Buying Advice Uncertain

[skeet987]

Start out giving you all an idea of what I have. I own 28 acres in West Virginia 2-3 acres around the house (yard) that is flat with a small barn in the back. The rest you have to drive up a dirt road about 150yrd's to the top where I have some semi-flat at the top about 8 acres worth of workable ground. I have one other open area on the other ridge that comes out to about 4 acres of workable ground but by no means flat and some old roads here and there to get from point A to point B. Have a couple goat's and a few cows to take care of.

What I have in mind: I need a bush hog to cut all those open areas and roads and then some. Alot of briars, multiflora rose bush, saplings etc... just typical stuff that you would find in the eastern US. Need to be able to keep up with the roads like the one that goes to the top, it washes out often causing big ruts making it kinda hairy just to get my Yamaha Rhino up there.
There are other things that I can find it handy to have a tractor for but no need to go in to anymore then I all ready have.

So, I went to a Kubota dealer today and looked around and seen a B3300 with a FEL and I was thinking that having a FEL could come in real handy but the 3300 just seemed to small. Then I looked at the L4400 that seemed to be a nice size but it didnt have the FEL. The salesman comes out and we did some talkin about the L4400 and it was around 19.000. He asked me what I would be using it for and I told him just what i've said on here.

He suggested the L3700SU W/FEL, 5' Bush hog and a Box Scraper instead of the rear blade so i'd be able to cut and drag some dirt to keep up with the washed out rutting roads. He quoted me a price of 19,500 for all. It's 11 months old so he said he could probably get that price dropped a bit but it's still brand new. I have no experience with a tractor except a few hrs worth back when I was a teenager pulling a hay wagon around a field.
The L4400 would probably be the biggest I would go just because of the land ive got it would seem anything bigger would probably be useless with some of the tight areas i'd have to manuever in.

Questions: Does the quote of 19.500 seem reasonable?

Is the 3700 a all around good tractor? (ease of use,dependable, low maintenance etc... (Keep in mind I have no experience)

Do you think the 3700 has enough horse power for what I need?

The 3700 has the r4 tires would I be better off with the r1's?

I'll admit that the 3700 with the FEL, bush hog and box scraper for 19.500 does sound a bit better to me then the 4400 bare at 19.000 but I dont want to cut myself short.

In closing, I am extremly sorry that my ramblings lasted so long but I do appreciate every second it takes you to read it and I hope that I can get some help with my decision! Thanks again!!!!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

All Kubotas are dependable tractors. Very few issues.
I agree with the salesman that the L3700 will do all of your jobs. I prefer R(I)4 tires myself. The R1's may be better for mud and agricultural use but for your needs I think the 4's would be better.

FEL, Boxblade and rotary mower sounds like the attachments needed for the jobs described. May want to research a RatchetRake later for cleaning out briars and scrubby areas using the FEL instead of rotary mower.
Sounds like a fair price but I'd contact Barlows just to feel confident that the price is fair. Barlows delivers all over the country and WV is just over the ridge from them in Somerset, Ky.
Barlow Equipment - Home of the Kubota Tractor Package Builder

 

[ChuckinNH]

I think you are in a pretty good size range for your property although it is harder to be sure without seeing it. The L4400 is larger, and most folks here have seemed to go from the L3400, etc. to the Grand L serires rather than opt for the L4400. I haven't used either so I don't know for sure why that is. I think your dealer can do a bit more for you, and I think you should ask to see the L3800 as well since it has some features the L3700 lacks like an adujustable suspension seat you may appreciate on your rough ground. None of these tractors will do the road work, etc. as quickly as even larger, and heavier tractors might, but they are heavy enough for serious work, and I'm sure you would enjoy any of them. Ask the dealer to put a box blade, or other heavy implement on the three point hitch of any of the tractors you have mentioned, and try, or have him demonstrate raising it in small increments as you might when grading. This line of tractors has a reputation for "jerky" 3 point operation that bothers some, and you want to be sure it isn't an issue for you before buying.

