New Kubota Decision -B26, L48? or ???

[Kyle241]

I have a 1995 B20 and am looking to trade in for something new. My B20 is strictly a 'hobby' tractor and it has done wonders for me including help build two homes, two driveways, trail making, snowblowing, tons of firewood retrieval, fencing...you name it, it has done an awesome job. There have been times when I would have liked more power as 20 horses only gets you so far. It's currently at 2030hrs (I bought it used at 900+) and I think that perhaps I should take advantage of Kubota's 0% financing. So I looked at the B26, very nice machine and then looked at an L48 which is the machine I would love to have. Price between the two is not that much, approx. $8000 so I am seriously thinking of going for the L48. When I discussed pricing with my local dealer, he offered 10% off of retail which isn't that much on a $49,900 CAD listed machine. Just curious at what other people are seeing/hearing/getting in relation to discounts. Also the dealer mentioned perhaps another model with a backhoe such as a B3300 would be a possibility (approx. $28k with backhoe). I like the setup and it's a very nice machine and a much lower price point however I am concerned over 'toughness'. I like the TLB's because they are commercial and can really handle things well such as rocks which we have a ton of here.

Future work with the machine will be the same as past however I am considering starting to grow some crops on a small parcel of land, 2-3 acres. Also if I went with the L48, I would consider doing odd jobs locally to help 'finance' the machine.

Any advice/input would be appreciated.

 

[TroyR57]

I don't belive You would be happy with a b3300 with bh 76, after a B20, You should look close at a B26. A friend of mine just got the L3700 with BH 76, and I don't think, the BH has enough power. The tractor has plenty of power for pushing stuff around with the front end loader. I am looking between a smaller b2920 tlb, or a B26 my self, and just found a great deal on a B2920 tlb, with 60 MMM, just have to see if I can sell my BX 23 first now.

 

[woody]

I recently bought a B26 and I would say go with the L48, after my last backhoe the B26 seems weak to me. Look up my previous post. I bought mine with only 38 hours on it but I do miss my smaller backhoe which would dig better. As far as pushing and handling the B26 is great. Just my opinion.

 

[Grandad4]

Kyle, the "L48" is a previous model that was replaced by the "M59" in the Kubota line-up a couple of years ago. Just to confuse everyone a little more, Kubota also introduced an "L45", which is a HST-equipped "L39". So, either your dealer has a brand-new "L48" that has been sitting on his lot for 2+ years, or it's a used one, or he's really talking about an "L45", or maybe it's some other thing. The "M59" is larger than the old "L48"; the "L45" is smaller. Got all that straight? :confused2: Best of luck, though. They all seem to be fine machines.

 

[curtisfarmer]

Serach my posts on L48s....I have 2 of them and love them

 

[Kyle241]

Kyle, the "L48" is a previous model that was replaced by the "M59" in the Kubota line-up a couple of years ago. Just to confuse everyone a little more, Kubota also introduced an "L45", which is a HST-equipped "L39". So, either your dealer has a brand-new "L48" that has been sitting on his lot for 2+ years, or it's a used one, or he's really talking about an "L45", or maybe it's some other thing. The "M59" is larger than the old "L48"; the "L45" is smaller. Got all that straight? :confused2: Best of luck, though. They all seem to be fine machines.

You're right, it's the L45 not the L48. I want HST because I am used to it and like it. Sorry about the confusion.

 

[BruceWard]

I have a B21 and love it. But I bought it because it was the right weight for my B21 to two. If I were buying now I would buy a used L48 instead. The bigger machines can do more quicker.

So if you can afford it I would go for the L45. But for me I would rather have a used L48 for lower cost.

 

[bandit67]

The new version of your B20 is the B26. It is much more powerful than yours, and if yours works well for you, then the B26 should work that much better. The L45 is a bit bigger and on steroids in comparison - a very sweet machine.

The new B3300 is the same size as the B26, but the B26 backhoe digs a bit deeper and is quite a bit more powerful. Same goes for the loader. The commercial duty of the B26 is a nice upgrade over the residential B3300 unit.

I am very happy with my B3030 that the B3300 is replacing, and had to go with that because I needed the extra hp - the B26 is too underpowered at my elevation. The B3030 has served me well on rugged mountain property, and has held up well. I have done some serious digging in granite with the backhoe - it does just as well as some full size machines I have used on these properties, because there is so much rock that you have to pick away the same way with the small bucket as the bigger buckets.

I'd love an L45, but I do love the size of my B3030. Wish Kubota made a 30 or 32hp version of the B TLB, as that would be perfect for me. I have done some side jobs with my B3030, but there are times that I would like the better hydraulic flow of the commercial TLB, such as the B26.

My B3030 is plenty tough if I treat it as my personal machine, as opposed to a commercial piece of equipment, and unless I landed enough work to justify the price of a larger commercial unit such as the L45, I figure I can replace the parts that wear out (pins, buckets) for a lot less money. I have 275 hours on my machine. Here's a pic of some rock work I've done with the backhoe. It was slow going, but it handled it just fine. Dug out at least 15 yards worth of material to expand the driveway. A full size yellow NH TLB with 18" bucket couldn't pick through any faster than I could with my 12" bucket. Of course, broken up or loose material was moved significantly faster with the big machine, but breaking up the decomposing granite ledge took the same amount of time on both backhoes. I have run a big Case & JD TLB that could run circles around the NH TLB, so I'm not saying the B3030 hoe is as good as those big powerful machines that can shred rock ledge.

If you like to work fast and beat on your machine and can afford it, then stick with the commercial duty. As a side note, I won't let a commercial operator touch my B3030, as I'm sure it would be broken/bent/damaged in short order.

 

[powerstroke444e]

I have a B26 and would say it's almost bullet proof. I would never trade it for you pick the model or color that was not commercial tlb. I really wish it had a little more power but all I have to compare is a M5400 and 160s bobcat. With that said the b26 seems to hold its own against these two machines. Best part of getting a kubota TLB is the qa to share toys.

Do I wish I had a bigger tlb like a m59 yes but it has done everything I have asked and more.
Deepest I have dug is 10 feet had to step it down to get it to reach but it managed to get it done.
Only time machine has broke is when I went way past the limits of a 26hp machine (yes it have broke thing not the machines fault).

 

[Kyle241]

Bandit67 - Wow! That is some heavy duty work for your machine but it appears to handle it. I am considering the B3300 however the dealer does not have one on his lot currently so that is a problem in itself. It sounds like it does have possibilities for me so I need to keep it as an option. I keep going back to the L45 just because it's such a beast but at the same time know it's a lot of money. What bothers me though is the dealer states he'll make me a 'good deal' on the L45 in his lot which of course he wants to be rid of ideally by year-end however when I stated talking numbers to him, I didn't find his price that good. For example, there is a dealer advertising the same machine for $41,999 without any negotiations whereas my dealer is stating right now best deal is $45,000.

Again thanks for the feedback. I just know if I go for the B26, I might as well go for the L45 as the difference is not significant.

Tks.