L3800 Towing Capacity

[quazz]

Hi guys. I can't find the towing capacity of my L3800 HST. I will be taking my boat in next week and i don't know how much she weighs but it is heavy and I would guess around 5000 lbs. It is a locally made fishing boat so there are no published specs.
I put it in with my F150 and I could tell it was working pretty hard. I will probably take it out with this but was wondering if the Kubota was an option.

 

[mikes1165]

Not sure about the hst but I run a boat dealership and have used a 30 year old 30 hp mitsubishi gear tractor to move boats around the lot and have moved boats up to 30 ft cruisers without any problem so I would think it could easily.

 

[CaveCreekRay]

If you are pulling it "in" out of the water, I would think traction would be your only problem. Even on dirt, My L3800 HST has spun the tires. These machines are powerful in low range but they don't have a lot of weight. The tongue weight offered by the boat will really help.

(And of course without pictures we will never really know it happened. )

Ray

 

[quazz]

Not sure about the hst but I run a boat dealership and have used a 30 year old 30 hp mitsubishi gear tractor to move boats around the lot and have moved boats up to 30 ft cruisers without any problem so I would think it could easily.

Would you choose the tractor over an F150 4X4 5.7L v8?

Here is Old Yeller. She is 24 ft but probably weighs at least as much as your 30 ft cruisers.
I have ag tires so even though it is gravely I think I should be Ok with traction.

 

[ShaunBlake]

Would you choose the tractor over an F150 4X4 5.7L v8?

Here is Old Yeller. She is 24 ft but probably weighs at least as much as your 30 ft cruisers.
I have ag tires so even though it is gravely I think I should be Ok with traction.

Hi quazz, welcome to the forum!

Your L certainly has the torque to pull the boat. The weak point would be traction -- your truck is about twice as heavy! Also, Ags are great in mud or soft ground; not as good on pavement or hard-pack gravel. Weight in the tires would make a huge difference; I suggest the heaviest liquid you can afford, ideally RimGuard.

 

[quazz]

Hi quazz, welcome to the forum!

Your L certainly has the torque to pull the boat. The weak point would be traction -- your truck is about twice as heavy! Also, Ags are great in mud or soft ground; not as good on pavement or hard-pack gravel. Weight in the tires would make a huge difference; I suggest the heaviest liquid you can afford, ideally RimGuard.

Thanks Shaun but your welcome is going on two years late lol

 

[ShaunBlake]

Thanks Shaun but your welcome is going on two years late lol

Well, hmm, err... But I wasn't on OTT back then!

Oh, well! So, "old-timer", good luck pulling that boat, and please keep us posted on your adventure!

 

[zippyslug31]

FWIW, my L3901 is pretty close to the 3800 I believe, and I've pulled an 11,000 travel trailer around my property a couple of times. I have no idea of how "maxed out" this was of spec, but I can say that the tractor pulled it just fine.

 

[quazz]

Thanks guys, I guess it is an option.

 

[Bluegill]

It will do it, no problem.

 

[hodge]

I've never heard of a tractor being tow-rated. They will pull what they will pull, based on conditions and traction. The only rating applicable would be the 3 point, and if it will lift the tongue of the trailer.
I agree with Bluegill- I think it will pull it. The tractor may weigh less than your truck, but it has much larger tires. Generally, and tractor will move much more weight in adverse conditions than a truck will. I know that when I've struggled to pull stuck vehicles out with my diesel truck, our tractor had no issue. A tractor is a lot different animal than a truck. a 60hp tractor can jerk the chrome off of the trailer hitch of a 400 hp truck.

 

[quazz]

Great. The tractor it is.

The draw bar is the best I assume and not a 3 point trailer hitch.

 

[olthumpa]

Great. The tractor it is.

The draw bar is the best I assume and not a 3 point trailer hitch.

Unless you have down pressure on the 3pt hitch, DO NOT USE IT. It can get very interesting very fast if conditions cause the 3pt arms to be lifted by what ever is being towed, (think fel up in the air full of gravel with out any counter weight but the weight in the back of the tractor ). Implements that are made to be attached to the 3pt are designed to prevent this from happening. Other implements are designed to be pulled by the draw bar for various reasons, sudden weight transference is one of them.

Example - you are towing a trailer down a slope and apply the breaks and in some cases it will do it all by it self,

 

[hodge]

+1 on using the drawbar.

 

[quazz]

What no comments on my boat? If Kubota made a boat it would be like my Old Yeller. Solid, trustworthy and strong but not so fast. lol

 

[gssixgun]

Just double checked my manual

L3600 which is a few hundred pounds heavier then yours and 1 hp more

Draw bar max weight = 1430#

Max Tow = 5500#

 

[rparkinson]

Let us know how the ol girl does.

 

[Tooljunkie]

She looks like a good ol boat. Would take a bit of weather too.
My little 14 footer is not much by comparison. i can see the river from my yard,cross it daily and been on the water two times this year.

My little kubota L1501 2wd is my boat/trailer mover for my storage business,26 foot pontoon boat (three point hitch) moves with ease. But i would not even consider launching something with it. I have seen some pretty big units come out the water behind a full size pickup.
Its more boat launch design than anything else. And 4wd anything is better for launching, dragging up the hill. Have one boat launch where 2wd is actualky a bad thing if its wet rainy weather.

 

[85Hokie]

What no comments on my boat? If Kubota made a boat it would be like my Old Yeller. Solid, trustworthy and strong but not so fast. lol

one thing that I have not seen mentioned......the incline of the "ramp" that the boat comes out of .....in other words, the tractor will pull a lot of weight across a flat surface, with the right traction, but up a slight incline the game changes!!! I have pulled my ol' bayliner out of many a boat slip, ( I know why they call it a slip now) and the 2 wd truck I had would pull like a champ.....until the gravel driveway....then I had to get a like running start.

I am sure your ramp is sloped - what is the surface? I have a 80 year old friend that has pulled more 20'+ boats out of his ramp (concrete) - he has a rather good incline too (15 degrees or better) he uses his 1984 B7200 in low gear.


and like mentioned - NEVER use the 3 point......always pull below the axle!

 

[skeets]

Well quazz, I have been remis in seeing this post. I would go with the truck in 4wd my self but thats just me. NOW on to old yeller fill an old sailor in on this little craft, and just what your using it for, I would almost bet your a crabber or harpooner for tuna and forgive my ignorance.. Where is Rockley Ns ?