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New Kubota L3240 First Look Review

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-03-19          182798

This is my first post. I am an old retired military and federal retired civilian employee who lives in Georgia on a 6 acre mini farm with my wife, and our farm animals.

I spent four days last week searching and researching several Kubota's. I needed a tractor with a hydrostat transmission to replace my reliable MF 231. I had a left knee replacement in 2010. Since then I found out that because of the surgery pinching a nerve in my left leg that I have something called drop foot. Together they make it much harder for me to push in my clutch. Rather than pushing it in I was more or less "smashing" it in.

I have always tried to purchase stuff locally. My Kubota dealer was not much help to me. I told him I needed a tractor that could lift at least 1500 pounds in a front loader, and could also manage to lift a 1000 to 1200 pound roll of hay using a hay fork on the three point hitch. He kept routing me to a 51 horse power tractor. I kept saying to him that surely there was a tractor with 30 to 40 HP that could do what I needed. I finally got so fed up with him that I went out on a search to all Kubota dealers in Georgia. I found a company, and a nice lady who listened to me. She suggested that I look at the "Grand L 40" series of tractors. Eventually I decided upon a L3240. Why that one? It had the two requirements that I mentioned above, plus she offered me a great deal, with a great trade on my MF231. Plus this tractor was made in late 2011, prior to Kubota's latest price increase, so I saved money that way too.

Tuesday March 20th my L3240 will be delivered to me in Georgia. My old MF231 was a true tractor with no computer stuff on it. I am nervous about having to relearn how to use a tractor. I will keep yall informed as to how this goes.


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-03-19          182800

Welcome to TP and congratulations on the tractor. Think you will find the Kubota user friendly over the MF, with the models you mentioned.

The best suggestion I can give you is read the manual and read it again. Unless that model is totally different than mine you will still need to use the clutch but smashing it should be fine. You need to understand the need to be in the correct range even with the speed control you have with the hydrostat foot pedal.

My experience with the foot brakes is you will end up using them very little unless you are on needing for stopping on hills. Hard to use them for turning and the foot pedal also. The negative to me with this transmission that you may run into is spraying. You get set for pressure needed and ground speed and on my B2710 it is hard to have same ground speed from one set up to the next. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-03-21          182831

The Kubota L3240 arrived about noon on Tuesday March 20th. I caught on pretty fast on the basics of how this tractor operates. I had to learn the location and function of the various levers and so forth.

I used it for about 1.5 hours. We had recently had a tree company remove about 20 dead trees from our rather large front yard. I had already raked up a lot of small debree into piles for pickup. This was small limbs and leaves which was left from when the dead trees hit the ground. I used a hand fork, to load the FEL with this stuff and then dumped it into a large 13 foot long trailer to haul off later. Before I did all the hauling using a wheel barrow. I had to manually load the wheel barrow. Push it to the large trailer and then manually transfer the material into the large trailer. The L3240 and the FEL made it all faster, easier and more effective. I was surprised as to how much work I got done in that 1.5 hours. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-03-21          182836

I can see the sign now: new tractor owner looking for work. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-03-26          182879

I have too much work planned for the L3240 at home to even think about anything else! Today March 26th I used the FEL a lot. Amazing how it can pickup a full bucket of wet red Georgia clay so easily. When I finished that task I hooked up my hay fork to the three point hitch and moved a 1000 pound roll of hay out to where my cows could munch on it. When I picked that 1000 pound roll of hay up I kind of expected a movement of some kind to take place up front. The tractor did not move!! It also picked that roll of hay up effortlessly. My main two requirements (FEL able to handle at least 1500 pounds and the three point hitch strong enough to lift a 1000 pound bale of hay)has worked out great. I higly recomment the Kubota L3240 tractor. ....

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charlieK
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 137 kentucky
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2012-03-27          182885

a tooth bar on that bucket works wonders--that and ag tires were the best mods for my L3130 GST ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-04-18          183210

April 16th I had my first chance to see what the L3240 would do in soft sand. At the rear of our property we have a holding pond that helps to cut down on soil erosion. After a couple of years sand gets washed into this area, and the holding pond begins to fill up. I took the L3240 down into this area and by using the front end loader, spent several hours moving buckets of sand out of the holding pond. I did not get all the work done, but I made a dent in it. I am very happy with how the L3240 worked in soft sand. I am now at 20 hours on my L3240. It is time to grease everything on the L3240, and then have "some more fun"...I mean get more work accomplished!! ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-04-28          183380

After owning my L3240 for over a month now, and having put about 12 hours on it, (it had 10 hours on it when I bought it) I came to the conclusion that I may have a few implements that I no longer need. I decided to sale my old dirt pan that I used for over 14 years to fill in pot holes and build flower beds with. I have found that the FEL does a lot better job of this sort of work. I thought about selling my three point hitch scrape blade, but decided that there still may be some times when it will come in handy. So far the L3240 has done everything I had expected it to do.

When my wife asks me if I am going out to play with the tractor again. I smile and tell her that I am heading out to get some of the "honey dew" jobs that she has been pushing me to do for years accomplished. I have made two new flower beds, and rebuilt two old flower beds, using the L3240 so far. I don't have to make excuses anymore!! ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2012-04-28          183386

Hello, and welcome to the group. We're usually a pretty relaxed bunch, but can spring into action to help out if needed.
You are correct about the FEL being a usefull attachmnet.
Deere bragged about their #430 loader being easy to mount and dismount from the tractor when I bought my 4310 with the loader on it. So far with about 800 hours on the tractor I've never had the loader off, it seems that almost every day I use the loader for something. I do drop the bucket off if I use a rear mounted mower, or the tiller. I have a set of forklift forks from Deere that go on in place of the bucket. The Co-op usually has some throwaway pallets that I use to store things on then move them around with the forks on the loader.
You mention having a "Dirtpan" that you may sell since you have the loader. I don't know if you mean a box scraper when you speak of a dirt pan. A three point hitch box scraper with scarafing teeth is a great partner for a front loader. As good as the newer loaders are they really aren't meant to dig up undisturbed soil, they are meant to move it from point A to point B after it has been loosened by some other method. It's just too hard on the frames and hydraulics digging up hard soil, that's what bulldozers are for, but they cost a lot too. The box scraper with scarifier teeth on the three point will tear loose a lot of soil in a little bit that the loader bucket can easily scoop up wuthout undue strain. Another plus for the box scraper is their counterweight function while using the loader. Most every company that sells loaders offer a counterweigth box for the three point that can be filled with most anything heavy. I've always felt they were a waste of money when a few more dollars added to the cost of the weight box get's you a box scraper that does a lot of real work.
As time goes along you'll be collecting other attachments too, these little tractors are addictive, I know I'm on my third one.

