L3301 vs. L3901

[Will_C]

Hello. I am planning on upgrading from my B 2620, primarily to have more PTO power, more weight, and more ground clearance-doing some different work than when I bought the 2620 9 years ago. I am considering these 2 tractors, as well as a L 3560. I got quotes on the 3901 (32PTO hp) and the 3560 (28.5 PTO hp). The price difference isn.t that much-if I had to choose between these 2, the 3560 would probably get the nod. Not sure if I want to spend that much, so I thinking abut getting a quote on a L 3301 (27.5 PTO hp). My question is, would the 3301 be enough for me? I think the quote would be around $1800-2000 less than the 3901.

I am planning on the following implements, I either have them or would be acquiring them in the near future:

60" roto tiller- Have it, quite a chore for the 2620
72" RFM-will be buying with the new tractor
60" rotary cutter-have a 54", would replace it when needed with the 60"

I know that there wouldn't be a difference in ground engaging implements between the 2 economy Ls-traction would be a problem before any lack of horsepower-the Grand L would definitely have the advantage there.

Would the difference in horsepower between the 3301 and 3901 be noticeable with the implements I mentioned? If $$$ wasn't an issue, heck, I would think about a L6060 with cab-but that ain't happening!!

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks,
Will

 

[bluelou212]

Hello. I am planning on upgrading from my B 2620, primarily to have more PTO power, more weight, and more ground clearance-doing some different work than when I bought the 2620 9 years ago. I am considering these 2 tractors, as well as a L 3560. I got quotes on the 3901 (32PTO hp) and the 3560 (28.5 PTO hp). The price difference isn.t that much-if I had to choose between these 2, the 3560 would probably get the nod. Not sure if I want to spend that much, so I thinking abut getting a quote on a L 3301 (27.5 PTO hp). My question is, would the 3301 be enough for me? I think the quote would be around $1800-2000 less than the 3901.

I am planning on the following implements, I either have them or would be acquiring them in the near future:

60" roto tiller- Have it, quite a chore for the 2620
72" RFM-will be buying with the new tractor
60" rotary cutter-have a 54", would replace it when needed with the 60"

I know that there wouldn't be a difference in ground engaging implements between the 2 economy Ls-traction would be a problem before any lack of horsepower-the Grand L would definitely have the advantage there.

Would the difference in horsepower between the 3301 and 3901 be noticeable with the implements I mentioned? If $$$ wasn't an issue, heck, I would think about a L6060 with cab-but that ain't happening!!

Thoughts? Experiences?

Thanks,
Will

Will, I had to make the same decision a few months ago. Like you, I knew which implements I wanted. So, I checked out the implements in detail and worked backwards to figure out what I needed for PTO hp. In my case, right around 30 hp at the PTO was the magic number. So, I went with the L3901.

Also, what weighed on my mind was something I've seen repeated on this forum many times: get the biggest tractor you can.

 

[jeff9366]

Hello. I am planning on upgrading from my B 2620, primarily to have more PTO power, more weight, and more ground clearance-doing some different work than when I bought the 2620 nine years ago. I am considering these two tractors, as well as a L 3560.

I know that there wouldn't be a difference in ground engaging implements between the two standard Ls. Traction would be a problem before lack of horsepower. The Grand L would have the traction advantage.

I cannot recall reading here of anyone who opened their wallet for a Kubota Grand L and regretted the expenditure afterwards.

I owned a Deere 750, then went slightly heavier to a Kubota B3300SU, which was a mistake. I should have gone from the little Deere directly to the 3,500 pound Kubota L3560, skipping the B3300SU. (I did not follow T-B-N at the time.)



VIDEOS: Kubota HST Plus Transmission Features - YouTube

Kubota Standard L Series VS. Grand L Series - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

The optimal way to shop for tractors is to list your tasks first, then determine bare tractor weight you need to SAFELY accomplish your tasks. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models.

For most tractor tasks greater chassis weight is more important than tractor horsepower. This tractor fundamental is difficult for people new to tractors to comprehend. In subcompact and compact tractor categories it requires a 50% increase in bare tractor weight before you notice a significant tractor capability increase. It takes a 100% increase in bare tractor weight to elicit MY-OH-MY!

Heavier tractors are built on larger frames with larger wheels/tires. Heavier tractors with large diameter tires have more tractive power pulling ground contact implements, pushing a loader bucket into dirt and pushing snow. Larger wheels and tires mean more ground clearance, enabling a heavier tractor to bridge holes, ruts and downed tree limbs with less bucking, yielding a less disturbing passage over rough pastures and woodlands.

Safe hillside operation demands more tractor weight than flat land operation and requires four wheel drive (4-WD). Greater mass of heavy-chassis tractors increases tractor stability when transporting loads in the FEL bucket, the most rollover prone of routine tractor tasks. Heavier tractors have adjustable rear wheel spreads; wide rear wheel spreads reduce tractor lateral instability.

