confused

[gordon]

I always hear about deals like that but never seem to be in the right place at the right time for a great deal like that.

Styman I think he had a machine gun and some pretty good pictures to get a deal like that.
Gordon

 

[hdb]

Bird, thanks for the input. Seems when I talk to dealers, they're always pushing 40 hp and above. Most told me anything less would not handle a 5' bursh hog. Think I'll back up and look at the L3010 (32hp, 25hp pto). So far I'm leaning toward Kubota (good rep, good dealer, fairly close to home). Thanks again.

 

[hdb]

monkey, thanks for the input. Got some good info from you and "bird". Think I'll look at the L3010 (32hp, 25hp pto). Any experience with it? I just want to run at least a 5' bush hog, lite dirt work with a front end loader and box blade. Thanks again

 

[geneP]

hdb, I have a L2250 (21.5 PTO hp) and it drives a 5' brush hog in 5th gear in moderately thick grass. My cutter is made of thicker metal, and if I hit bumps it would raise the front axle off the ground with the unit elevated. I added about 200# of weight on the front bumper, and it does well. Many dealers will recommend higher horsepower/tractor weight so a person with higher expectations won't be disappointed.

Just expect a lower hp/lighter tractor to take a little more time under heavy loads and be a little more rough to ride.

 

[Jag]

hdb-- I have a L2650, that came with backhoe and loader, and run a very heary duty 5 foot cutter. . Something is this size range should handle everything you need. With the heavy duty cutter it will chew up everything that it will push over. Really it will push over more than I would want to try to cut. It does handle 2-3 inch saplings. Also the smaller size let's it work in tighter places in the woods and other cramped quarters..

 

[MChalkley]

The fact that you got it from a heavy equipment dealer helps explain it a little - a lot of them consider anything under 10 tons a "lawn tractor". /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

What a deal, though! I always hear about that kind of deal, but am never in on them. I talked to a guy this morning who bought a huge old M-F track loader with a 4-in-1 bucket, 80% U/C, less than 10 hours on the engine (rebuilt by the dealer), for $3500. It supposedly had a bad transmission. He saw a rod that had slipped out of place in the track mechanism that was preventing the track from turning. He drove a truck over and they all came out to see how he was going to get it loaded. He sent them for some boards because he had "forgotten" to bring some. Then, while they were gone, he took out a 5 pound hammer and a long punch, tapped the rod back into place, and positioned it behind his truck waiting for them to get back with the boards. He never did tell them what was wrong with it. (He told me it was because there was some chance he could buy another from them for the same reason later. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif)

But the good news is that he might now give me a good deal on his old JD-455 track loader!

Mark

 

[Pks]

If the dealers are pushing 40 hp. then I question their ethics and problem solving skills. At the least, when they mention 40 hp. they have not thought about what your needs really are.

Take a close look at these posted responses you got thus far. If you add them up, they tell you to stay above 20 hp and below 40 hp. If the work is lighter than what a full time farmer would do (working every day-all day, at a tractor's full capacity), then a smaller tractor can be a bigger asset.

 

[W5FL]

I think the 4310 (currently a 4610 is a new model) is worth the difference. Both in tractor ability and resale. Yes, you can run a 6 ft rotary cutter with less HP, but if you run the mower level or just a little higher in the front it definately takes more HP because the grass is being mulched and cut many times under the mower. If the grass is high and thick, it is nice to be able to cut it at a higher speed. The primary differences are the physical size of the tractor and the cost of the tractor. The operating costs for the same loads are not very much different. The resale is quite good on any of the Kubota models.

 

[Bird]

hdb, there's certainly nothing wrong with buying an L4310 if it doesn't hurt your pocketbook, but the L3010 ought to do everything you need. You just want to be sure your brush hog is as wide (and preferably a little wider) than the tractor. I had a 4' brush hog when I had a B7100, and promptly traded up to 5' one when I got the B2710.

Of course, there is one other minor point we may have been overlooking; the bigger the tractor, the smoother the ride./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Trying to go too fast on rough ground on little tractors can sometimes be hard on the rear part of your anatomy.

Bird<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Bird on 8/3/00 08:31 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[RICK R]

I have a L2650 29 hp and use it for new yard work with 65 inch KK box blade and fel work. It has never let me down yet. Sometimes I would like a smaller kubota .Anything between 25 to 35 hp would be more than enough.This IMHO.