Tractor Sizing Want to trade up What size for me

[Gas Man]

I currently have a B-7500 and I have had the itch for a new machine since this winter:licking:. I can't say the B-7500 hasn't been able to handle anything I have asked her to do but with winter on the way a bigger and heavier tractor is on my wish list.
I have two homes in the Shenadoah Valley that I have to maintain (bad timing with the real estate market) both lots are 6 acres with plenty of rocks some slight grade variations. A big use will be mowing but these are not manicured lawn mostly field grass turned into lawn. I will need to mow around 6 acres and brush cut another 6. This past winter was a killer in regards to snow typical winter has 2 storms that require plowing. Some dirt work mostly just moving material around the yard. Also try to help with road plowing private road sub-division.
I have been looking at and researching two machines the L-3700 SU and the B-3300 SU.
What is the opinion of the board?

 

[k0ua]

Well I traded my B7500 for a L3400HST Plus Power with LA463 loader .
Basically the same as the L3700SU except for 1 horsepower. Near as I can tell.
I love the larger tractor, I dont know much about the B3300, as there wasnt one around to look at the day I went tractor shopping. The photos posted here on one of the threads about 2 weeks ago showed them side by side and the L3700SU was quite a bit beefier. At least in appearance. You just need to look at them and decide which one is right for you. My L3400HST is about twice the tractor as the B7500 as far as lift ability and push and dig ability. I really like it a lot, and I am not sorry I traded, even with the payment vs. no payment before.. Dont get me wrong I liked the B7500 also. It worked very well for 8 years for me. Good Luck
James K0UA

 

[Gas Man]

Thanks for the reply.
I noticed from your profile you have a 4 foot king kutter brush hog is it just to small for your new machine or does it work fine.
One of my concerns I have implements fitted for the B-7500 Woods 6000RD finish mower and a howse 4 ft cutter and Woods 5 ft rear blade.

 

[k0ua]

I noticed from your profile you have a 4 foot king kutter brush hog is it just to small for your new machine or does it work fine.

Yes it does. but, I live in the woods, and dont field mow, this is just to clean up brush around the house and yard, If I had a large field to mow, I would think I would want at least a 5 foot. to more match the size of the new tractor. but it works fine for what I do with it. I use it several times a year, and it is paid for:laughing: I am still trying to decide what to do about the 5 foot rear blade, could really use a 6 foot. I just use it for snow. and who knows maybe it wont snow this year? sure needed it a lot last year.
James K0UA

 

[easygo]

Either way you go you could go up to a 5' bush hog and a 6' finish mower if the areas you mow allow for the larger size. The step up in size would be two fold if you go to the L3700 but the B3300 is only one step up in size. If you have tight places where the B7500 could easily get around but you kind of had to pay attention then the L might be too big. I was in the exact same shoes last year when I got bitten by the bug to up the size from a B7510. I went back and forth between an L2800 and a B7800 and ended up getting the B. The size increase was enough to make previously roomy places seem quite small. Glad I didn't go with the bigger machine. I sure liked that B7510 tho. It was much more the case of me wanting a larger machine then really needing one. I must have cought that bug from someone on TBN.

 

[CurtisG]

Get the L series....Just traded my 2 month(29 hr) B3300SU back in on a L2800XtraPower. I found that I could not stand the vibration of the B3300 at PTO speeds, it would put my feet to sleep. The B series uses a 4 cylinder engine and the L series(L2800-L3400-L3700) uses a 3 cylinder engine, however it has hardly any vibration at PTO speed. The L series is a much heavier and beefier construction. Try both of them out and make your own decision. The B3300 is nimbler and easier to handle but the L2800/3400/3700 is much more tractor. Just my opinion. Hope this helps, don't do what I did, it cost a lot to trade back tractors!!

Curt

 

[johnrex62]

I don't know how much the larger frame on the L3700SU will limit your manuverability. It is the first tractor I have ever owned other than a Scotts lawn tractor (read riding 42" lawnmower ) Compared to the B3300SU it is only 6 inches longer and is 2 inches narrower. Compared to the B7500 it is 16 inches longer and 8 inches narrower. It is surprising to me to find that the L3700 is more narrower than the B series of tractors and not all that longer considering the "beefier build".