Shop your weight range within tractor brands. Budget will eliminate some choices. Collect a dealer brochure for each tractor model in your weight range. I spreadsheet tractor and implement specs, often a revealing exercise. I have a column for cost per pound.

Tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight are offered in one configuration. Most, such as the high volume kubota standard L series, are sparely equipped to hit competitive price points. Others, such as the Yanmar YT235 and Kubota B2650/B3350 series, include enhanced productivity and comfort components.

Most tractors under 3,000 pounds bare weight operate in residential applications on one to five fairly flat acres. These "residential tractors" fit in a typical garage.

Tractors over 3,000 pounds bare weight are generally offered in a utilitarian configuration and a deluxe configuration, on a common chassis. Deluxe kit enhances productivity and operating comfort ~~~ but you have to pay. Many tractors over 3,000 pounds bare weight are too tall to fit in a typical garage, even with ROPS folded.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling light implements in order to buy heavier, wider, implements for a heavier tractor you eat more depreciation on the implements than on the tractor. Passing time with multiple implement browsers is a pain. ((Ask me how I know.))

For most new to tractors a quality dealer, reasonably close, available for coaching, is important. Almost every new tractor is delivered with a minor glitch or two that requires correction. My Kubota dealer is six miles away. I feel my local dealer continues to add value to my equipment. Dealer proximity is less important to others, well experienced with tractors, who perform their own maintenance.

BUY ENOUGH TRACTOR.​

 

[LD1]

The 3301 will handle anything the 3901 will.....might just be a bit slower.

Meaning that you might have to gear down one when running the mower.....or lift off the HST pedal a bit to maintain RPM.

The more power wont allow you to do anything the 3301 will. Just can do it faster is all.

If the price is close on the GL and the 3901....I'd go GL all the way. Usually there is a pretty significant price jump to get to the GL line

 

[nybirdman]

The added features of the Grand L's are well worth the money;you won't regret it.I had an open station L3130 HST that was a great all around tractor;traded up for a cab.So;the L3560 would be my choice.We do have two standard L's in the family and they are also nice tractors.

 

[Fallon]

The 3301 will handle anything the 3901 will.....might just be a bit slower.

Meaning that you might have to gear down one when running the mower.....or lift off the HST pedal a bit to maintain RPM.

The more power wont allow you to do anything the 3301 will. Just can do it faster is all.

If the price is close on the GL and the 3901....I'd go GL all the way. Usually there is a pretty significant price jump to get to the GL line

I definitely agree with the first bit, partially with the 2nd.

I had a L3200 (L3301 minus emissions). It got the job done. Ran a 5' rotary fine or my 7' flail a bit slow (covered the same acres per hour with each). Ran my 60 or 62" tiller fine if a bit slow for tilling up several acres. Pulled a 72" box blade that was a bit wide for it pretty well too.

It never had a shortage of power to the ground with loaded R4s compared to traction. I did wish for more power to the PTO on occasion when mowing dense grass or tilling. And more power for roading would have been nice too as I just drive my machines if it's under 5-8 miles on dirt roads (I'm there before i could even finish loading & chaining the machine, much less hauling it).

The loader on the L3200 (presumably the new 01s as well, but i haven't verified) is more powerful than tractor. Loaded R4s 5' rotary cutter & a couple hundred lbs of crap stacked on the back (way back for extra leverage probably tripling its effectiveness) & I still pulled the back end off the ground lifting heavy. Was lifting several dozen "1,200 lbs" big square bales. Add in a 300lbs for the forks & a bit more for the bales sticking out a ways & i was way past the 1,200lbs rating on the loader.

I've since upgraded to a L4060hstc. Mostly for the cab & bells/whistles. Its only 8hp more but a totally different class of machine. A little less maneuverable, but double the weight & traction. Irionically the new 40hp machine reads slower than the 32hp L3200. Lugging around double the weight does have some drawbacks. Weight means traction & lift capacity, but if you are just doing PTO work mowing & tilling a lighter machine with more HP might do you better.

Oh and my Loaded L4060hstc coat double what my L3200 did.

 

[Fallon]

The added features of the Grand L's are well worth the money;you won't regret it.I had an open station L3130 HST that was a great all around tractor;traded up for a cab.So;the L3560 would be my choice.We do have two standard L's in the family and they are also nice tractors.

I was completely disappointed with the L3560. Way too underpowered for its weight. On the one I test drove it couldn't break 10mph on flat ground. I'd have gone for more HP than my L4060 if it was in my budget. 40hp gets the job done, but more would be better for the fair bit of mowing I do.

 

[jeff9366]

Refresh my memory on your altitude, Fallon. I recall you are high in Parker, CO.

