17 acres, hilly with heavy brush - L3130 HST or L3400HST?

[vic6]

I have about 17 acres of hilly ground to maintain in south central Iowa. It consists of mostly cutting/mowing heavy brush, a horse pasture, and CRP acres. The terrain ranges from hilly (if row cropping would have to contour plow), to low and usually muddy near the pond. Also have a lane of almost a quarter mile that I will occasionally blade to remove snow or spread new gravel. I am not looking at any front end loader or backhoe work, but if the need should arise in the future I may consider renting that equipment or just contract out that work.

For the cutting/mowing the dealer recommends a Wood 60 inch rotary cutter, at about $1,600

He is recommending the L3130 HST at about $16,000, but if I wanted to spend less he said the L3400 HST at about $13,500 could also do the job.

This was just my initial conversation with the dealer so I haven’t started negotiating price yet. I don’t even know to what extent Kubota dealers around here will negotiate prices.

I am looking for all feedback I can get on these two tractors, the cutter, or any other alternatives you may recommend.

Thanks for your help

 

[rbargeron]

My suggestion would be to get a standard shift gear tractor if you are going to be mostly cutting brush and rough mowing, and occasionally blading the lane. Gear drive costs less than an HST - you could put the money into more tractor weight and power - which might be good for that many acres. I'm thinking maybe an L-4400 with a six-foot rotary cutter? A lot tractor for the money.

One thing that isn't discussed a lot is that a 6' mower has a practical cutting width almost 25% wider than a 5'. Its because on rough ground the un-cut overlap can be 7" to 9" which is a bigger fraction of the smaller mower.

Whatever you decide on have fun getting there - try out some rigs if you can. Tractors last a long time - get one you'll be happy with.

 

[DmansPadge]

Those two tractor are quite different. You really need to compare the specs and options and see what is best for your needs. The 3130 will have more bells and whistles that the 3400 doesn't. If I remember correctly, the Grand L series also has better hydraulic specs and lift capacities. But on the extra money spent on a Grand L... you could get more HP with say an L4400 and still probably cost less.

 

[ducati996]

I would strongly suggest re-thinking the FEL option as well. Enough cant be said on what the benefits are in having one. It adds value to the machine if you had to turn around and sell it...it also is critical when brush hoging clearing the sapplings in front first so the mower can get them....
I never heard of anybody say they didnt find it useful after owning one...

Lots of zero % deals that make things affordable

 

[rjsmit1]

I just paid off a 3 year zero % loan on a Kubota L4330 with FEL that I use to take care of the wife's horse farm. I thought that I might be buying a little on the high side of the horsepower range, but I don't regret it one bit. There are times when I wish I had more. At the end of the day, more horsepower make it so that you can do the work faster, so the choice is yours - pay more and cover more ground or pay less and take your time. Either way, you are operating a Kubota, which is one fine tractor. Good luck.

 

[Wesdor]

First of all welcome to TBN.

You sound like me - about 2 years ago. I wanted a tractor to mow and for sure did not want a FEL. In a story that has been recounted on this web site more than once, I tried my brothers L3400 with FEL. We laugh that he cost me $3,000 more, since after trying the loader I couldn't think of being without one. So I agree with Ducati.

As far as machine, I prefer a gear drive for what you are describing, but you should try both a hydro and gear drive to see what suits you best.

If I recall correctly, my brother got a great deal from the Kubota dealer in Motezuma (Kubota Sales? 641-623-3837) Last year there were some great deals on the 3400. I also know that the Anchor Sales in Silvis, IL (309-792-0050) has some great deals on the Kubota line. This is a good time of year to get not only good interest rates (0%), but also good prices.

Good luck on your purchase. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish with a FEL and mower. And the Kubota line seems to really hold up to hard use.