Frank. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-04-29          183392

I used my dirt pan for years, but with the FEL I no longer need that item. For clarification a dirt pan is just that...a pan that is connected to a tractor using the 3 point hitch, which can scoop up a pan full of dirt.

I could use a box scraper with teeth, as you suggested. If I can find a decent used one I plan to buy one. I think that is a great suggestion for me to consider. I suppose that if I bought one of those I could probably then sale my old scrape blade. Does that sound about right?

Meanwhile I am currently using a ripper, or as some of us call it, a middle buster to break up hard dirt so it can be picked up with the FEL. It only has one tooth, so I have to make several passes to bust up a section, but it will get the job done, and I can dig deeper using it with a narrow plow tooth.

One task that I have is to remove sand that has washed into a holding pond. Please correct me on this if I am wrong, but that sand is not hard or compacted so I am thinking that I do not have to use my middle buster to loosen it up before going at it with the FEL. What do yall think? ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2012-04-29          183393


Georgia sand might be different than Iowa sand I'm not sure, but likely sand is sand where ever it is.
Sand probably wouldn't be a problem to scoop up with the loader without ripping it loose first.
Your middlebuster will tear a lot of soil loose in a little bit. The advantage a box scraper would have is that like your dirt pan you can drag a box full of soil to where you need it instead of having to scoop it up with the loader. That works fine unless you have to lift the box scraper to cross a drive or something then the dirt falls out.

Frank. ....

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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2012-04-30          183395

I'm sure you know that you can have a brace made for dropfoot. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-04-30          183401

Auerbach my Mother in Law does use such a brace.

You will find many who only use a box blade and to me they are really good as Hardwood has pointed out for breaking up dirt and pulling it. They are not adjustable as a grading blade though. So if you need to make or maintain such as a road bed keep the blade. Also the middle buster is great for cutting trenches for such as open drains (should do good job to begin the job for a rear blade set correctly) or for such as trench to bury water lines.

In the perfect world guess we would have a dozen tractors each set up with different implements.

....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2012-04-30          183406

Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 183401
They are not adjustable as a grading blade though. So if you need to make or maintain such as a road bed keep the blade.


I'm going to have to argue with my good friend Kenny on that one. ;)

If the box blade has a rear-facing second blade the addition of a hydraulic top-link means you can 'stand' the blade up on the rear blade raising the front one by lengthening the top-link. Doing so means you shave dirt or the high spots and carry it in the blade until you get to a hole where it falls in and fills it.

IMHO a box blade makes a newbie look like a pro way faster than a conventional rear blade will.

Unless you have gauge wheels on a rear blade they can get pretty tricky to get a smooth consistent grade.

Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-04-30          183414

Okay Murf take the gloves off.

I reread your post and think you are talking about maintaing a road. I agree there. But if you need to build a bed or make the rounded road give at least me the rear blade. I can rotate mine two ways where it will roll the dirt just like a road plow. Learned a good while back if I rotate the blade it does much smoother job than if 90 degrees to the tractor wich to me is worst way to use a rear blade. Which is also the way the road plows here do. They first lower the right end of the blade and then rotate it in front of the left end and drop the blade into the edge of the road. Then after that if need be make a third one down the middle to knock down any mound left. Good operator normally does not make but the two side runs leaving a little bit of dirt on the very crown.

This I have learned in my little bit of using equipment. One person can do the same job another does often with a different piece of equipment just because they can. The best looking drainage swell I ever cut was with moldboards. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-05-11          183500

Monday afternoon (May 8th) I went to see an older man, who because of medical problems, is giving up farming. He had a number of farm implements for sale. The one that I was most interested in, and bought, was what I call an all purpose plow. This plow has also been referred to as a ripper, and some call it a spring plow. This particular plow was made by Baltic and is named a Baltiboy plow. It is orange in color and has seven spring controlled shank points on it.

Thursday afternoon I took it out toward the rear of our property and tried it out. I knew that my L3240 should be able to handle a five shank plow, but I was not sure about a seven shank plow setup. In four wheel drive, and in low range it had that all purpose plow digging deep and busting roots, with almost no strain on the tractor. I continue to be very happy with my Kubota L3240! ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-05-14          183530

Does it look like this? Name will vary from region to region. ....


Link:   cultivator

 
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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2012-05-14          183532

Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 183414
Okay Murf take the gloves off. I reread your post and think you are talking about maintaing a road. I agree there. But if you need to build a bed or make the rounded road give at least me the rear blade.


No Kenny, I meant for building a base for a road. I agree with your comment about the rear blade, but if you need to move dirt from 'A' to 'B' to fill a low spot, shave down a high spot, or both, a box blade will be far faster.

With a hydraulic top link you can lower the front blade to cut, then raise it by shifting the box back onto the rear (back-dragging) blade to pull the dirt trapped in the box along with you until you get to where you want it then just tip it up even further and the dirt will spill down under the front blade and fill in the low spot.

Both rear blades and box blades have their strong points and weak, and if possible, one of each is the ideal situation.


Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
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2012-05-14          183535

Murf totally agree, have never had a hyd top link on box blade. To me one of the big differences between box blade and rear blade is like some other things, user prefernce. If you like an implement it is amazing how much you can do with it often outside of its design. If you don't like it is amazing how it is good for little. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2012-05-14          183540

Quote:
Originally Posted by kthompson | view 183535
To me one of the big differences between box blade and rear blade is like some other things, user prefernce. If you like an implement it is amazing how much you can do with it often outside of its design. If you don't like it is amazing how it is good for little.


You mean like grading in circles, fuzzy little bangles happily fluttering in the breeze?

Course I'm jus' sayin'........



Miss you ole Jeffy! ....

