Buyer looking at L3830 compared to NH and JD

Victor23 · Jul 27, 2006

I am looking at the Kabota L3830, JD 4120 , and NH TC40A. I want about 35 PTO hp. All three look very well made, each with its own strengths. I posted this question on the other forums so forgive the redundancy. All three are gear tractors with shuttle reverse. The JD is a 4 cyl turbo, the NH is 4cyl., and of course 3 cyl for the 3830.

Why does the JD weigh 500lbs more than the other two. Is the turbo on the JD worth 2,000.oo more than NH or Kabota.

What are your experiences with the L3830 mowing thick grass, loader work, tilling ect.?

The location of the loader stick appears to be too forward. Does this cause you fatigue due to the arm being extended?

I have heard "others" say that Kabotas require more trips to shop and are more expensive to repair. These comments were made by contractors who use thier tractors on a daily basis.
I was hoping to hear from you about this.

Thanks for your help. I may buy next week.

victor23

_RaT_ · Jul 27, 2006

Victor23 said:
I am looking at the Kabota L3830, JD 4120 , and NH TC40A. I want about 35 PTO hp. All three look very well made, each with its own strengths. I posted this question on the other forums so forgive the redundancy. All three are gear tractors with shuttle reverse. The JD is a 4 cyl turbo, the NH is 4cyl., and of course 3 cyl for the 3830.

Why does the JD weigh 500lbs more than the other two. Is the turbo on the JD worth 2,000.oo more than NH or Kabota.

What are your experiences with the L3830 mowing thick grass, loader work, tilling ect.?

The location of the loader stick appears to be too forward. Does this cause you fatigue due to the arm being extended?

I have heard "others" say that Kabotas require more trips to shop and are more expensive to repair. These comments were made by contractors who use thier tractors on a daily basis.
I was hoping to hear from you about this.

Thanks for your help. I may buy next week.

victor23

All are good tractors. Perhaps Kabotas require more repair trips, but Kubotas do not. The contractors are not accurate about their statement in my opinion. I looked pretty hard at all three brands. The 3 cylinder is as smooth as any of them. Whether its 3, 4, 5 or 6 cylinder, they all work well. The HST on the Kubota is still in my opinion the best. The joystick is perfectly placed, I have yet to be fatigued. I have about 600 hours on my L3830 HST and not a single issue. Starting is instantaneous. The engine burns very clean. Loves about 2200 RPM for most uses. Loader is great and goes off/on in about 40 seconds and 1min 30 sec respectively. I cannot say enough about it. I did not have the JD model you are looking at available at the time I purchased my L3830, 3 years ago. I mowed very steep hills, thick pasture like grass with a 84" finish mower, not a problem.

MessickFarmEqu · Jul 27, 2006

I'm a Kubota and New Holland dealer. I can attest to the fact that one does not require any more service than the other. Infact, if I had to give an edge to one it would be Kubota.

Victor23 · Jul 28, 2006

Since you are a dealer maybe you could answer the question regarding the weight difference between the John Deere 4120 VS the Kubota and NH. The JD weighs about 500 lbs more. any Idea.

Thanks for your insight. It sounds to me like I cant go wrong with any of the three.

MessickFarmEqu · Jul 28, 2006

More weight tends to equal thicker castings, but ticker castings do not equal more strength. The weight on the Kubota's is a dry weight and often without tires, the New Hollands are usually correct. The important thing with a compact tractor is proper ballast and balance, not raw weight. I'd suggest loading the back tires of any tractor that you buy. If you want raw weight, buy a farm pro. Those things are boat anchers.

SWB · Jul 28, 2006

I like the ergonomics on the NH much better than the Kubota. The loader joystick is in a much better position imho.

Doc_Bob · Jul 28, 2006

SWB said:
I like the ergonomics on the NH much better than the Kubota. The loader joystick is in a much better position imho.

I did a 3 hour demo on both a NH TC40DA (neighbors tractor) and a Grand L3830. I liked both. The NH "fit" me better. The Kubota seat would not go up, so my longs legs were always bent, which grew tiresome. The NH goes up via being monted on an inclined ramp.
Bob

Turbys_1700 · Jul 30, 2006

I would buy the unit that I could get the best deal on. Typically, Deer's run higher in price than New Holland's and Kubota's. Good dealer support is also important. All 3 are very dependable. I'm not brand blind. I like all of them!!!

JerryG · Jul 30, 2006

MessickFarmEqu said:
More weight tends to equal thicker castings, but ticker castings do not equal more strength. The weight on the Kubota's is a dry weight and often without tires, the New Hollands are usually correct. The important thing with a compact tractor is proper ballast and balance, not raw weight. I'd suggest loading the back tires of any tractor that you buy. If you want raw weight, buy a farm pro. Those things are boat anchers.

Neil,
Does the additional weight of the New Hollands and the John Deeres mean that they use cheaper inferior steel?

Theowegian · Jul 30, 2006

Victor23 said:
I have heard "others" say that Kabotas require more trips to shop and are more expensive to repair.
victor23

I'd say that is NOT the experience around here. All three, NH, JD and Kubota are very good, reliable tractors and ALL three are used by landscapers and contractors extensively in my area. The Massey and Case are really nice tractors, too.

In my opinion, the NH and the Kubota would tie for my first choice. I ended up with the Kubota since the Kubota dealer was terrific.

I suggest that you go with the dealer that is most likely to support you closely in the future.