Kubota L4802

PoTreeBoy

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Equipment
L35 Ford 3930
Mar 24, 2020
2,792
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WestTn/NoMs
Probably going south . . . of the equator. ;)
They left the lug nuts off and half the front bolts, too.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,842
5,065
113
Eastham, Ma
Noticed a lot of hate for the model of tractor that is perfect for my application, as well as many other people's applications. THAT is why it hasn't been discontinued. It sells. A lot.
I bought my 2006 exceptionally low hour used L48 TLB just 42 months ago.
Today, it's used value is apparently (from comps) worth at least 40% more than I paid.
The L48 TLB model was discontinued in 2009.

In this size, demand is apparently strong, and supply is thin......at least until the L4802 becomes available.
I suspect that the L4802 TLB will be a good seller,.... and perhaps the very similar L4701/02? may be dropped, as unnecessary internal competition?
Kubota certainly does seem to love to play around with their product number designators......for marketing reasons obviously.

The (discontinued) used JD 110 dedicated TLB's are very similar, but that particular JD TLB model ( with farm tractor chassis ) had a rather spotty record for cracked transmission cases, when used as a dedicated TLB.
 
Last edited:

PoTreeBoy

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L35 Ford 3930
Mar 24, 2020
2,792
1,515
113
WestTn/NoMs
I bought my 2006 exceptionally low hour used L48 TLB just 42 months ago.
Today, it's used value is apparently (from comps) worth at least 40% more than I paid.
The L48 TLB model was discontinued in 2009.

In this size, demand is apparently strong, and supply is thin......at least until the L4802 becomes available.
I suspect that the L4802 TLB will be a good seller,.... and perhaps the very similar L4701/02? may be dropped, as unnecessary internal competition?
Kubota certainly does seem to love to play around with their product number designators......for marketing reasons obviously.

The (discontinued) used JD 110 dedicated TLB's are very similar, but that particular JD TLB model ( with farm tractor chassis ) had a rather spotty record for cracked transmission cases, when used as a dedicated TLB.
The L47 replaced your L48, apparently it lost a hp in the process.

I think the L4802 replaces the L4701, was/is there a 4702? Neither is a construction TLB like the 47/48, although they can be had with loader and backhoe.

My dealers can't sell the L47 or mini-ex's since they don't have the construction line. But one of them is now Lilly and I saw some used mini-ex's on their lot the other day, so that may be changing.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,842
5,065
113
Eastham, Ma
The L47 replaced your L48, apparently it lost a hp in the process.

I think the L4802 replaces the L4701, was/is there a 4702? Neither is a construction TLB like the 47/48, although they can be had with loader and backhoe.

My dealers can't sell the L47 or mini-ex's since they don't have the construction line. But one of them is now Lilly and I saw some used mini-ex's on their lot the other day, so that may be changing.
The L4802 is not a true construction TLB like my L48?
I did not know that.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,842
5,065
113
Eastham, Ma
The L47 replaced your L48, apparently it lost a hp in the process.

I think the L4802 replaces the L4701, was/is there a 4702? Neither is a construction TLB like the 47/48, although they can be had with loader and backhoe.

My dealers can't sell the L47 or mini-ex's since they don't have the construction line. But one of them is now Lilly and I saw some used mini-ex's on their lot the other day, so that may be changing.
"apparently it lost a hp"
From L48 to L47 apparently lost a foot of dig depth too?
 
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PaulL

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Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,413
1,339
113
NZ
"apparently it lost a hp"
From L48 to L47 apparently lost a foot of dig depth too?
Sometimes they genuinely changed the machine. Sometimes they just changed how they measured it.

When the measure/capacity goes up with no visible change to the machine, it usually means the marketing people got hold of it and decided to round up / measure optimistically.

When the measure/capacity goes down with no visible change to the machine, it usually means that an engineer decided to follow an actual standard for how to measure things, instead of marketing just making it up.

An example here is that the BX23x0 rated HP went down between the 70 and 80 series. 23hp in the 70 series, 21.6hp in the 80 series. So far as I can tell nothing changed about the machine. They just decided to measure it accurately.