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kthompson
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Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-05-14          183542

Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf | view 183540
You mean like grading in circles, fuzzy little bangles happily fluttering in the breeze?Course I'm jus' sayin'........Miss you ole Jeffy!


I am so glad you wrote that. I almost did such on the questions on pond for he certainly would have chimed in. Just wondering if he realized how much he meant here? ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-05-20          183586

I took the Kubota L3240, and the all purpose plow to the far end of our property Friday afternoon (May 18th), to an area where the ground is gray clay. Years ago we used top soil from this area to fill in what was then a nearby gully. The ground in this area was rock hard. I put the tractor in four wheel drive, and low range. I plowed an area about thirty feet wide and two hundred feet long. I plan to try and reestablish a grass cover crop in this section. The all purpose plow dug in better than I had expected it would in such hard ground. Only once during the time I was plowing did the L3240 moan any, and that was when the all purpose plow hit an area with lots of roots in it. I continue to be happy with this combination. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-05-26          183647

On May 24th I began a new project with my L3240 tractor. I decided to extend the length of a shed where I plan to house my tractor. The shed needed to be extended ten feet, in order to accommodate the front end loader, and the tractor. The first thing I had to do was dig out about fourteen inches of dirt in order to allow the ROP bar to miss the overhead beams. It would just barely miss the overhead beams with the ROP bar up. I lowered the ROP bar and began to work. I planned to once again use the all purpose plow to loosen up the red clay and the FEL to remove the loose dirt. I forgot to engage the front wheel drive before beginning the plowing. I learned quickly that in medium range in two wheel drive this tractor will do nothing but spin its rear wheels, when pulling an all purpose plow. After engaging the front wheels it once again pulled the all purpose plow through that dry hard Georgia clay. I easily managed to remove all the needed dirt. This tractor has succeeded in accomplishing each task that I have used it on so far. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-06-05          183774

June 1st I went to hose off my L3240 and saw some oil streams in the dust, on both sides of the cowling in the vicinity of the location where the four bolts on each side go into the engine/frame that connect the FEL to the tractor. I checked the engine oil. It was full. I checked the Kubota UDT fluid and got a shock. It did not show any oil on the dipstick. June 2nd I went and bought 2.5 gallons of Kubota UDT fluid. I measured the fluid into a quart container and began to fill up the tractor. It took 6 quarts of Kubota UDT fluid to bring the level up to normal on the dipstick. I forgot to mention that this is a new Kubota, and that I have only put 19 hours on it since I bought it.

The shelter where I keep this tractor has a dirt floor. I put down plastic under the tractor. For two days now I have gone out cranked the tractor, let it warm up and have manipulated the FEL and three point hitch contros to see if I can find any drips, or visual leaks any place. After several hours of this spread over two days I still cannot find anything. The nearest Kubota dealer is seven miles away. It is a lot cheaper for me to just drive the tractor to the dealer. Before I go and drive it to this dealer I have scheduled a mechanic who works for this dealer to come by after he gets off work and to see what he can find out. He will be by probably on this Thursday. Yes I have to pay him out of pocket for this visit since he is doing it on his own time after he gets off work. I would rather do this and have him check it before I drive it to the dealer. Maybe it is something simple that he can fix. Anyone else had any similar issues to what I am describing here? ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-06-06          183779

Check all fittings in that area to be certain they are tight. I would look back to controls for the FEL loader also for oil can run hoses or framing. It is very possible you will have to get the fluid at least warm and system loaded for the leak to show up. You may be very well aware but hyd systems operate under very high pressure so do not run bare skin over pressurized areas checking for leaks. Even after stopping the engine some systems hold pressure. Important when breaking fittings loose also. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2012-06-06          183783

IMHO 6 quarts is what got 'missed' after the FEL and any other attachments got installed.

I wouldn't worry about it once, if it's a recurring thing, different story. Bear in mind the system holds something like 45 quarts.

Even just something as simple as not having all the cylinders fully retracted can make a difference in the level.


Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
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2012-06-06          183788

Murf I agree with the amount of oil there but he said he had streams of oil showing on the tractor. Of course that with as new as it was might could have been some residue but streams from residue to me seems unlikely. ....

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Murf
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2012-06-06          183789

Kenny ole buddy,

I saw the comment;

"June 1st I went to hose off my L3240 and saw some oil streams in the dust, on both sides of the cowling in the vicinity of the location where the four bolts on each side go into the engine/frame that connect the FEL to the tractor. "

To me though the key to that is that the oil streams were at the FEL mounting boss's. These are blind holes, there's no connection there to the hyd. fluid reservoir. I can then only take that to be lube on the threads or something.

I would think even a single quart would be a VERY noticeable leak, leaving a big puddle. Not something you'd easily miss.

Best of luck. ....

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bristan8
Join Date: Apr 2010
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2012-06-06          183792

Are you sure that it was full from the start? My Kubota 2320 takes a lot of oil and is slow to fill. On the first service the dealer came to my place and changed the oil. He claimed he filled it but left me a couple of litres to top up . When I checked it the next day It took the full two litres and still was not full I had to buy some more oil to get it the full mark. Maybe your dealer did not fill it properly in the pre delivery. ....

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Murf
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2012-06-07          183797

I'm not sure that some 'burping' isn't normal when the system is opened or altered such as adding remotes and an FEL.

After working the machine a little the air that got trapped in the plumbing works it's way back to the sump.

While I doubt that would account for several quarts, a combination of things like trapped air, losses from opening the system, etc., etc. certainly could add up.

The real test will be to see if the level decreases or stays at the full mark now that it's been topped up.


Best of luck. ....

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kthompson
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2012-06-07          183800

I agree with the thoughts on was it full and maybe it was from the mounting holes or such.

Very much agree if leaking any real amount in area with hard dirt even a quart should showp at least as drops on the ground. Not if was running over grass or soft dirt might not. Know hyd cyl on my disk leaks but not enough (good think too) to show up in a field.

....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
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2012-06-10          183836

A mechanic from the local Kubota dealer (not the dealer I bought from) came out Thursday afternoon June 7th after he got off from work. He checked everything out and did not find any leaks. We cranked the tractor up and let it warm up some and then operated the FEL. He then did another check of everything, crawling around under the tractor and so forth. He could not find any leaks. He even checked the oil in the front drive, which was full. He agrees with what many of you have said, that probably after the FEL was put on, someone forgot to recheck the fluid levels. He did not charge me for coming by.

