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 | Elker_43
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4 California 
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2003-02-08 48867
Hi all,
This is my first post and I need some advice. I am retiring to Idaho and am in need of a tractor with a loader and backhoe. A very good backhoe is in order for my use, as I am building a home on a hillside overlooking Lake Coeur D'Alene. I have looked at many manufacturers and Kubota has become my first choice.
In looking at the various 25-35 hp models, I feel that the beefy L35 would be a better investment and yet will allow me the three point capabilities that the other "farm style" tractors will give me. Other than the cost, am I missing something?
If you have any experience with the L35 or can give me a better choice, I am open for your input...
Thanks in advance for your help.
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2003-02-08 48874
I would keep in mind that quite a bit of home building consists of one-time only jobs. It is possible that tractors appropriate for that work end up being too big and awkward for on-going work. Tractors do tend to be around for decades and it's good to keep them busy at what they do well. Smaller ones go places that big ones can't and they don't take as long to maneuver. They cost less too.
Supplementing what a tractor can do with a contractor for the heavier jobs result in a tractor that is more useful and less expensive in the long run. IN addition, a dozer and good operator in a day can prepare a building site or clear land that would take even a big compact weeks to do.
For back hoes and building, I'd be certain of all applicable codes for construction and utilities to make sure the hoe can dig deep enough. Hoes are usually rated at 2' bottoms. A 6' hoe can dig a 2' length of trench at 6'. That can mean a lot of time moving the tractor for jobs like footings. However, I'm retired so time is something I have and I like using my tractor a lot too. Since my tractor is a mid-sized compact I probably use it more than one that was big enough for me to avoid a few contractors. It is too big for yard mowing though.
For operations like footings and septic systems, and inspectors can be pretty particular. Footings are supposed to be on undisturbed ground. A gouge taken out of the bottom of a trench floor can cause a lot of trouble with some inspectors. Same with angles on septic system trenches. Sometimes a contractor can end up much less expensive than do it yourself jobs.
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| Elker_43
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4 California
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2003-02-08 48876
Tom,
Thanks for the post. I have already had a contractor install the septic and water. As far as the footings, a contractor will be completing those. I have an 18' dump trailer that is rated for 14,000 gros that I will be using with the tractor that I purchase. This dump trailer will be used to also move materials.
What I am buying a tractor for is the following:
1- Hillside work including terracing areas for parking and roads.
2- Tree removal including moving and transplanting trees up to 4 foot in height.
3- Using the loader with forks for unloading materials.
4- Winter time removal of snow with the loader.
5- Loading using the tractor and dump trailer with road base at other locations and eventual spreading the road base back on my property.
6- Using the tractor with 3-point implements such as a pull mower and scraper.
Is the L35 overkill? Would the L21 be a better choice? Is there another Kubota that I should look at and add a loader/backhoe?
I am not hard over on the L35 so I need some help to determine which model would be best for my applications. I know that I can hire much of this to be done, however, I will be retired so time is something that I will have.
$$ are also a consideration so I want something that will do the job but I do not want the tractor to be "light in the britches for the jobs I will be doing. ....
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-02-08 48879
Some of this decision should be based on the types of soil you will encounter. Big deeply embedded rocks might call for a bigger machine.
If a 6000 pound construction B/H is challenged by your soil type then you will most likely not be happy with the performance of any color 3000 pound machine.
On the other hand, looser soils can easily be excavated with pint sized backhoes and why spend $35K when you can get by with $16K ?
So it is a good idea to figure out what weight and horsepower class tractor works in that environment and see if you can scale down a bit from that point.
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| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley
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2003-02-09 48902
Sorry I can't help with comparing specific models. It was a few years since I shopped and then it was mostly by phone. We're in the deep country and no dealers of any kind are close. I'm just not up on different manufacturers and models.
There are a couple of conventional wisdoms that might help. The first is that small tractors do about the same jobs as big ones, it just takes longer. The second is to buy the biggest tractor for which the budget is comfortable. Few people regret having extra power. However, some good reasons to have a smaller tractor are: high-qualify finish mowing, tight maneuvering and need to work in heavy bush.
I see I made a wrong assumption and now I'm not sure how the backhoe fits in. Digging stumps maybe, although a heavy-duty rotary cutter probably would whack most of them and most stumps could be pulled unless they have tap-roots. A chain saw might be cheaper than a rotary-cutter for the whacking and of course wouldn't take the tractor HP required for a heavy-duty cutter (which is an argument for a big tractor). For terracing and landscaping in general, I a box scrapper or better yet is fancy blade with hydraulic tilts, angles, off-sets etc. (and especially end- plates) as doing the work rather than a hoe. For cutting side-grades such as terraces, level pads, road crowns etc. long blades are easier than short ones (another reason for bigger). I do all landscaping work with a box scraper with hydraulic top-link, but I don't have to cut extreme side-grades or ditch. If I did, a fancy blade would work better.
Our frost gets deep here. Well heads and lines are put in 5' deep, so I need my 6' hoe and 24 PTO HP tractor minimum (more arguments for bigger).
This is getting long but I'll carry on and put out one idea. If the idea is to unload pallets of building materials from delivery truck flatbeds with the tractor, very big is needed. You'd need a fancy pallet fork replacement for the bucket and many pallets still might be too heavy. I have similar needs but I have a 3ph forklift for that work since it is specifically designed for pallets and the unit also will carry more weight than a loader unit. I guess that's another argument for big, but the length of this post no doubt is an argument for small.
