B3030 and B26

[The Gardener]

B26 and B3030 [cab and BH]

They certainly seem close in many respects. I am still undecided. I was almost convinced that the B26 was the answer. But, the B3030 with a cab, A/C, and a brush hog sure sounds nice for cutting the acreage. Then again, the B26 has more FEL and backhoe capacity which is important for the extensive rock and tree work we are facing.

I don't know tractor specs well enough to make determinations regarding the differences. Could some of you please elaborate on the pros and cons of these specs. Would they be detectable or very close in performance?

[1] Horsepower:
B3030 ..... 30hp
B26......... 26hp

[2] PTO for a brush hog
B3030 ..... 23hp
B26......... 19.5hp

[3] Hydraulic pump for backhoe use
B3030 w/ Woods BH model # ? .... 9.1 gpm
B26......................................... 11.2 gpm

[4] Engines
B3030 ..... 4cylinders
B26 ........ 3 cylinders


Given our needs list of excavating boulders, transporting and placing rocks on walls and in gardens, moving trees, digging out stumps, burying stumps, burying boulders, and brush hogging 6-7 acres of field and lawn, does anyone see a clear cut choice between the B26 or the B3030 [cab and BH] ???

Many Many Thanks!!!
The Gardener

 

[mike69440]

You are really set on a smaller tractor? I wonder if there are any good almost new L35's available. They turn on a dime!

My neighbor found out real quick how gutless his L3400 is for ground engagement and digging.

 

[wushaw]

You are really set on a smaller tractor? I wonder if there are any good almost new L35's available. They turn on a dime!

My neighbor found out real quick how gutless his L3400 is for ground engagement and digging.

Apparantely he is not using the correct tool or have something set up right, my BH and BB attachments dig just fine and pulling a 5" disk is no problem either and I am using the L2800.
If he is trying to dig unbroken ground with the FEL then yes I can see where he is having a problem.

 

[The Gardener]

You are really set on a smaller tractor?

Our previous tractor weighed around 2000#. I like the that size due to the many needs we are facing in and around the extensive gardens that are close to the house. There are also tight areas that would be difficult to access with the larger tractors, and curb weight is the reason I ruled out the L39 [which I really like]. I have spent years repairing tire ruts in our lawn due to truck and tractor traffic as necessary jobs were being hired out. I'd like to avoid making more ruts with my own tractor since we do see a fair amount of rain.

The B26 and the B3030 weigh in at approximately 4100# with a BH attached. Without the BH and a brush hog in its place, they should come close to 3200# +/- which seems like a good weight for softer terrain.

Cost is certainly another factor. The difference in price between the B26 and the L39 would make for a nice down payment. I also want to buy a new tractor which includes dealer support and a warranty.

 

[DAP]

Not everyone WANTS a heavy tractor.

Not everyone knows how to operate their implements.

So far, only ONE poster would describe the L3400 as "gutless". Hilarious.

And an ever increasing number of posters here think that Bigger is always Better and that all machines are doo-doo unless they are the M5XXX series.

Ultimately like all of us, you'll have to wade through the chaff and do your best to make an informed decision.

Both of those machines are good units. The B26 is designed as a small commercial unit. The B3030 represents state of the art compact tractor in the mid range loaded with ergonomics.

Oh .. and most of those activities you plan on using a tractor for are temporary. You will run out of bolders eventually and not need any more rock walls and run out of stumps ... cutting, digging, moving snow or mulch, etc, will go on ad nasueum... Plan your purchase around THOSE types of activities ... not the former ...

 

[gotcha]

There is just one thing I see that makes me love my B26 and that is the reach for the FEL control stick. I never gave it a thought all the 23 years I had to reach for it, but now I have the arm rest and the joy stick right there in my hand I wouldn't ever change. If it came the other way I would find a way to go to the B26 way with the arm rest either myself or with the fabricator.
The Gotcha Man

 

[The Gardener]

Both of those machines are good units.

Absolutely. That's making this a very difficult decision, yet it appears to be one of those wonderful win win scenarios.

The B26 is designed as a small commercial unit.

Can you, or someone, please explain why and how. They seem to be very close with regards to their specifications.

The B3030 represents state of the art compact tractor in the mid range loaded with ergonomics.

The ergonomics and cruise control are things that may be the deciding factor. I am unsure I need some of these creature comforts. Then again, mowing is a big need, and the A/C coupled with cruise control sure sound appealing.

