New here first post

[Lowlysubaruguy]

I own two Kubotas now. A B7800 30 Hp and a L4701 40HP both with what im calling quick disconnect backhoes.

I need another tractor. Thought I wanted an excavator but I rented a B26 tractor from Home Depot for a month and figured out I have more need of a tractor then the size excavator Id end up with. I’ll either rent a much larger excavator or hire someone to do this type of work.

Having 1500 hours tractor experience I thought I knew about tractors. WELL UGH. I headed to the Kubota dealer. And looked into purchasing a new tractor here. My first impression of the B26 was it’s just a little low on HP for my needs but I like this size or id just ship my L4701 here and find something back home. But I really want something a little smaller here. Was looking at the L3902 39HP. Funny not to talk smack about dealers but they had that unit and all attachments but one item in stock and unspoken and all they didnt have was a box scraper. I came home uninformed and without a new tractor. Instead of the sales guys putting that thing in my hands that day i left with no actual price or much information short of one tid bit about the B26 being slightly stronger in some aspects than other tractors in that HP and size.

So I did some digging the B26 is more construction oriented and has some things that are interesting to me even though its lower on power than id like. Then i read about differnt types of drives loader operations and one thing that im really looking for answers on. The main uses of this unit will be the loader bucket a grappling attachment and a box scraper while I will use the backhoe often enough to cover the costs its probably the least used item on it for me. What tractor in this size around 30 HP ish will allow a fairly easy removal of the backhoe and installation of the 3 point hitch. I can tell you the L4701 is much easier to perform this task on than my B7800 but the B26 looks like it’s much more time consuming to swap out? Any information here is great.

Now that my rental is almost over both my son and I think we could be happy with a B26 if the backhoe could have a thumb and also be removed and a 3 point hitch installed fairly easy. i will most likely buy new it seems there really are no used units with all the attachments for sale that are low hours or low enough in price. With Kubotas low interest and warrantee on a new unit saving $6000 on a $60K purchase for something out or almost out of warrantee that I have to pay cash for isnt worthwhile and by the time I load a used one up with the accessories I want well I should just order a new one.

 

[PaulL]

The B26 is a heavier duty B2601. One key difference is that the loader is not removable, and I think I recall no mid-PTO so no MMM.

Options are:
- B26. The backhoe comes off and you can mount a 3pt hitch kit. I don't know how hard this is, but I have a B2601 and nothing about the 3pt linkages looks hard, I believe it's the same
- B2601. The loader comes off which may be useful for some tasks. ,It's the same base tractor, but a bit less heavy duty. Not sure if it's the same backhoe
- LX2610 or LX3x20. A little bigger than the B, and I think I recall the backhoe has a greater range of swing. I think the B2601 (and maybe the B26) are restricted in angle of swing, and some people find that to be a big compromise. I think I recall the LX and the small L have the same backhoe.
- L2502, or L3302. The L4701 you have is the oddball L, it's actually a bigger frame than the lower HP L series (where's @Cathy Liebchen when you need her?). The L costs about the same as the LX, but it's a bigger, heavier machine, and more of an economy build. It has more heft to it, so whilst on paper it looks similar to an LX, it's quite a bit more machine for your money.
- Grand-L (Lxx60). Not because it meets any of your desires - it's bigger than an L4701. But it's an awesome machine, so you should buy one.

 

[dgvallus]

I own two Kubotas now. A B7800 30 Hp and a L4701 40HP both with what im calling quick disconnect backhoes.

I need another tractor. Thought I wanted an excavator but I rented a B26 tractor from Home Depot for a month and figured out I have more need of a tractor then the size excavator Id end up with. I’ll either rent a much larger excavator or hire someone to do this type of work.

Having 1500 hours tractor experience I thought I knew about tractors. WELL UGH. I headed to the Kubota dealer. And looked into purchasing a new tractor here. My first impression of the B26 was it’s just a little low on HP for my needs but I like this size or id just ship my L4701 here and find something back home. But I really want something a little smaller here. Was looking at the L3902 39HP. Funny not to talk smack about dealers but they had that unit and all attachments but one item in stock and unspoken and all they didnt have was a box scraper. I came home uninformed and without a new tractor. Instead of the sales guys putting that thing in my hands that day i left with no actual price or much information short of one tid bit about the B26 being slightly stronger in some aspects than other tractors in that HP and size.

So I did some digging the B26 is more construction oriented and has some things that are interesting to me even though its lower on power than id like. Then i read about differnt types of drives loader operations and one thing that im really looking for answers on. The main uses of this unit will be the loader bucket a grappling attachment and a box scraper while I will use the backhoe often enough to cover the costs its probably the least used item on it for me. What tractor in this size around 30 HP ish will allow a fairly easy removal of the backhoe and installation of the 3 point hitch. I can tell you the L4701 is much easier to perform this task on than my B7800 but the B26 looks like it’s much more time consuming to swap out? Any information here is great.

