I have a 2015 L3901 HST with 287 hours on it. The tractor makes a whining noise when accelerating. The whine stops when the tractor is up to speed with no load on it. The whine is loud enough that it drowns out the engine noise. There is no whine when operating the backhoe or loader. All filters and fluids have been replaced with no change. There was no sign of metal in the oil. I bought this tractor used with 86 hours on it, and the tractor has made the tractor has made this noise since I have owned it. I was thinking it could be a relief valve passing, but not sure. Any ideas?
L3901 HST transmission whine
- Thread starter Walter C.
- Start date
I have an L2501 HST and was concerned about the loud whine. The local Kubota mechanic assured me it was normal and said it would diminish over time. Perhaps my hearing will degrade over time and I'll just notice it less. It seems louder in the highest gearing range and higher speeds are noisier than low speeds. I appreciate the tip about SUDT fluid. I'll try that when I change the hydraulic fluid.
My L3200 has a loud whine even after going to SUDT2. Before building the cab I needed ear protection if I wore a wide brimmed hat. It seemed the noise bounced off the brim and was magnified. The noise wasn't too bad if I skipped the hat or wore a baseball cap.
With the homebrew cab on, the noise is worse and ear protection is a must. Using the factory cab on the L4240 is quite pleasant without ear protection.
With the homebrew cab on, the noise is worse and ear protection is a must. Using the factory cab on the L4240 is quite pleasant without ear protection.
HooperHill
New member
Equipment
Kubota L3901, Landpride RCF2060, Meteor Snow Blower, Kuhn 60" Rototiller
Yes, I have to agree. I have had 8 other tractors and my new L3901 is by far the loudest of any of them. The high-pitch whine of the HST is annoying. That said, it really is my only complaint with the tractor. I've taken to wearing ear protection and just enjoying all of the amazing jobs that I can do with it. I'm only 20 hours in, but field mowing, rototilling and bucket work have been just fantastic.
I'll be curious to see if the tractor gets a little less whiny as its broken in. Otherwise, I'll just be living with it.
I'll be curious to see if the tractor gets a little less whiny as its broken in. Otherwise, I'll just be living with it.
I have a 3301 that now has 30 hours on it .. The whine is very loud like mentioned above . I guess that at the 50 hour service I will change to the SUDT2 .. The noise is deafening ..
HST's will make noise. Noise is normal. That said, UDT will make them a little louder. Super UDT2 quiets them a little. The more you load the HST (high gear, pulling a load, etc) the more noise it'll make. Standard L series (L2501/3301/3901/4701) doesn't have the fancy stuff that quiets the HST down like the GRAND L series does, because of cost. Sure it could have been more refined but the cost of the tractor would also increase. If you are not seeing any "slippage" or metal in the oil, I see no reason to worry with it.
This is where I think the Deere 2038R beats Kubota in this class and size of tractor. However Kubota runs circles around Deere in the large compact tractor class.
From all I’ve heard, more whine happens if you are trying to accelerate fast in too high of a gear. Try pushing the treddle down less when you are starting out.
The 2038R is not this class of tractor. Even the standard L is much more tractor.
It’s hard to find a direct comparison since it’s not considered the same size. However, if you look at the specs for a LX3310 vs 2032R, you can see some of the reasons. https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/defa...etitive-comparison-2020.pdf?sfvrsn=bc470510_2
Of course, if you think B, LX and Standard L are the same class then I guess the 2032R and 2038R are as well. Good works tractor did a comparision of B2601, B2650 and a 2025R. It shows the R being quite a bit smaller than the B2650.
The JD 2025R is direct competition for the Kubota BX series not the B or LX series.
SDT
My 3901 with SUDT and 455 hours still whines. With a cab on it's louder. Hearing protection is a must. High range is by far the loudest.
The LX vs R comparison was Kubota’s not mine like Good Works comparing the Bs to R. My guess is they know what comparisions people make whether valid or not. For those of you who don’t know Good Works guy is generally a JD fan.
Fwiw, Tractor Time with Tim made an extensive comparison in several videos between the 1025R and the BX. The BX didn’t come out so well with his metrics with the 1025R “winning” most comparisons. I’d have to imagine that the 2025R with his same comparisions would make the gap between the BX and 2025R even larger. I’m not saying I agree, but that was what “he” found.
Any way, the JD lines and Kubota lines don’t map very well no matter which comparisions anyone tries to make. Most people can get a smaller/bigger tractor of the other brand to do similar work, but of course,. that goes if you even stayed in the Orange brand.
The way I see it is the 2038R compares to the 3901 in frame size and horsepower. I agree that they are not direct comparisons because the standard L series tractors are economy tractors and the R series tractors are deluxe models in Deere's lineup. Maybe the LX 3310 is a better comparison since that is Kubota's deluxe series tractors in a medium frame size.