Go BottomL3130 The right tractor
 | LesserWeevil
Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 4 New Hampshire 
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2004-08-07 92932
>>Moved from "Price" thread.<<
I have been looking at Kioti, but I thought I'd take a look at Kubota, so I went to the dealer today.
I have 8 acres, mostly woods, mostly hilly and rocky, a small lawn (mostly gardens by now), and a small pasture with sheep, goats and a donkey in it.
I need something to gather firewood which would include light skidding of logs (One at a time is fine, though I do have some 20" pines I'd like to move at 16 feet length), move snow, repair a septic system (not a complete redo), move manure (out of a paddock and into a spreader, a smallish old ground-driven one), and turn more of my woods into pasture. I have no need to mow grass. My woods are pretty hilly, so things are tight, and stability is an issue. My most immediate concern is working in the woods to pull firewood and clear for grazing.
I would like to have something that would handle a BH later, though I don't think I'll be able to afford one now.
The dealer recommended the L3130 with the LA723 loader. It's a little heavier than the Kioti LK3054 and CK30 I've been looking at, has about the same power, and a significantly more powerful loader. I looked at the B7800: same power, but a lot lighter and with a weaker loader. I didn't think it was up to the job, but...who knows
I was quoted 17965 for the 3130 with the LA723, loaded Ags, engine heater, bucket hooks. (Gear with synchro shuttle: "DT" model, not GST, not Hydro. I don't need the GST, and I don't want the Hydro.
I'm curious about the price, but mainly I'm wondering if this is the right size/weight/power for what I want. I don't care much about PTO power, but I do care about skidding logs, the strength of the loader, and a tractor nimble enough to get around in some fairly tight woods (This last is a little contradictory re the first two, I know.)
So, what about this tractor and, if you happen to know, is the price a reasonable one: it's a good dealership, and I don't mind paying a little (a little) extra for that
Thanks, for any help you can give.
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 | kwschumm
Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 5764 NW Oregon 
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2004-08-07 92933
I have a JD 4310 (about the same size and power as an L3130) which I use on hilly, forested land and I wouldn't want anything larger when driving around the trees so I think you're looking in the right size range. I don't skid logs that are anywhere near 20" diameter (mine are 8" max) and am thinking if you need to do that often a 3830 would be better suited if it would do it at all (I don't know). Have your dealer set your tires at their widest setting for stability. ....
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| LesserWeevil
Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 4 New Hampshire
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2004-08-07 92934
Thanks for replying. Most of the trees are 6" to 14". I wouldn't want to get too big a tractor just to move the few trees that are bigger than 14". They make pretty good looking shade trees anyway, and becuse of where they've grown, competing with ash and maple trees, the branches start way up there, and grass will grow underneath, I think.
I'm more concerned with getting (safely) around than I am with grabbing every board foot, so maybe the 3130 is about right. ....
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 | Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
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2004-08-07 92935
You can make do with the L3130 but I agree with Ken's remarks about the L3830. They are right on the mark, especially if you are planning on doing any amount of skidding. Go REAL heavy on the wheel weights and or filled tires. You are going to need it when you skid. I have run into the weight vs traction loss issue on more than one occasion. I would suggest the R1 agricultural tires. I have the R4 industrial tires on my 4410 which do well all around but are not as well suited to really muddy or high traction demand conditions. You will appreciate the extra hp over the life and uses of the L3830. I understand that there must be a balance struck between the wallet and the goodies. Get the L3830 if you can swing it. ....
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 | grassgod
Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 566 ct 
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2004-08-07 92946
Lesser - That is a good price you were given. I have a L3130 with GST with the LA723 loader. I have a grapple for skidding. That laoder is amazingly strong. I have lifted things with it that I didnt think I would be able to. You will probably be able to move those larger logs but you'll have to travel really slow in a low gear. When I skid I always have my BH on so be extremely careful without. The L3130 wont disapiont you! ....
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| jrestill
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 28 Page County Virginia
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2004-08-08 92961
All I can say is I'm certainly not disappointed with my 3130hst, just turned over 50 hours and parked for a day or so until i can get to the servicing. can't wait to get it back in service.
Almost all my work sounds similar to what you talk about, working on hillside, heavy into clearing, digging stumps and so forth.
Haven't really skidded yet, but have done a couple experimental lifts of stacked fallen logs with the 723 loader and am really impressed with what it will do.
The key thing is to GO SLOW on hills, which brings me to final point. You seem to be dead set against HST and sure you have your good reasons to that. But to me, as an inexperienced operator, I'm glad I followed a lot of advice on this thread and went with the HST, mainly from the safety aspect. It is so easy to do things at creep speed and I find that important when I'm horsing around heavy stuff and trying to keep all four wheels on the ground at the same time.
Bottom line is I'm amazed at what my 3130 will do. Better than I ever expected. ....
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2004-08-08 92980
I see no reason to go to a 3830 here for anything that you have brought up. The pulling power is nearly identical between the two so why spend the extra money. I ythink that you would be suprised with what you can do. I've seen BX's pull 16" by 12' butternut tree's up hills and never get tired but will have to use low range. ....
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 | shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 848 Wisconsin 
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2004-08-09 93016
Lesser,
It sound like you have about the same needs as I do. I've got the 3130DT with 723 loader and have skidded quite a few logs with it that are about the same size as you have. I rarely needed more power. The trees were skidded out full length then limbed and topped at the landing. I also have a "poor man's grapple" that I fabricated to pile logs that you can see on my pix. This works great and was cheap to put together.
Have fun,
Dave ....
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 | jarndt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 351 Northern Virginia
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2004-08-09 93044
I can verify Art's BX comment. Remember Isabel? I lost the upper half of a hard maple tree where the trunk forked. The "branch" was about 14" across at the base and about 30' long with a lot of smaller branches. I dragged it out of the woods with my BX1500 to a place where I could easily saw it up. It was working fairly hard, but handled the job nevertheless. I wouldn't worry about horsepower as much as weight. Traction and stability will be the key issue. ....
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