Talk me in/out of a 3038E

[RonSwanson]

Considering a 3038E. Im fairly aware of a lot of the cost cutting with the tractor. I dont need a mid PTO because I have a Z915E for mowing. Id be doing mainly brush hogging and box blading. FEL stuff too. Def would want to add a 3rd function for a grapple.

One thing though, Ive been told you cant use a wood chipper on these 3Es. Is that true? I def want to get one of those for clearing out some of the stuff in my woods. Would much prefer a PTO one instead of having to get a separate gas one that probably wouldnt be as powerful either.

Im happy with my Deere dealer. Ive been buying Stihl equipment from them and have been building relationships with sales people there. Theres a really good Kubota Dealer right down the street too though. Seems like the L3901 might be a little more feature packed for similar money.

 

[Thomas]

Its one of those calls...go with your gut feelings.

 

[k0ua]

Well this is just an opinion so take it as such, but I don't think the 3038e is a good value for the money. For similar money there are much stronger built tractors out there. Again YMMV, but that is what I think. I considered one before buying a Kubota. I thought the 3038e just wasn't the tractor the Kubota was. I don't mean to pee on anyone's tractor or choices.

 

[Diggin It]

Are you close enough to Cabot to take a ride by Bruno's and see what they have?

 

[RonSwanson]

Are you close enough to Cabot to take a ride by Bruno's and see what they have?

Cabot is 3 hours away. I have a big Deere, Kubota, and a smaller Mahindra dealer within a couple miles. Then there’s a New Holland dealer a little further away.

 

[chevy]

I agree with James above. I was not impressed with the John Deere E tractors. I had owned nothing but JD for the last 20 years. I discovered that other brands have a lot more to offer for less money.

 

[Spindifferent]

The only comment I can make is that I constantly see lots of low-hours "E" series tractors for sale on craigslist and rarely see any of the 3 series for sale on craigslist.

 

[Jacksonvly]

When I replaced my 2000 series JD a year ago, I was initially looking at green only. The E series caught my eye but after comparing specs and capabilities I expanded my search to Kioti and Kubota.
Dollar for dollar you get so much more tractor getting away from the E series. The only advantage I can see with a 3E series is if you are using it on a groomed lawn area all the time, they are substantially lighter than the other brands.

 

[Jstpssng]

I looked at a used 3038 when I was shopping, and stopped into the dealership all ready to sign the papers... when I saw it though, I literally burst out laughing. After getting myself under control I got into my truck and drove off without even talking to the salesman. Here are the specs vs the 3901 you mentioned, according to tractordata.com

Kubota 3901
4WD Hydro Weight: 2778 lbs [1260 kg]

Wheelbase: 63.3 inches [160 cm]

Width: 55.1 inches [139 cm]

John Deere 3038

Weight (operating): 2,175 lbs [986 kg]

Weight (max capacity): 4,410 lbs [2000 kg]

Wheelbase: 60 inches [152 cm]

Length: 111 inches [281 cm]

Width: 56.5 inches

It really was a nice looking tractor; I needed something more though, and was expecting a bigger tractor based on the HP. This JD seems more comparable to a "B" series Kubota, rather than the L which you mentioned.

 

[RonSwanson]

Yea I’ve pretty much ruled out the JD. You need to step up to the R for important features and then it’s very expensive. There’s the 4m but then you are really stepping up in weight and size.

Just realized I have a Kioti dealer nearby too. So looking at those along with the L3901.