 

[skeet987]

The salesman contacted me here first thing this morning. He said he contacted some fella and came up with a price. For the L3700SU With a FEL, 5' rotary cutter and a SBX60 box the price would be $19.294.00. Is there anything the the 3700 doesnt have that I would need to think about getting for it or even something on it that would be better off swapping for something better? I hate to be ignorant but I just have no clue.

 

[skeet987]

I contacted Barlow's, he said he didnt have a 3700 but can sale me a L3800 W/FEL, box and cutter for about $19,145. hmmm....... I should mention that all tractors I have talked about are HST.

 

[teg]

L3700 without a suspension seat would suck... Go with the L3800. That tractor can handle a 6' BB easy.

 

[architect]

last month a member here got upgraded from L3400 to L3800 at Barlows because of unavailability of backhoe subframe, at no cost, list price was only $250 more for L3800 verses L3400. (And out of state buyers pay no sales tax). (still waiting for my B2920, Brady says next week).

 

[johnrex62]

last year I bought my L3700SU outfit for $19,500. You can see the details in my sig line. It was basically the same as your quote except I also got a metal roof and landscape rake, delivery and free labor on my 50 hour service.

I cannot speak to the necessity of the suspension seat as I have never sat in one. My seat is a bit bumpy, but then so is my land and I don't really have an idea of how much the suspension seat would change that.

The factory quote sheet indicated the drawbar is an option, mine came with it without me asking. There is a cruise control option that I did not ask for, so cannot tell you how handy that might turn out if you have large areas to mow. Mine are all small and irregular shapes, so I don't think I would get much use out of it.

I also did not get any rear remote or power beyond, and I regret that. I am unable to add grapples or other fun stuff without a significant out of pocket at this point. It would have been much nicer to add that to the 0% financing up front.

I have been very happy with my L3700SU and have been using it to clear brush and bramble in my woods that I have not been able to walk into for over 10 years due to the thick saplings, woody brush, thorned vines and generally overgrown weeds. I have been able to cut back into areas of my woods I have never been in and took on faith they existed when I bought the property.

I agree that the Ratchet Rake might be better for ripping out the vines and briars since they have a tendency to wrap around the cutters and keep their root systems when cut, but I have been happy with my results on the rotary cutter so far. They don't come back fast enough to be a problem and I try to keep the areas I have reclaimed cut low to discourage the return of the brush monster.

I have been very pleased with my tractor's ability to handle the brush and amazed at the cutter's ability to slice through heavy thickets of 2" saplings, and sometimes even bigger. I pushed through a thicket a few days ago that was so thick I could not walk into it. The saplings were spaced no more than a couple inches apart and had grown about 10 foot tall. I pushed them down with the FEL and slowly drove through with the cutter about a foot off the ground. I made several passes over the same "trail" until I had nothing but toe grabbers left on the ground. I was a bit surprised to find a 3-4" stumplet in the middle of the path. I did not even realize a tree that big was there when I was cutting. The tractor never bogged and the cutter never jumped or stuttered. I would not try to cut something that big on purpose, but it was good to know it could handle it without breaking the shear pin or deck or anything.

 

[skeet987]

I dont know if this 3700 has a drawbar. Whats it's purpose? Can someone explain what a rear remote is for? Can a suspension seat be put on the 3700? You guys are giving me some good feed back!!

 

[TripleR]

I dont know if this 3700 has a drawbar. Whats it's purpose? Can someone explain what a rear remote is for? Can a suspension seat be put on the 3700? You guys are giving me some good feed back!!

There is a recent thread on rear remotes that is pretty informative, essentially they are hydraulic outlets on the back which can be used for a hydraulic top link, log splitter, pull type bush hog or other wheeled equipment etc. If you have two you can ad a Top and Tilt which is a hydraulic top link as well as hydraulic side link for your three point hitch to adjust the angle on a box blade, box blade etc.

The draw bar is a point of attachment low under your rear axle/differential housing used for pulling. This helps prevent flipping over by keeping the pull point low.

