Anyone still running an L48 TLB?

[cstamm81]

Hi all, I've read everything I could find on L48's on here, mostly being older posts considering the age of the machine. Is anyone still running one of these for general use? I understand the main complaint is when being used for normal tractor work the speed in medium range, apparently too slow. That said, does anyone know what the max mph is in medium? I have a 10 acre property, some hills and banks, a 6 acre field, lawn and streams. I have a lot of earth moving projects in the future, and I prefer to own machinery when I need to use it consistently as opposed to renting. I have a 30 HP Mahindra that I use for everything right now, and I am happy with it. It's too small to add a backhoe to, and I find myself maxing it out all of the time moving logs and firewood. I really like the brawn of the dedicated TLB's, and the fact that they can use 3 point implements despite the fact that that's not their intended use.

Ideally, I want to spend under 25k for a Kubota with a strong loader (2500lbs plus) and backhoe (don't want a small toy). That seems to be a tall order, and puts me in a slightly older machine. From what I have been seeing, used prices on L35's and L48's haven't really dropped over the past few years, they are still commanding the same or higher prices now as then! The same with the older Grand series tractors, the price differences in used machines between the various series (10, 30, 40) is so close it's crazy.

Here's a 48 I've been tempted to go take a look at, with the SSQA, third function, and 3 point arms included, it's practically set up the way I would want it, minus the price... https://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/construction-equipment/for-sale/192613397/kubota-l48

 

[Industrial Toys]

Don't kid yourself. Those 48s will be around long after even stuff built today is long dead and gone. Just looking at a shiny new brochere from 01 on the 48. Sorry, it doesn't give the range speeds (surprisingly) just a top speed of 16.1 mph.

 

[Peter 315]

HI, That's a nice machine no emission crap , There is a old guy.:laughing: on here that has one I'm sure he will chime in later.......

 

[lomita]

Hello,
My son and I bought a 2006 L48 back in 2013. We live on 26 acres of rolling hills, oaks and rocks with grades from 5% to 25+%. We purchased it at an auction with only 250 Hrs on the meter and had it checked out by a Local Kubota dealer. At that time the dealer value was about $35-$38,000.00............we PAID less.
Now, on to your question. We use medium range 99% of the time and it does not move fast but when on a grade how fast do you want to go? On flat land it in high range it goes much faster but I doubt it will reach 20 MPH.
Bottom line: The backhoe works well, the FEL can lift a lot of weight and for our purposes it's a great machine. The only problem we have had was getting the PTO to lift high when using a rollover box scraper, but that could be operator error.
Good Luck..

 

[Richard]

Let me toss a different question/idea in here....

Why not get an Industrial backhoe/loader?

I bought my JCB....gosh.... maybe 15/20 years ago. I think I paid something like $13K for it. It's ugly but runs smooth as a swiss watch. I've had to wrench on it a little bit (burst hoses primarily, new muffler, rebuild alternator and "today" I have to yank the steering pump and send out to be rebuilt.

For the work I've done with it, for the extra power, reach (digs to 15 1/2' deep with a two foot flat bottom)...

Since mine is in a residential situation, the batter doesn't get charged as much.... but really, other than that (oh, and fixed a radiator twice and replaced hydraulic cooler once instead of having it fixed)

anyway, for the price difference, I think I've got more work done AND saved a few dollars.

 

[Hay Dude]

HI, That's a nice machine no emission crap , There is a old guy.:laughing: on here that has one I'm sure he will chime in later.......

Well, heres one " Old Guy " chiming in....:laughing: :horse: :laughing:

You better jump on that machine. Thats a really nice one and LOW hours/wear.
IMO, that was the best " backhoe " Kubota made. Its tougher and harder to hurt than the other models.
As was said above, thats the type of Kubota thatll still be digging & moving dirt long after the lightweight machines are toast.