My only issue is that the check sheet that came from the dealer I bought the tractor from shows that someone checked all of this on March 20th. This just tells me that you have to check behind anything anyone does to your tractor, no matter what a piece of paper may show. I have learned a lot from all of this. ....

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catred57
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 9 Bllomington, IL USA
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2012-06-11          183848

Same thing happened when I bought a new B2920 - dealer had to put in a gallon of SuperUDT and I put in another gallon.
Their checklist lies!
Got to be super careful after they install the loader on the tractor! ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-07-01          184113

On June 28th I checked the UDT fluid level. The hour meter was at 37 hours. After 8 hours of use the dip stick was down a quart. I know this because I added a quart of UDT fluid, and it brought the level back up to between the two notches. I am now sure there is a leak some place. I called and talked to the sevice manager at the closest Kubota dealership, which is five miles from where I live. Monday morning July 2nd the plan is to drive it the five miles to our local Kubota dealer, and have them check it out.
....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
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2012-07-03          184133

You're sure everything was the same as when you previously checked it?

On a flat / level surface, 3pth and FEL (if so equipped) all the way down?

You haven't used any new implements with hydraulics since you checked last? New cylinders are shipped empty, the first time you use them they consume, and retain, some fluid.

IMHO a quart of fluid in 8 hours is not something you'd easily miss, the oil leak and the wet spot on the tractor would be pretty obvious.


Best of luck. ....

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Sassi7855
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Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-08-19          184675

Updated on August 19th. I think that initially it was an issue of the dealer not topping off the UDT fluid after adding the FEL on the tractor. I never found any visual leaks after adding the UDT fluid. I considered taking it back to a dealer but changed my mind after reading some of the replies from others. A little embarassing, but the truth is that I found that I may not have been checking the fluid level the second time around on level ground.

Yesterday (August 18th) I had a mechanic out to perform the 50 hour service to the L3240. He changed all filters, and replaced the engine oil, among other things called for on the inspection list. He did find a couple of lug nuts loose, which he tightened up. The UDT fluid level was at the top full mark after replacing the filter. We made sure that we were on a level surface before checking the fluid level.

The L3240 is a solid, well built tractor. It is on the low end of the L40 series, as far as horse power listed is concerned. You will be surprised though at all you can accomplish with this 32 horse power tractor, especially when in four wheel drive. With water in the back tires, and a FEL hanging out front my tractor weighs some where arounf 5000 pounds.

Recently I moved twenty-two (22) 1200 to 1400 pound rolls of hay with this tractor in one afternoon. I loved the ability to slowly maneuver back into a roll of hay, with the hay fork, pick it up effortlessly, and then move off, changing speed as I moved forward without having to do anything but press down with my right foot. No gears to change, or throttle lever to manipulate. I think that a lot of folks pass this model (L3240) over for a higher horsepower model, without knowing what its true abilities are. ....

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candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2012-08-19          184678

Sassi7855,

My first experience with a Kubota took place in Harlem, Georgia, which is about 25 miles west of Augusta. I was stationed at Fort Gordon, back in the early 80s.

My landlord needed to clear 8 acres of heavily wooded land for a new house he was building. We cleared the entire piece of property in about 4 weekends, using a Kubota B6000 tractor. I was amazed. That little B6000 was a true work-horse of a tractor. Up until that time, I had never seen a compact tractor before. I quickly learned not to let the small appearance get the upper hand on me.

Kubota has a fantastic reputation, and their tractors are considered to be among the best available. I've owned other brands over the years, but once I went back to Kubota I decided that I'll be a Kubota customer from now on.

Congratulations on the purchase. I enjoy reading your letters. If we can ever offer any assistance, please don't be afraid to ask.

Joel
....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
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2012-08-20          184681


Last week well checking over a new excavator that had been prep'd for delivery the hydraulic oil was at the bottom of the sight glass. I brought it around to review with the tech and low and behold with the boom in the retracted the tank was full! ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-09-01          184775

Back the first of March, right before I traded my MF 231 in on a new Kubota L3240 I tried to pull up an old stump with the MF 231. The tractor sat there and the rear tires spun, but the stump never moved.

Tuesday of this week I came across a 10X10X6 dog kennel that the owner wanted to sale for $90.00. I bought it! Yesterday (August 31st) I decided to put this kennel up in the area where this old stump, mentioned above, was located. At first I thought I would just take the chain saw and cut the old stump off as close to the ground as possible. This morning I decided to see if my L3240 could pull it up. I hooked a chain to the stump and to a tool bar on the rear of the L3240. I put the L3240 HST in low range, and the tractor in four wheel drive. To my surprise the stump came right on up out of the ground. The L3240 did not moan and groan, it just kept pulling until the stump was free. I then turned around and got enough of the old stump into the FEL to allow me to pick it up and move the stump to the rear of our property and deposit it into a burn pile there that just continues to get bigger.

I feel like I have a compact utility tractor, and a large tractor, all in one package. I continue to be amazed with the functionality, and capabilities of the 32 HP L3240! ....

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Sassi7855
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2012-09-10          184891

September 10th. Before I could put the dog kennel together I had to move in over one hundred and fifty cubic feet of red clay in order to level up the area where the dog kennel will be installed. The L3240 with the LA724 FEL made it a very easy, and quick task, to accomplish. The seven shank all purpose plow that I use whenever I am moving dirt sure helped by breaking up the red clay soil and all of the roots hidden down in the red clay. ....

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
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2012-09-11          184895

Thanks for the update, sounds like you are getting lots of projects done. ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
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2012-09-11          184898

I have a B and a M Kubota and this past Saturday leaned up on my neighbor's L series and thought, good size tractor. Really liked it. Almost made me want one. Well it still does but still waiting on my check from 4 years back if you understand.
....

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Sassi7855
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2012-10-01          185074

Saturday September 29th the hour meter hit 60 hours. The maintenace schedule says that at ten hour intervals the tractor should be greased. Most of the grease fittings relate to the front end loader (FEL).

