Only if you'll let me come up there to duck hunt...!
Only kidding.
Sort of.
I did not drive an
L3200, though I probably should have. There is a dealer in Alburtis who has a few, some with loaders; I should have tried one there.
I did drive a bare
L3800 and in medium and high range it had me wondering what it would be like loaded down with an extra 3,000lbs. I'm not used to hydro and even at 2,500rpm, stepping into the pedal while in medium or high slowed the engine down a bit. I wouldn't call it bogging down, but it was nothing like my gear tractor.
I've decided on the
L3800 for 2 reasons:
First, the way I work there really is no telling what I might be doing in the future that could require the extra hp. A 6' finish mower? A 5' rototiller?
Second, the difference in bore between the two engines is only 1/10th inch, but the difference in stroke is 4/10ths of an inch. In my experience, this spells TORQUE, which is what I want. So I'm forking up the extra dollars to have the extra power when I need it.
If I had operated an
L3200 with a loader and some rear weight, I may have gone with one... but now I'll never know. If you can find one, load it down and try it first.
Now, about that duck hunting....