L3302 for first tractor?

[crimecrusher]

I’m about to buy my first tractor for a hilly lot in the hill country of central Texas. 13 acers with the whole lot full of trees other than what has been cleared with bulldozer, forestry mulcher, etc. I have a 1000’ driveway on a slope. Lots of down trees to clean up from the bulldozer, moving rocks, take care of driveway, scrapping small rocks to clear area around build site, prep barn foundation, clear trails, etc.

I have access to a large 12” chipper from a family member to chip all the piles of bull-dozed trees and he is giving me a PTO chipper he doesn’t need after getting the big chipper.

I think I’ve decided on the L3302? I think I need the extra HP to move around better on my steep hills and to run a PTO chipper. I also like the extra options of the new 02 series over the 01 models. At $2300 more for the L3902 I think I’d be better off spending that money on two rear remotes for the L3302.

I might rent a PTO Belltec post hole digger for putting in fence around house.

Tractor package looks like this:

L3302 HST 4wd, QA loader, R4

3rd function

2 rear remotes

Box blade, grader, grapple, pallet forks, 3 pt QH



As of today, 0% financing says till end of June 2022. Will it continue past June? I planned to purchase around September when my RTV is paid off but I could move that up if I have too.

 

[MOOTS]

13ac, bulldozed trees and hills? I’d get the widest and heaviest tractor you can afford. I vote MX, but I’m very biased.

 

[fried1765]

13ac, bulldozed trees and hills? I’d get the widest and heaviest tractor you can afford. I vote MX, but I’m very biased.

The L3302 will certainly be your

I’m about to buy my first tractor for a hilly lot in the hill country of central Texas. 13 acers with the whole lot full of trees other than what has been cleared with bulldozer, forestry mulcher, etc. I have a 1000’ driveway on a slope. Lots of down trees to clean up from the bulldozer, moving rocks, take care of driveway, scrapping small rocks to clear area around build site, prep barn foundation, clear trails, etc.

I have access to a large 12” chipper from a family member to chip all the piles of bull-dozed trees and he is giving me a PTO chipper he doesn’t need after getting the big chipper.

I think I’ve decided on the L3302? I think I need the extra HP to move around better on my steep hills and to run a PTO chipper. I also like the extra options of the new 02 series over the 01 models. At $2300 more for the L3902 I think I’d be better off spending that money on two rear remotes for the L3302.

I might rent a PTO Belltec post hole digger for putting in fence around house.

Tractor package looks like this:

L3302 HST 4wd, QA loader, R4

3rd function

2 rear remotes

Box blade, grader, grapple, pallet forks, 3 pt QH



As of today, 0% financing says till end of June 2022. Will it continue past June? I planned to purchase around September when my RTV is paid off but I could move that up if I have too.

The L3302 will absolutely be your "first tractor", because you will very soon realize that you need to buy your... something larger.... 2nd tractor.
Selling, and buying new tractors is very expensive experimentation!
The cardinal rule of tractors is:
"Buy enough tractor" .......the FIRST time!

A package deal for implements may seem appealing, but you will be committed to what the tractor dealer wants to sell you.

Look at the Everything Attachments 6-way Deluxe Scrape Blade (I have had 3 different grader blades, and the EA is by far the best!).
Strongly consider an EA grapple.
I do not have that brand, but many hold the opinion that they are the best!

 

[JimmyJazz]

I think you will be fine. Let us know how it works out. If money were not an issue I would get the 3902.

 

[crimecrusher]

I think you will be fine. Let us know how it works out. If money were not an issue I would get the 3902.

I guess when looking at payments, the L3902 is only $33 a month more. Is that worth it for 4 extra PTO HP?

 

[jyoutz]

I guess when looking at payments, the L3902 is only $33 a month more. Is that worth it for 4 extra PTO HP?

HP isn’t the significant factor here. Go for a heavier weight tractor such as a MX.

 

[crimecrusher]

HP isn’t the significant factor here. Go for a heavier weight tractor such as a MX.

What about the L3560LE, it's about the same price as the 3902. I've rented a 4701 and thought it was too big moving around the property.

 

[BigG]

The 3302 will do the work that you have described. It is a matter of how fast it will get done and how much money do you want to spend. Many folks on the forums say to "get big or go home". This is nice if you plan on using the tractor for other things once the trees are cleaned up. So the question really is what are your long term goals? Clean up and build a little bit of fence the 3302 is a good working size tractor. The 13 acres then get bush hogged once or twice a year?

If this a rush to get done you might rent a big tractor to get the cleanup done and then use the 3302 to keep every thing maintained.

 

[PortTackFarm]

Picking the "first tractor" can be a true "rabbit hole" experience. A year ago I started out looking at the L3301 as my first tractor with 60" entry level 1200 Series box blade and rotary cutter, primarily trying get a big enough tractor and still keep the budget within reason. Within a week, I had moved on to the L3901 and another week after that, I had settled on my L3560 LE with 72" medium to heavy duty box blade and rotary cutter and also added 3 rear remotes and the 3rd function. I made the jump in size, features, and of course price for a few reasons, first the 3560 with the 805 FEL has significantly more lifting capacity, the 3560 is heavier and the 3 point lifting capacity is also significantly higher. Regarding the implements the extra 12" covered the rear wheels better and the heavier duty box blade and cutter should hold up better over the long run.

