L39

[JimMorrissey]

That's what I was told. I'd like to verify that as well.

 

[mike69440]

Hey Jim

When did you get your grapple? What Size and Brand. I have a 66" Borgford on mine. It only has 2.5" cylinders, and I wish sometimes it had more clamping force and the jaws opened wider. Other times when I pick up a rock or stump that has the L39's rear bouncing up even with the BH out as a counter weight, I am glad I can't pick anything larger due to safety.

I need to post some pic's

In soft stuff a 24" bucket would be fine but I have already bent and had to reinforce the 18" bucket in the Granite on NH. You must have sissy rocks in VT. A few feet down on my place I have clay I can't hardly make a dent. I just lift up the machine trying and I figure the machine is a good +7,500 lbs , or ++7700 lbs counting the operator.

Mike

 

[Builder]

Mike,

Maybe you oughta get that Yanmar!! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Just kiddin grasshopper- I couldn't resist. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Have you tried adding balast to the tires? Also, I have seen BH teeth that are sharpened to a point instead of a flat chisel edge.

Maybe that would help you?

 

[mike69440]

I thought hard about ballasting the Rears
Pros.

Safety

Dig Harder, Lift a bit more. Hydraulic already at their limits , unless I want to run way above spec. pressure.

Traction pushing.

Cost (Not Much)

Cons:
37 NET hp on the L39 already does not climb my step hills to fast and I already can stall the motor by asking for the hydraulic pump and traction in first gear at same time.

I have already "Up Armored" the L39 by at least 300 Lbs of steel not counting the difference in weight between grapple and bucket of about 200 LBS.

I sure get myself stuck real bad a lot and without ballast the hoe has little trouble picking up the machine and swinging me to safety. Ballast would make this more difficult.

I use the Hoe almost as much to save my butt as to dig, and I dig al lot!

I don't need anymore help pushing the L39 beyond what it was intended.

Owners Manual Says not to Have Ballast with BH

 

[Builder]

Then you need a full size machine. As you already know, you can get a Case, Cat, etc. used for next to nothing. 3-4,000 hours for low 20's.

Might as well get it overwith.

 

[mike69440]

Just to keep the spirit and main subject of the thread going, I figure I paid $34.500 for the L39 as I did a package deal including another new chain saw, box blade and the installation of the mechanical thumb, insurance, etc. This was a year ago when L39's were hard to find. I figure I'm up to close to $40K and I have not even considered Brush Hogs and York Rakes, Plow Blade vs. Plow Truck Etc.

I cruise the auction sites and other heavy equipment ads etc.
I figure a 5-9 ton dozer would be more help than an industrial TLB. The L39 can do a lot of work. I wish I had rich neighbors who liked me. Each of us should own an agricultural tractor plus one piece of other heavy equipment.

The List:
Dump truck and trailer
Crawler excavator.
TLB
Dozer

We would not be spending thousands to hire out.

Are my wife and I crazy trying to carve out a farm in our 50ies? Building costs got stupid last year.

My day job and trying to keep the two properties and my other toys make me just want to play in the dirt all the more.

I need more seat time. I have a bit over 100 Hours on the L39 and 850 hours on my B7200.

I see what people are paying for property in vacationland NH.
I will show the real estate agent what we have done in a year and see if he can tempt us to sell out.

But where I find another prime piece of land in the area for less?
Maybe Illinois or Kentucky, or upstate Maine, but in southern NH a 1 arce lot goes 100K and even popular areas up north are $60 K and up for a few Acres of woods!

 

[shasta]

Mike, my wife and I are trying to fix up old cattle ranch in the mts. of N CA. Lots of fence, down trees, brush, irrigation ditches, cabin,and water supply to work on. Last month traded in L3400 & BH75 for new L39 with front hydraulics, work lights, tool box, 4in1 bucket, 18" bucket and filters and fluids for 50 hr service for about 38k. Love this new tractor, it's almost to the 50 hr service. Wish I had more seat time too but I still have a day job too. My 20 year old mind is abusing my 50 year old body trying to get this place going. The L39 is an amazing little tractor. My neighbor says he has a D4 and will help but I have yet too see it. Good luck, it doesn't sound like the land is cheaper out here.

 

[Builder]

Welcome to the "L39 club". I hear ya on the "20yr old mind/50yr old body" thing.....

