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Buying L48

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coldblueice
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 3 Vermont
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2004-12-18          102469

I'm new to this forum. I'm thinking of buying an L48 Loader/Backhoe setup - will be used initially to do site work on a new house, then maybe for hire on small jobs. It is a 2002 model coming of of a a rental fleet with 650 hours. I can get it for 27k. Retails for over 40k new. It is in great condition and has been serviced regularly due to it's rental status. Based on all the research I did this seems like a fair deal. I'd welcome any feedback.
Thanks


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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-12-18          102471

Depending on the rental yard I often throw caution to buyers of rental equipemnt although it sometimes might be in better shape then from an adusive owner. They are a great machine and work very well. I do hope you have the time to do the whole job quickly enough as to excavate a basement depending on the size needed could be done quite quickly with a large excavator and a dozer in a day for a small investment. After that is done the need for a large machine is not so great. ....

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denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2004-12-18          102478

I agree with Art on the rental issue. Usually they are very well maintained by the yard but how they are used when rented can be very abusive. We bought a 48, but I cant remember the year and there were loader problems. ....

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denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2004-12-18          102479

The tractor made in Japan was fine but the loader was US and very poor hydraulic design. So bad I still have phone number for a Kubota engineer in my wallet. When the loader is in float, the bucket has no roll out power, not even enough to pick up the floating boom. A real pain when trying to backdrag and adjust the angle. They tried several times to fix it and never succeeded. I know newer 48 had a different looking valve so they may have fixed it. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-12-20          102586

There were some issues on the valve when first introduced the L-48 and they were quick to give us options on how to fix them. It really depended on the use and desired type of use as to the remedy. ....

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lamarbur
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 93 Ma/Ct state area
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2004-12-20          102588

I have to agree with "it depends on the rental yard".. I went and looked at a 48 in Rhode Island,,, It was an 03 model and looked worse than the 65 Ford 5000 I got rid of... The Ford 5K had about 8 owners in its lifetime and was beat beyond any usefull purpose.. The 48 I looked at was a hundred times worse than the old Ford. For all practical purpose, that dealer who took it on trade will probably use it for parts, To rebuild all that was wrong, would be cheaper to buy a new one... I am sure this is not the norm, or at least I hope it is not., Most rental yards should do, nad maintain their fleets a lot better than what I looked at.. ....

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coldblueice
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 3 Vermont
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2004-12-20          102638

Do you recall if the 2002 model had the same problem, or was it fixed in that model year? Is there a way to find out? Thanks. ....

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denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2004-12-20          102639

I would assume you will try the machine before plunking down some green for the orange. Just pop the boom into float and roll the bucket out. if it lifts the boom up, there isn't a problem. If it pulses or goes very slowly, it is a problem. that is the only complaint I had for a great, powerful machine. It has about 500 hours now and only had PTO fail. ???? Quick fix but cost a coulple hundred. ....

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lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
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2004-12-20          102644

The 2002 L48 has a self leveling bucket so you don't dump dirt on your head, BUT, it self levels when you try to back drag too. That is when it's a pain in the A double S. Other then that it's a great,tough,powerfull machine. ....

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coldblueice
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 3 Vermont
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2004-12-21          102650

I'd like to thank everyone for their advice. If I end up buying the tractor, I'll let you know how it turned out. ....

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denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2004-12-21          102655

The fact that it is self leveling hydraulically (It only levels going up)rather than mechanically, is where I believe the engineering failed. . Somehow in the valve, it won't allow power to be applied down on the bucket when boom is in float. I can't believe Kubota would allow this problem to continue too long given their great reputation. On our machine, they could not correct it with 2 shop visits and we gave up. Sometimes it is not easy to battle the big boys when you are busy with life. They tried changing orifices which required adding a adjustable valve so as not to dump umcontrolably. It did nothing good, just made the potential to have the valve set wrong and be dangerous. ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-12-21          102687

The self leveling system can be eliminated to take care of that problem. We did that on some early units. ....

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denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2004-12-22          102740

That would have been a possibility, but at the time we did mostly heavy lifting and self leveling is so nice when you are lifting a 6' tall poorly stacked pallet of mulch. It was one considration for buying it. The next year the mulch got heavier and the 48 wouldn't budge it hydraulically so we bought the Kubota R520 with mechanical self leveling, and one of my partners took the 48 home to use on the farm. IMHO nothing lets Kubota off the hook for allowing us(the Americans) to embarass a perfectly good tractor with our no R&D loader valve. They could have just fixed it right. ....

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