I just purchased a
L3830 HST with the Heavy Duty bucket on the FEL a couple of months ago. I love it. I also looked into a JD 4510 and NH TC40, but I liked the feel of the Kubota better (and the fact that the body parts weren't plastic). The dealer was also a better fit.
I have almost 40 hours on the Kubota and can't complain at all. Easy to operate, with the controls in all of the right places. I would highly recommend the HD bucket for it's weight, construction, and curved inside.
It runs a 6' bush hog like a champ, and the HST makes mowing in tight spots a breeze. It also makes loader work super simple. You are able to finesse the tractor around without having to wear out your leg or the clutch. Only if I were row cropping would I go back to a gear tranny.
I paid $25,800 for my entire setup with, 6' finish mower, 6' rotary cutter, post hole digger, and insurance. (I think the tractor/loader by itself was about $21,600). The JD 4510 I priced with the same attachments (tractor as a power reverser though, since the HST is not available in that model) was $1,800 more. I didn't even bother pricing the NH.
My decision was easy after test driving all of them. Hopefully yours will be too.
