biggest kubota with mower

mytoys · Jul 21, 2003

Ok here goes....i've been reading the posts and really enjoy all the knowledge that's being shared. It's really helpful, especially for someone, like me, looking for a new tractor.

Anyway...I've decided to purchase a new tractor to replace my aging case580ck. I'm going to purchase a kubota as i've heard such good things about them and there's a dealer less than 3 mi from my home.

My dilema is the model. I'd like to have the largest available tracter/loader/backhoe but still be able to attach a finish mower to mow about 4 acres of field. Any thoughts? Anyone have a large machine and use a finish mower? Your help is greatly appretiated.

John

Henro · Jul 21, 2003

Mytoys,

do you care if it is a mid mounted mower or a rear mounted finish mower?

I think this will make a difference in the answer...

rbargeron · Jul 21, 2003

I use a 90" finish mower on this rig to maintain 10 acres regularly and another 12-15 acres less often. It is an L5450 and is very similar in size, power, reach, etc to the present Kubota L48. My fields look decent - but they are not perfect lawn quality. The R4's minimize the tire marks.

grandad · Jul 21, 2003

I am mowing 6 acres in about 3 hours every 2 weeks with a 72" brush mower. For just mowing, my L4610 is probably overkill, but it doesn't even break a sweat with the 6 ft. cutter... could easily have gone to a larger mower. Not a putting green quite yet, but after doing it for a year, from 50 ft., you can't tell the difference vs. a finish mower.

Any of the Grand L's will run a 6-8 ft finish mower or larger, and you can put your choice of loaders and backhoes on any of them.

If you really need bigger equipment for other backhoe/loader chores, etc., you can get the M-series ag tractors decked out whatever way you like. But you may want to check out the L48, which is one hoss of a loader/backhoe.

MarkV · Jul 22, 2003

John,

The L48 is the largest of the compact TLB's and a very nice machine. Unlike traditional TLB's the backhoe is easily removed and 3pt arms are put on to use normal 3pt implements. It has 37.5 PTO hp so it is capable of handling a large mower. Unlike the other Grand L tractors the loader is not removable, there is not an option for a mid PTO and it is only available with the HST transmission. As the others have said you can add a backhoe to any of the non cab Grand L tractors.

MarkV

mytoys · Jul 22, 2003

All,

Thanks so much for your thoughts, I really appreciate the help.

Upon further thought, investigation, reading your replys and other posts, i'm thinking I want a mid-mount mower. This will help around trees and other obstacles from what i understand.

I belive that brings me down to the L3830, correct? It's not the biggest model (feeling separation anxiety already from my case 580), but I'm thinking it will do what I need.

From what i understand also, i can get a heavy duty loader and the BH90 backhoe for this model?

There's lots of rocks on my property and i'm always digging something up. They always turn out to be bigger than you think.

Furhter thoughts?

Thanks again,

John

_RaT_ · Jul 22, 2003

I had the Kubota L48 as of about 2 months ago and now have the L3830 HST. While the L48 was more powerful, the nimbleness and smoothness of the L3830 has me still waiting to get back on it for more. I really can't say enough good things about the L3830 HST. It will indeed accept a mid mounted mower. I use a 84" rear discharge finish mower that it easily runs on my hilly terrain. Rat.

MReeter · Jul 22, 2003

Mytoys,If you're not totally sold on a Mid-Mount,you might consider one of these /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif You can knock out 4 acres in no time /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

You could get the bigger L and have more capacity for a Hoe and FEL plus mow your grass in about an 1 hour /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

MReeter · Jul 22, 2003

oops,screwed the picture,well anyway you get my point /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

frank_f15 · Jul 23, 2003

heck with that rig, on some properties u can make one pass and be done /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

mytoys · Jul 23, 2003

Nice, i like that. It looks like it wouldn't scalp as much as some rear mowers too. Do you like it? How well does it work? What do those babys go for (roughly)? What size machine do you have. Thanks!

mytoys · Jul 23, 2003

Now i have another questions for you folks, sorry. I was thinking that a mid mount mower might be a pain in the @#$ to put on and remove. If i want to play in the dirt, say in the summertime, i'll have to take it off then, put it back on to mow right (maybe eveb the same day)? I'm getting lazy in my old age (41) to do that. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Anybody have a mid-mount? How much of a job is it to switch? Any regrets? Thanks everyone.