After a year of ownership, I can say I made the correct choice. My only minor regret at this point has been getting open station vs cab and not making the jump to the L4060 LE, but budget was a big consideration and those two upgrades were real money.

There is no doubt the L3302 will be a great first tractor for you, but if you can stretch your budget it would be worth considering. Also look at the implements you need. You don't need new, but heavier duty is better in the long run. I went with new LP implements because I could roll it all into the 84 month 0% financing available at the time. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

 

[jimh406]

I also suggest the L3560LE. You can upgrade the loader to have almost double the lift capability and a better transmission. But I also like the MX. Either have the capability of a cab if you want one.

For the smaller L, I think it’s hard to beat the L2501. Same size tractor as the L3301/2 without any DPF. But, like I said, if I want bigger, I’d go with the L3560LE or a MX.

Btw, what are you wanting the two rear remotes for? If it is for anything big, I’d for sure go MX.

 

[jyoutz]

What about the L3560LE, it's about the same price as the 3902. I've rented a 4701 and thought it was too big moving around the property.

A better choice. Weight is more significant than HP. Weight and stance. The heavier and wider the more stability. Stability is the factor I value most in a tractor. Larger front tires help also.

 

[fried1765]

HP isn’t the significant factor here. Go for a heavier weight tractor such as a MX.

Exactly correct!

 

[drumminj]

What about the L3560LE, it's about the same price as the 3902. I've rented a 4701 and thought it was too big moving around the property.

The 3560 is heavier, but only slightly smaller than the 4701 (3" less width and 4" shorter). Both are probably worth considering for more stability -- the 4701 will allow you to adjust the rear wheel width, whereas the other standard Ls do not as far as I understand.

 

[JimmyJazz]

I guess when looking at payments, the L3902 is only $33 a month more. Is that worth it for 4 extra PTO HP?

There are some like myself raising families and in their "prime" earning years who don't consider $33 much at all. 3 teenagers spend more than that in 15 minutes at Chick-fil-A. Remember the old adage - "Flushing money down the toilet?" Same thing albeit with an intermediary sustenance providing step. Could have made a sandwich at home if you know what I mean. Go get yourself the 3302 and be happy. You will love having a Kubota. Not cheap but really nice machines. Good luck.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

It sounds like an awesome place with fun to develop it the way you want. It’s hard to understand size and scale of your work without pics…It might be helpful to estimate the size and weight of the stuff you want to lift and move with the front end to make sure the machine you select meets your expectations….whether with grapple or forks or whatever…how much do you want to safely pick up and move? When I hear ‘steep and hill country’ I think you may not be able to use the full lift capability as you may rarely be on level ground. So that’s maybe something to think about. I don’t think it matters which model when it’s on a slope you start losing safe lift. / move capability. You can always cut stuff small or split a load on a pallet, but I think it might be helpful to think about machine size and how much you want to be able to move…do those two things match? Maybe I missed it but have / are you considering ballasting options, weights, width of track/stance? Just my thoughts.

 

[crimecrusher]

Here are a few pics of what I'm dealing with.

 

[bobbycurry]

I have 3.5 acres at home and a 250 acre lease that I use the tractor on. I will tell you I started with a Green 25 horse (basically mower with FEL) and broke it all the time because I found myself doing more and more with it and it was under powered for what I needed. I since got the L3901 and I am super happy with it. The general rule of thumb that I have always heard was if you think you are good with 25 horse go to the next size up and save your self some grief. I can tell you with the 3901 I am able to do 99 percent of what I want to do with no issues. Someone already said this but I 100% agree, the tractor will do what you want in most cases it is just how quickly it will get it done. Those hills aren't that bad, just get the back tires filled and try to keep something on the back if you are using the fel for heavy things.

 

[hedgerow]

crimecrusher. I started out about a year ago to replace my small Agco with one with a FEL. I mostly used my Agco for spot spraying during the summer. I looked at a 2501 about the size of the Agco and then thought I had a 4701 bought and it got sold out from under me. Ended up buying a MX6000 open station. Its been a great tractor out here on the farm. After seeing your pictures I would highly suggest a MX for you. Spend a little more on the front and cry once and you won't need to buy a bigger tractor later.

 

[DDCD]

What everybody is forgetting about the standard L series is how slow they are in high gear. It is unusable for anything other than driving on flat land in a 2501. I would imagine the 3302 would be a little better, and they 3902 much better at hills as this also translates to low and medium gear.

If I step on my hst pedal in high on a small hill it will stall or come close to it. On flat land in high the HST whine is screaming loud. For this reason I would get a 3902 especially since you already have a DPF.

 

[drumminj]

If I step on my hst pedal in high on a small hill it will stall or come close to it. On flat land in high the HST whine is screaming loud. For this reason I would get a 3902 especially since you already have a DPF.

Granted I've only got 50hrs on it, but I've not put my tractor in H even once....what is the use case of putting it in H on a small hill?