I'm wondering if a good one may be getting away. The
L4150 is one of the superb L3 machines - Kubota's best for my money. It's 30 years old now so condition is everything - but to me it doesn't look bad at all. The grille parts are plastic so running with a set of bale spears without a guard, the grille is an endangered species. The front tires being Bridgestone R1's might be originals. The rears are Goodyear premium R4's so either the fronts or rears are not original. (They'd have been matched)
I've owned 3 tractors in this series - this one looks like it has maybe 1500-2000 hours - the meter's speedometer cable often breaks after 500-700 hours - and may not have been replaced until later. This is a 5-cylinder 50 hp machine with hydraulic shuttle, very beefy construction and a one-ton loader. Even if it needs $2k in rubber and soft parts it could easily be worth $9k-$11k or more if the shuttle works right and if the hydraulics are still strong.
It would be worthwhile to have someone look at it who knows L3 machines. It could be a diamond in the rough. The fitting on the filler cap is a standard fitting (avail from dealers) when an aux valve return port to the reservoir is needed. Often a hydraulic lift cylinder for a mower is connected there.
This rig doesn't look like its been out in the weather its whole life - in fact it looks like it's had a fairly easy time of it. Notice the condition of the tail lights, blinkers and the stickers & decals. Those are typically damaged - especially in 30 years of use. The fender is bent down but could be easily straightened by lifting up the edge.
Nobody has mentioned the belly plate. It's definitely not factory, but looks straight in the pics. It should be checked to see if it was added as an enhancement or as a structural repair.
If this rig was closer I'd be thinking about it myself - my
L4150 was a great machine - perfect gear ratios for field mowing with an RM990. And the 2-speed pto is just the ticket. The engine has power to spare - many jobs can run on the higher pto speed with engine rpm down around 1700.
I think this could be an excellent find for a DIY project person. But it would be important to have the hydraulics checked for normal strength before buying it. (pushing the loader down should raise the front wheels effortlessly at idle)
If you end up buying it I have an original style ROPS for it - yours for picking it up. There's also a
factory ROPS & seatbelt program for older tractors.
Good luck - and remember the hunt is more than half the fun of finding the right tractor. Dick B