The Gardener

 

[The Gardener]

... cutting, digging, moving snow or mulch, etc, will go on ad nasueum... Plan your purchase around THOSE types of activities ... not the former

That's a very good point. Cutting the lawn, especially, is an endless effort.

 

[DiezNutz]

... cutting, digging, moving snow or mulch, etc, will go on ad nasueum... Plan your purchase around THOSE types of activities ... not the former That's a very good point. Cutting the lawn, especially, is an endless effort.

Which is why you'd be better off with a B3030. The FEL on the B26 doesn't appear to be the quick-tach type (I don't even see parking stands on it), and thereby is meant to stay on the tractor. On the Kubota website there's even a retarded picture of a B26 running a bush hog... with the FEL on! Really want to do that? Maybe if your property is 100% grass - no fence, trees, shrubs, etc.

I share your concerns with wet lawns, heavy tractors, and ruts... which is why I strip everything off of my B3030 that isn't nailed down when I mow w/it.

Over the long haul I think you'd find that the B3030 is more versatile (especially for the homeowner) while the B26 is really intended to be a purpose-built piece of construction eqpt.

 

[gotcha]

Gardener
The B3030 represents state of the art compact tractor in the mid range loaded with ergonomics.

The ergonomics and cruise control are things that may be the deciding factor. I am unsure I need some of these creature comforts. Then again, mowing is a big need, and the A/C coupled with cruise control sure sound appealing.

The Gardener[/QUOTE]
You loose the mowing ability with the B26? Isn't that one of your biggest things that you need and if it is, it sounds like you go to the 3030.
The Gotcha Mna

 

[Renob]

I run my bush hog with the FEL on...............I didn't think I was retarded?????????????????????

 

[mike69440]

Not everyone WANTS a heavy tractor.

Not everyone knows how to operate their implements.

So far, only ONE poster would describe the L3400 as "gutless". Hilarious.

QUOTE]

The L3400 has decent HP, thats not by what I meant by gutless. He has a 72" QA bucket on the LA-463 and loaded ag tires. If either the BB or FEL are used aginst the soil around here the soil does not give it up. Also he needs to learn the machine's capabilities and limitations.

I'm going through the same learning process with the 18,000 lb excavator I just got.

Heck a 17 ton Link Belt excavator we hire works hard to get half a bucket load.

 

[hazmat]

I run my bush hog with the FEL on...............I didn't think I was retarded?????????????????????

I've run w/ and w/o on my TC18 in wide open fields. Once you try it with some counterweights ILO the FEL, you won't go back. Rides smoother, less bouncing around, better visability etc.

 

[hazmat]

If loader or backhoe are primary uses - B26, if mowing - B3030. You're welcome to head south any time & try out my B3030 with Woods BH80-X and 72" MMM. I'll let you know when the grass needs cutting

 

[crazyal]

As a fellow New Englander snow is another issue to think about. If this is going to be a personal tractor and you have a long driveway a snowblower might be in your future. The B26 will limit you into a rear blower unless you can get a mid mount PTO, don't think you can though. For me that's going to be the main purpose and I don't intend to blow 3/8 of a mile driveway looking over my shoulder.

 

[DiezNutz]

I run my bush hog with the FEL on...............I didn't think I was retarded?????????????????????

I've run w/ and w/o on my TC18 in wide open fields. Once you try it with some counterweights ILO the FEL, you won't go back. Rides smoother, less bouncing around, better visability etc.

Didn't say anyone was retarded... FEL on might work if you're in "open fields" (bouncy?), but Gardener's key words were "extensive gardens" and "tight areas" with an aversion to large & heavy tractors. His is probably not the best application of a bush hog or RFM either... maybe a MMM instead and it doesn't appear that the B26 has a mid-PTO.
Anyway, first time you'd swing the FEL through a row of tomatoes or the wife's hydrangeas... well you might feel a little simple

 

[The Gardener]

I am beginning to see a nice lawn care combination: a B3030 with a cab, A/C, and a 72" MMM and our 48" riding lawn mower. The riding lawn mower can do the first three super laps around the entire woods line to negate the concerns associated with over hanging limbs. It can also cut around the gardens. The B3030 tractor can do the rest which is quite a bit of grass and increasing with each woods clearing effort.

