Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ?

   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #31  
Several Kubota, JD, Kioti, MF options out there…I’m just not familiar with models and their particular options.

That’s what makes the used market difficult vs new. A nice tractor at a good price pops up. 6-12 hours later after I’ve researched that model and go to test drive it, it’s sold 🤦🏼‍♂️

Yeah, I hear you. I'm thinking you need to get out of the "advertisement response mode" and into the "I'll just make it happen" mode.

If I was buying used again - and I will - then I'd first make the rounds of the local school districts, shopping centers, and churches with maintenance depts and just walk in and ask if they are going to upgrade equipment anytime soon. Might ask at my yellow point industrial JD Dealer too. The yellow JD dealer once offered me a 20 year old JD310 with under 500 hrs and like a fool I turned it down.
Some retired guy had it as his subdivision for chores.

rScotty
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ?
  • Thread Starter
#32  
The compromise is the hardest part. I have 100+ acres, but also get into the “yard” sometimes.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #33  
One thing to consider is that a John Deere loader will not work with SSQA attachments. John Deere has their own quick attach.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #34  
Both older tractors are worn to the point of requiring constant repairs, minor and major. They are no longer reliable.

Both older tractors are dry clutch & gear, 2wd, no fel, no power steering, no telescoping link arms or quick attach 3pt.

I need a reliable cranking/running 4wd fel tractor with some modern advancements so I can enjoyably perform landscaping, farming, bushhogging, grading, etc tasks.

I currently have a heavy duty 5ft bushhog, light duty 6ft bushhog, 5 ft disk and a leveling drag. I also have a dozen or so skid steer QA scoops, stump buckets, ditch diggers, lift poles, graders, work platforms, forks, etc. my FIL is selling his skid steer but I’m keeping the items a tractor could use.

I have a tractor made two years ago that is quite similar to yours. Mine does have power steering and its dry clutch transmission is synchronized, and I went and put a loader on it. It is open station, 2WD, has fixed draft links, and no quick hitch. I find this to be a very handy piece of equipment and wonder if you would really find much of a difference in a very different kind of unit.

- I have driven tractors with wet clutch hydraulic reverser transmissions and personally prefer a dry clutch unit as I actually have clutch feel and can feather it easily. I have zero issues with using a dry clutch transmission with a loader, in fact, I find it easier than a wet clutch unit as I can very easily feather the clutch on a dry clutch unit as the clutch pedal connects to the clutch plate and not a computer's clutch pack engage/disengage switch.
- I run a brush hog, pull a straight and box blade, plow/cultivate/rototill a garden, and run hay equipment with my tractor and don't miss having a driven front axle. In fact, in this size of tractor, the 2WD units are noticeably more maneuverable and that is helpful. I have used MFWD tractors and rarely used MFWD on those units. However, they have all had ag tires, industrial tires get much poorer grip, a MFWD tractor with industrials would get pulled around all day by a 2WD tractor of the same size on ag tires.
- I change 3 point implements a lot and don't miss extendable draft links, I have had them before and rarely used them. The tractor is easy to maneuver and back up (thanks to being able to feather the clutch vs. having the computer dump a wet clutch pack in a reverser transmission) to attach implements. That is also why I don't bother with a quick hitch, that and I'd have to take the thing on and off as I use both category 1 and 2 implements.
- You can easily put a quick hitch on any tractor, you can go buy one at a dealership or farm store for a few hundred bucks.
- You can also put a loader on older tractors, there are several aftermarket makers like Westendorf that will sell you one for about half of your budget for a newer tractor. However, it is less pleasant (not impossible) to use a non-power-steering tractor with a loader, although proper rear ballast helps here. This would be the most reasonable reason to get a newer tractor that I can think of unless yours are so broken a rebuild of an engine won't fix them.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #35  
One thing to consider is that a John Deere loader will not work with SSQA attachments. John Deere has their own quick attach.

This is only true for some of their loaders. Some of them can be had with the JD quick attach, skid loader QA, or Global/Euro/ISO quick-attach.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ?
  • Thread Starter
#36  
Been looking more at Kubota as there are 2 dealers somewhat close. Mahindra is 6 miles away, but Kubota is next closest at 25mi in the nearest big town. Also one 20mi from my work (40mi from home). But a neighbor works there and regularly hauls equipment for local folks with the company truck.

