Kubota B3030 - After 600 Hours
Model Year: 2005
One demonstration of my very positive experience with Kubota is that new or used, my next tractor will also be a Kubota. I even bought Kubota stock. I purchased the B3030 with a 60" belly mower, B75 backhoe, FEL, and an ATI quick-attach adapter for Bobcat attachments. The B75 backhoe is the only disappointment of the package, but most of my problems are likely due to a missing bump stump not installed by the dealer in Winchester, VA. Problems of over-extension led to multiple hose, valve, and hydraulics replacements until I noticed another B75 with the rubber piece missing from mine. I probably spent almost $2,000 on parts and labor, but the dealer covered the labor on the last repair. Since that discovery, no problems (although I also installed longer hoses that the originals). I've heard the new L 60 series won't have the mid-mount PTO and belly mower capability and that's too bad. So I recently searched for a new L3940, the largest for which a belly mower was available and the only one that allows the belly mower with R4 tires---none available new within 1000 miles. The reason for the L3940 instead of another B3030 is simply that the B3030 does not weigh enough to keep me out of trouble with the front end loader. The loader is strong enough to pull the liquid-filled rear wheels off the ground if I'm not paying full attention. We also now have a Bobcat T190, and it makes it feasible to buy a second B3030, knowing that it's there for the really heavy lifting. The only other problem is that my wife genuinely loves to mow with it. She is an international agriculture executive and mowing with the B3030 is one of her favorite things. You can cover a lot of ground safely in the middle gear, and with the locking differential and 4x4 with R4 tires you can quickly recover severely overgrown areas. I noticed a leak from the FEL valve last weekend, but first impression is that whatever the problem, it's always fixable. The FEL doesn't always behave well in re-installing it on the tractor. The B3030 is very flexible in the variety of settings and attachments you might utilize, but the belly mower is not easy to maneuver in and out from under the tractor, and the pins that hold the mower up in the suspended position can be a pain. Dealing with the mower (and occasionally the FEL problem mentioned above) is not something you'd want a 60-70 year old to deal with.
Pros: Versatility.
Cons: Nothing major.