L4300 VS L3830

[glennmac]

As to price.

The State of Minnesota, which publishes the discounts on the web for all tractor stuff it buys, gets 20% off list on Kubota tractors and 15% off list on Kubota implements such as FELs. Absent unusual circumstances, none of us is going to get that kind of discount in the hot Kubota market. If you get 12% - 14% off list for all the Kubota stuff as a package, that is a good and fair price. On Woods implements, 20% off the bloated list price is routine here. Landpride 15%.

 

[dos_perros]

PTO implements, at this time, are open ended. Will be getting a chipper. Can't get burn permits here. The rest will have to wait, but want adequate PTO HP for flexibility down the road.
As for HST, I remain rationally flexible. I have test driven one and was not blown away. I will be test driving 4330 FST next week. "GM". don't give up on me yet.
As for the Gearmore 2G2 industrial box grader, it it well regarded out here in the wild west. Have heard no negative comments and it is not inexpensive.
Again, thank all of you for your help. As one has said, "tractor buying is not easy."

 

[glennmac]

I wasn't blown away by Pampers until I had spent a year dealing with urine-soaked cloth diapers.

 

[rjsmit1]

I used a gear tractor for 3 years (JD 950) which worked well, but recently got a Kubota L4330 with HST. I am blown away. Whether I am doing loader work or mowing pastures or doing other things, the ability to easily change direction with a simple toe or heel movement is a godsend! I like the Kubota pedal layout and have found the HST to be a big time and headache saver because I can change speed and direction quickly. Good luck.

 

[5030]

" DEPENDS "

 

[JimME]

I own an L4300DT and think it would work fine for the jobs you list. The lack of a flashy instrument panel or HST or shuttle shift has not hampered my work. It's been mentioned that the weight and torque curve of these CUT is different than similar HP farm tractors of years past and this is true. I have personal experience with an Allis Chalmers WD-45 which is technically about the same engine and PTO HP as the Kubota L4300 DT, but it would out pull my tractor and it is a 2 WD tractor. It would also out pull a L3830 L4330 L4610 etc.. It's heavy and has plenty of low end torque. But, the overall versatility of the CUTs makes up for it unless your doing heavy ground work. For boxblading, bush hogging, rototilling, etc. an L4300 DT would work beautifully. As far as loader cycle times, the loader cycles plenty fast enough for me, up to and including it's weight limit. However, with 55 acres, ground engaging implements may be in your future. If you want to stick with the Kubota brand, I'd personally be looking at the M series tractors. The M6800SD is a heck of a rig, but once again, on the "light" side for it's HP rating. If you want to see an interesting comparison, look at some AGCO tractors of similar HP to Kubotas, pick the M6800SD and find a comparable HP AGCO. You'll probably find more 3pt lift capacity and a considerably heavier tractor. Kubotas are not built like or to be farm tractors (in my opinion) until you get to the M110/M120 line. Stick with the M series line (4900-6800) and you'll have plenty of tractor for whatever the future brings.

 

[glennmac]

If on TBN you start to get confused by rich a variety of opinions, try to focus on the circumstances and experience of each poster who voices the opinions. As to the question of HST vs. gear, members fall into four categories:

1. People, like me, who bought HST from the get-go and who hence have no actual experience using gear tractors. You may want to discount our credibility for that reason. Fact is, the overwhelming majority of people who buy CUT size tractors these days opt for HST. So, this is a large group here.

2. People who have lots of experience, perhaps a lifetime's experience, using gear tractors but who have never owned and used an HST tractor for an extended period.

3. People who have many years experience using gear tractors who have switched to HST. This is perhaps the group with the best perspective. There are many, many such members here, but not a lot of them have responded in this thread. I have tried accurately (and without any axe to grind) to summarize the uniformly positive nature of their comments.

4. People who have many years experience using HST and who then switch to gear. I don't recall any such person--unless they were upgrading to utility size tractor where HST is not available.

5030 says "it depends". He has a gazillion tractors and I wouldn't presume to interpret what he meant by that. But others have stated, and it seems reasonable to me, that gear tractors work just fine for traditional dirt-engaging field work (farming long rows). Also, if you go up higher than CUT size, HST will not (yet) be available. Some have speculated that this is because HST transmissions may heat up too much with a heavy tractor dragging a very heavy load through the ground. Don't know myself.

That about exhausts the info and viewpoints I have. To try to fairly summarize, if the type of tractoring you do will involve lots of start-stops, backing up and changes of direction, then HST will be the simpler and easier to use transmission, will be less tiring for the operator, and will increase the speed and efficiency with which you can complete tasks. Necessary?....no. Cost more? ... a little.

 

[glennmac]

Begging everyone's indulgence for one last addendum on cost.

Cost is a factor at some price point for all of us. If the only way one can afford a high hp tractor is to sacrifice HST and some of the fancier convenience doodads, then that is a rational choice. That's why good machines like the L4300 are available.

Some of my comments here have been slanted toward what I perceive to be the "ideal" or "high end" because I was sensing that the increased cost was not prohibitive.

 

[rjsmit1]

I used a gear tractor for 3 years (JD 950) and liked it quite well. However, if you are doing things that involve changing frequently from forward to reverse, you will like Kubota's HST pedal. I fint it particularly helpful with the loader, but even when I am mowing the pastures, I find that I am backing into corners to clean them up and when I am in the yard hooking up implements I find myself going back and forward a lot as I try to correct my aim /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. It's a learning experience for me. (In fact, I am better at lining up the old JD 950 to an implement than I am with the Kubota because I am still learning the new tractor (21 hours, so far). Good luck with your quest. All I can say is that I love my HST and as long as it provides good reliability, I don't think I will ever switch back to a gear tractor.

 

[Egon]

Glen:
There is another categorie. Those who have sat on the big industrial equipmement.

Me thinks you have reached a stage where two tractors of different capabilities are required. One to work and one to beutiffy. [ can't spell and ain't ashemed of it ]

Egon