At 52' above sea level my L3560/HST+ rolls along at 19 mph on speedometer, confirmed with GPS.
L3560 has 37 gross horsepower.

ALTITUDE POWER REDUCTION: Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Technology: A Problem Solving Approach - Harry Field, John Solie - Google Books

According to Field & Solie NON-TURBOCHARGED diesel power is reduced by 3% for each 1,000 feet of altitude, above 500'.

 

[Fallon]

Refresh my memory on your altitude, Fallon. I recall you are high in Parker, CO.

At 52' above sea level my L3560/HST+ rolls along at 19 mph on speedometer, confirmed with GPS.
L3560 has 37 gross horsepower.

ALTITUDE POWER REDUCTION: Introduction to Agricultural Engineering Technology: A Problem Solving Approach - Harry Field, John Solie - Google Books

According to Field & Solie NON-TURBOCHARGED diesel power is reduced by 3% for each 1,000 feet of altitude, above 500'.

7,000' more or less, so ya, hefty altitude induced power reductions here. Enough I wish I could have afforded a turbocharged machine, which suffers less "altitude sickness" than normally aspirated machines (not enough wish to blow my budget or give up HST+ on a different brand thiugh). Worse if you go up into the actual Rockies, I'm technically on the planes here just east of Denver. My L4060 tops out at 15mph on a pretty respectable downhill bit. Maybe 6-7mph going up the same hill. Not a particularly impressive hill, but decent, impassible to cars in the snow or ice.

19mph on a L3560 blows my mind & my doors off my L4060. I've never checked mine with my GPS (15-20 minute road trip this evening, need to give it a try), but seat of the pants it feels right. So at any rate ya, some of my hate could easily be altitude based I never remember to factor in.

 

[Will_C]

Thanks for the replies. The 3560 sure tempts me, but I have to think a bit about spending that much money! The difference between the 3901 and the 3560 is about 3k roughly-that was makes so hard !

Will

 

[rbtjr]

We had a L3800, the predecessor to the L3901. HST transmission, which I would always get. It was a great tractor, although we replaced it with a MX5800, a major factor being our desire for a FEL with more lifting power. With the L3800 we used a 60" rotary mower, a 66" box blade, a 72" pulverizer, and other similarly sized attachments. We did two things with the L3800 that I would highly recommend: We replaced the turnbuckle-style stabilizers with telescoping stabilizers we bought from Mark Hodge. That significantly adds to the convenience of 3PH hook-ups. We added 4" wheel spacers to each rear wheel. That really improved the stability of the L3800. In case you need them, the last contact info I have for these vendors is (a) for Mark, email markhdg@gmail.com and telephones cell (540) 241-1782 and home (540) 942-3210 and (b) as to our spacers, Christian S. Hansen, christianhan@earthlink.net, web site Tractor Wheel Spacers Hub Extensions, Kubota, John Deere, Compact Tractor, Utility Vehicle. Best wishes with your selection and results.

 

[Fallon]

We had a L3800, the predecessor to the L3901. HST transmission, which I would always get. It was a great tractor, although we replaced it with a MX5800, a major factor being our desire for a FEL with more lifting power. With the L3800 we used a 60" rotary mower, a 66" box blade, a 72" pulverizer, and other similarly sized attachments. We did two things with the L3800 that I would highly recommend: We replaced the turnbuckle-style stabilizers with telescoping stabilizers we bought from Mark Hodge. That significantly adds to the convenience of 3PH hook-ups. We added 4" wheel spacers to each rear wheel. That really improved the stability of the L3800. In case you need them, the last contact info I have for these vendors is (a) for Mark, email markhdg@gmail.com and telephones cell (540) 241-1782 and home (540) 942-3210 and (b) as to our spacers, Christian S. Hansen, christianhan@earthlink.net, web site Tractor Wheel Spacers Hub Extensions, Kubota, John Deere, Compact Tractor, Utility Vehicle. Best wishes with your selection and results.

I disagree on the stabilizers. But I put TnT on both my machines, which isnt cheap. When combined with the Quick Hitch means I can hitch up without getting off the machine. I've used my easily adjustable stabilizers once, when putting the QH on. TnT, or more precisely they hydraulics to run them are several grand though.

I was happy with the 60" track on my L3200 & never had stability issues. But you can't run tire chains on R4s without them. Definitely consider spacers if you are going for R4s & might need chains. Front chains turned out to be enough for me. Might have been a different story if I hadn't already matched several impliments to my 60" track. Whatever way you go, match the impliments to be equal or a hair bit wider than your track.

Was mucking manure out of a paddock for somebody today... The extra weigh of the L4060 definitely tears up the grass as I maneuvered across the rest of the pasture. Way more than my L3200 ever did. Kicking it out of 4x4 helped, but not as much as I'd have liked. Weight means you can lift & pull more, but it does come at a cost.

