Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC

   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #1  

scallopr

New member
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
5
Location
Seacoast, NH
Tractor
2013 Kubota BX25D
Hi All,

Long time TBN lurker, first time posting. I've used this forum to educate myself about tractors over the past few years having not grown up around one. So 2 years ago I bought a new BX-25D after moving to a 3 acre property, about 2 of which is lawn, with a 300'+ of driveway, here in southern New Hampshire. As an inexperienced tractor owner the BX wasn't intimidating and I thought it was plenty for my needs. I've used my BX for everything from mowing, snowblowing, landscaping, etc. I built a 42x48 barn and moved 150 cuyds of material in and around the foundation with the BX. I built 2,000 sqft of patio, having excavated everything with the little backhoe and moving 60+ cuyds of gravel and sand to prep the base. Heck even used it to plant 40 arborvitae between me and my one neighbor. It has 279 hrs after 2 years of use.

While I love the little BX it simply takes a long time to do any sizeable job, and I found myself constantly switching from TLB mode to mowing mode, to grading mode (rake), etc. I was maxing out the BX loader moving large rocks and small trees. My house is built on old farm land and my lawn grows great (too great). The final straw for the BX came when I bought a bagger to keep up with my lawn and it went from 1.5 hrs of mowing to 4 hrs of mowing with the bagger. I bought a 60" Exmark Z mower and can now mow in 40 mins / 1 hr bagging. With the Exmark in the garage (and being sick of open cab snowblowing in NH) I have decided to get a larger cab tractor dedicated for tractor chores.

My immediate plans include putting in an additional 150' of driveway along the barn, tackling some large landscaping / stone wall work (very large granite boulders) along the property lines, and eventually will be adding a small addition to the house. I would like to be able to palletize stone (1/2 pallets anyway) and move it around.

I had initially planned on sizing up to B3350 with cab/loader/backhoe/front snowblower. I priced a L3560 online and that was way out of my price range. After talking to my local dealer, who is great, the 3350 was out of the question due to Tier IV issues in cold weather. I know they may be resolved, but I have no interest in finding out if that is true. They pointed me toward a B2650. Looking at the 2650 in person, and the loader specs, I wasn't 100% convinced this was going to be enough machine for my planned uses. I really want to avoid buying the wrong tractor. I've sold my BX and all of it's attachments and while I'm happy with the resale value of my Kubota stuff I don't want to take a hit like this again.

So then my dealer got 2012 L3240 HST cab with 288 hrs on it. It has turf tires (better for me) and the 724 loader. Price on the tractor is $23.9K. With a woods BH80x backhoe, a mid PTO kit for my future front snowblower, and pallet forks I'm out the door for $35K. This price is comparable to what I'd be spending on a new B2650 similarly equipped.

My question here is am I nuts to buying the bigger tractor? My gut says it's a no brainer based on cost, but I don't want to end up with a tractor that is ridiculously sized for my property and has me looking to size down in the future. Sure love the look of that cab after last winter!

Interested in thought of folks here.
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #2  
I had a L3130 HST open station for four years.That rig did everything that I asked of it and only traded up to get a cab.
The only thing I have read with your set-up that with the BH the tractor seems underpowered.
In our part of the world a cabbed tractor for winter use makes a lot sense.The L3240 is way more tractor than any of the "B" series.Another plus is with the 2012 you won't have to deal with the Tier 4 stuff.
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #3  
Unless you have size/weight concerns, like maneuverability when working in the woods, or weekly mowing, go with the largest machine that fits your budget!
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for the feedback. My place is just about flat and no woods. The trees are all have plenty of room to maneuver around. I see the ability to mount a 72" snowblower as a big advantage of the L vs. B. Once I'm done putting the hammer-head turnaround behind my barn I'll have 500'+ to snowblow with more parking spaces than normal due to my driveway setup.

Between the 3240 being Tier III, the extra capacity, and better price it sounds like it is a no-brainer.
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #5  
So then my dealer got 2012 L3240 HST cab with 288 hrs on it. It has turf tires (better for me) and the 724 loader. Price on the tractor is $23.9K. With a woods BH80x backhoe, a mid PTO kit for my future front snowblower, and pallet forks I'm out the door for $35K. This price is comparable to what I'd be spending on a new B2650 similarly equipped.

My question here is am I nuts to buying the bigger tractor? My gut says it's a no brainer based on cost, but I don't want to end up with a tractor that is ridiculously sized for my property and has me looking to size down in the future. Sure love the look of that cab after last winter!

I moved up from a Kubota no frills Kubota B3300 SU tractor-loader to my current 'Grand L' 3560 tractor-loader, a direct descendent of the L3240.

Not only is the L3240 twice as heavy as any 'B' but the long list of Grand L accouterments are wonderful.

If you compare length and width of a 'B' to the L3240 you will find the L3240 is only a few inches larger.

This is a NO-BRAINER.

(Just check to be sure L3240 is 4-WD. They were sold both as 2-WD and 4-WD.)
 
Last edited:
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #6  
I think you'll notice a huge difference from the BX to the Grand L for sure.
I have a BH80x (which hydro thumb, get it worth every single penny for sure) a few words of caution; make sure you know how they are going to plumb it or be prepared to re-do it later or loose the factory rear remote possibility. Woods wants you to use the same block that Kubota uses for the factory rear remotes. You could always go aftermarket for the remotes but the factory setup is so clean. See my recent thread L3540 with rear remotes AND a BH80x Backhoe Of course that is all assuming that you want/need rear remotes.

All in all, sounds like a good deal to me.
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #7  
I priced a L3560 online and that was way out of my price range. After talking to my local dealer, who is great, the 3350 was out of the question due to Tier IV issues in cold weather. I know they may be resolved, but I have no interest in finding out if that is true.

This is the first I've heard about Tier 4 issues in cold weather. What sort of issues? Winters here are routinely in the -20 to -30 range for extended periods and I'm about to trade up to an L4060HSTC or JD equivalent...
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #8  
I think the 3350 has it's own unique problems,not all the new Kubota Tier 4's
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC
  • Thread Starter
#9  
This is the first I've heard about Tier 4 issues in cold weather. What sort of issues? Winters here are routinely in the -20 to -30 range for extended periods and I'm about to trade up to an L4060HSTC or JD equivalent...

nybirdman is correct, I was referring specifically the B3350. I've read, and heard from two dealers local to me in New Hampshire that they have had issues with the regen system on the Tier IV motors on the B3350's in cold weather. From what I have been told and understand (I'm no diesel regen expert) it has to do with the physical location of a component in the regen system that does not function well when exposed to cold / blowing snow. MB Tractor in Plaistow, NH claims to have a work around for the problem by relocating something, I don't know anything more specific than that.
 
   / Price Check / Reality Check L3240 HSTC #10  
I think you'll find that Kubota doesn't recommend a front mount blower for that size tractor. If I remember correctly my 4240 was the smallest they listed, one of the reasons I moved up to it. There's some extra loss of power with a mid PTO vs rear. What it will mean is having to go that much slower in deeper snow falls. I've had a couple of storms up here that the snow was a few inches higher than the blower. If going down hill going too fast just starts to plow the snow, in those cases I'll be in low gear with the duel speed hst in high. Going up hill if I go too fast I will run out of power. At times I actually will be inching forward and stopping every so often to let the blower clean itself out. If time is an issue I think I would look for something with more power.
 

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