My boat from the manufacturer claims 430hp. The submission they make to the California air standards commission claims 400hp. It's an LT 6.2L motor, it's unlikely it's making 430hp, that's just someone in marketing getting excited. No doubt they measured it with everything disconnected (no alternator, no water pump etc etc). They're not exactly lying, but it's not exactly honest either.

The real trick here is determining whether something did actually change, or whether just the way they measure changed. So you might buy an L48 thinking it digs deeper than the newer model L47. And they may have changed it, or it may actually be exactly the same and just measured differently. (I have no idea in the case of the L47 vs L48 whether they did change it)
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,842
5,065
113
Eastham, Ma
Sometimes they genuinely changed the machine. Sometimes they just changed how they measured it.

When the measure/capacity goes up with no visible change to the machine, it usually means the marketing people got hold of it and decided to round up / measure optimistically.

When the measure/capacity goes down with no visible change to the machine, it usually means that an engineer decided to follow an actual standard for how to measure things, instead of marketing just making it up.

An example here is that the BX23x0 rated HP went down between the 70 and 80 series. 23hp in the 70 series, 21.6hp in the 80 series. So far as I can tell nothing changed about the machine. They just decided to measure it accurately.

My boat from the manufacturer claims 430hp. The submission they make to the California air standards commission claims 400hp. It's an LT 6.2L motor, it's unlikely it's making 430hp, that's just someone in marketing getting excited. No doubt they measured it with everything disconnected (no alternator, no water pump etc etc). They're not exactly lying, but it's not exactly honest either.

The real trick here is determining whether something did actually change, or whether just the way they measure changed. So you might buy an L48 thinking it digs deeper than the newer model L47. And they may have changed it, or it may actually be exactly the same and just measured differently. (I have no idea in the case of the L47 vs L48 whether they did change it)

Interesting!
My L48 has a spec sheet listing of 11' dig.
The l47 has a spec sheet listing of 10' dig.
Who knows what the truth is?
It would seem though, that if the L47 has the same 11' dig as the L48, that they would want to promote it as such.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
7,842
5,065
113
Eastham, Ma
Sometimes they genuinely changed the machine. Sometimes they just changed how they measured it.

When the measure/capacity goes up with no visible change to the machine, it usually means the marketing people got hold of it and decided to round up / measure optimistically.

When the measure/capacity goes down with no visible change to the machine, it usually means that an engineer decided to follow an actual standard for how to measure things, instead of marketing just making it up.

An example here is that the BX23x0 rated HP went down between the 70 and 80 series. 23hp in the 70 series, 21.6hp in the 80 series. So far as I can tell nothing changed about the machine. They just decided to measure it accurately.

My boat from the manufacturer claims 430hp. The submission they make to the California air standards commission claims 400hp. It's an LT 6.2L motor, it's unlikely it's making 430hp, that's just someone in marketing getting excited. No doubt they measured it with everything disconnected (no alternator, no water pump etc etc). They're not exactly lying, but it's not exactly honest either.

The real trick here is determining whether something did actually change, or whether just the way they measure changed. So you might buy an L48 thinking it digs deeper than the newer model L47. And they may have changed it, or it may actually be exactly the same and just measured differently. (I have no idea in the case of the L47 vs L48 whether they did change it)
Comparing a new L48 to a new L47 is actually a moot point.
The last L48 was built in 2009.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,413
1,339
113
NZ
Interesting!
My L48 has a spec sheet listing of 11' dig.
The l47 has a spec sheet listing of 10' dig.
Who knows what the truth is?
It would seem though, that if the L47 has the same 11' dig as the L48, that they would want to promote it as such.
And I have no idea of the reality.

With the BX I know the engine didn't change, so the change in rated HP is just a change in measurement technique, it's actually the same engine.

I give the L47 vs L48 comparison as one where potentially the backhoe is substantially different - i.e. it's actually a different backhoe with very different measurements. Certainly the amount of difference would suggest that. I could go chasing a parts book to see if that's the case, but it's not really the point.