I took time Saturday afternoon to pump grease into all of the grease fittings. While I was at it I decided to give the L3240 a good look over, while I gave it a bath! It looks a lot better without all of the dust on it.

The tractor had ten hours on it when I purchased it. I have now owned the L3240 for six months. I am currently averaging 8.3 hours of use per month. If I keep this rate of use up I will have right at one hundred hours on the hour meter at 12 months of ownership (March 2013).

The L3240 is a very user friendly tractor. Having the FEL really has increased the things that I use it for. For example Saturday night I purchased a North Star electric generator that weighs over 200 pounds. Sunday afternoon I needed to off load the generator from my trailer. There was no way that I was going to do this on my own. The electric generator is a slightly used North Star unit, with the Honda engine. I purchased it from a man who lives a few miles from me. It did not have the wheel kit on it when I bought it. It has been ordered, but had not arrived at the time when I bought it. I made a sling and used the FEL to lift the generator off of my trailer and to safely place it on concrete blocks under a shelter out of the weather. It is amazing how useful a small tractor with a FEL can be!
....

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taogden
Join Date: Sep 2012
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2012-10-01          185075

Hydrolic oil, Had the same shock with my B2320, no oil on the dipstick, for me it was just a leveling issue or so it seems now.~24 hours on mine ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2012-10-01          185079

Your comment on greasing the tractor bought up some experiens I have had and wish to share them. One be certain you are using the right type of grease. On such as high speed items you need high temp grease. Not on normal shafts but have friends that only use high temp as it stays in place better. Concerns me it may not spread fully in normal loads.

An air power or electric grease gun is neat when doing a lot of greasing. But at least with mine it will make same noise when not pumping grease as it does when it is getting grease into a fitting so only use it on fittings where you grease them until it shows. Will only use hand grease gun on sealed bearings so I can feel it going in.

I really enjoy reading your postings on your tractor usage. Find it very enjoyable.

One little safety note, when moving with heavy loads transport them as near the ground as you can. That way if you begin to tip as soon as the load hits the ground tipping should stop. If high enough the machine gets really into tipping it will probably tip and not stop when load hits. ....

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auerbach
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2012-10-02          185086

Greasing everything every 10 hrs (except for mower spindles) seems a mite excessive. I do mine twice a year (no resultant problems after 30 years and 5000 hrs). There are strains on the FEL joints, but 10 hrs on the clock is not 10 hrs of moving the loader. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-10-02          185087

Auerbach brings up an interesting point. I tend to agree with auerbach that greasing this often may not be necessary. I am however trying to follow Kubota's maintenance guidelines, especially during the time that the L3240 is in a warranty time frame.

Page 26 of the Kubota front Loader Operators Manual for FEL models LA514, LA724,and LA854 states "Lubricate all grease fittings every 10 hours of operation." I have the LA724 FEL on my L3240 tractor. The majority of all grease fittings on the L3240 are on the front end loader. Granted all 10 hours of use may not involve the FEL, however in order to remain within the warranty requirements I have chosen to follow what is stated in their maintenance guidelines. ....

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Oldestguy
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 18 Portage, WI
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2012-10-02          185090

About greasing of the loader. I'd not get too excited about following the 10 hr thing affecting the warranty. By the time the warranty runs out you won't be having any trouble no matter what you do to it regarding greasing. The cylinders may leak but that is not something you can affect by greasing.

Instead think about what happens on construction. You don't see any contractor greasing the tracks on a Caterpillar tractor. They run "dry". If you have ever ground valves on an engine you know what grease, combined with sand will do. It is a greats abrasive. So, if you run with dry joints for a long time as compared to limited greasing, say every 200 hours, then the dry joint thing will last longer. So, your main goal then for reasonable care, is mainly to keep dirt out of the joints, not to lubricate anything. So if you do a lot of snow plowing and using the bucket there, don't get too excited about greasing. But if you are digging in dirt, especially sandy, then that is where the greasing comes in useful, mainly to keep dirt out. Be sure to clean off the fittings before fitting with the gun. Then leave some grease on the fitting to keep dirt out of there during operations, but wipe off before greasing.

If one of the joints is prone to be dragged thru the dirt, then you might even think about caring for that one after each day of work. I have one loader with such a fitting that gets plugged up with dirt. Then I wonder, if I push in some grease will that dirt go in the joint? So far, it has plugged so much that I have given up greasing that one. So things get sloppy; so what. ....

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Murf
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2012-10-03          185098

Wow, am I ever going to disagree on this one!

Greasing is vital, even if the FEL is not being used, only the tractor is!

Two of the most important roles of grease in a joint is to act as a bushing, the other is to keep dirt out of the joint.

When you drive around the vibration, jolts and shocks all get transmitted to the FEL, remember a tractor has no suspension other than than tire sidewall flexing. The grease in the joint absorbs a lot of that.

Yes grease attracts dirt, and when you add more grease it drives that dirt out. Water also is held away from the joint by that layer of grease.

Grease it or replace it, your choice.


Best of luck. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-10-07          185129

October 7th. This past week I have put in over six hours on the L3240. Almost all of it was using the front end loader. I continue to be amazed with all that one can do with a front end loader (FEL). I am in the process of building up a section on the side of a 30 degree slope so I can install a 10X20 foot dog pen. When I started this project I had no idea that it would take so long, or require the movement of so much dirt. Please do not get me wrong! I am totally enjoying this project. The more that I do with the Kubota L3240, the more I wish that I had not have waited so long to buy one.

Saturday afternoon October 6th I took a break from my current project. I spent most of the afternoon helping a neighbor, and dear friend, fix his drive way. Here in middle Georgia we have been blessed with reasonable rain fall this summer. The only problem is that when it did rain it seemed to just pour down. This has led to unpaved drive ways on hillsides being messed up pretty good. In this case we picked a section out in his pasture and used the all purpose plow to dig up the grass and soften up the dirt, and then hauled bucket after bucket of dirt over to his driveway to fill in the deep ruts that had washed out.

The all purpose plow, that I was fortunate enough to purchase, has been the best single attachment that I think that I have ever bought. I use it every time I go to haul dirt. It has broken up buried tree roots three inches in diameter without any trouble. I will usually go over a section twice using the all purpose plow before I use the FEL. This process has made it so much easier to fill the FEL with dirt. ....

