L3130 HST

[_RaT_]

Breakin procedure only requires that you not use full RPM. Even 2500 RPM is considered acceptable. For the L3130, you would be better to get the RPM's up then to lug the diesel. As far as using the brakes for steering, you are one of the few that I have heard from that actually would use them. You can easily do it while driving using cruise control. Pressing one brake will not disengage cruise control, pressing both will. I tried it for the heck of it and its the last time I'll probably ever need to. The L3130 is from what I have seen of it a great little tractor. Rat

 

[5030]

RaT:

It's always been my policy to vary the rpm on a new engine for the first 50 hours to seat the working parts. After that, I tend to run the engine at maximum rated rpm or just a little below that. The 5030 seems to run best about 2300 rpm. Sort of a sweet spot. It's just a seat-of-the pants feeling for me. I've been running the MoCo at that rpm. It equates to about 490-510 pto rpm. The 5030 seems to be right on the high point of it's torque curve there.

I forgot to include that my fuel consumption is better at that rpm than at max rated rpm which tells me that the engine is operating at it's best efficiency.

 

[5030]

I've added a picture to the above post. It's getting time to give it a bath.

Daryl

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I purchased a new 3130 6 weeks ago, and I now have 50 hours on it. Personally I think it should have more power. The RPMs die cutting the grass and tilling. I guess the real kicker is that it can't maintain speed in high gear climbing a small grade on the open road. Sure it will do work, but for the money, it is very dissapointing. Without a doubt, it is underpowered, or mine is broke.

 

[icat]

Terry,
What size cutter are you running? I have a five foot Bush Hog SQ600 on mine and I've had no issues cutting Huisache trees up to 2 inches in diameter - which is one inch over the rated capacity. Grass up to 3 to 4 foot high I don't even slow down for. All of this is on the same unit - an L3130 HST. I spent two hours this weekend reclaiming several years of neglected pasture from the previous owners and I couldn't be more please with the power of the unit. Heck, I'm not even up to full speed yet on the PTO due to break in concerns. I've been running the PTO at about 480 RPM and it's cutting pasture like it was my lawn at the house.

 

[glennmac]

I have owned two Kubotas, a BX2200 and a B2910, and I agree with Rat's points.

It has never been my understanding that you couldn't run at rated PTO speed for the first 50 hours. That would cripple a tractor's usefulness for 50 hours, and I don't think any manufacturer would want to do that from an engineering or marketing perspective. I just wouldnt go over PTO speed for the first 50 hours. You rarely need to go over that speed anyway, except when road traveling. Most loader work can and probably should be done at about 3/4's PTO speed or so. That is usually buried somewhere in the user manual.

As to brake steering, that's a multiply phony issue in my opinion. It is true that it would be better to have split brakes on the left side. Why Kubota doesn't do that--I can only speculate it is for cost reasons. However, I doubt that very many CUT users need to or want to engage in brake steering. Finally, as to front wheels coming off the ground when digging with the FEL: (1) you aren't going to be in that posture for more that a few seconds; (2) you can engage differential lock to push straight forward: (3) you can brake steer the B2910 and Grand L's with the speed control lever and the split brakes.

As to the overriding issue in this thread--whether the L3130 is underpowered for its weight--that does concern me because I am actively considering upgrading to that model.

 

[_RaT_]

"As to the overriding issue in this thread--whether the L3130 is underpowered for its weight--that does concern me because I am actively considering upgrading to that model."

Certainly something to consider depending on what your uses are. I was told by two dealers to consider the L3830 simply because after using my L48, they felt I would think the L3130 a little weak. I should think that if your land is not hilly, your grass not wet, mower about 72" or less and you mow regularly, it could be a perfect fit. If the L3130 HST is not strong enough, I can see other manufactuers also having much the same issue. The JD 4310 eHydro for example. While the PTO HP is a little more on the JD 4310, there is no way to tell what the torque value for the two tractors are. Many L3130 HST have not mentioned these concerns and it is perhaps their usage that is the reason. Rat...

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The manual says not to run the engine at max speed for the first 50hrs, it didn't specify a max rpm. I thought that 540pto would equal max engine speed. I just ran out to the garage and fired up my tractor, 2600rpm equals out to 540 pto rpm. I'll mow tomorrow at 540 and see how that goes.
As far as the brakes go, I know you can use the cruise and steering brakes, but the hst pedal is so easy to use I just make a 3 point turn when I need to turn a tighter circle. What I wanted to use the steer brakes for was to cut down my driveway. When I was forcing the bucket down and driving forward the tractor lost all steering. I decided that was probably too hard on the FEL so I dug up the driveway with my backhoe and then smoothed it out with the FEL. A boxblade is not currently in the budget, unfortunately.
Thanks for the tips, this site has really helped me out a lot already.

 

[_RaT_]

It took me years of practice before I was good enough and understanding enough to use the loader without the front end off the ground. I realized that besides the loss of steering control, I was not accomplishing anymore with the loader by raising it to the point that front wheels no longer made contact. I think my thoughts were to increase the weight by putting all of the tractor front end on the bucket. This became very apparent using a back drag technique with the bucket nearly flat. For the most part today, I have gotten past that point and the front wheels are typically engaged wih the ground. There are a number of times I fill the bucket and use it to help in leveling out an area, it works well.

Max RPM should be about 2700 RPM. I generally mow at about 500 RPM on the PTO which on the L3830 is about 2400 RPM as I recall. The new Intellipanel is great for PTO speed and my trip/hour meter, not to mention an occasional ground speed check to see what my mowing speed is. Rat...

 

[5030]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The new Intellipanel is great for PTO speed and my trip/hour meter, not to mention an occasional ground speed check to see what my mowing speed is. Rat... )</font>

RaT scores again. The problem with the "Intellipanel" is that it shows the service reminders and when you rack up hours as fast as I am these last few weeks, it can get annoying. Not that I'd overlook a maintenance. I grease my unit every morning before starting it as well as check all the fluids.