L3560 Hydro Cab Power

[ItBmine]

Are owners of Grand L3560 hydro cab tractors happy with the power?

I've been grading my bushroad with my B2620 and I have two pretty good hills there. My B will pull my 60" Land Pride box blade up hill but after a while the hydro whine is enough to make me wonder if I am asking too much of it? The engine temp never gets higher than normal.

 

[TripleR]

No direct experience, but we originally considered an open station 3540 as we really liked the size, but when we decided to go with a cab, I figured to get good performance I would need to get more HP. If I wanted the performance of a 3560, I'd buy at least a L4060.

Sheepfarmer has a 3560, so she can give you some first hand knowledge and experience.

 

[ItBmine]

No direct experience, but we originally considered an open station 3540 as we really liked the size, but when we decided to go with a cab, I figured to get good performance I would need to get more HP. If I wanted the performance of a 3560, I'd buy at least a L4060.

Sheepfarmer has a 3560, so she can give you some first hand knowledge and experience.

I like the smaller, narrower footprint of the 3560. I searched a bunch of threads and it seems some say they are underpowered and some say they have more than enough, LOL.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I love my 3560 and it has plenty of power for everything I do. I do not have a box blade, but with the rear blade and the bucket in the snow I run out of traction before I run out of power. I have never actually needed to use low range for anything, and pushing into a big manure pile and trying to lift a big bucket of wet stuff, the only time it objected I had the throttle too low. It runs the flail mower off the pto in 3 feet of weeds and brambles no problem. There are a lot of features and settings to do with the hst and auto throttle that up the power when needed, and I am not sure I completely understand how to use them, since I haven't needed them. There is a button on the joystick that adds power to make the fel go faster independent of tractor speed and throttle setting.

That said, I have stayed within the guidelines of implement size and weight in the owner's manual. Some of us are not sure why Kubota is fairly conservative on those issues. A lot of folks say they have exceeded those sizes with no problem, but maybe that is risky.

My manual says for box blade 65 inches and 880 lbs for both the 3560 and the 4060. If that is big enough for what you want I would be confident it would work. Above that maybe, maybe not.

It is a nice tractor.

 

[TripleR]

I like the smaller, narrower footprint of the 3560. I searched a bunch of threads and it seems some say they are underpowered and some say they have more than enough, LOL.

That was one of the things we initially liked about it, but having owned and still owning tractors from 22 to 85HP and running out of power on some of he30ish HP machines and finding the bigger ones didn't fit some places, we settled on the 5740 which really seemed too big at first.

Our concern was the amount of power the added weight and AC would take away from the 3540 putting its power down to that of a 3240 or less.

Many people are happy with that size/power machine as attested to by Sheepfarmer, I've just never heard anyone say, "boy, I've got too much power", but sever, "boy I wish I had gone bigger with more power". One was my father in law who traded his in after less than a month and it sure wasn't cheap. Fortunately for him my mother in law never knew.

 

[sheepfarmer]

I wondered about the cab and AC, which I do not have. There are a couple people on the forum with 4060 and 5060 cabs, and they might comment.

I assume though that the horsepower is not affected if the AC is off? Not an option in Missouri, but maybe Canada? I know my Honda Fit slows down noticeably when I turn the AC on.

 

[Bluegill]

35 is not much HP for a cab rig with AC & hydro. There have been some complaints. I'd go more HP with a cab.

 

[TripleR]

I wondered about the cab and AC, which I do not have. There are a couple people on the forum with 4060 and 5060 cabs, and they might comment.

I assume though that the horsepower is not affected if the AC is off? Not an option in Missouri, but maybe Canada? I know my Honda Fit slows down noticeably when I turn the AC on.

With all that glass running an AC really isn't optional, I often have to run mine even in the winter because of engine heat and the sun heating it up.

Another concern we had that others may not is the decline in stability of a cab on a smaller tractor as we have a lot of hills and levies.

I'm certainly not knocking the tractor as we really liked them, just throwing out some food for thought.

 

[ItBmine]

OK, thanks for the oppinions. My B2620 does what I need it to do, and since the width of the 3560 would allow me to keep my 60" box blade, I just didn't want to find out that it would be weaker than my B once you factor in the weight of the cab and the AC running.
Not sure if I want to trade up in size or not yet. Totally happy with my B.
Just thinking of the future as I get older. Right now I don't mind snowblowing in the cold on an open station at all. Actually enjoy it at times. But that may not always be the case, lol.

I actually don't know how you southern States folks do it.......we had a couple days of 100*F plus days here and I was praying for snow.

 

[TripleR]

I don't blame you for waiting and it sure pays to do plenty of research. When I was younger, I didn't really care for cabs.

 

[ItBmine]

I figure when the time comes, skip over the B cab and go right to the Grand L.
More than I need, but I sure like them.

 

[Cal270]

My first tractor was a L3800.
I liked its size and power.
After plowing in -20F in the winter of 2013, decided to get a cab Kubota.
The difference between the 3560hstc and 4060hstc was $2500.
I was concern about the cab weight difference and then a/c ...
For a difference of $2500 , bought the 4060hstc.
4060 is a larger tractor and I do notice the additional power.
2 weeks ago rebuilt backstop birms at a rifle club I belong to. Moved 125 yards of sand in warm temps. Glad I had the cab and larger size tractor.
I would get a price on the 3560 and 4060 then decide from there.
Did ballast the rear tires with RimGuard.....without it the tractor felt tippy..
Good luck! I sweated my decision out for a month....