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Sassi7855
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Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-10-18          185211

October 18th. During the seven months that I have owned the L3240 I have had issues with the dead man switch coming on. I thought it was just me wiggling around in the seat too much. The past week this problem has intensified to the point that it has become a royal PIA. I know that I am not the only person who has this issue. There are a couple of threads on this subject on this forum, that describe how to by pass the dead man switch. I look at the bypass as a last resort, if some of the things that I am trying to do, fail to resolve the issue.

I moved the seat forward a little such that my butt now sits more firmly into the back of the seat bottom. This helped some but did not totally resolve the problem. I then took a one and five eighths inch hole saw, and cut a couple of circles out of a small left over piece of veneer that is maybe one eighth inch thick. I lightly hot glued a veneer circle into the recessed opening on the bottom of the seat that sits down over the dead man switch to see if that would stop the issue. This helped more, or so it seems, but I am not convinced that the problem is totally resolved. If the issue continues I will hot glue a second veneer cut out. If that does not stop this problem I will then do the dead man switch bypass procedure.

If anyone has a better plan to solve this, then please hop in here, and let me know what that plan is! ....

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taogden
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2012-10-18          185212

Sas, had the same problem with a lawn mower I have not had the issue with my Kubota yet.
The way I resolved it on the lawn tractor was to take on of the large head furniture screws, drilled and tapped a hole in the bottom of the seat, put the screw in and dabbed it with RTV. Wife has had no more problems with it. You could see were the button hit on the bottom of the seat and that is where I drilled the whole, cut the screw down to 1/2 inch in length, the screw shaft was 1/4" but the head was 5/8 to 3/4" and flat with an allen head screw cut.

On the issue of blades in some previous conversations, if I had to only go with one blade, it would be a regular 3 pt drag blade. Pop had 6 truck loads of manure on the garden and had asked my Bro in law to spread it and he said he would have to bring the dozer down from the mountain. I was on leave from the Military and when I got home he asked me to spread it out. I said no problem, put the drag blade on the 8N and spread it out. Had it all done by the time he got home from work. Did not find out about the other issue with the bro in law till after I was done. The point is i guess, get good with what you have, change angles and drag speed on the 3 point and you can do a lot with a simple tool like the drag blade. While I like the box blade and the rippers, I still believe the drag blade to be the most versatile of all attachments except the FEL. ....

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kthompson
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2012-10-18          185215

sass, you could have a bad switch. Not same model and probably not same seat by my wife and daughter neither have any issue with the seat switch on our B2710. ....

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Sassi7855
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Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-10-19          185228

October 19th. I am starting to wonder too if the switch may some how be defective. Yesterday afternoon I had it happen again. It only happened once, but that was enough for me. This was the first time since I added the veneer wood (cutout) circle under the seat opening where the dead man switch comes into contact with the seat. I went and glued (added) a second veneer wood circle over the first one.

If it happens again I am going to have a mechanic that I use come out and check the switch out. ....

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Sassi7855
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Posts: 52 Georgia
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2012-11-03          185376

The problem with the "dead man" switch got better, but the problem was not totally resolved. It continued to happen, just not as often. On October 23rd I added another veneer circle cutout on top of the one that I had previously installed. I also readjusted the seat to make it "stiffer" when I sit down on it.

As of November 3rd I now have over six hours of additional tractor use since the things mentioned above were done. To date I have not had any more problems with the "dead man" switch. I have not however lifted the seat up since adding the second veneer circle, so I do not know what will happen should I lift the seat and then put it back down. I guess that I will find out in time whether this issue has been resolved for good or not! ....

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Sassi7855
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2012-11-10          185441

I want to thank all of you who provided advise and suggestions regarding my issue with the angle of the exhaust pipe, found on a different post entitled "Exhaust Modification On A Kubota L3240." On November 10th I added a ninety degree exhaust pipe extension. The angle of the exhaust pipe is now pointed away fron the front tire. I was able to get the angle such that I can still open the side panel. I did this after I encountered problems whereby sand was being picked up by the front left tire, and the exhaust gas hitting the sand caused it to rise up into my face. ....

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Sassi7855
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2012-11-25          185541

LESSON LEARNED: (November 24, 2012) The use of the ninety degree bend exhaust extension worked, however I found that it did create one problem. While I could turn the front tires to the right, I could not fully turn the front tires to their maximum limit to the right without causing the left front tire to rub on the ninety degree extension. I have since removed the ninety degree extension. I will live with dust and dirt (on some occasions) being blown up into my face from the exhaust gasses hitting the left front tire.
....

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Sassi7855
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2013-02-09          186165

My Kubota L3240 has now reached one hundred hours of use. The mechanic that I use is coming over later this month to perform the recommended one hundred hour maintenance checklist for me. I have continued to grease the tractor at the ten hour of use recommendation.

I have not had anymore problems with the deadman switch acting up. The tractor has been flawless. I continue to be very happy with this tractor.

Last week I moved somewhere between twenty four and thirty thousand pounds of topsoil to a new place along a fence line so I can move some fruit trees and scrubbery to a new location. When I move dirt I first soften the soil up with an all purpose plow before using the front end loader to pick up the dirt. I am amazed at how many roots the all purpose plow has broken loose out in open land away from trees.

I have also found that in low range I can both pick up dirt with the front end loader, and at the same time let down the all purpose plow behind the tractor to further loosen up the dirt right behind what has been picked up, all at the same time. I really did not expect that capability of pulling power in a thirty two horse power four wheel drive tractor. ....

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hardwood
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 3583 iowa
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2013-02-09          186166

The latest tractors of any size or brand that have power steering, front wheeel assist, better hydraulics, better three point hitch control, and all weather cabs have made tractor operation fun compared to the old standards of "M" Farmalls, "A" John Deeres, And the like. The oldies were good for their time and dependable as a hammer, I still have some of them.

I'm not sure what an all purpose plow as you call it is, I use a box Blade with scarifier teeth to tear loose the soil making it easier on the loader to scoop it up and move it to where ever I want the soil.
I have did as you describe having a scoop full of dirt in the loader bucket while using the box blade to loosen more soil. The load of soil in the bucket is basicly acting as ballast for front wheel traction, but I'm not sure that our little tractors were designed to handle that much stress being put on the front wheel drive system. I would rather adjust the cut of what ever impliment I happen to be pulling to allow for some wheel slippage than to so to speak lock the tires to an almost nonslip situation. I'm sure you will get more tire wear but tires are cheap and much easier to fix than drive train repairs.

