L3130 or TC35 ?

[stovepipe]

I want to thank everyone thus far for their input, now its decision time. I have narrowed down my choices to the Kubota 3130 or the New Holland TC35, mainly because both dealers are nearby. Now, I need some expert advice to help me make that final decision based on the following information.

Budget: 30k delivered

Profile: First Tractor, weekend warrior, not afraid to get dirty, family man, limited mechanical ability.

Usage: 25 acres, mow 4-5 acres, flat to 45 degree terrain, build and maintain a small motocross track, whoops, jumps (5'-6' tall), groom atv trails, remove stumps and rocks, haul logs left over when property was logged, alter some drainage.

Desire: A tractor that is easy to use, easy on/off attachments, easy simple maintenance, safe and fun.

Attachments: Loader, Backhoe, Mower and landscape rake.

Advice: Transmission (HST or Manual), Backhoe mount ?, Mower (mid or rear)?

Can I have my cake and eat it too ?

 

[ledebuhr1]

you cant go wrong with either.

With a 30k budget, you could get a tractor bigger than a L3130 or Tc35. I assume that you want a 3ph mounted Backhoe?? That would be the only way you could have one and still have the landscape rake.
I like mid mowers better, youll need the mid-PTo option for that.
Oh, and HST rules. Its the best for mowing and espically loader work.

Ever thought of a Cab tractor?? you might like it

 

[Moon]

Hi Stovepipe;
You've narrowed it down to two fine tractors. I'm sure either would do the job for you. Have you driven / operated both of them? If so which is more comfortable to you? That would be a major concern on my part.

I do alot of the same tasks with mine that you plan to do with yours. Only I do ATV trails instead of moto cross ones. I have close to five miles of trails I maintain and I mow 4 acres regularly. I bought the Kubota Grand L 3010 and am very happy with it. I've had it 1 3/4 years and nary a problem with it. I boxblade the roads and trails, bush hog and cleared 5 to 10 acres. I run a 5' International bush hog and it eats up multiflorra and small sapplings with ease. It's amazing the work it will do. The FEL has never been off the tractor. I use it for a little bit of everything and would'nt be without one. I do not have a backhoe, but would like one ...just don't have the justification (or cash) to get it. I would like another pond ...but don't need one.
Best advice is to drive both tractors and have them put the back hoe on it and remove it to see how that goes. I went with the rear finish mower on mine and like it just fine. A MMM might be able to stay on for some of the trail work I do, but I prefer the extra clearance I get without a MMM. I have mostly open fields / yard to mow though. Wife uses a smaller mower around the house and in tight spots. With your hills be sure to have the tires filled. It makes a world of difference. My dealer forgot to fill mine so I did the first 50 hours without. I was plesantly surprised at the difference once I had em filled. Made the tractor more stable on hills, but I did not notice the tractor working any harder to move the extra 1200 pounds of liquid. I even had one little grade that one tire would always spin on when mowing (in 2wd), once the tires were filled no more spinning and I didn't have to go into 4wd at all to mow. I use a spud bar to assist with changing impliments and that works okay.
I have R4 tires and HST. I really like my HST, it makes all the work just about effortless. I had an 8N before, no live power and I didn't mind the clutch, but now that I'm used to HST I see no reason to have to mess with a clutch to change from forward to reverse. Or to have to let the clutch out quick on a hill to get moving ..etc. The HST really shines for doing loader work. Your always going forward and back, getting the load and dumping it. HST also makes it easier if your married and your wife ever needs to drive the tractor...as mentioned in a recent thread on here.

Good luck and let us know which one you decide on.

 

[hazmat]

The " strongest" backhoes are sub-frame mounted. Generally these are incompatible with Mid Mount Mowers. So for that reason I'd get the Rear Mower.

Recommend HST - easy as pie to use.

Kubota & New Holland both make a good product. Get the one you like best. How does it fit, how easy to take the backhoe off etc.

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


"Advice: Transmission (HST or Manual), Backhoe mount ?, Mower (mid or rear)?"


Transmission... your preference...
For me... I got the L3130 with the 8-speed manual shift-on-the-go tranny... I really like having the foot throttle... costs less... less complicated... and have heard the HST may not be so great on inclines.. but i don't know 1st hand...

Backhoe mount...
A rigid mount (not a 3-point-hitch mount) is best...
The Kubota BH90 9' backhoe on mine is very very easy to take off... even the 1st time... haven't put it back on yet...

Mower...
I'll say a 3-point-hitch mower is easier/faster to mount/dismount than a mid-mount deck... and there are more choices...
Usually you will not want a mid-mount deck on when doing most loader & backhoe work...