 

[fried1765]

Hi all, I've read everything I could find on L48's on here, mostly being older posts considering the age of the machine. Is anyone still running one of these for general use? I understand the main complaint is when being used for normal tractor work the speed in medium range, apparently too slow. That said, does anyone know what the max mph is in medium? I have a 10 acre property, some hills and banks, a 6 acre field, lawn and streams. I have a lot of earth moving projects in the future, and I prefer to own machinery when I need to use it consistently as opposed to renting. I have a 30 HP Mahindra that I use for everything right now, and I am happy with it. It's too small to add a backhoe to, and I find myself maxing it out all of the time moving logs and firewood. I really like the brawn of the dedicated TLB's, and the fact that they can use 3 point implements despite the fact that that's not their intended use.

Ideally, I want to spend under 25k for a Kubota with a strong loader (2500lbs plus) and backhoe (don't want a small toy). That seems to be a tall order, and puts me in a slightly older machine. From what I have been seeing, used prices on L35's and L48's haven't really dropped over the past few years, they are still commanding the same or higher prices now as then! The same with the older Grand series tractors, the price differences in used machines between the various series (10, 30, 40) is so close it's crazy.

Here's a 48 I've been tempted to go take a look at, with the SSQA, third function, and 3 point arms included, it's practically set up the way I would want it, minus the price... https://www.machinerytrader.com/listings/construction-equipment/for-sale/192613397/kubota-l48

Well....here is the "old Guy" that Peter315 is referring to.

I bought an L48 TLB last June on Little Deer Isle, Me.
A 2006 edition with 250.9 original owner hours.
I had a 1970 Ford 3400 TLB for the 33 years prior.

My "new" 2006 Kubota L48 TLB has a 3 pt. hitch (which I will never use, because I also have a Ford 1920), PTO, QA bucket, 3rd function w/diverter for hyd. SSQA (no need to dismount), hyd. thumb, QA hoe bucket, and 3 rear remotes.
I had looked for 8 months, and since I was then approaching 79, I decided it was time to either do it or get off the pot.
I didn't want to pay as much as I did, but I knew It was not likely (especially in New England) I would ever find another original owner L48 with 250.9 hours.
The owner was really a great guy, but now has Parkinson's disease.

What did I pay? .......$32K, and I hauled it 350 miles home on my 14K trailer.
So far,..... I have removed the fenders, sandblasted, painted, and remounted them.
Repainted the wheels. Replaced the seat (Seatwarehouse.com $150)
Touched up some gray paint areas.
Removed the ROPS system, because I need to maneuver under branches.
Sandblasted and primed the loader bucket, and left for the Winter in Florida.
I am still in Florida for another week or so.

Try offering $25,000 for that L48......you might get lucky at 26K, or even 26.5K.
Looks like a nice machine,... though I would not ever want to be without my hydraulic thumb.
If you buy it, you will automatically become a charter member of the Mary Kay pink tractor club.

Pushin 80 now, so hope I get at least a few years to play with my "new" toy.
Good luck !!!!
They are known to be great machines!!!!

 

[Carl_NH]

Richard - agree - for $14-20K one can find a JD/Case/JCB/CAT full sized BH with 4000-5000 hours on the clock and if well cared for might not need to much other than some hoses and maintenance like you describe. On the other hand you can get one of these higher hour machines that every year you invest $1K or $5K so the key is finding, and buying a well maintained one.

The Kubota L48 link is a 750 hour "pretty clean machine" and at $27K may be 2-3K high, but as the price of these machines keeps going up, its not a bad deal - I think Fried paid $32K for a 250 hour L48 last year - but had Hyd Thumb and other goodies included.

Sum and substance, buy well used commercial unit, spend $500-1K a year on maintenance, and use it for 3-5 years until the major work is done and sell it for probably what you paid, or buy the lower hour L48 and spend $100-500 yr for maintenance and sell it at the end for a few thousand less - either case cost is probably is a wash unless the commercial unit needs a big repair.