Just my thoughts.

Frank. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-02-09          186167

Frank what I am calling an All Purpose Plow you may know as a Field Cultivator, Ripper, or even Chisel Plow. In this case the shanks are mounted to moveable supports which are connected to very heavy springs which allows the shanks to ride up and over large rocks or very thick roots. Because of this ability to ride up and over obstacles which might normally bog a tractor down, it allows a small tractor such as the Kubota L3240 to continue to plow without undue stress on the engine or transmission.

In my case with the L3240 having the hydrostatic transmission (HST) with “stall guard“ actively turned on if I understand things correctly I do not have to worry about overstressing the tractors engine or transmission since when it reaches its maximum limit’s the active stall guard will automatically stop any further motion by the tractor.

....

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hardwood
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2013-02-09          186168

I didn't know about the stall guard feature, my compacts have all been gear drive. They either spin the tires or kill the engine if you don't hit the clutch first.

You use a couple definitions of an all purpose plow.

1 A field cultivator is what we call a secondary tillage machine with lighter shanks than a chisel plow used to prepare the soil just ahead of a planter or drill.

2 The chisel plow we use as a primary tillage machine after corn or soybean harvest. Not much soybean stubble gets chisel plowed anymore because too much crop rersidue is covered leaving the soil open to severe erosion.

Frank. ....

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
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2013-03-17          186408

I got the 100 hour service interval check list completed. Everything checked out great. All fluid levels were where they should be, and everything seems to be tight. I have not had anymore issues with the deadman switch, so maybe that problem is finally resolved.

The next service interval is listed at 150 hours. I think that it is very important to follow scheduled maintenance intervals, in addition to regular inspections.

As of March 20th I will have owned my Kubota L3240 for one year. I have to say that I am a very satisfied L3240 owner. It has met all of my tractor needs. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-04-11          186658

Back in October of last year I hauled a lot of dirt from the back side of our property to our back yard to build up a section, on an incline, where I installed a dog kennel covered with chicken wire to setup a place to raise chickens.

That project went so well that I decided to expand it, and add another dog kennel, covered in chicken wire, right beside the first one, so I can add some more chickens in a separate enclosure, I started this new project in March 2013. All eighteen to twenty inches of rain that we had in my part of Georgia during the month of March slowed me down. I could only move dirt whenever the ground was dry enough to work it. My new project is requiring more dirt to be moved, since the incline where the dirt is going to is steeper. I have moved over fifteen tons of dirt to date. I would estimate that I need to move almost that much more dirt before I can begin the process of installing the dog kennel, covered in chicken wire.

My Kubota L3240 has done an exceptional job. I now have over 110 hours showing on the hour meter. Those of you who know about Kubota’s HST system know that there are three ranges (low, medium, and high) that you can operate in. With the forty series Kubota there is also the ability to shift to low or high range from within each range by simply moving a lever on the left side of the steering wheel up or down. When working in low range Kubota documentation suggests that you gain thirty to forty percent additional torque. I do not know if those numbers are correct or not, but I know that you can definitely tell a difference in the pulling power of the tractor. This really comes in handy when moving dirt. I put the L3240 in medium range. I use the lever mentioned above to drop it into low/medium range. I use my seven shank all purpose plow to soften up the dirt on one pass, going in one direction, and then I come back the other way and scoop up a load of soft dirt. When the front end loader is full of dirt, and I lift it up I then pull the lever up putting the tractor back into high/medium range to speed up my travel speed. This process has certainly improved the process that I use to move dirt.

LESSON LEARNED: Along the way I learned an important lesson on how careful you have to be when moving a tractor with a fully loaded front end loader (FEL) on uneven ground (inclines). It does not take much of an incline to mess you up. I almost flipped my L3240 over once, but was saved by the 430 pounds of ballast water in the left rear tire.
....

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Sassi7855
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2013-05-11          186931

The first of May I had a huge (30 inches in diameter at the point it broke) limb break off a very tall, and old oak tree. This limb smattered a gate, two gate posts and two full 16 feet long sections of cow panels. I put my carry all on the three point hitch, and strapped my gas powered generator onto the carry all and went out with my electric chain saw to cut up this monstrous fallen limb. I learned quickly that a number of the smaller limbs had burrowed into the ground. I used the front end loader on my L3240 to pick the limbs up out of the ground enough that I could use my 2.5 HP electric chain saw to cut the limbs up. Together, using the FEL and the electric chain saw, it did not take long to cut up a good size pile of oak fire wood.

The harder part is going to be to move the smaller limbs to a place where I can pile them up and burn them, and then repair the fence and gate that got destroyed. It is going to be a lot easier to load these limbs into the front end loader (FEL) and move them, than to manually load them into a trailer, and then have to manually unload them out of the trailer. That is how I used to do jobs like this.

The hour meter on the L3240 is now at 123.6 hours. Before I go and do this, I am going to take time and grease the FEL.

I am so glad that I bought this L3240 tractor with a front end loader. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-05-21          187005

Yesterday (5-20-13) I was moving a load of dirt into an area where I had almost no room left on either side of the tractor. When I finally edged the tractor and the load of dirt to the position where I dumped the dirt I had about an inch of space left on each side. It really made me think about, and to appreciate the versatility of the hydrostat transmission (HST) in the L3240. It was a real delight to not have to ride the clutch and manipulate the throttle, all at the same time as I tried to stay lined up on each side. For me at least, having a tractor with the HST makes a world of difference.
....

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boscos
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2013-05-31          187131

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassi7855 | view 187005
.....It was a real delight to not have to ride the clutch and manipulate the throttle, all at the same time as I tried to stay lined up on each side.For me at least, having a tractor with the HST makes a world of difference.


Until you use an HST it is hard to grasp just how beneficial it is, particularly in tight quarters.

Thanks for keeping us up on your projects... some of the best reading on TP! ....

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candoarms
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2013-05-31          187133

Sassi7855,

The hydrostatic transmission really comes in handy when blowing snow, too.