Good luck...


Dave...

 

[BeeFarmer]

Both NH and Kubota make fine tractors. What I would like to talk about from experience is that the TC35 engine is only slightly larger than a TC33 however the engine is placed in a larger frame.... I tested the heck out of both units and found that the 3 Clear engine performed a lot better in a smaller frame. The TC35 just didn't seem to have all the power you might expect after jumping off of a 33 or even jumping off of a 40. One thing I did that really was interesting.. and may not mean nothing to anyone was that I tested these units with a FEL and filled tires on both of them. I ran up on a large boulder with both units and place the FEL on it and with Hydro on both.. I wanted to see which one would do what with the large boulder. The 33 didn't move the rock much at all but did continue to spin the tires "R4s" The 35 with "R4s" die in place.

I also had a belly mower under both.. both of them 6 footers... The mowing was on a hilly area and you can guess the 35 just didn't seem to have the power to do the hills like the 33. Now all the testing I was doing was apple to apple as far as applied power and high\low gearing...

My final decision was based more on frame size when it finally came down to the purchase as all in all the compact size of the 33 was more suited for my needs... HOWEVER... if I would of gone with the larger frame I would jumped over the 35 to the 40 with 4 cylinders and maybe the 45 if it would of had belly mounts at that time.. Hope this isn't anymore confusing. I also like the Super Steer and that's why I didn't go with the Orange .. although.. I did like the orange otherwise.

Good Luck!

 

[frank_f15]

either machine will do u fine, going to come down to persoanl preference. can't advise much on the BH, but i do beleive the frame mounter are a tad stronger,i have RFM but i don't cut lawn with it i cut grass. (fields that i keep cut ) and i can get it off in 3 min and on in five. ilike the ease of removal as i only put it on when i want to cut. MMM would be in my way when doing other stuff. PARTIAL to HST. great for loader work. mho

 

[art]

I am extemely confident with the Kubota line and I also sell the NH only red. I do believe the Kubota is the most reliable of them which gives you lower overall cost to own. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[foreman81]

The loader (la723) on the kubota looks much stronger than the 16la used on the NH and the specs on paper should reflect that. I think the Kubota has more ranges ont their trannies as well (hydro and gear). Kubota would be my choice.

 

[rdam]

I recently purchased an L3830 DT after a final comparison to a NH TC40. The prices were comparable (within $500). Both machines appeared well built. However, the Kubota felt and looked more substantial. The front axle on the Kubota is MASSIVE in comparison to the NH. I also didn't care for the liberal use of plastic on the NH...Just my opinion. With little tractor experience, I relied on information gleaned from TBN and my own observations to decide. This, after I absolutely KNEW I HAD TO HAVE a John Deere.

Still, one of favorite tractors is the NH TC30. Simple, affordable and rugged. I hear of few problems from the owners on TBN. I'd love to find a used one cheap!

 

[BobinCols]

Maybe you know this but a NH TC33 is more comparable to a 3130. A TC35 is a larger class compact. The TC35 is the smallest in it's series, a 3130 is the smallest in it's series, and the TC33 is the largest in it's series. Get what fits you the best and what dealer treats you the best. There is not really a bad choice. It's funny, but when you talk to a dealer (Art) and others that have dual or three brands of tractors to sell, most will tell you the Kubota is the LEAST troublesome. Also, look in the service department and see what kinds of problems you find in their with each brand. Good luck!

 

[txdon]

I can advise you only on the Kubota. If you go with the frame mount BH90 (the best) you can easily take the back hoe on and off and it uses the tractor's hydraulics not the tractor’s PTO to power the back hoe hydraulics. You can have the 3 point hitch on with the back hoe frame mounted. Therefore you can attach a landscape rake and rear mower without taking off the back hoe frame. When you put the back hoe on the only part of the 3 point hitch you have to take off is the top link and the sway bars I’m not 100% sure, but I think you cannot have a mid mount mower with the back hoe frame attached (I just have the rear mower). With the back hoe frame on all the time you do get that extra low weight for stabilization. You might want to operate each tractor’s back hoe before you decide. Also if the 3130’s total comes to less than the 30K you might consider a 3830 or even a 4330. A front fork on the bucket would really make moving those logs easy if they are wider than the bucket. HST – everyone in the family will love it, especially you.
TXDon

 

[txdon]

Attachment shows the 3 point hitch attached to the box blade and the BH90 back hoe frame on the Kubota. No problem!
TXDon

 

[Henro]

Don't forget to figure the dealer into the equation.