So it depends on ones mechanical ability to select the right machine and acceptance of risk or going with a lesser risk low hour unit.

 

[Hay Dude]

Lets also remember an L48 can be transported behind a HD pickup, where something like a full size New Holland backhoe like mine needed a much larger truck and trailer. I do agree 25k is a lot for a smaller machine, but it’s 4wd and it can also do 3pt work.
Youre not getting a 4wd full size backhoe for 13k without high hours, old age and probably a lot of drips and repairs. :laughing:
Maybe you can get a solid 2wd full size, but he will suffer from traction loss and he stated he wants 3 point capability.
Then there’s indoor storage. The L48 probably fits in a larger garage, full size needs a a larger pole barn.
If the price on the L48 seems high and older full size seems low, there’s a reason for that, they consistently hold high value because theyre an excellent machine in high demand.
Cant dig 15’ deep, but other than putting in a house foundation or a deep pond, theres little reason for digging 15’ deep. I used my full size and my smaller backhoes way more often to dig 3-8’ deep than 15’. Now the full sizes best advantage is longer reach.

 

[PsRumors]

I'd love to have a commercial TLB, the only drawback is weight (and getting through the door of shop). I can put my L45 on a trailer behind my F150 and get across town. The 150 isn't optimal and is over tongue weight but it can be done, can't say that with a commercial unit.

I was able to get a '14 L45 with 850 hours for $22k (with thumb). It needed a few things and cosmetically a little rough but still ended up below $23k with all needed repairs and complete service.

 

[4570Man]

The Kubota TLBs are way more versatile than a full size but they’re way lacking in brute force compared to a full size. The Kubotas have a quick attach backhoe buckets, hydraulic thumbs, detachable backhoes with a 3pt hitch, quick attach loader buckets with 3rd function hydraulics. The full size hardly ever have those options. The full size is a good value. You can buy one for 15k in pretty good condition. I used to have a 310 and I’m wanting another one now. They’ll dig circles around my M59 plus the operating costs is a lot less. I really want a midi excavator but they’re too expensive.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hows a full size even a consideration for the OP if he stated he needs a machine for 3pt work? :confused3:
Im also thinking the OP isn’t digging deep trenches of doing heavy commercial work day after day.

 

[cstamm81]

Thanks for all the thoughts so far gentlemen. I have toiled with the idea of a full size, I致e rented one years back and itç—´ amazing what they can do. I don稚 think I would use a full size near as often as I would a mid size though. Like I said, I壇 like it to double or triple duty with the 3 point hitch. I move a lot of firewood in IBC totes and theyæ±*e a bit much for my little Mahindra, but it does do it. I知 thinking the L48 would get used a lot, and I know from owning a little Terramite years ago that ones uses for a backhoe are endless when you have one at hand all times. I simply feel I壇 get way more use of something in the L48 size, where a full size would sit most of the time. I don稚 have huge digging jobs at hand, and I plan on consistently improving my property over the years. I知 not looking at buying something then reselling anytime soon, I知 trying to set myself up with equipment that could potentially last my lifetime.

 

[Peter 315]

That's a nice size machine, I love my L47tlb except for the emissions oh well, But its the right size for me.........

 

[cstamm81]

That痴 a big part of my draw to the 48痴, they appear to be machines that could conceivably last a lifetime. I like the idea of everything being made of steel, and everything being rebuildable.
Thanks for checking on the range speeds, that top speed could be handy to drive to neighbors properties. I would really like to find out the true top speed in medium, as then I can compare to my Mahindra and decide if I could live with a fairly slow transport speed. I move a lot of brush about 150 yards across my field consistently. I could see the slow speed being a little tiresome, but perhaps the greatly increased carrying capacity might make up for it! I found some posts by a guy with the name Rat in his user name, and he quoted a bunch of different speeds in medium from when he had his machine. It seems he went from being in love with his 48 to then selling it and saying it was impractical for normal tractor use.