You can get after market seats or I am sure one of the Kubota suspension seats off of another tractor will fit. You will want some type of suspension seat eventually.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2390489#post2390489

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Here is a great site to spend some time to watch videos of attachments.
How To Video Demos - Implements & Attachments

 

[MarkV]

Skeet welcome to the forum. Whichever tractor you decide on I would recommend you have them "load" the rear tires. That is put liquid ballast, several types are used, in the rear tires to add weight below the center of gravity. It helps with traction but more importantly on your hilly property it improves stability on slopes significantly.

MarkV

 

[TroyR57]

Skeet, I have just been using my freinds L3700su, with a BH SQ160, and we were taking on a large ticket of briars, handled it with ease, also my friend is a little on the larger size, he is 6'6" and 350 plus. After shoping around for tractors with him, he got a L3700 because he could get on and off tractor with no problems. He has it in a TLB, and the bush hog. I don't like the fact that he as two seats for tractor, makes it tight to use the BH 77, back hoe, but has plenty of power. See this thread, about last weeks bush hoghing we did. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...g/208765-l3700su-working-hard-lehigh-gap.html , hope this works as a link, if not, its in the Kubota Using area, working a L3700 hard in the Lehigh gap . He lives on a mountine side and so far he has not had any problems.

 

[TroyR57]

Hey Skeet, More info here. My friend, Kermit, also has the larger 66 inch heavy duty fel bucket, L2296, with bolt on front edge, and is SSQA. I would recoment you look at that for your unit up front, cheper that way. The SSQA gives you lots of options. some photos attached.

 

[taborekle]

Not an expert here, but that sized tractor seems about right to me, especially given that your going to box-blade the road, and that your in WV (rocky, hilly). The 3700 has position control, so that's good. Your going to loose the mid mount PTO (for mowing), but you never mention that you would like to use the tractor for mowing, so that doesn't seem an issue. If I were you, I'd want a regular blade for snow removal, and since were talking snow and WV, a cab would sure be nice (don't have one myself).

I find that I have to do a lot of my bush hogging by backing the bush hog into the brush. Mine is only 4 ft wide, so you having a 5 ft wide bush hog means that your going to do it much easier then I.

I'd want to sit and drive it. Get a feel for the amount of vibration. It's a 4 cylinder and some types of models vibrate bad. Not sure about the 3700 though. I'd also want to turn around in the operators seat so I could get a feel for how comfortable it is.

What's the gain/loss buying used vs new? Will you get a factory/dealer warrenty? Can they sell you Kubota insurance as a alternative? What are the hours on the tractor? Are there any maintance records on it? What would it cost to buy new vs used? I'm not asking you to answer any of this here, but rather to seek the answers for yourself from the dealer. If your financing it, Kubota may be able to offer 0% financing on new tractors and impements, so buying used could cost you the interest on the financing vs new.

Larry

 

[johnrex62]

I dont know if this 3700 has a drawbar. Whats it's purpose? Can someone explain what a rear remote is for? Can a suspension seat be put on the 3700? You guys are giving me some good feed back!!

The drawbar is for pulling. You can get a 3pt drawbar that attaches across the lift arms, or you can get the "swinging" drawbar that fits the receiver below the rear axle. I highly recommend the latter. It gives you a lower center of gravity when you pull and reduces the chances you have of flipping your tractor over on it's back. Imagine a bike wheelie gone bad. The rear wheels keep pulling and the front wheels go up in the are and the rear drives right under the tractor. Pulling from too high above the center of gravity increases the odds of this type of accident. The dealer option for this drawbar is only around $100 and I am sure you can get it cheaper if you look around.

The rear remote is an extension of the hydraulic system to the rear of the tractor to permit hydraulically operated implements. By default, the only hydraulics are the lift arms on the 3pt and the loader controls. If you want a thumb or 4way bucket on the loader, you will need another hydraulic port to operate the additional feature. If you run an implement off the 3pt that has hydraulic functions beyond the 3pt lift you will need ports there to run them.