I have a New Holland dealer a mile up the road, but ended up buying orange because each time I visited the NH dealer I left with a bad taste in my mouth. REALLY! I don't know why exactly, but after three times I threw in the towel and never went back.

It could have been just the other way around...but the Kubota dealer I choose [I did not like the other Kubota dealer I stopped at either, perhaps it is just me... /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif] just treated me better and looked like he would be there for me, so he got the sale.

Service and support from the dealer is probably more important than color, if the price is comparable.

Happy future tractoring, whatever the color you end up with!!!

 

[Libertine]

stovepipe:

Like rdam's post, a year ago I had narrowed it down to the KUB 3830 vs NH TC40. I ended up with the NH. A couple of observations:

1) The KUB BH is easier on/off but the subframe stays with the tractor. The NH BH is more of a hassle on/off but the underside of the tractor is much "cleaner". The NH BH does not even require removing the 3pt when the BH is mounted.

2) Your price seems a bit high. I pd $29k cash for the NH TC 40 (a bit bigger than the one you are looking at) which included Sales tax and many options ranging from the QT loader, guages including oil pressure, extra BH bucket, block heater, etc. etc. etc. The price for a similarly equipted KUB was about the same. I would think you should be able to get a 3130 or TC 35 for a good deal less than $30k.

3) I did not like the "lawn mower" styling on the NH nor the "plastic". However, after actually using it for a year and 165 hours the plastic is actually much sturdier than it looks (although I still don't like "plastic" on principle), and, big one, the FEL visibility is excellent-much, much better than the KUB would have been and almost as good as a skid steer. There's an actual design reason for the sloping hood.

4) Access on the NH is very good. The one piece hood pops open real easy, much more so than the 3 piece on the KUB and everything is more open and easy to get to. Not a big deal but of some importance when you're actually out there using it.

5) The KUB has more good, built it, design features. By reputation the KUB is extremely reliable. The NH is a little more "tractor like" and has a slightly higher resale (not by much though).

6) Which ever brand, consider the quick loader hitch (skid steer compatible). You may not use it at first but will eventually be very glad you have it as you can use skid steer implements on the loader arms. Also, be sure you have extendable lower links for the 3pt.

7) Which ever brand, remember a tractor is not an automobile. Please read another thread doing on right now in this forum on the HST transmission. In spite of the religious fanaticism of some people, the HST has some real safety issues, costs power, uses more fuel, etc. On the other hand, if you plan on spending 8 hour shifts doing short distance loader work get the HST. For some certain things it is clearly better.

Which ever brand you should be really happy. Be sure to let everyone know what you get (and then update in 100-200 hours).

JEH

 

[CTyler]

From what I can see in the pic the subframe looks like the same thing I have for the Woods 9000 BH.

I only have to unbolt the stabilizer arms and hold them out of the way with a rubber strap before using the hoe. The same thing could be done with the top link but I just take it off since its' just as easy.

 

[CTyler]

I would strongly suggest that you go with a subframe for the backhoe vs a 3pt version.

The loader subframe and the BH subframe on my L3130 tie together and create another full length frame.

My Kubota dealer also sold NH but dropped the line. Both are good tractors but they thought the Kubota was better and more reliable. With that said he told me to go over and drive the NH tractors. Bottom line was the dealer. Don't have anything bad to say about NH or the NH dealer either.

The quick attach on the Woods loader is compatable with the Bobcat series stuff. Just turn two handles to lock/unlock the bucket.

You'll probably want a rear remote or two as well. That was the main reason I went with tractor hydraulics for the BH. That way I could use the remote for the hydraulic top link and dump trailer. Something that is invaluble IMO specialy for you. I'll be adding another remote so I can rotate the rear blade as well and/or use it for tilt.

Drive them both and see what you like better and/or which dealer you feel more comfortable with.

 

[valkman]

I was in exactly the same spot as you about a year ago. I was leaning towards the NH (love the looks and my kid drives one for work). We went to a dealer that has both and put them thru the test drives - my kid jumped off the Kubota and said "Dad - thats the one" -
Needless to say I bought the L3130 - and been very happy.

Test drive them both, and park them side by side and do a comparison. Good luck.

 

[BigBob]

I don't feel you can go wrong with either tractor. I have owned 2 Kubotas and now havw a new Case Dx33.(red New Holland). The reason I switched brands is I have a pinched nerve and a bulged disc in my back. The New Holland seat is the only one I could ride in comfortably. Also I feel the field of vision is better on a NH when you have a loader on it. Don't know how the Case/New Holland will hold up, but the 2 Kubotas I had were darn near indestructable. Don't know if this helps you much, but if I can get you further confused, I feel I have done my job. It took me 4 months to decide what to buy.