 

[cstamm81]

Hello,
My son and I bought a 2006 L48 back in 2013. We live on 26 acres of rolling hills, oaks and rocks with grades from 5% to 25+%. We purchased it at an auction with only 250 Hrs on the meter and had it checked out by a Local Kubota dealer. At that time the dealer value was about $35-$38,000.00............we PAID less.
Now, on to your question. We use medium range 99% of the time and it does not move fast but when on a grade how fast do you want to go? On flat land it in high range it goes much faster but I doubt it will reach 20 MPH.
Bottom line: The backhoe works well, the FEL can lift a lot of weight and for our purposes it's a great machine. The only problem we have had was getting the PTO to lift high when using a rollover box scraper, but that could be operator error.
Good Luck..

I知 thinking about the speed on hills as well. I知 almost always moving something heavy, coupled with the hills, coupled with kids and dogs running around = I知 better off taking it slow and steady.

 

[Peter 315]

I think my l47 was around 12 or 13 mph on the road......

 

[cstamm81]

Well....here is the "old Guy that Peter315 is referring to.

I bought an L48 TLB last June on Little Deer Isle, Me.
A 2006 edition with 250.9 original owner hours.
I had a 1970 Ford 3400 TLB for the 33 years prior.

My "new" 2006 Kubota L48 TLB has a 3 pt. hitch (which I will never use, because I also have a Ford 1920), PTO, QA bucket, 3rd function w/diverter for hyd. SSQA (no need to dismount), hyd. thumb, QA hoe bucket, and 3 rear remotes.
I had looked for 8 months, and since I was then approaching 79, I decided it was time to either do it or get off the pot.
I didn't want to pay as much as I did, but I knew It was not likely (especially in New England) I would ever find another original owner L48 with 250.9 hours.
The owner was really a great guy, but now has Parkinson's disease.

What did I pay? .......32K, and I hauled it 350 miles home on my 14K trailer.
So far,..... I have removed the fenders, sandblasted, painted, and remounted them.
Repainted the wheels. Replaced the seat (Seatwarehouse.com $150)
Touched up some gray paint areas.
Removed the ROPS system, because I need to maneuver under branches.
Sandblasted and primed the loader bucket, and left for the Winter in Florida.
I am still in Florida for another week or so.

Try offering $25,000 for that L48......you might get lucky at 26K, or even 26.5K.
Looks like a nice machine,... though I would not ever want to be without my thumb.
If you buy it, you will automatically become a charter member of the Mary Kay pink tractor club.

Pushin 80 now, so hope I get at least a few years to play with my "new" toy.
Good luck !!!!
They are known to be great machines!!!!

Sounds like you got a great machine, very hard to find these in that type of condition and from the originally owner to boot. I do wish the one I found was original owner. I talking with the dealer on the phone, he said it came off a farm and he thinks the farmer got it when it had around 200 hours on it. I知 looking to avoid a unit that was used as a rental. The dealer wasn稚 much for words, or overly friendly to be honest. It痴 a 3.5 hour drive one way to check it out, but there痴 only one way to figure out if I want to chase this one or pass.

 

[Peter 315]

I run in M but I have the newer trans with high and low that seems to be good for what I do......

 

[cstamm81]

I'd love to have a commercial TLB, the only drawback is weight (and getting through the door of shop). I can put my L45 on a trailer behind my F150 and get across town. The 150 isn't optimal and is over tongue weight but it can be done, can't say that with a commercial unit.

I was able to get a '14 L45 with 850 hours for $22k (with thumb). It needed a few things and cosmetically a little rough but still ended up below $23k with all needed repairs and complete service.

That痴 a great price on a 45. I haven稚 seen one of those for less than 29k around here. I really like the idea of the 6 speed hydro trans, that sounds like it could really move material efficiently. I do wish the tires were a little larger, but I壇 love to have one if they could be had for about 25k.