I did not think I would have much use for them at the time, but now I wish I had them for a grapple on my bucket and have drooled over the top-n-tilt others have bragged about.

I have no idea on the suspension seat. I will be watching pointedly to see what answers you get on that.

 

[EThogfarmer]

I have owned my 3700 for a year now and have been pleased with it. Are there things I don't like about it? sure, but for the price it is a lot of tractor.

My only real complaint about it is the jerky 3PH, but I knew about it before I bought the tractor and just live with it.The seat could be better but it's not a real problem.

I have used the tractor most often for dirtwork/landscaping projects (I have a larger JD that I use for most of the pasture mowing). I have been so spoiled by the HST that the other day I started a digging project with my JD and after a short while my left leg felt like it was going to fall off. I went back to the barn and switched to the 3700.

I had the dealer add a drawbar, loaded R4s and a cruise control when I bought it. I have since added a rear remote and the telescoping lower arm link stabilizers (like the L4400 has). You may or may not need these these upgrades. I seldom use the cruise, but when I do need it it's worth every penny. I highly reccomend the stabilizers, they keep attachment sway to a minimum. I was having a lot of problems with the turnbuckles loosening up during extended sessions and they cured the problem.

 

[teg]

...telescoping lower arm link stabilizers...I highly recommend the stabilizers, they keep attachment sway to a minimum...

How tight can you get yours? I bought a set and I had more than 2" sway so I took them off... there was lots of play in every connection. I had hope to have used it with Pat's QC but it moves too much to work.

 

[EThogfarmer]

How tight can you get yours? I bought a set and I had more than 2" sway so I took them off... there was lots of play in every connection. I had hope to have used it with Pat's QC but it moves too much to work.

I'm not familiar with Pat's QC so I can't comment on the stabilizers compatability with it or any other quick attachment system.

I got the telescopic stabilizers because I have part ownership and sole management of a 450 acre tree farm. It is crisscrossed with miles of logging roads that I have to mow on a regular basis to keep them open or they disapear. I find the 3700 to be ideal for this job because of its' compact size, the HST, and four wheel drive.

The chain stabilizer turnbuckles would loosen during use on the very rough terrain and then allow the threaded adjustable arm to loosen. I found myself having to constantly stop and tighten them up or the bushhog would turn into a plow (one side would end up digging a furrow). When I'm on a tractor I hate having to stop work if I don't have to. Also the trip to the tree farm represents a sizable investment in diesel, wear and tear on my truck and trailer, and my time. I want to spend my time working WITH, not ON, my tractor.

Since I switched to the new stabilizers I haven't had this problem. They are also, for my usage, quicker to adjust for different attachments. Please understand that this is based on how it worked for me and my particular usage, YMMV.

 

[Chilly807]

Good answers, lots of variety. For my money, I'd show the quote from Barlows to the local dealer and ask him to match it or at least come close on the L3800. If he can't don't burn your bridges since you'll more than likely be dealing with him for service and repairs no matter what you buy.

The L3800 for less money is more tractor in my opinion. You have the drawbar and suspension seat standard, not sure about cruise control. If you're mowing extended runs of field, you'll like the cruise. It's not essential, but a nice feature.

If you think you may EVER have use for rear hydraulics (wood splitter, power angle on rear blade, top n' tilt, down pressure for PHD, etc) get at least one set of remotes installed when you buy. It may be cheaper to install your own later as I did, but you need to be handy and understand hydraulics.

The suspension seat is 100% easier on your back. Mine was stuck when I got it, and I lived with it. It's freed up now, and makes traveling over rough ground much easier.

I agree on the 3 point hitch being jumpy, it's not perfect but is livable.

The L3400/L3700SU/L3800 are all 3 cylinder engines and relatively smooth. The loader damps a lot of vibration too, but your toes and fingers won't be "buzzing" at the end of the day in either case.

The L4400 is a very capable tractor too, more power, wider stance, bigger tires etc., as well as significantly more lift capacity on the loader and 3ph. Not really in the same class as the L3700 or L3800.

Sean