Still puzzled - 3130 or 3830?

[icat]

I'm with Rob - I've also got the L3130 HST. My property is 18 plus acres and it's mostly flat (way bumpy though). I'm pulling a 5 foot Bush Hog rotary cutter and the only thing slowing me down is my own pucker power. If I had the acreage you have, WITH the hills, then I'd go with the L3830 also. If you had gentle rolling hills then I might suggest otherwise.

I think it's also important to ask yourself how often you'll be cutting. If it's all 40 acres at one time, then go with the biggest tractor you can afford. If it's a cross fenced pasture for cattle or horses, then the numbers go way down because of stock rotation. End result is the largest area mowed at one time may only be 5 acres or so. With that number in mind, the size tractor you need may vary.

 

[MarkV]

Jlemon,

I know exactly what you are going through. The 3830 is $2000 to $2500 over the 3130. Not so much money over the life of a tractor but most have already made a couple of price jumps to get to the 3130. Then, the 4330 is only about $2500 more than the 3830. Not that much money over the life of a tractor and you get that wonderful high capacity loader. Then, there is the quick hitch, the 4 in 1 bucket, the T&T system, the new larger implements……….I hear ya brother!

I vote 3830 for your situation of hills and acreage. (You back me up when it is time to show my CFO) /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

MarkV

 

[_RaT_]

I forgot to mention, I run a 84" finish mower on my L3830. I wish I had the 96" and am quite sure the L3830 would handle it. I also have a brush mower that is 80" wide, offset massive beast, chains on front and back, weighs about 1500lbs and am pretty sure it will be sold with the International. I think the Kubota will run it, but I'm pretty sure I will need the loader on to support its weight while raised. Its just not worth the hassle. As far as weight ratings go, I think it has more to do with the raised position use traveling to another destination. If you look closely at the L30 series brochure, I'm pretty sure thats a L3130 with a set of batwings hanging off the back. Either Kubota does not follow their own recomendations or is flexible in the implement specifications suggested in the owners manual. Rat...

 

[jlemon]

Initially, the mowing duties are going to be most of the acerage, so I don't want to get something too small and spend all day mowing. The CFO (and junior CFO's in training /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif ) do have plans to convert some of the area to horse pasture but at the moment they only have 3 minis and big plans to add larger horses Real Soon Now.

Actually, I feel a little sorry for the minis. The grass is higher than they are! It does make for a nice game of hide and seek, though. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">… for only a $2,500 price difference, I should just buy the 3830 and be done with it…</font>

Hi,

You’re a lucky man, you have a very very smart wife…! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For the 30.5 PTO hp, you could run a standard duty 6’ rotary, or go with a 5’ medium duty cutter to cut bigger and nastier stuff… and with the long stroke diesel in the L3830, it will have more torque reserve to help out the rotary cutter considerably… and it’s about time… I hadn’t seen a long stroke Kubota in a while…

Side by side the L3130 and the L3830 may look similar… but start mowing some heavy brush… you’d be hard pressed to keep the rpm’s up on the L3130… (and keep up with the 3830), whereas the L3830… which would flex it’s muscles and zoom to the finish line without hardly breaking into a sweat… /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif (well, maybe just a little /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif)

(lots on nice things happen when your tractor goes past the Magic 30 PTO hp mark...!)

 

[s22]

My 3830HST came friday w/ 6' Woods cutter, my land is hilly...
the 3830 pulls that cutter with authority and I couldn't be happier....It is a small step for a whole lot more juice......**********you can alway make more money, you can never make more time*************

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I went through the same questions as you and bought the L4330 a few weeks ago. I am pulling a 6 foot Woods cutter and it is working wonderfully well- in fact I used it this evening to mow a pasture. As a small aside, I ordered the chain shields on the front an back of the Woods and it has not thrown anything out from under it. This is a very nice safety feature and I would recommend spending the extra dollars to get the chains.

I went with the 4330 because of the extra torque provided by the 4 cylinder engine versus the smaller models. Earlier comments are correct- you end up with a stronger and higher lift capacity loader and you get to spend more for larger implements! If it is in the budget, I would strongly recommend the L4330 with HST! Good luck in your search. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

From the JD 4310 to the JD 4710, the stroke is the same, 3.54 inches. The Kubota L3130 has a 3.6 inch stroke, longer then even the largest JD compact. Johns right, the L3830 is a 4 inch stroke and part of the reason why I chose it. My International is a 5.06 stroke. It's power is very good. Both are 3 cylinder diesels.

 

[glennmac]

Jonathan,

I'm strongly with those who recommend the 3830 as the smallest you should buy for 40+ plus acres with hills.

I have 11 acres. I mow about 7 of it, with some slight hills. I have owned a BX, a B2910, and am now shopping for a Grand L. I probaby will settle on the L3430 because I am little concerned about the power to weight ratio of the L3130. If my hills were more significant, I would go for the 3830.

Whether you need more than the 3830 to mow--probably not, unless you need or want the bigger and stronger loader the 4330 offers.

As to mowing large acreage, you will want at least a 72" brush cutter, which any of the Grand L's can handle, with the aforementioned lugging penalty on hills and in high grasses in the lower hp models. Of course, once you knock the long grasses down the first time, you could mow with an 84" finish mower, assuming you dont have rocks and other hard objects in your pasture.

Another mower option for people with large acreages of combined lawn-pasture is the Woods RM990. I have no personal experience with it, but have read up on it and have seen people here post favorable reviews. It has 90" of cutting width, uses six, cutter style, free swinging blades, and weighs 1,213 lbs. My understanding it is used in both commericial finish mowing applications and field-pasture mowing where there may be some roughness and obstacles (but which dont require full blown rotary cutter strength).

Good luck.

 

[jlemon]

Thanks for the comments. I've settled on a 3830 and am in the process of collecting quotes; I'll post the configuration and prices in another thread.

The RM990 sounds really interesting, but probably out of the price range I'm currently looking at. A standard duty rotary cutter will probably get the job done for now, and later I can add a finish mower when I get tired of making too many passes on the lawn.