ordered B3030 today

bowhunter3030 · Dec 22, 2004

I ordered a B3030 HSD-F, 60" FEL with quick hitch, and a 5' rhino rotary cutter, all for $17,120. I hope this is a good price. I am new to this game. I have learned so much from this forum. I thank all of you for your knowledge. I bought 135 acres 1 year ago, of which I will work about 20 acres, food plots, cutting paths & weeds, etc. The rest I will keep in timber. I am a big time bow hunter. It was between a New Holland TC26DA and the B3030. I went for the extra 4 horsepower because the price wasn't that much more. I have to trailer the machine to the property (55 miles away), so I didn't want one too large. A question as to the tires. I ordered it with the R4 tires. Should I get the AG tires instead? I won't be using the tractor to do any cutting at my home. My farm can get muddy at times, so let me know what you would recommend. Thanks for all your help. Tractor won't be here till March, they say.

DmansPadge · Dec 22, 2004

Congrats on the new tractor! It's a shame you have to wait until March!! Either of the tractors you mentioned are great units and you can't go wrong with Kubota or NH. The Rhino brush hogs are the best in the business IMO. You'll be real happy with your purchase. As for the R4's... they are an aggressive tread that should handle most tasks. I have lugs on my B7300 and I think they are a little hard on the turf. But they are handy for really digging in.

Happy tractoring!

btolle · Dec 23, 2004

If you are using it in fields only I would get the ag tires, they will do better in mud than R4's will. R4's are a good tire if you will be on the grass some but are not great in real mud.

Bill Tolle

ronjhall · Dec 23, 2004

I ordered a B3030 HSD-F, 60" FEL with quick hitch, 
First, Welcome to TBN.
Congrats on ordering a great tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
What does HSD-F mean?
Is the FEL quick hitch a BL1767?

Henro · Dec 23, 2004

Just a couple thoughts...

When I ordered my B2910 a couple years ago I ordered the 60" bucket. Before taking delivery I decided to change to the 54" bucket. I have often thought to myself that I am glad I went with the smaller bucket.

Rear tires with R4s are 53 inches wide about a foot off the ground, so even with the narrower bucket I don't have a problem following behind when I scrape a path with the loader.

The narrower bucket fits between trees better and lets the tractor go where a 60" might not.

The 54" bucket seems a little more heavy duty than the 60."

When working with damp/soggy earth I have at times found my loader working real hard lifting a full bucket. Might not have lifted the 60" when full.

For light stuff, the larger bucket is obviously better if the added width does not get in the way otherwise.

I guess what I am trying to say is that over the last couple years I have been surprised now and then by thoughts telling me that downgrading to the 54" bucket was the best thing I could have done for my particular circumstances.

Another thing is the R4 tires. I am not sure what I would do there. With all the rain this summer, I ended up putting my chains back on after having them off just a couple weeks. The problem with R4s and our clay soil is that the F4s quickly fill with mud and turn into slicks. Even with ladder chains it can be a problem moving around on a slight slope.

I will try to attach a photo of slick tires if I can did one up. Still, I like the R4s. If I were to buy a B3030 next year I don't know if I would buy R1s or R4s. R1s are a little narrower, so would give more clearance for chains if you were to use chains. I have wished for R1s when slipping and sliding on wet surfaces, but somehow have always managed to get out, with a little help from the loader (and backhoe when it was on).

While I don't know how much difference there may be, it has been suggested by others here at TBN that R1 tires may be more likely to puncture through the side walls.

PS...those are R4 tires on the tractor in the picture... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Henro · Dec 23, 2004

Another pic...the tractor would not take this path if it had a 60" bucket on it.

For moving in your forrest the narrower bucket may make a huge difference when trying to get between points A and B... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Bob_Skurka · Dec 23, 2004

I use a B2910 with 60" bucket, and a TC24D with 54" bucket, both tractors are the prior models to the two machines you looked at. For your circumstances, I think the 30hp B3030 is your better choice. Both of my machines have R4 Industrial tires on them and I find that they can clog with my clay soil pretty quickly so since you are not using your machine on turf, the R1 Ag tires might be a better choice for you. As for the bucket size, I think Henro makes some very valid points. I find that the 54" bucket digs easier than the 60" bucket, I also find the 60" bucket can be overloaded with material a little easier. I've gotten to the point that I amost only use the TC24 in the woods because of two reasons, one is the width of the machine and the other is the length . . . BUT my woods are only a couple acres so I take care NOT to carve my paths wider than necessary because I need to presever what I can. Both machines have advantages and disadvantages, but on your size property I think the B3030 was the wise choice. Consider changing tires to AG tires. If you are digging, you might want the smaller bucket, if you are hauling, the larger bucket is a nice choice.

SkyPup · Dec 23, 2004

I would suggest getting filled R1's for extra traction.