As much as I think I'm I nice guy I won't be... Try driving a HST+. A high/low range toggle at the touch of a lever while under power is so nice. No need to mess with crappy shifting HST transmissions (every one from every brand sucks, have to fiddle with them to get into gear had the time). Kubota 3 speeds stuck as well, so not needing to shift gears is beautiful. GST gets you similar shift on the fly action, but not as fast or smooth & you give up the HST precision.

Oh an in reply to the earlier stuff, apparently my speedometer is off a hair. It says 14mph on flat or ever so slight uphill, but my GPS said 16mph. On the 15mph downhill GPS said 17/18. Nice to know. Pretty sure the right size tires were programmed in when I checked on the dash when I first got it. Would take me 5 minutes to figure how to check it again, but it's not worth the effort. 99% of tractor driving is seat of the pants anyway (if your pants aren't in the seat anymore you are way to fast for the terrain). I mostly use the speedo to shift high/low range in high gear on hills while roading (or being slightly wrong on the Internet apparently ;-). Top speed in 3 low is about 8mph, so I downshift to 3 low if my speed drops to about that. Speedo is probably useful for spreading seed or fertilizer, which I dont do.

 

[jeff9366]

Thanks for the replies. The 3560 sure tempts me, but I have to think a bit about spending that much money! The difference between the 3901 and the 3560 is about 3k roughly-that was makes so hard !

If you are over 5'-11" tall you will find a Grand L more comfortable than a standard L.

The additional features on a Grand L are well worth $3,000.

VIDEO: Kubota Grand L6 Series walk around and feature review by Messick's - YouTube

 

[s219]

If money isn't a factor I wouldn't even think about it -- L3560 all the way. They are nice machines. That said, the basic L models are really good values for what you get.

 

[Will_C]

Well guys, I have decided to go with the 3560. Nest question-I will be buying a RFM with the tractor. I am building a house next year on a 10 acre field. I have been mowing 5-6 acres there with my ZTR, and the remainder with a 5' RFM behind the B 2620. That tractor (19 PTO hp) did a fine job with that mower, having plenty of power, even when I got behind and the grass was 6-8" high.

The 2560 has 28 PTO hp-would I have enough to run a 84" RFM? I know 5pr per foot is the established rule for rotary cutters, but what about RFMs? I know that the weight of the 3560 would be able to handle the extra 100lbs of the mower. but do you think it has enough power?

Thanks,
Will

 

[LD1]

I know that the weight of the 3560 would be able to handle the extra 100lbs of the mower. but do you think it has enough power?

Thanks,
Will

These "does it have enough power" questions are always tricky to answer. I am sure some people will say yes, some will say no.

But the question of "do I have enough power to run 84" RFM"....quite simply is an incomplete question that CANNOT be answered.

To complete the question you really need to know how fast you want to mow and how high the grass is.

If you want to mow at a reasonable ~5 MPH in grass up to 6" tall.....then yea....you have power for that.
If you want to mow at 10 MPH while shaving thick 12" tall grass back down to 4".....then no, you dont have enough power.

IF you are getting a HST trans.....you can go infinity slow. Treat it just as you treat a ZTR mower.....when you hit some thick and tall stuff and you start bogging down......just slow down a bit.

 

[Hdoilcan]

$3,000 over the next 10yrs is on $0.82 a day.
I’ve own a L3540 cab and it was an awesome tractor........ I wouldn’t even consider a standard L series....... to many better options out there.

Thanks for the replies. The 3560 sure tempts me, but I have to think a bit about spending that much money! The difference between the 3901 and the 3560 is about 3k roughly-that was makes so hard !

Will

 

[Fallon]

My L3200 ran a 7' flail. I had to go slow, but it ran fine. As others have noted "will it run" can be relative. I'm a fan of going wide & going slow. You cover the same area but bounce yourself & your machine over rough ground a lot less.

The medium loaded in my L4060 could end pick up the 1910lbs pallet my new flail came on. But the 3pt horses it around just fine. The leverage of that long of a rotary cutter may cause you more pain, I dont have a frame of reference.

 

[Will_C]

I thought I would update this thread. I ended up buying the 84" Land Pride RFM. The 3560 has plenty of power for my usage-as one of your replies said, it handles 6" grass at 5mph just fine. The land I am mowing makes more then 5mph too fast for comfort anyhow-if it was smoother I would mow it with my ZTR.

It amazes me when I look at the Land Pride/Kubota implement chart-it recommends a L4760 for the 84" RFM, but list a 6' rotary cutter for the 3560-I am considering a new bush hog, and I think 5' vs 6' on that is something I more concerned about than the 84" RFM.

Will