Downsized from L4630 to B3030: expensive mistake!

[Boondox]

My wife never liked the larger tractor, and had hit the house, carport, garage and several trees with it. In a moment of weakness I agreed to downsize from the tractor of my dreams to the much smaller B3030. Within a week she had managed to take out the carport supports again. I'm sure the B3030 is a fine little tractor, but for brush hogging, winching down trees and dragging them home for firewood it is woefully underpowered and light. With the Grande L I could limb three large maples and drag them home for processing. With the B3030 it's a struggle to manage one twelve foot log over rough terrain. And it's tippy! It does okay moving snow in the winter, but the rest of the year it's pretty much a fancy lawn mower with a wheelbarrow on the front end.

Classic case of not sizing the tractor to your needs, and I regret it every day.

A new Kubota dealer had its grand opening today. My B3030 with belly mower, loader, rear blade, logging winch and ice chains plus $25k for a brand new L4740 with HD loader, 9000# logging winch, rear blade with hydraulic angle, and ice spikes. I'm seriously thinking of getting the tractor for me and a wheelbarrow for the wife.

 

[whistlepig]

Not all people are tractor people. My wife isn't a tractor people. Her ATV and the lawn tractor is all she can handle. I won't let her drive a tractor because I am afraid she will get hurt on one. She agrees. It is one of the very few things that we do agree on.

 

[phiferpharm]

How big is the wheelbarrow there given ya for the wife??

 

[RaydaKub]

How big is the wheelbarrow there given ya for the wife??

Best comment in a month. :laughing:

 

[Jimmy Joe]

My wife surprised me first time she drove the tractor, she liked it so well when we were done I said I would put it in the garage, Which is a little tight, she said I'll do it and drove right in.

 

[whistlepig]

My wife has suprised me a few times also.

 

[Grandad4]

Nice to hear from you again, Boondox, I guess you've been around but not quite as active on TBN. Sorry for the situation that you're in, though. It's always easy to invite someone else to spend their hard-earned bucks, but that L4740 would definitely make your life easier. Just don't let your wife have the key! You may have to be available a bit more often to move her stuff around for her, but if it keeps the peace and lets you get some real work done, it's a small price to pay. The Lxx40 models may be getting in short supply because of the new Lxx60 series, so if you're serious, you probably don't want to wait too long.

 

[kuboman]

Ah yet another story of downsizing gone bad. Very few end well. Look on the bright side. You may end up with an even better tractor although the L4630 is a sweet unit.

 

[wyeguy]

My boss recently told me about his wife punching a branch into his sprayer tank when making a turn, and also flipping a log out of the FEL onto the hood of the tractor and almost killing herself! I think I'd keep my wife off the tractor....

 

[art]

Seen it before! My wife loves to mow the lawn, just that it needs to be done over to get where she misses!!!! Doesn't matter if it's the best in the industry or not or if she's on her first glass of wine!