Re: What a long, strange trip it\'s been...
Bob - I understand exactly what you're saying. I remember my first Kubota - it was the smallest L series they had at the time with the GST tranny. I was absolutely enthralled with it. Even though I had used a bunch of different kinds of tractors, bulldozers, etc. ever since I was a kid, I think it was that tractor that I caught the "equipment bug" from. I think it was the fact that it would do so much more than its size indicated. Of course, I quickly "upsized", then again, and again, and now, I've switched brands and even types of equipment. But every one of them is for doing the same jobs, just on a different scale. I got the Bradco 609 backhoe for the L3710GST, then moved it to the L4310HST, so there's a lot less difference between them and the EarthForce than there appears to be.
Of course, on the other hand, making the jump from the Kubota and the EarthForce was not without a great deal of trepidation, due to a large extent to the transition to a machine without a three point hitch. But, after literally months of research, I decided it was the best thing to suit my purposes. I enjoy research too, but it got to be tedious after a while. I think that's one of the reasons I almost bought a PowerTrac before I thoroughly examined the issue of maneuverability close to buildings, etc. - I was just tired of trying to find what I needed and ready to make a decision.
One thing I haven't mentioned that really impressed me about the EarthForce machines was what I can only call the "professional quality" of it. One of the frustrations I had with the Kubota was trying to get "enhancements" to work the way I thought made sense. An excellent example of that is the operation of the 4-in-1 bucket. If you ever read much of the "
L4310 enhancements" thread (you deserve a medal! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif), you'll remember that I spent a tremendous amount of time getting an electric solenoid valve to open and close the jaws when you moved the rollback and dump valve the right way. Even then, after it was "as good as it could get", I was watching a guy run a big JCB 4-in-1 one day, and he was literally a "master of the machine". I just stood and watched him for 15 minutes or so, in awe of the way he was using the 4-in-1, and wishing I could handle mine that way. It had nothing to do with the size, lift capacity, etc. - it was just pure technique. Finally, when he took a break, I said: "Would you mind getting on my Kubota and showing me how to use the 4-in-1 like that?" So, he hopped up on my tractor, asked me how it worked, then started moving it using it a little. After a few minutes of playing with it, he shut the tractor off and said "There's a reason you can't use your 4-in-1 like I use mine: It can't be done." And that was that. Then he said "Let's go about from the other direction - you try the controls on my tractor." And you know what? I couldn't do the things with it that he could, but I could tell that, with a little practice, I'd be able to. When I climbed up on that EarthForce machine and saw that the 4-in-1 controls worked just like the ones on that JCB, I was almost sold right then and there. When I found out how reasonable the price was, compared to other things in its class, and all the other things I've mentioned in the previous posts, that was just icing on the cake.
MarkC
