L305dt owner - Upgrade to L345dt worth it?

[evantwheeler]

I have an L305dt that I've put about 40 hours in since buying it in April. I paid $12k for the tractor with box blade and L1720 FEL and a brush hog. I filled the rear tires with water and so far, the tractor has served me very well. Actually, the tractor has changed my life for the better, having accomplished many projects around the property that otherwise wouldn't/couldn't have been completed.

My main complaints with the tractor.
1. the L1720 seems large & heavy for the L305
2. the L305 is too small for the L1720
3. shifting with the gear selector is annoying. I wish I could select a forward gear, and use a forward/reverse lever like some of the newer tractors, while still having a manual gearbox.

I am so happy that I didn't settle for a smaller "yard" tractor, as my primary use is for moving dirt and loading heavy things into a dump trailer. The 305 is the smallest tractor I would want to have on hand.

I found what appears to be a nice L345dt for sale semi locally (4hr drive away) and they are asking $5k. No attachments, which is fine, because all of mine including the 4510 backhoe I picked up a few months ago will work with the L345 tractor frame. From studying Tractor Data, it appears I'll gain a couple hundred pounds of weight, 3 gpm of hydraulic flow (this is a huge bonus as the hydros are painfully slow on the 305/1720 FEL combo), and also larger tires, which could equate to even more weight/ballast with water filled tires. I think the 345 is a better fit for the 1720. I am a huge fan of the simplicity and mechanical nature of these older tractors. My 305 runs fantastic and has a new dual clutch, as well as new rubber, so there is nothing mechanically wrong that would lead me to upgrade. I just think that I would enjoy the larger tractor and wouldn't be stressing the components as hard as I am on the 305 with the kind of dirt moving that I've used it for.

Curious if anyone has experience with both tractors and could share relevant input/opinions?

Photos with the 305 in them, because everyone loves photos!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You're not going to gain a whole lot with that tractor model.
If you want an upgrade look at the 50 , 00, 10, 30, or 40 series as they are all much newer and are much better equipped.

 

[007kubotaguy]

The L1720 loader is a nice fit for the L345DT. It is a little big for the L305. The two tractors are basically the same other than one has a four-cylinder and one has a three cylinder engine. You will have bigger tires which will definitely help. Both are great machines. Is your loader running off the tractor hydraulics or does it have a front pump?

 

[evantwheeler]

The L1720 loader is a nice fit for the L345DT. It is a little big for the L305. The two tractors are basically the same other than one has a four-cylinder and one has a three cylinder engine. You will have bigger tires which will definitely help. Both are great machines. Is your loader running off the tractor hydraulics or does it have a front pump?

My loader is operated off the tractor hydraulics. The tractor did not come with the front pump or hydraulic reservoir on the side of the FEL frame.

The 345 is physically larger as well which would make the tractor feel more stable with a loaded bucket. Wolfman is probably right, but Im thinking this could be an upgrade with very little cash spend if I can sell the 305 after swapping over the FEL to the 345. I’ll have to do some research on the recommended series above and also some market research on what those tractors cost here locally.

Thanks for the input