a bit big on B)-some work in woods
For now mostly looking at Kubota, open to others, dealer is helpful and relatively close so those are factors.
Current thoughts are
l3901- gain 900 lbs tractor weight and 7hp- looks much more substantial in 3 point area, axles and general build- not really much bigger than b ,great value- wider stance should give better stability- a b3030 weak point (added wheel spacers to b and it helped) could use existing blade and brush hog.
downsides- very little gained in loader capacity, 3 point lift slightly less, lift arms and stabilizers not as nice (could be addressed with quick hitch) shorter wheelbase no mid pto- for blowing i would probably go to rear pull which i believe would probably greatly diminish the popsicle factor.
looked at l4701 which is next size up - dealer claimed and seems correct that makes no sense when you compare features, power, size and price of small MX's- he does not even stock them
then you get to grand l's- dealer claimed and i have heard elsewhere that if you want open station, and i do, that they don't make sense just go to mx's- i had been thinking 3560 as on the kubota site it seems they were not too big. He printed out some sheets from Kubota showing that with r4's there really isn't much difference in size between a 3560 and an mx5200. Really like the specs on the GL's wish they were a bit smaller (at least the 3560)
mx 4700 and 5100- they are nice and seem like good value, big increase in 3 point ,pto hp and loader lift, would need new implements and i worry about size being too big for places in the woods etc.
wild card- guess this is the gucci option but dealer has a low hours tool cat 5610 coming in- could use existing implants for now on 3 point , then get what i needed. Rental place nearby has great selection on skid steer attachments- so i could rent as needed- I like the suspension, speed ,utility vehicle aspect, worry about reliability.
so, l2901 would probably work, would not add a lot of capability, though dealer service guy says not to dwell on numbers, that the heavier, beefier frame would give more of an increase in performance than i am thinking. MX would obviously add a ton of performance, for more cost just worried about maneuverability- its probably overkill. The tool cat seems very interesting, and versatile, would even go into my garage easier than the b did, i like the low COG for stability as well. would have to be careful about the glass in the woods but after driving a 5600 it seems like it could go basically anywhere the b did.
Going to borrow a neighbors JD 3520 to see how the size works.
What am i missing?
Current main/ most important use is clearing my 1/2 mile drive and my neighbors offshoots. For this its been ok but we average about 100" and often it comes in heavy or gets rained on etc. too often i am gone for a bit, it gets driven on etc.
Been using a woods hbl72-2 blade for most and the kubota front blower for when its too deep or sides need to be moved back. It's really too much blade but lighter blades really did not seem to do the trick. I prefer an open station and usually thats fine, occasionally when blowing its miserable but we don't seem to get a lot of wind or really cold temps. so i can limit those times. The blower works great but is slow so i have found it much faster to blade. The tractor gets pushed around a bit by the blade even with 2 link chains all around. I just damaged the three point by catching the extended blade on an embankment when backing up. Did more damage than i or my dealer expected so the theory is that the oversized blade may have cracked a few things that went unseen. Regardless i want to go bigger/ stronger. just not so big i run into clearance issues
Other uses - general lifting,hauling, have 5 ft brush hog (again feels a bit big on B)-some work in woods
For now mostly looking at Kubota, open to others, dealer is helpful and relatively close so those are factors.
Current thoughts are
l3901- gain 900 lbs tractor weight and 7hp- looks much more substantial in 3 point area, axles and general build- not really much bigger than b ,great value- wider stance should give better stability- a b3030 weak point (added wheel spacers to b and it helped) could use existing blade and brush hog.
downsides- very little gained in loader capacity, 3 point lift slightly less, lift arms and stabilizers not as nice (could be addressed with quick hitch) shorter wheelbase no mid pto- for blowing i would probably go to rear pull which i believe would probably greatly diminish the popsicle factor.
looked at l4701 which is next size up - dealer claimed and seems correct that makes no sense when you compare features, power, size and price of small MX's- he does not even stock them
then you get to grand l's- dealer claimed and i have heard elsewhere that if you want open station, and i do, that they don't make sense just go to mx's- i had been thinking 3560 as on the kubota site it seems they were not too big. He printed out some sheets from Kubota showing that with r4's there really isn't much difference in size between a 3560 and an mx5200. Really like the specs on the GL's wish they were a bit smaller (at least the 3560)
mx 4700 and 5100- they are nice and seem like good value, big increase in 3 point ,pto hp and loader lift, would need new implements and i worry about size being too big for places in the woods etc.
wild card- guess this is the gucci option but dealer has a low hours tool cat 5610 coming in- could use existing implants for now on 3 point , then get what i needed. Rental place nearby has great selection on skid steer attachments- so i could rent as needed- I like the suspension, speed ,utility vehicle aspect, worry about reliability.
so, l2901 would probably work, would not add a lot of capability, though dealer service guy says not to dwell on numbers, that the heavier, beefier frame would give more of an increase in performance than i am thinking. MX would obviously add a ton of performance, for more cost just worried about maneuverability- its probably overkill. The tool cat seems very interesting, and versatile, would even go into my garage easier than the b did, i like the low COG for stability as well. would have to be careful about the glass in the woods but after driving a 5600 it seems like it could go basically anywhere the b did.
Going to borrow a neighbors JD 3520 to see how the size works.
What am i missing?