I have been able to get the L3700SU almost everywhere I could get the Scotts into. It takes a bit more room to make a u-turn than the Scotts did, but the wheel base is a "few" inches longer :laughing: I don't know off the top of my head the diff length and width of the Scotts, but let's just say it is substantial with the L3700 being much larger. :laughing:

I am in the process of thinning out a lot of underbrush and saplings in a wooded area and have gotten into (and back out of) a lot of places that have really surprised me.

 

[Gas Man]

How did the stability of the 3700 feel it is quite a step up from a garden tractor?
Hopefully you had more luck with your Scotts than I had my rocky hilly 6 acres beat that thing to pieces, best move for my backside I ever made was going to my B-7500:laughing:

 

[TripleR]

I prefer the Grand L Series for the tilt steering, protected steering linkage and flat operator platform, but between the two mentioned, I would go with the L3700. I can't improve on the reasons put forth so far.

 

[RobKinNH]

I just sold my B7500 this spring and stepped up in size. My dealer and I parked a L3700su next to a B3030 and a B2320 so I could compare where I was verse how big I wanted to go. This really helped me make the decision of what I wanted for a future tractor. I know where my B7500 could go and was afraid the L3700 was just too big. I ended up going with the B3030 and I couldn't be happier, it goes almost everywhere the old 7500 would go with more power and almost double the lift capacity. With all the extra bells and whistles it was only $800 more than the L3700. Also spend the extra $ for the ATI SSQA its worth every penny.

 

[montelatici]

I just bought an L3700SU. It is a pretty large compact tractor. As far as mowing, I only use it on my bigger fields and use a BX on anything less than a 1/2 acre field. I have used it on my smaller fields when I was too lazy to park it and pull out a BX, but I need to do a lot of brake turning in the smaller fields which ruins the turf a bit. Since they are fields and not a lawn, not a big deal.

 

[big bubba]

settle a on a model. then go up one size. you'll thank yourself later.

 

[johnrex62]

How did the stability of the 3700 feel it is quite a step up from a garden tractor?
Hopefully you had more luck with your Scotts than I had my rocky hilly 6 acres beat that thing to pieces, best move for my backside I ever made was going to my B-7500:laughing:

The 3700 is a fantastic step up from the Scotts. Not interchangeable though. It does a lot of stuff that the Scotts couldn't dream of, a few things the Scotts wasn't intended to do, one or two things better than the Scotts, and can't handle a couple places less than 60" wide :laughing: .

Well, I bought my Scotts 2nd hand to handle a very rough "lawn". My prior rider was a Yardman 40" I bought from my brother when he moved out of state. My yard beat it into scrap metal in just a few years, so I was not looking for anything too nice to replace it.

I have already beat the mower deck into submission and I am thinking of replacing it now that the yard is almost in a lawn mode now instead of a pasture condition. If anyone knows of a good cheap source for 50" decks for a Scotts 50560x8, let me know.

The Scotts had some problems getting over some of my terrain, and even pushing over some of the tall weed I tend to grow in my back "yard". I remember someone saying they made their BX get unstuck by rocking their butt in the seat. Well, I have to admit to some serious butt shaking in the Scotts from time to time.

 

[tractorshopper]

The 3700 is a fantastic step up from the Scotts. Not interchangeable though. It does a lot of stuff that the Scotts couldn't dream of, a few things the Scotts wasn't intended to do, one or two things better than the Scotts, and can't handle a couple places less than 60" wide :laughing: .

Well, I bought my Scotts 2nd hand to handle a very rough "lawn". My prior rider was a Yardman 40" I bought from my brother when he moved out of state. My yard beat it into scrap metal in just a few years, so I was not looking for anything too nice to replace it.

I have already beat the mower deck into submission and I am thinking of replacing it now that the yard is almost in a lawn mode now instead of a pasture condition. If anyone knows of a good cheap source for 50" decks for a Scotts 50560x8, let me know.

The Scotts had some problems getting over some of my terrain, and even pushing over some of the tall weed I tend to grow in my back "yard". I remember someone saying they made their BX get unstuck by rocking their butt in the seat. Well, I have to admit to some serious butt shaking in the Scotts from time to time.

