I can only buy one: B7800, TC30, JD790, or CK30

Bob_Skurka · Nov 11, 2005

( I've narrowed it down to these two. . .
Tractor, R4 tires, FEL, 72" rear mower, 72" rear blade.

Kubota L2800; HST, 22.5 PTO HP, folding ROPS; $17,320
J. Deere 790; Gear, 24 PTO HP, detachable bucket; $16,350)


Both are proven tractors, both have well proven engines and nobody can take anything away from either machine in terms of reliablity. Both are part of each brand's value line up and I've never heard of anyone complain that either was under powered for its size/weight. The L2800, while it has less PTO HP by 1.5 would be my personal choice between these two tractors for one simple reason. I strongly favor the HST transmission for mowing chores. I am a major critic of the GEAR version of the L2800 and if you were comparing the gear version then I would opt for the JD790. But in my mind the HST transmission on the L2800 makes the choice very easy. I buy a tractor to save time and to save labor. It seems like mowing and FEL work are going to be your primary tasks, both of those are more quickly and efficiently accomplished with a tractor that has an HST transmission. Both can be accomplished with gear tractors, but an overwhelming majority of users will save time on these types of tasks with a HST so that is why I would recommend it.

 I believe both are considered a bit underpowered for their size. Why not the Kubota 7800 or JD 4000 series or Kioti CK30. 

Interesting thought, so I looked up the specs on the tractors.
Kubota B7800 = 1741# which gives it an amazing 58# for each 1 HP
JD 790 = 2150# which gives it 79# of weight for each 1 HP
Kubota L2800 = 2600# which gives it 89# of weight for each 1 HP
CK 30 = 3042# which gives it 101# of weight for each 1 HP

All the weights are from the internet, none include FELs, which typically add another 850 to 1000# of weight. Obviously the less weight per horsepower a tractor has the more powerful it would feel.

canoetrpr · Nov 11, 2005

Crimbo - I'm interested to hear why you are looking at the L2800 and not the B7800.

crimbo · Nov 12, 2005

Hello canoetrpr -

B7800 vs. L2800

First the disclaimor - I've never owned a CUT and have spent about 5min on each of these in dealership parking lots. Everything I know is from spec sheets and dealer comments. Plus what I'm learning on this site.

I think the L2800 is more tractor for the money. It is a larger frame tractor (7800 = 1741#, 2800 = 2600#), more lift capacity, same HP @PTO (7800 = 22HP, 2800 = 22.5HP).

At my local dealership the, with both tractors equipped the same, the L2800 costs $570 more than the B7800 (pre-tax). The difference in cost is that R4 tires are a free upgrade on the 7800 and cost $500 on the 2800. The 2800 with turf tires is essentially the same price as the 7800.

The flip side is I don't think you can get a mid-PTO on the L2800. Also, the footwell is not flat.

That's why I've started looking at the 2800. If I'm wrong about some of this stuff, or am missing something. Hopefully somebody will set me straight.

DrewL · Nov 12, 2005

what kind of tires? If finish mowing is the majority of the work you'll want turf tires and weight means next to nothing with turf tires. Snow removal.....then you'll want the weight. Tree stump removal.....you'll want the weight. Rock moving.....you'll want the weight

Dargo · Nov 12, 2005

I've bought dozens of new tractors over the decades, so I'm not exactly new to buying tractors. If you have not owned CUTs for many years, you likely will not know exactly what chores you will end up doing mostly. I have found that my situation has changed considerably over the last 25 years and I have needed to change tractors to fit my needs several times. I never would have believed that when I bought my first tractor. I felt that I bought one that I would keep for life. It just doesn't hardly ever turn out that way.

Knowing that fact, one thing I can say is that with the JD, New Holland, or Kubota tractors I've owned over the years, I have always managed to be able to trade out of them if needed without any significant financial loss. On a lot of the tractors I either broke even or, actually made money on a few. It's important to chose the right tractor for what you need, but it's very possible your needs will change. It sounds like the L2800 is a tractor you like. I'll go out on a limb and say that since you like that tractor, that if you have a good dealer and get a reasonable price, you can't hardly miss with that choice. It has a long history of quality, reliability, and great resale value. It is a tractor that you can keep for life if you want, but could also trade out of if you need to without making you regret your choice. Most people are best off going with what their gut tells them anyway. In the past, haven't you made a decision that was against what your "gut" told you and later regretted the decision? If I'm missing the tractor your gut is telling you, pick whatever tractor that is. It's your money and you need to spend it the way you know it will best suit you. Good luck!

thcri · Nov 12, 2005

( what kind of tires? If finish mowing is the majority of the work you'll want turf tires and weight means next to nothing with turf tires. )

I am going to disagree with that statement of weight. Weight means everything with any tire. My neighbor has turfs on his John Deere, same weight roughly as my TC29D. His turfs are a very wide turf and he has just as many problems with leaving dents in his lawn as I do with my Industrials. In fact he just shakes his head wondering how my R4's don't do more damage than his.

Anytime finish mowing, weight is a major factor.

murph

Dargo · Nov 12, 2005

( Anytime finish mowing, weight is a major factor.)

Yes, that is common sense. The laws of physics have not been changed lately, have they? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

LBrown59 · Nov 12, 2005

A spinning turf will do more damage than a non spinning r4 or r1.

I think the damage caused by AG tires is an over played theme especially when it comes to the smaller / lighter Cut and S Cut tractors

DrewL · Nov 12, 2005

I mean weight means nothing in the sense that turfs equal low pounds per square inch. Take any weight tractor you'd like, add a thousand pounds to it and the ppsi barely goes up Wide turfs will scuff more. Yes they have a low ppsi but extra area to "scuff". If R4's leave similar dents as turfs why don't you see R4's on the fairways and greens of the golf course?

Bob_Skurka · Nov 12, 2005

( A spinning turf will do more damage than a non spinning r4 or r1.

)

Hey LB I am in total agreement with you on this point.

Further, the sidewalls of a turf tire are much softer than the sidewalls of a set of R4 tires and when you are trying to do FEL work, the sidewalls flex too much under heavy loads. The only way to compensate for that is to either not lift heavy loads, or to increase the air pressure in the turf tires so that they are no longer soft tires. At that point they tend to cause damage to the ground, that is probably was is happening to "murph's" neighbor, he probably has his turfs inflated up to a higher pressure to he can use his loader. And when the tires are at a high pressure, they also tend to slip and spin, which can tear the lawn.

So while turfs are good tires, they have to be used in the correct applications. They are generally not the best choice if you are using a strong FEL. They are gererally not a good choice in the woods because they can be punctured easier than an R1 or an R4.