BTW, when are you expecting delivery of the nice B3030? Late February or early March?

bowhunter3030 · Dec 23, 2004

To answer a few questions, the delivery time is March. I don't think they really know. The HSD means hydro and the F means folding ROPS. The quick coupler on the FEL is a B2365. Now with some more questions. 6" on the FEL makes that much difference? My paths will be 10' wide in the woods for shooting lanes and atv riding. With this in mind, do you still suggest the 54" loader? How much narrower is the ag tire than the R4? Most of the ground will be forest ground, clover, and grass. It still gets very muddy at times.

aloha · Dec 24, 2004

( It still gets very muddy at times. )
For what you have described, the ag tires sound like a better choice. The B class machines have a relatively high horsepower to weight ratio. As a result, they are more trailerable than the heavier models, which you touched on, but you give up some traction. I have R-4s and would get them again, but my soil drains quickly and mud is not much of an issue for me.

On bucket size, I have a 54" and have never wished for larger.

v8dave · Dec 24, 2004

( To answer a few questions, the delivery time is March. I don't think they really know. The HSD means hydro and the F means folding ROPS. The quick coupler on the FEL is a B2365. Now with some more questions. 6" on the FEL makes that much difference? My paths will be 10' wide in the woods for shooting lanes and atv riding. With this in mind, do you still suggest the 54" loader? How much narrower is the ag tire than the R4? Most of the ground will be forest ground, clover, and grass. It still gets very muddy at times. )

As Bob and Henro pointed out a bucket as wide as the tractor makes manuvering between trees a lot easier. You may have 10' wide paths but, with over 100 acres, there are going to be lots of areas without paths. How are you going to get the tractor in to haul out the game if you can't drive between the trees?

A 60" (5') bucket being half of a 10' path isn't going to help in reducing the quantity of passes thru for clearing. They never line up end-to-end like that. You'll still go down the middle for a clean-up pass--more likely 4 or 5 times.

The narrower bucket will also be easier to use for landscaping on irregular surfaces. The wider bucket is difficult to hit smaller areas with (a wider bucket disturbs more soil than you wish it to do). Sometimes, when I am moving dirt in shaping surfaces, I wish for an even smaller bucket than the 50" I have on my B7610.

Unless you are planning on hauling lots of bulky materials the narrower bucket is the way to go.

ronjhall · Dec 24, 2004

The quick coupler on the FEL is a B2365. 
Thanks for the response.
I'll have to check and see what the difference is. I hope there are no changes if I upgrade to the B3030. I had to modify my forks, Curtis snow plow, and Speeco quick hitch to fit the BL1767.
When I checked to see when my dealer was going to get a B3030 in. Latest status report said TBD. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

ronjhall · Dec 24, 2004

Here is a thread about the 54" and 60" buckets on the 402 FEL. It may help with your bucket decision. Click Here.
Check out other post in thread.

bowhunter3030 · Dec 24, 2004

I called my dealer and changed my tires to the ag R1 tires for the maximum traction. He told me that the tires are only 1" narrower than the r4's. My neighbor, with adjoining ground, said he would suggest the ags, also. He originally owned the ground and farmed some of it. I am going to stay with the 60" bucket. I won't be using the tractor to pull out my deer, I have a grizzly 660 for that. I also, ordered a tooth bar as was suggested. Thanks for the education.

rpeter · Feb 25, 2005

I will be buying a B3030 next month and will need to start haggling on price. From your posts I know you paid $17,120. Prices vary around the country. Do you mind telling me what area of the country you are from to see if I can expect to get anywhere near that price? (you can do a private message) Also please post those pictures when it is delivered.

JimMorrissey · Feb 25, 2005

I'd get the AGs if you're not going to mow. You'll always have the best posible traction that way whether you need it or not. You'll just have to keep it in 2wd and go easy when you encroach on lawn. Actually, I think the AGs are a little less expensive anyway.

**Ooops, looks like you got the AGs. Good choice. That's going to be a real nice machine.

TimP · Feb 26, 2005

I'm assuming with that price that it does NOT have the Cab ?

Why didn't you opt to get the cab?

I keep trying to convince myself that I "need" this new B3030 with a cab. Unfortunately, I have to convince my better half as well.

It's a tough sell......

Tim

Tom_H · Feb 26, 2005

( Why didn't you opt to get the cab?)

I can't presume to answer for BowHunter3030, but Rolando pointed out recently that on the B3030, you can get a backhoe, or a cab (and air conditioning if you get the cab), but not both cab and backhoe. I guess there isn't enough room to rotate the seat like the BX23 and to have BH controls which stay inside the cab. To do all that inside the cab of this sized tractor could get pretty complicated and expensive, possibly to the point that people would just move up to something bigger for a similar price.

ronjhall · Feb 27, 2005

On the B3030 the tractor seat and BH seat are separate seats. In the attached picture you can see how BH operator seat is next to the the FROP's. The rear of cab sets about 10" behind the FROP's.

Tom_H · Feb 27, 2005

Exactly Ron. That's likely part of the challenge for the engineers. With a BH, you either have 2 opposite facing seats, or 1 rotating seat. With a cab, it would be an even bigger problem to go back and forth between the 2 seats. Every tractor I've ever seen with both cab and backhoe had one rotating seat with FEL and BH controls inside (Of course, I've not seen every tractor and I imagine there are some with cab and 1 seat inside, 1 outside). A B3030 with cab most likely just doesn't have enough room inside to do all that. I imagine the engineers simply haven't figured out a way to make it work well for either scenario.