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| Ted at Abbeywoods, L
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-02-09 48919
Elker, I use an L35 and a CC 7275 in my landscaping business. The L35 is really in a class by itself, having a 1700# to full height lift on the FEL and a hoe with 5000# on the bucket and 3600# crowd on the dipper stick. Compare this to 2800# on the 7275's 407 hoe bucket, 2000# on its dipper stick, and 1200# lift on its 417 FEL. While the L35 is GST and the 7275 has an easier to use hydro, both work well for their intended purposes. I have no trouble going from one machine to the other, it would be nice to have an L35 with hydro like on the L48. The 7275's 407 (made by Woods) digs down to 7.5 ft with a two foot flat bottom, the L35's BT900 (made by Bradco for Kubota USA) digs down 9.5 ft with a two foot flat bottom. The BT900 control valves are silk and operation is smooth and easy to control with just a feather touch. The CC 407 has basic valves that take a novice many hours to master. The L35 is by far the better tractor, it is commercial grade as opposed to utility grade (with many practical differences, like self-leveling FEL bucket, too numerous to list here). What does this mean? Simply put, in everyday use the L35 will do more with less strain and repair than the 7275 or comparable utility tractor. The hoe on the L35 removes and attaches quickly, however, you have to setup the 3pt hitch to add implements, and I found there is an interference problem with both the hitch arms and hoe in place. The CC 407 uses a nice sub-frame and you can keep the 3pt hitch assembled and ready for use when you take off the hoe. Kubota has a list of options for the L35 a mile long, many which I regret buying, like the stupid super-duty air cleaner. The stock air filter would have been just fine for normal use. Yet the plumbing option to the hoe and loader really come in handy when using skid steer attachments on the loader, and a hydraulic breaker on the hoe. So if you decide on the L35, choose your options carefully. One last note, L35's hold their resale value even when beaten near to death. ....
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| Elker_43
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4 California
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2003-02-10 48996
What great answers to my questions.....I have pretty much settled on the L35 after working my way through many Kubota dealers and equipment dealers over the past week. My budget was such that a new L35 was pretty much out after adding all of the options to the basic....Approaching $40,000 at the high end and $36,500.00 at the low end. I decided that I would try to track down the best deal that I could on a used one. After about 15 deals that I was trying to work and tens of dozens of pictures that I was sent, I located one that I even was faxed the entire maintenance records from the company who did the servicing (oil, filters, and servicing every 100 hours). In the mean time I contacted several transport companies to get it moved across country to California. Here is what I am getting:
L35 TLB, 2000 model with 854 hours, 18" hoe bucket and in almost new condition (from the series of pictures)
Total price $20,400.00. Transport from east coast $1050.00. Total will be 21,450.00 delivered.
I think I have done OK. What do you think
And Ted, Thanks so much for your detailed insight into the various interworkings of the L35. It really looks like this is the tractor that will work for me on my hillside property in Idaho. ....
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| Ted at Abbeywoods,LL
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-02-11 49082
Elker, I think you did very well indeed. Consider the ads in "Big Truck and Heavy Equipment Trader," (a national magazine dedicated to sales of all sorts of trucks, construction equipment, ag equipment, etc.) which typically lists L35 TLB's with over 1000 hours and dubious dependability from anywhere starting at $25K to $35K for machines made in circa 1996. You did good. Now, do yourself a favor, make sure your machine is covered by insurance and don't go "el cheapo" on the maintenance. Take your time learning how it operates, give it the respect it needs, and you'll be handing it down to your grandkids some day. ....
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| Elker_43
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4 California
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2003-02-12 49120
Ted,
Thanks for the post. What insurance are you describing? Is it like auto insurance and do I just go to my current auto insurance office (in this case State Farm) and get a policy? What kind of coverage should I get?
I also purchased an 18' gooseneck dump trailer that I will be using to transport the L35. I will be insuring it also, so maybe the L35 will be an add on to the trailer policy? Are there insurance companies that deal strickly in construction equipment? Who do you recommend?
Thanks again for your post....and thanks in advance for your answers.
Dan ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-02-12 49124
My tractors are covered under my homeowners policy, under a separate no cost rider. My trailers are covered under my auto insurance, and both are with State Farm.
The trailers do not require separate policies because when they are attached to the car or truck they are treated as one unit.
It is not covered when it is not attached to the vehicle. If you want coverage for falling trees or space debris while it is parked, that is a separate policy and pretty cheap at about $7.00 a month. ....
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 | BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia 
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2003-02-12 49127
I bought a separate policy for my tractor with State Farm. I can't remember why exactly; I think that I wanted to be sure it was covered even if I was working somewhere besides my property, in addition to the usual fire, theft and vandalism that homeowners insurance provides. Anyway, my agent is a tractor guy, too and sold me an "Inland Marine" policy. I think that it is $10 or $15 a month.
Bill ....
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| Ted at Abbeywoods, L
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2003-02-12 49151
Mark and Bill have the idea, and what I was driving at is that even though you have a homeowner's policy, it might not cover your new machine or its implements. Best to do some checking with your agent to find out what is, and isn't, covered. Isn't it better to be surprised now, and not later after the fact? For me, my business has an umbrella of one million dollars and includes replacement cost for all of my equipment as well as "any and all occurances" on the job - regardless of where that may be. My policy, however, does not extend to what equipment I may rent. For that, I buy a temporary coverage that is in effect as long as I have possession of the rental. ....
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| rollnthunder
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 4 College Station, Texas
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2003-02-12 49167
TomG: What kind of 3ph forklift do you have? What mfg. of units are you aware of that may work? I have an L3430 and will need to unload some 1 ton pallets from a semi trailer flatbed, but have not found 3ph forklifts for cat 1. while I have FEL pallet fork & frame, this is beyond the 723 loader's rated capacity. Thanks. ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2003-02-13 49183
Try here. I have examined these and the quality is excellent. ....
Link:
Click Here
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