I'm on my second deck for my JD L118 and will probably need a third before too long. 120 hrs now. Like you, I've been working it as a bush hog. Wrong tool for the job, but haven't bought the other tool yet. My advice here is to go ahead and check ebay first, but also the local dealer. I'm not sure where you'll get the right price, but my real advice to you here is don't waste your time buying just the shell. I did and ran into all kinds of problems stripping the old deck and transferring. Had to end up buying new spindle pulleys and some bolts and nuts, etc. Ended up running to the JD store too many times and ended up saving $50 over buying a whole new deck. That $50 would have saved me a lot of time and I'd have had new everything including the spindle assemblies.

 

[LD1]

Do you plan on keeping the 7500 or trading it in.

Either way, for the money, I'd definatally be looking the 3700 over the 3300 anyday. For all the reasons mentined above.

But....If you planned on keeping the 7500, it is a no brainer to get the 3700 cause the 3300 isnt that much bigger than what you've got now. If you keep it and find it just a tad too big to do a given job or get into a certain area, you still have the 7500.

 

[crazyal]

The 3700 is a fantastic step up from the Scotts. Not interchangeable though. It does a lot of stuff that the Scotts couldn't dream of, a few things the Scotts wasn't intended to do, one or two things better than the Scotts, and can't handle a couple places less than 60" wide :laughing: .

Well, I bought my Scotts 2nd hand to handle a very rough "lawn". My prior rider was a Yardman 40" I bought from my brother when he moved out of state. My yard beat it into scrap metal in just a few years, so I was not looking for anything too nice to replace it.

I have already beat the mower deck into submission and I am thinking of replacing it now that the yard is almost in a lawn mode now instead of a pasture condition. If anyone knows of a good cheap source for 50" decks for a Scotts 50560x8, let me know.

The Scotts had some problems getting over some of my terrain, and even pushing over some of the tall weed I tend to grow in my back "yard". I remember someone saying they made their BX get unstuck by rocking their butt in the seat. Well, I have to admit to some serious butt shaking in the Scotts from time to time.

I'm on my second deck for my JD L118 and will probably need a third before too long. 120 hrs now. Like you, I've been working it as a bush hog. Wrong tool for the job, but haven't bought the other tool yet. My advice here is to go ahead and check ebay first, but also the local dealer. I'm not sure where you'll get the right price, but my real advice to you here is don't waste your time buying just the shell. I did and ran into all kinds of problems stripping the old deck and transferring. Had to end up buying new spindle pulleys and some bolts and nuts, etc. Ended up running to the JD store too many times and ended up saving $50 over buying a whole new deck. That $50 would have saved me a lot of time and I'd have had new everything including the spindle assemblies.

I have an old Heritage rider that was given to me for that exact purpose. It's an all wheel steering model that has a deck on it that's got to be the most ruggedest deck I have ever seen. The thing must weigh over 100 lbs alone. I have lots of rocks and some ledge that it deals with. My old Sears just kept breaking spindles and the deck rusted out after 5 years or so. Now I have the Kubota I'll pick up a brush hog and retire the old girl.

 

[Gas Man]

I will be selling or trading the B7500.
I do like the size of the L3700 SU.
I checked out both at a local dealer today not open but they had one of each parked side by side so I think I have decided on the size.
What kind of prices are people getting the price on the tractor listed as a special was $19,900. I do not know if that is good or not I suspect I can negotiate a bit.

 

[johnrex62]

I will be selling or trading the B7500.
I do like the size of the L3700 SU.
I checked out both at a local dealer today not open but they had one of each parked side by side so I think I have decided on the size.
What kind of prices are people getting the price on the tractor listed as a special was $19,900. I do not know if that is good or not I suspect I can negotiate a bit.

I got a package consisting of the L3700SU w/loader, 60" rotary cutter, 60" boxblade, landscape rake, and metal canopy delivered to my door for $19,500. I added the Kubota insurance for the loan period for an additional $973.

I did not have to negotiate hard to get the deal, so am comfortable I left enough meat on the bone for the dealer and I got a better deal than any of the competitive quotes I got including Normangee and Barlow.