I’m round and round with this decision, trying to factor “everything” in…which is tough, as you all know. But the more I run dad’s syncro shuttle Mahindra, the more I want HST. And if my wife and kids (11&8) are gonna help (at some point) then the simpler the better. The more I read about HST, the better Kubota HST+ sounds.

Thinking hard about end use, the top 3 are loader work, rotary cutting, and road maintenance…in that order. We’re putting in an orchard so will be working around a bunch of young trees; moving mulch, cutting grass, etc.

All that to say my current focus is narrowing down to the L3540/3940/4240 & L3560/4060 models. This forces a bump in cost to $22-25k+ range.

It’s hard to swallow that I could get
“a lot more tractor” (weight/hp/fel lift) for that price, but I’m trying to sell myself that the size is appropriate and the user friendly operation is paramount. Plus dads 8k pound tank is available for bigger stuff.

Am I thinking straight?
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ?
  • Thread Starter
#37  
Planning to go drive a L4060 ($27k <500hrs) this week. It has the ideal combination of size, HP and features I want, but will push the budget to the max. No rear remotes.

Local used LS XR4140 is very similar size/hp and comes with 2 real remotes, but shuttle trans and nearest dealer is over an hour away, and a small mower shop at that.

Farmer friend is selling a similar size/weight but more hp JD 5205 with fel but only 2wd ($14k) and no creature comforts.

Used Mahindra 3550 PST $25k, good deal bigger/stronger all around, but maybe too big/heavy.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #38  
I’m thinking 30-35hp (minimum 25 @PTO), fel with as much lift as possible, 4wd. 5ft implements need to cover the tires, or at least come really close. Prefer: power shuttle/gst or hst, but could do dry clutched shuttle, ease of attaching implements, industrial tires.

JD and Mahindra are 5 miles away. Most other dealers are within 30 miles.
Not the most budget-friendly option, but I absolutely love my 2019 Deere 3033R paired with the 320R loader. I didn't compare lift capacity to Mahindra, I guess I'm biased against any tractor made in India, but the 3033R has much higher lift capacity than any of my older tractors.


With JD and Mahindra being your only close dealers, this is the way I'd be headed.

Deere dealer will steer you towards a 3000 E series that is really feature poor compared to competition.
3E-series is the "Economy" variant, marketed to compete on price with foreign brands, which Deere will never do very well with manufacturing in USA. If you're shopping on price alone, I agree you'll likely do better with a foreign machine.

Several Kubota, JD, Kioti, MF options out there…I’m just not familiar with models and their particular options.
On JD, your horsepower and implement size requirements would put you in the 2R or 3R series. The 2R has better ergonomics, better loader visibility, and is a great machine for smaller chores. The 3R is bigger and heavier in every way, with more small commercial use in mind with component selection, but with a corresponding steep price jump up from the 2R series.

Current model number system is easy, first two digits are series (20xxR for 2R series, 30xxR for 3R series), and second two digits are horsepower (eg. 3033R = 3R series with 33 hp diesel).

Others can answer for Kubota, Kioti, and MF.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #39  
The Kubota hst+ is very useful and now that I have it I wouldn’t want to be without. If I was coming to hst without hst+ experience it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The hi/low in each range is what gets used the most for me. Doesn’t really matter what the task is, just choose which range you can do the work with the selector in “low” and then you always have the option to go to “high” on the move with the bump of a lever. I only have about 1,200 hours on mine but it has been excellent.
 
   / Edited Title - Kubota L4060, LS XR4141, or ? #40  
The Kubota hst+ is very useful and now that I have it I wouldn’t want to be without. If I was coming to hst without hst+ experience it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. The hi/low in each range is what gets used the most for me. Doesn’t really matter what the task is, just choose which range you can do the work with the selector in “low” and then you always have the option to go to “high” on the move with the bump of a lever. I only have about 1,200 hours on mine but it has been excellent.
HST+ is the main reason I didn't end up with a JD or Korean machine. 2 speed shift on the fly is nice. Every HST gearbox sucks & is fiddly to shift. Every single one. HST+ just makes it so you have to shift that clunky crash box less.

Kubota & JD are a bit better designed than the Koreans. Minimally blocking access to check/change the oil with loader mounts & things like that. But the Koreans are cheaper. It's a hard call, but I went with HST+ & haven't regretted it much.

A L4060hstc is barely ok powered at 7,000'. A l3560 would be underpowered up here in Colorado but about the same as my L4060 at sea level. I want a L6060 to go faster uphill on roads & when mowing with my big flail. But not enough to start making payments again.
 
 
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