Kubota L3200 horsepower deficiency?

[Rosohatica]

Hi, as some of you already know, I am on the edge of buying used Kubota L3200. Just today I figured its the same size tractor as the new model they are selling L1-382. I thought L3200 had smaller chasis. Since they are the same size, I gotta ask - does L3200 has too little HP to run such a big tractor? I know "more is better "motto prevails, but will I run into problems with HP and PTO HP if I get L3200? For instance not being able to run wide enough tiller to cover the tire tracks or such? Thanks.

 

[old and tired]

So the L3200 is the upgraded model from my L2800 (actually, there was the L2800 "extra power" in 2008 - it added 1 HP) L3200 has 2 more HP than that.

I run a 60 inch tiller with no problem (width of tractor is 63" but no one was selling a used 66" tiller at the time). The problem is that I have a HST (hydrstatic transmission) and can move at a snail's pace with the tiller - with your manual transmission, I don't know how slow you can go.

What's your soil like? Tilling up virgin soil is much harder than what's been cultivated already. Also, if you can plow, subsoil or disk it up first, to break the soil up.... it's easier to till broken ground. You'll just have to approach it differently with less HP.

I think you said something about tight spaces... HST shines the best in tight spaces. Are there not any hydrostatic drives in Europe? What's the price tag of the L1-382 ?

 

[Rosohatica]

Hi, the soil is thick and greasy. But I do plow beforehand. Tilling is hard with B1402 despite, and the tiller is as wide as the tractor. L3200 would work great with the same narrow tiller (40 inch), but I am afraid if I get tiller as wide as the L3200 tractor (66 inch), I will have the same problem as I have with B1402, which is one of the reasons I am upgrading.

Yeah I could buy a new tractor with HST. But used EU or USA market Kubotas in general are a rare find around here. Let alone HST. You can get gray market Kubota no problem ( like I have now B1402).
New L1-382 costs around $26 000 here. Used L3200 with 80 working hours, 2,5 ton kipper trailer and cultivator I can get for $20 000.

So the L3200 is the upgraded model from my L2800 (actually, there was the L2800 "extra power" in 2008 - it added 1 HP) L3200 has 2 more HP than that.

I run a 60 inch tiller with no problem (width of tractor is 63" but no one was selling a used 66" tiller at the time). The problem is that I have a HST (hydrstatic transmission) and can move at a snail's pace with the tiller - with your manual transmission, I don't know how slow you can go.

What's your soil like? Tilling up virgin soil is much harder than what's been cultivated already. Also, if you can plow, subsoil or disk it up first, to break the soil up.... it's easier to till broken ground. You'll just have to approach it differently with less HP.

I think you said something about tight spaces... HST shines the best in tight spaces. Are there not any hydrostatic drives in Europe? What's the price tag of the L1-382 ?

 

[PaulL]

The L1-382 looks to be a good machine. It's a genuine Kubota, not the Mitsubishi based "Kubota" that someone (you?) posted a week or so ago. 1800cc engine and 38hp is a quite a lot. If you can afford it, it's a lot better than the 15+ yr old machines you've been looking at. And you could get an HST.

In reality, any of these machines are a big upgrade on your B1402 - they have twice as much HP or more, and for tilling none of that HP is being used to move the machine around, you're hardly moving. If you put a twice as big tiller on, then of course you'll be no better off.

Look at it this way. You have a 40 inch tiller with 14 hp. So you have 0.35hp per inch. If you get a 66 inch tiller with 32hp, then you have 0.48hp per inch. That's 40% more HP per inch. If you get a 66 inch tiller with 38hp, then you'll have 0.58hp per inch, or 65% more HP per inch. If you put the 40 inch tiller on the 38hp tractor, you'll have 0.95hp per inch, or 2.7x as much HP per inch as today.

Of course, a 60 or 66 inch tiller will also till deeper, so it's not quite as simple as dividing the width by the HP. But you're definitely in the ballpark.

If it were me, I'd get either the L3200 or the L1-382, and get a tiller around 60-66 inch. You'll have more power per inch, and a bigger machine. It should work fine given you've got quite a bit more power per inch. Worst case, just keep running the 40 inch, you should be able to till anything you want.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

It’s really hard for me to make suggestion as I am really not familiar with your soil or the machines you are looking at. What I would mention is I have a B2650 and it handles a 58” landpride reverse rotation tiller just fine (it’s used in rocky clay sand soil). Somtimes on virgin plot I have to make a couple passes or slow down/not take so much per pass. But it runs it just fine. I also have a MX with a 74” reverse rotation and it’s sort of a different animal…even in virgin plot I still need make multiple passes. I personally would not be worried about the L3200 running a 60 or 66” tiller, but I really don’t know myself. (I would think 5hp / feet width is a good starting ratio but I really don’t know)

If one of your main purpose is tilling…If worried about buying to little machine for tilling to your expectation, I’d try to find a neighbor that has similar soil to yours and has a machine / tiller combo that operates to your expectation (power wise) and then see what the ratio of PTO HP to width of tiller is…look for something in that area. Or if the machine you trying to buy comes with tiller, ask if you can try it.

as far as tilling there are some things you can do to help:

1. Make sure soil is correct moisture level…this makes a huge difference….it really does and also will help with nice fine seedbed.

2. If virgin plot, and worried about power, scrape the sod off first before tilling.

3. Don’t take so much each pass when tilling.

4. You could use a cultivator or chisel plow first? Also in lieu of a tiller maybe a disc?

if doing all those things and not happy with result, time to pay the piper.

Good luck.

 

[Rosohatica]

Good day.

It’s really hard for me to make suggestion as I am really not familiar with your soil or the machines you are looking at. What I would mention is I have a B2650 and it handles a 58” landpride reverse rotation tiller just fine (it’s used in rocky clay sand soil). Somtimes on virgin plot I have to make a couple passes or slow down/not take so much per pass. But it runs it just fine. I also have a MX with a 74” reverse rotation and it’s sort of a different animal…even in virgin plot I still need make multiple passes. I personally would not be worried about the L3200 running a 60 or 66” tiller, but I really don’t know myself. (I would think 5hp / feet width is a good starting ratio but I really don’t know)

If one of your main purpose is tilling…If worried about buying to little machine for tilling to your expectation, I’d try to find a neighbor that has similar soil to yours and has a machine / tiller combo that operates to your expectation (power wise) and then see what the ratio of PTO HP to width of tiller is…look for something in that area. Or if the machine you trying to buy comes with tiller, ask if you can try it.

as far as tilling there are some things you can do to help:

1. Make sure soil is correct moisture level…this makes a huge difference….it really does and also will help with nice fine seedbed.

2. If virgin plot, and worried about power, scrape the sod off first before tilling.

3. Don’t take so much each pass when tilling.

4. You could use a cultivator or chisel plow first? Also in lieu of a tiller maybe a disc?

if doing all those things and not happy with result, time to pay the piper.

Good luck.

Hi, thanks a lot for your thoughts. Yes I do use chisel plow first, so I guess it would be ok.