 

[BigDamnFool]

Vic,

I recently purchased an L3400 HST and can't say enough good things about it. It is a little more spartan than the grand L's but works just as hard and seemed to me to be a better value. I have no problem Brush cutting with a 6' RC as long as I keep my speed reasonable. I went back to the dealer and traded a 5' for it on my first day of cutting after realizing that it was going to leave me a lot more string trimming because I couldn't get right up next to the fence. One thing to think about. The 3130 weighs about 700 pounds more with less HP. In hilly areas you will really notice that extra weight. Especially on the RC. If you add a loader you just added more weight. IMHO, and as others have mentioned, you would be better suited with a geared tractor. And the L4400 definitely has the best bang for the buck. Good luck in your search and be sure to let the folks here at TBN spend your money for you. Stick around a while and we will have you driving a 500 HP fire breathing dragon just to mow your lawn.

Tiny

 

[canoetrpr]

Hi Vic:

I was in a very similar boat as you not to long ago.

I've got 26 acres about 15 in pasture and the rest in woods.

The single best thing I did was listened to the advice here and got a FEL. Like you it just wasn't on the table for me. You cannot imagine the number of things you will use it for.

I ended up with a L3400 with a FEL, toothbar, chainhooks and a Woods BB60 rotary cutter.

I regret not getting the BB72 as it would be easier around fencelines. However in heavy grass I wouldn't be cutting more than 5ft at a time. Go for the BB72. The L3400 can handle it.

The FEL will work as an excellent counterweight to the BB72/60 as well. You won't need to take it off.

Definately get your tires loaded - work that into the deal - along with chain hooks. I did not do mine. I have a ballast box for now. However if I had any real slope then the loaded tires would help stability bigtime.

I would rather you got a L3400 with a FEL instead of a L3130 without a FEL - if it came to the $$$.

The huge strength of the L3130 vs the L3400 IMHO is the hydraulics (read LA723 loader - was your L3130 price quoted with this loader?). For someone who wasn't going to bother with the loader to begin with, I would say that the better deal for you might well be the L3400 whose loader is plenty capable for farm chores.

I know that if I was looking seriously at the L3130, I'd probably go up in HP to the L3430 if not the L3830. Same size more HP.

Good luck!

 

[vic6]

Thanks for the advice so far.

I am now choosing between the L3400 and L4400 but leaning toward the L3400 with a 72" cutter with gear drive. Would appreciate additional comments on these two tractors.

I'm still leaning against getting the FEL but am still open to suggestion.

 

[The Gardener]

One more variable to consider is re-sale.

Unless you are certain that this is a l-o-n-g term purchase, you might want to keep re-sale value high on your priority list. To this point, this group of tractor owners can help you to create a comprehensive, prioritized list of desired features.

I am certainly not in their league of understanding or experience. I'll toss out a few of my thoughts and others can add, delete, or re-order my preferences to assist you in your buying decision.

1] HST ... I had a gear tractor for 6 years. It was great. However, I will opt for an HST transmission the next time. It is fast responding, easy to operate, and I do believe that the re-sale value [the buyer market] is higher than a geared transmission.
With cruise control, you can determine the exact locations on the slide lever to match the speed to the chore being executed. In essence, the cruise slide bar is really another form of a gear selection. As for torque and H.P. loss that are byproducts of HST, others can explain that. I don't think those are issues the common household user will encounter.
2] center PTO ... although you may not require a center PTO for a belly mower, a snow blower, or etc., I would buy a tractor with a center PTO since those are very popular attachments. Again, its re-sale value would be a big plus.
3] FEL ... this is an absolute must have item. I can almost guarentee that you will quickly discover ways in which to use the FEL beyond the usual "wheel barrel" idea. We used our FEL as a platform to stain our home. It sure beats a ladder. It is a great, and safe, platform to stand on when trimming trees. It is a great safety feature to lean against a tree when you want to drop one [and control its fall]. If you are building a shed, porch, sun deck, etc., the FEL can be used as a temporary lift for setting your posts in their cement footings underneath. It's a lot easier to execute than a jack. The list goes on and on. And, as a conventional wheel barrel, it cannot be beat. Your back will thank you.
4] Cruise Control ... in my view, this is a great feature for mowing. I don't see myself using cruise control all that often since our mowing is not done with a tractor. But, mowing is a very significant aspect of tractor use, and re-sale value will be heightened with cruise control as a feature.

This is about re-sale though these are nice features to enjoy.

Good Luck,
The Gardener