A warning for those considering a Gear Drive Kubota L2501

[LD1]

I have a L3800DT, and what you describe is very true, I have trees I'd like to mow under by backing into because of the sun cover, it's all but impossible, have to clutch in PTO mower and then just barely engage tractor gearing and be ready to clutch in to stop and change direction. There's no halfway down to change direction. The clutch must be fully depressed and tractor stopped to change direction, which stops power to PTO. Sometimes I wish I had hst, to have gotten the live PTO. That said the DT was $2k less, has more power at PTO, is more fuel efficient when mowing and we'll be trouble free much longer than a hst tractor and much cheaper and simpler to repair, it's very old school and may never need repair compared to a hst. I can live without live PTO, engagement of PTO is much smoother than live machines which means my implements will last longer too. HS.

The 3800 has a two stage clutch. To change direction, you don't need to clutch so far that it stops the pto

 

[jeff9366]

That said the DT will be trouble free much longer than a HST tractor and much cheaper and simpler to repair, it's very old school and may never need repair compared to a HST.

This may be true if the owner is also the operator. If you have employees operating a clutch/gear tractor it will require more repair than HST.

An L2501 clutch job is $1,200. Very few young people can competently operate a clutch/gear combination these days. With employee operators you should budget for a clutch rebuild every 800 engine hours, or roughly a rebuild every six months.

If loader work is contemplated, which you did not mention, an HST is more productive and much less likely to smash the tractor into trucks/trailers being loaded than clutch/gear.

 

[TripleR]

You didn't know you needed a grapple until you needed one!:laughing:

And now I have two, one third function + TnT + tree and post puller + pallet forks...

 

[Oldpath05]

What little I know now about PTO engagement, I diffidently wouldn't want a gear tractor that when the clutch is pushed in to change gears, it stops the pto, and all I do is haul wood. To me is the number one selling point when buying a tractor is being able to change speed or back up without stopping the pto.

 

[houstonscott]

The 3800 has a two stage clutch. To change direction, you don't need to clutch so far that it stops the pto

In theory, operators manual says to depress fully with tractor stopped. There is no reference to halfway down shifts. Has

 

[houstonscott]

This may be true if the owner is also the operator. If you have employees operating a clutch/gear tractor it will require more repair than HST. An L2501 clutch job is $1,200. Very few young people can competently operate a clutch/gear combination these days. With employee operators you should budget for a clutch rebuild every 800 engine hours, or roughly a rebuild every six months. If loader work is contemplated, which you did not mention, an HST is more productive and much less likely to smash the tractor into trucks/trailers being loaded than clutch/gear.

I agree, I'm a clutch guy, even prefer a clutch in the cars, took my drivers test with a clutch in the day...if I can get 200k from a sports sedan clutch, my L3800 will never need one in my life. If you can't drive a clutch car, stay with a hst. I'm not on a clock when working so finishing 10 minutes fast Evans nothing to me, I rather like working all levers and gearing. Like I said, I bought old school knowing how it worked, hst is a very complicated piece of machinery, and all those valves and small O rings will not last forever, diagnosing a problem can be both a nightmare and expensive. I passed. HS

 

[DieselnHooters]

In theory, operators manual says to depress fully with tractor stopped. There is no reference to halfway down shifts. Has

To shift gears you do have to fully depress the clutch but you can stop the tractor and still have the PTO running by clutching only halfway down....that is what dual stage means

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Far as I'm concerned, gear tractors are only good for hauling wood, not for mowing/farming............

REALLY? I'm farming with gear drive tractors and so are many of my farmer neighbors...

We didn't know that! I guess we all better head to our dealers tomorrow and trade our tractors off! lol

SR

 

[houstonscott]

To shift gears you do have to fully depress the clutch but you can stop the tractor and still have the PTO running by clutching only halfway down....that is what dual stage means

You can't put clutch halfway in and stop tractor with PTO engaged and go from forward to reverse. You can stop tractor put neutral range and neutral gears and engage PTO, and operate something like generator or pump with tractor stationary, the bake must be engaged to step off or it will shut down when you get off the seat. HS

 

[LD1]

You can't put clutch halfway in and stop tractor with PTO engaged and go from forward to reverse. You can stop tractor put neutral range and neutral gears and engage PTO, and operate something like generator or pump with tractor stationary, the bake must be engaged to step off or it will shut down when you get off the seat. HS

Something ain't right then. The whole idea of a two-stage clutch is to be able to stop and/or change gears without stopping the PTO.

900 hours of ownership on my last L3400 and not once did I press the clutch to the floorboard to shift. That was only for engaging PTO.

So either you have never tried it, or it was never adjusted properly