Might someone know the approximate cost for:

B3030 with a cab, A/C, a Woods BH80-X, and a 72" MMM

I believe the Woods BH80-X does not have a hydraulic thumb option ... can someone confirm this?

I gather it is fairly easy to remove the BH and the loader for lawn cutting purposes. I read that the 72" MMM is a drive over design. I find that amazing that a 2200# tractor can drive over the cutting deck and not damage it. In any event, I gather this makes the process of attaching and removing the 72" MMM fairly easy.

Tha Gardener

 

[DiezNutz]

I believe the Woods BH80-X does not have a hydraulic thumb option ... can someone confirm this?

It is not hydraulic. It has several holes on a telescoping tube that you align & lock manually by popping the pin in & out, then you open & close the bucket against it to control your grab. Attached pic shows it in the up position.

I gather it is fairly easy to remove the BH and the loader for lawn cutting purposes. I read that the 72" MMM is a drive over design. I find that amazing that a 2200# tractor can drive over the cutting deck and not damage it. In any event, I gather this makes the process of attaching and removing the 72" MMM fairly easy.

I have the 60" MMM but even if I had the 72" I wouldn't drive over it (kind of a gimmick)... don't expect it to stay put without chocking the gauge wheels (casters). The deck is easy enough to roll out the side without all that . Tip: take the FEL off last, you can use it to prop up the front of the tractor and make it even easier. FEL is off in 3 minutes or less, BH is a bit trickier but not too bad. As far as the 72" MMM, give it alot of consideration. Unless your ground is super smooth you might be slightly disappointed. Just a fact of physics that the wider that "fixed wing" is, the less it's going to hug ground contours and you'll get a more uneven cut. Even my 60" has a few spots where I frown and hit 'em again at a different angle. Plus, 30HP is about the minimum for running a 72" deck wheras with the 60" you can mow at top speed all day (kidneys notwithstanding) and plow right through thick wet grass. All things considered you might make just as good time with the 60".

 

[The Gardener]

It is not hydraulic. It has several holes on a telescoping tube that you align & lock manually by popping the pin in & out, then you open & close the bucket against it to control your grab. Attached pic shows it in the up position.

[1] Thanks for the picture. Have you found that one hole position typically handles most tasks?

[2] Do you feel that there are advantages to having a separate seat with the backhoe vs a shared seat?


Plus, 30HP is about the minimum for running a 72" deck wheras with the 60" you can mow at top speed all day (kidneys notwithstanding) and plow right through thick wet grass. All things considered you might make just as good time with the 60".

These insights clearly point to a 60" deck. I always defer to owner experience. Thank you!

 

[hazmat]

The B3030 has more than enough HP to run the 72" deck. Flat out in M range up hill and as fast as you want to go in H on the flats.

It's just as fast to pull it out the side as it is to drive over it. Especially since all 4 casters swivel - it will move easily on a hard surface.

I am however a bit dissapointed with the design of the anti scalp system. There are 2 "fixed" anti scalp rollers hidden under the deck - they are set ~1/2" below the blades. On rough areas, If one side of the casters (used to set the height) dips into a depression, the deck will scalp. There is ~5 feet between the castors.

I never had an issue with my 60" NH 914 deck scalping - because the rear casters were towards the middle - There was only ~24" span between the wheels - vs the 5' on the Kubota 72.

I'm considering modifying the anti scalp rollers so they are 2" below the blade. Being in New England, I never cut my lawn below 2.5" and that's only the last cut in the fall & first in the spring. Otherwise it is 3 - 3.5".

...

I have the 60" MMM but even if I had the 72" I wouldn't drive over it (kind of a gimmick)... don't expect it to stay put without chocking the gauge wheels (casters). The deck is easy enough to roll out the side without all that . Tip: take the FEL off last, you can use it to prop up the front of the tractor and make it even easier. FEL is off in 3 minutes or less, BH is a bit trickier but not too bad. As far as the 72" MMM, give it alot of consideration. Unless your ground is super smooth you might be slightly disappointed. Just a fact of physics that the wider that "fixed wing" is, the less it's going to hug ground contours and you'll get a more uneven cut. Even my 60" has a few spots where I frown and hit 'em again at a different angle. Plus, 30HP is about the minimum for running a 72" deck wheras with the 60" you can mow at top speed all day (kidneys notwithstanding) and plow right through thick wet grass. All things considered you might make just as good time with the 60".