The L-39 sure makes it a lot easier.

 

[JimMorrissey]

Mike,

There is no grapple... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I just scooped it up with the bucket and it's sitting there with the teeth holding it in place.

Can't believe you damaged the 18" bucket. These are some kind of HD buckets. The 24" looks like it should be on an excavator.

Yeah, your NH land sounds a bit much for the little L39. It sounds a bit much for anything under say 25,000lbs. I'd pick some major projects and rent an excavator for a week. Get something in the "120" class. Have it controlled for JD and you'll take to it like a fish to water.

BTW, have you seen some of the rocks I've moved with that L39? Sissy rocks my a##. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[JimMorrissey]

In the right conditions, the L39 is an amazingly useful machine. I think a lot of people (including myself) ask too much of it. It's just a little guy. It's a lot closer to "yellow" than a CUT, but it's not very yellow in reality.

 

[mike69440]

Jim,
I remember a photo of one of your rocks. It was as big as anything I moved. Those rocks are about the limit the BH will pull out of a hole. I moved three that size and that is pushing the machine. Also moved maybe 20 rocks in the 1500 to 2,000 Lb range and I have maybe sereval hundred more to haul. 2000 LB rock is not a real problem. I was conserned about loader flex with the braceless loader but my custom tool box on the loader post is only 3/8" from the hood and I have not rubbed off any paint yet.

 

[mike69440]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In the right conditions, the L39 is an amazingly useful machine. I think a lot of people (including myself) ask too much of it. It's just a little guy. It's a lot closer to "yellow" than a CUT, but it's not very yellow in reality. )</font>

I have a mechanical thumb on the dipper, which really saves the dipper. If you catch a rock just the right way you can bend the 18" bucket. I don't think it will ever bend again with the additional welding and side plates. When I had the bucket off, I dry film coated the pims with Dow 321 Moly spray coating. I should do all the pins in the hoe.

I have had two large excavators do 4 Acres of large Stumps, but the area is too Muddy for me to haul or drag the big ones away. That was really too expensive.

I have a guy now that is doing the heavy digging and scraping with a small dozer and medium size 13 ton excavator.

Last week he scaped together 2 good size piles of rock I will carry down to where I'm building the trans swap parkway and also got about 60 yards of decent fill and 15 yards of topsoil off the ridge, so I don't have to have as much trucked in.

I figure it's worth the $400 or so bucks, not counting wear and tear on the L39 and my time.

It is going to rain like heck for several days.
I'll go up and work fix electrical and the "plumbing" in the barn. The mud will be insane.

 

[Builder]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Mike,

There is no grapple... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I just scooped it up with the bucket and it's sitting there with the teeth holding it in place.

Can't believe you damaged the 18" bucket. These are some kind of HD buckets. The 24" looks like it should be on an excavator.

Yeah, your NH land sounds a bit much for the little L39. It sounds a bit much for anything under say 25,000lbs. I'd pick some major projects and rent an excavator for a week. Get something in the "120" class. Have it controlled for JD and you'll take to it like a fish to water.

BTW, have you seen some of the rocks I've moved with that L39? Sissy rocks my a##. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif )</font>

I'll say! The Kubota BH buckets seem indestructable. Don't they interchange with the Kubota mini excavators?

 

[mike69440]

I know some of the CUT BH's are sure better than a shovel, but only good for backyard projects. The problem with the L39 is that it is almost strong enough to to the projects you should have a larger machine do. The difference between the L39 and these cuts are the differnce between an L39TLB and an excavator.

L39 has an ok bucket, Cut BH buckets are rather wimpy.

I am so glad I canceled the Kioti 3054XS TLB and sprung for the L39.

Going to an auction next week just for the heck of it.

 

[mike69440]

No Photos of Tractor, but here is my lovely 6 ft tall wife happily posing by the largest rock the L39 actually picked up. (A few inches off the ground.)

 

[mike69440]

No Photos of Tractor, but here is my lovely 6 ft tall wife happily posing by the largest rock the L39 actually picked up. (A few inches off the ground.)

 

[mike69440]

Drainage work 12" X 20' culvert #1 & trench Photo

 

[mike69440]

Drainage work 12" X 20' culvert #1 & trench Photo

 

[mike69440]

Photo of dug catch basin on other side of Drive.

 

[mike69440]

Photo of dug catch basin on other side of Drive.