Now that my rental is almost over both my son and I think we could be happy with a B26 if the backhoe could have a thumb and also be removed and a 3 point hitch installed fairly easy. i will most likely buy new it seems there really are no used units with all the attachments for sale that are low hours or low enough in price. With Kubotas low interest and warrantee on a new unit saving $6000 on a $60K purchase for something out or almost out of warrantee that I have to pay cash for isnt worthwhile and by the time I load a used one up with the accessories I want well I should just order a new one.

I can tell you that the thumb on the backhoe of a B26 is a great addition and once you've done it a time or two, you can have the backhoe off or on in under 10 minutes. It's really only two pins and two hydraulic connections: reattaching is significantly easier with a second set of eyes as the visibility to the lower mounts isn't great from the seat.

 

[dirtydeed]

Pretty much all of the Kubota backhoes attach nearly the same way (2 pins and the cradle). So, swapping over to 3 point is quite easy. Same would apply to the TLB series (B26, L47 etc) with a fixed loader on those TLB series.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

Personally if plan to hire work out and want a BH, I would get a BH for a smaller sized machine like a B and leave the big work to a pro.

That said if you have an L I believe as BH92 would fit and you’d have one less machine to maintain.

Just a thought.

Oh yeah, welcome.

 

[PaulL]

Personally if plan to hire work out and want a BH, I would get a BH for a smaller sized machine like a B and leave the big work to a pro.

That said if you have an L I believe as BH92 would fit and you’d have one less machine to maintain.

Just a thought.

Oh yeah, welcome.

I think the new tractor is for a new location.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I think the new tractor is for a new location.

I’m not sure…I did not understand the ‘shipping’ and ‘here’ comments.

Nothing wrong with having an extra L470x IMO.

A Pair and a spare…now that’s the way to roll.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

The B26 is a heavier duty B2601. One key difference is that the loader is not removable, and I think I recall no mid-PTO so no MMM.

Options are:
- B26. The backhoe comes off and you can mount a 3pt hitch kit. I don't know how hard this is, but I have a B2601 and nothing about the 3pt linkages looks hard, I believe it's the same
- B2601. The loader comes off which may be useful for some tasks. ,It's the same base tractor, but a bit less heavy duty. Not sure if it's the same backhoe
- LX2610 or LX3x20. A little bigger than the B, and I think I recall the backhoe has a greater range of swing. I think the B2601 (and maybe the B26) are restricted in angle of swing, and some people find that to be a big compromise. I think I recall the LX and the small L have the same backhoe.
- L2502, or L3302. The L4701 you have is the oddball L, it's actually a bigger frame than the lower HP L series (where's @Cathy Liebchen when you need her?). The L costs about the same as the LX, but it's a bigger, heavier machine, and more of an economy build. It has more heft to it, so whilst on paper it looks similar to an LX, it's quite a bit more machine for your money.
- Grand-L (Lxx60). Not because it meets any of your desires - it's bigger than an L4701. But it's an awesome machine, so you should buy one.

I keep running into the gutter it seems. I may re think the whole event ship my L4701 over here and buy a used tractor to replace the L4701 back home when I find something with the right implements and the right price. I seem to think I need at least 30 plus HP even though a smaller tractor is appealing the largest area here will benefit from the larger tractor. I can get by without that tractor back home for a while at least I think but there are no used tractors here for sale that I would buy but back home there are options and I am not limited in a short range either,.

 

[D2Cat]

I’m not sure…I did not understand the ‘shipping’ and ‘here’ comments.

Nothing wrong with having an extra L470x IMO.

A Pair and a spare…now that’s the way to roll.

I'm thinking the OP may be in Hawaii. "Big Island" is only clue!

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

i live a complex life. It’s not even that exciting. This tractor is needed on the big island of Hawaii. There are very few used tractors, while a new tractor is an option it’s a very slow process and about 20% more money for the same thing back in the states. And i need a third tractor so just shipping one of my current tractors here still leaves me in need of another.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

yes it’s The Big Island of Hawaii. It’s funny i remember my first tractor purchase I was so happy dead broke 1/2 into the build of one of my shops. Then I figured a few things out. There’s some things.

tractor dealers three months later it’s ready you know the day the last snow of the year was melted enough you don’t need it.

tractor stuck
means your tractors stuck your trucks stuck mud exists in places you can’t even imagine

tractors to small
gotta borrow or rent something bigger to finish what you started.

tractor work.
you buy a tractor thinking about how much easier everything will be, but quickly realize you’ve never physically worked this hard in your life.

tractor wives
for some reason they think because they allowed you to buy a tractor that things just magically happen. I’m an enabler my wife she’s a visionary. Chicken coops greenhouses the sky’s the limit funny how it starts 24” below grade.

 

[McMXi]

@Lowlysubaruguy welcome to the forum. I lived on Oahu for 24 years with about 18 months off island during that time. I've spent a LOT of time on the Big Island for work, both as a welder/diver in Hilo and then later as a research engineer going to the volcano and Mauna Loa many times a year. So where are you located on the Big Island? Waimea perhaps?

I would think that you could get around the 20% surcharge or reduce it significantly by buying up here (CONUS) and shipping the tractor to Hawaii. I shipped many cars back and forth and my friend on Oahu who owns Advanced Towing and Recovery is constantly shipping large items in such as rotator trucks.