SageBrush · Jul 23, 2003

Thats why I prefer the rear mount, not as hard to take of and on. Cost much less too. I have never owned one, but the dealer did do a demo which showed me I wanted a 3pt mower.

rbargeron · Jul 23, 2003

An advantage of rear-mount mowers is you can back in to trim under trees etc. and get closer than with a mid-mount. Another nice feature is the range of "float" they have - especially a rear finisher mounted on multiple castors. Belly mowers don't follow uneven ground quite as well - but they are great if your place is smooth and flat.

Henro · Jul 23, 2003

Another nice feature is the range of "float" they have - especially a rear finisher mounted on multiple castors. Belly mowers don't follow uneven ground quite as well - but they are great if your place is smooth and flat. 

rbargeron,

Interesting statement. But is this really the case? I don't know myself. I know some MMMs actually ride on the ground on casters just like an RFM does. Wouldn't the prformance be about the same as far as following the ground goes? I mean between a MMM on casters and a RFM on casters?

Another thing I'm not sure about is related to suspened MMM mowers. Someone stated a while back [TresCrows maybe?] that a suspended MMM actually performs better than a mower on casters on an irregular surface, because it is hanging in the middle and the front and rear tires tend to smooth out the transitions the mower experiences as it is carried over humps and dips. Seems reasonable.

Anyone with experience like to comment on these two observations/questions?

MReeter · Jul 23, 2003

Mytoys,I don't like this mower at all,I LOVE it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif We have an L4610 and the mower is a Tri-Deck Finish mower.Three 5 ft. decks with a finish cut of 13-1/2 ft. The decks overlap one another to keep from streaking.

Rhino makes the same mower with 3- 48" decks with a finish cut of about 11 ft. That unit takes about 30-35 h.p. to operate.

They are very heavily built(ours weighs over 3,000 lbs.) and does a great job of mowing,the cut is very level as the mower "floats" over the ground on wide gauge wheels.The blade tip speed is 16,231 FPM.The decks fold up,so servicing the blades is a snap : /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

We gave $8,500. for ours in 2001,I'm sure the price has increased since then,but what a time saver they are /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I'm going to try to attach the pic. again to give you a better look /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

rbargeron · Jul 24, 2003

In my experience, the question of which mower follows the ground better depends completely on how uneven the surface is. If the surface only dips or rises a few inches in six feet, then a suspended floating deck handles it fine. But if the dips or humps are more like a foot (not unusual over a six-foot distance), the rear-mount on castors wins hands down. The important features for floating are the front castors and pivoted 3-pt connector arms on the mower so it can tilt independantly of the tractor rear wheels.

I've been mowing my rustic acres for thirty years - sickle bars, flails, disk mowers, rotary cutters, and small and large finish mowers, mid-mount and rear mount. For my situation, the 90" rear-mount finisher on four castors with swing-back blades does the best job overall. A close second-place goes to an old Ford side-mounted sickle-bar (Dearborn I think) that had over a foot of vertical float and 145 degrees of up/down bar slope - but it was slow. Take care, Dick B

mytoys · Jul 24, 2003

All,

Thanks so much for all of your comments. Went to the dealer last night (the first time with my wife). I was planning on discussing the 3830 but, when my wife learned the 5030 was only a couple thousand more she said...."we may as well get the 5030"... Heh heh I'm a lucky man. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

rbargeron · Jul 24, 2003

ALL RIGHTY THEN !! Way Cool ! More Power - UGH, UGH !

Kelvin · Jul 28, 2003

Henroe,

( Wouldn't the prformance be about the same as far as following the ground goes? I mean between a MMM on casters and a RFM on casters? )

I currently mow with a...

B2910 with a 72" mid mower using casters w/solid tires, and
B2150 with a 72" rear-discharge finish mower using casters w/pneumatic tires.

Overall I don't notice much difference in the scalping tendancies of the two 72" mowers. My property that I mow has variations that resemble terraces.

Removing and Replacing (R&R) the Mower Decks: Because the designs of newer model mid-mowers are significantly better than the older models, I can say that there is not much difference in the R&R time between the two. For me, connecting the PTO shaft is the hardest part of attaching either one of them. Because the rear PTO has easier access than the mid-PTO the rear-mower PTO shaft is slightly easier to connect. Also, the mid-mower may need a solid surface (such as a driveway) to remove and install. I have only R&R my mid-mower on the driveway, while the rear mower I R&R on any reasonably level surface.

I like the rear discharge better than the side discharge.

When mowing my hills, I strongly prefer the mid-mower setup since I believe the "tractor & mower package" to be much more stable than the rear-mower setup.

If stability were not an issue, then I would prefer the rear mower. Reason? Not R&R issues, but the fact that maintenance (cleaning, blade sharpening, etc) can be easily performed without having to R&R the mower deck.

Kelvin