Tractor comparison checklist

Turbys_1700 · Jan 20, 2007

Lots of good advice here as always. The first thing I would do is to determine my budget. How much can I afford to spend. That puts things in perspective as to how much tractor you can afford. Then list your primary tasks and design the purchase around that. You're biggest decisions will deal with 2wd or 4wd and transmission types. All 3 major brands are great as well as 2nd tier brands. Dealer support is very important. Since you live up North if you're gonna do winter work you may consider a cab option but that's gonna cost a bundle. Good luck and keep us updated.

GarthH · Jan 20, 2007

Hi guys. Thanks for the great suggestions. Weekend is here again so I was able to get out to see the Kubota dealer. Small dealership so the owner spent some time with me. They certainly seem to have a lot of product going through. They have a L3430 coming in on a trade, HST, about 270 hours, cab, FEL and many small options. He did not have the final price but thought it would be around 20K. It was close to the price of a new 30HP Montana with FEL. Hopefully next weekend I will get up to look at the Kioti, the dealer is a hour away but he has local depot.

Oleozz · Jan 21, 2007

That barely used 3430 just might be your ticket to a nice tractor. Considering where you live the cab would be a big plus in the winter. The 3430 has a pump capacity of 13.2 gpm which I think is very good for a 33.6 hp tractor. It has a 3 point hitch lift capacity of over 2,600 lbs and has a total weight (with cab) of over 3,600 lbs. All in all a nice tractor for 20k.

BillG_in_TX · Jan 21, 2007

GarthH said:
Hi guys. Thanks for the great suggestions. Weekend is here again so I was able to get out to see the Kubota dealer. Small dealership so the owner spent some time with me. They certainly seem to have a lot of product going through. They have a L3430 coming in on a trade, HST, about 270 hours, cab, FEL and many small options. He did not have the final price but thought it would be around 20K. It was close to the price of a new 30HP Montana with FEL. Hopefully next weekend I will get up to look at the Kioti, the dealer is a hour away but he has local depot.

Garth,

I agree - the L3430HST is a great tractor, and with a FEL and cab for $20k (Canadian, I assume) that sounds like a great price. If it's in good shape, I think you should jump on it.

LSUalum · Jan 21, 2007

I was reading this thread and was curious to get a few "experienced" opinion. I am in the market for a new tractor and have it pretty much nailed down on my priorities, but I need some "real world" numbers.
First,
My first priority is mowing about 3 acres of lawn, so weight is my biggest issue. With R4 tires, how much is too heavy? I know this depends a lot on my soil type, as well as my grass. It is a sandy mix with bermuda. I am debating between a Kubota L3400 (2400 lbs) and a L3130 (3150 lbs). Would the L3130 be too heavy?
The other work I will be doing is clipping pastures, grading and harrowing riding pens, and a few odds and ends.
Any thoughts?

GarthH · Feb 3, 2007

Hi all

I was up to see the Kioti dealer, located about an hour north. He had the CK30 and I also looked at the DK45, one of his customers had one.

The CK was nice but there is no cab option. It had the HSK, KL130 FEL, joy stick, and remote hyd. The price is more in line with my desired budget about $19K US.

The DK had more standard equipment Wet Disc brakes, hand & foot throttles, auto leveling FEL and draft control. The transmission was Sync shuttle. The lifting capacity was about 50% greater for each 3PH and FEL. A 4 cyl engine rather than the 3 Cyl. Cost was about $30 K US.

The Kubota dealer is getting the used L3430 in this week. It has 195 hours, draft control, a cab and the upgraded Kubotaa FEL. The price quotes is higher than the initial discussion $28K US.

The weight of the 3430 and CK 30 are similar; the DK is about 50% greater.

Amazing the turning radius of the DK is better than each the CK and the L3430.

The dealer being an hour away is a little concerning. I notice in the warranty that they required Koiti replacement parts to be used which will be an issue for the normal service parts like filters and the such.

The customer that had the DK was mentioning he liked the smooth operation of the 4 cyl rather than his old Kubota 28 horse power. I notice the L3430 is a 3 cylinder.

The major issues I see -

I need to decide on the cab or not. There was a recent thread about cabs and our recent -30 weather is certainly affecting my thoughts.

The extra strength I don't think is a big issue. The only place I see it being dramatic would mybe unloading trucks - I am a wood worker so I will like see a few trucks a year that I could unload a few pallets of wood ( I am not quite sure the weight of a pallet of wood).

The HST vs shuttle shift certainly a convenience and resale issue.

Draft contol

Hyd flow on the L3430 is 13.2 compared to 10.8 on the DK.

Any thoughts??

Thank you again

Garth

RedDog · Feb 3, 2007

GarthH said:
Hyd flow on the L3430 is 13.2 compared to 10.8 on the DK.

Any thoughts??

Thank you again

Garth

Kioti web site says 14.2 GPM hydro flow total for DK45. 9.9 GPM for the main pump, and 4.3 GPM for the power steering.

Z-Michigan · Feb 3, 2007

GarthH said:
Hi all
The dealer being an hour away is a little concerning. I notice in the warranty that they required Koiti replacement parts to be used which will be an issue for the normal service parts like filters and the such.

The customer that had the DK was mentioning he liked the smooth operation of the 4 cyl rather than his old Kubota 28 horse power. I notice the L3430 is a 3 cylinder.

The major issues I see -

I need to decide on the cab or not. There was a recent thread about cabs and our recent -30 weather is certainly affecting my thoughts.

The extra strength I don't think is a big issue. The only place I see it being dramatic would mybe unloading trucks - I am a wood worker so I will like see a few trucks a year that I could unload a few pallets of wood ( I am not quite sure the weight of a pallet of wood).

The HST vs shuttle shift certainly a convenience and resale issue.

Draft contol

Hyd flow on the L3430 is 13.2 compared to 10.8 on the DK.

Any thoughts??

Thank you again

Garth

Some thoughts:
-I agree with everyone who says a cab is something you want in your area, unless you fly south for winter. And I am a fairly hardy resident of Michigan who is about to buy an open platform tractor.

-I looked at Kioti and was pretty impressed with their quality and features. But due to limited number of dealers in my area and great distance to even the closest, I have decided to rule them out.

-There is a lengthy thread on 3 vs. 4cyl. Short story is that there is no meaningful difference in smoothness, power or general usefulness. Some 3cyl designs are slightly more efficient than common 4cyl designs, but this is a small point.

-If you are going to be unloading pallets from a truck I would strongly consider HST. HST is definitely better for loader work in general, but with pallet work in particular you may put a lot of wear on the clutch of a gear shift transmission. If you want gear I would look at something which has a wet clutch, which includes the JD 4x20 series with 12x12 "powrreverser" and also the Kubota GST transmission.

-Based on reading here draft control is likely irrelevant unless you are plowing or doing lots of box blade work. Even then, it is not essential, though for plowing it would be useful.

-I would not be too concerned about rated hydraulic flow - I would look more at loader capacities and rated cycle times.

-Quality of the dealer is very important for such a long-term purchase. I would look for a brand with a good dealer network and a local dealer that you are extremely comfortable with. I would probably put this ahead of the brand itself in determining what brand to buy.

BTDT · Feb 4, 2007

Welcome to TBN and good luck with your search. I see where you said you were a parts man, was this for a tractor dealership? There are several dealers of different tractors around me, but they are all a 30 min or more drive. Hopefully, whatever you buy, you'll never need to go back to dealer, but if something breaks, it would be nice for parts to be close. But I'm sure you know how to get things done, if need arises.