I've blown through some drifts that were as high as my roll bar. When attempting to move that much snow, very slow speeds are required. Even the creeper gear in a manual transmission wouldn't be slow enough. The same is true when using the tiller in virgin sod.

It's amazing how slow a person can go with the hydro transmission when at full throttle. I'll never own a gear transmission again.

Thanks for the great reports. I enjoy your work stories.

Joel ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-06-13          187319

Thanks Joel for the kind words. You are so right when you said "It's amazing how slow a person can go with the hydro transmission when at full throttle." I am like you in that I have found this ability to easily move super slow when the need arises, to be one of the most helpful features of the HST. Boscos you are also on target where you say "Until you use an HST it is hard to grasp just how beneficial it is, particularly in tight quarters."

Here is an example of how moving very slowly, utilizing the HST abilities, has really helped me. Yesterday morning (June 12th) I spent several hours cleaning out two covered shelters where I keep rolls of hay in the winter for my cows to eat. There was a bed of old rotted hay that had accumulated over the winter months, that needed to be removed. It was easy to clean out one shelter. The space was open enough such that I could get in easy, and dislodge the bed of rotten hay with my all purpose plow, and then pick up the loosened mess, and remove it with the front end loader, without much difficulty. The ability to move slowly and deliberately really helped, since I was working in and around a some what confined space.

The second shelter was a different story! It was smaller in overall width, and length. There is a small narrow fence about six and half feet wide, and maybe fifteen feet long, with a gate on it, around this location. It was setup this way so I could allow goats, and my younger calves to get in and eat hay without being pushed aside by my older cows. The opening to the actual shelter was a few inches short of six feet wide. The FEL on my L3240 is six feet wide. This meant that I could not get the front end loader, or the rear tractor tires into the open space. I barely had room enough to back my all purpose plow attached to my L3240 through the narrow fence, and into the shelter opening where the rotten hay was at, to begin the process of loosening the mess up so it could be removed. This was a case where the ability to move really slow, was a true necessity. I was able to dislodge, and very slowly pull the rotted hay out of the shelter with the all purpose plow. It took me longer, and required a few extra steps since in this case I had to also use a pitch fork some to get the rotted hay cleaned out in the parts of the enclosure that the all purpose plow could not reach. Once it was outside the shelter I could then use the front end loader to finish the removal process.

In years past I had to use a pitch fork to dislodge the old hay, and then use the pitch fork again to throw the mess over the fence as I loaded the dislodged hay onto a trailer to haul it off. Then I had to unload the old hay from the trailer, again manually using the pitch fork. I am getting tired just thinking about it!!

....

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Sassi7855
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2013-06-18          187387

Those of you familiar with the Kubota L series know that the Hydro Stat Transmission (HST) equipped tractors can be configured in many different ways. For example there is a lever on the left side down below the steering wheel known as the Hydro Dual Speed (H-DS) lever. You pull up the lever to increase the travel speed, and push down to decrease the speed. I think I remember seeing someplace that when you push the lever down it also increases the torque to the wheels. There is also another lever known as the auto throttle advance. With this lever engaged (ON), the tractor speed and the engine rpm can be controlled with the speed control pedal. In my Operators Manual it shows the auto throttle advance as being located on the right hand side somewhere about where my brake lock lever is located. The Operators Manual says that “before moving the auto throttle advance lever be sure to return the speed control pedal to “NEUTRAL” position.”

I am telling you all of this so that you can better understand what happened to me on Sunday afternoon (June 16th). I had a 5X13 foot trailer hooked to the rear of my L3240 that I needed to move to another location. I cranked the tractor up and pressed down on the speed control petal. Surprisingly the tractor did not move. I found that the auto advance throttle lever had “popped” out of its ON position. The interesting thing is that on my L3240 the auto advance throttle lever is located on the left side of the steering wheel, down below the Hydro Dual Speed (H-DS) lever, instead of being on the right side, as shown in the Operators Manual. I moved the auto advance throttle lever back to the ON position, and the tractor began to move. I proceeded to move the trailer to the location that I had in mind. I turned the tractor off, and unhooked the trailer from the tractor.

I went to crank the L3240 to move it back to its shelter. Nothing happened! It was obvious from the display that I had electricity, but the starter would not engage to crank the tractor. There was something on the display screen about “move to neutral position.” I had no idea what that meant at that time. I checked everything I could think of, to no avail. I stopped and thought for a minute on what I could have done to make this happen. I decided to disengage the auto advance throttle lever. When I did that, I could crank the tractor up. I then proceeded to move the auto advance throttle lever to the ON position, pressed down on the speed control pedal, and moved the tractor to its shelter.

Sunday night I sat down with my Operators Manual in an effort to see if I could find out why this happened. At the bottom of the first paragraph I quoted the part about “before moving the auto throttle advance lever be sure to return the speed control pedal to “NEUTRAL” position.” That is when I realized that I still had the speed control pedal pressed down when I had engaged the auto throttle advance lever, prior to moving the trailer. Somehow my failure to allow the speed control pedal to return back to its NEUTRAL position had messed things up, thus preventing me from cranking the tractor again, after turning the motor off.

I really enjoy the hydro stat transmission (HST) setup, and everything about my L3240 tractor. However I am beginning to wonder if maybe in some ways that my L3240 is a lot smarter than me!
....

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gulfvet01
Join Date: Jun 2013
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2013-06-20          187419

I have been reading the many posts that you have submitted regarding your L3240 and have really enjoyed them. At the beginning of this year January 2013 I purchased a Kubota L3800 and for the most like it but was unhappy with the problem of the jerky 3ph that these models are known for. I spoke with the Kubota factory tech and was told that this was common with the L3200/3800/4400. The regional Kubota representative stated that since I only had 10 hours on the tractor that Kubota would give me my money back on the tractor and I could move up to the Grand L series if desired. I initially wanted an L3540 or a L3940; however, due to the Grand L 40 series being replaced by the new Grand L 60 series there were none of these available. My local dealer was able to find a L3240 and I am supposed to take delivery later this month once the loader arrives. I will be using the tractor on my acre lot as well as on my 23 acres of land. I'll be doing a lot of the same types of activities that you noted in addition to using a 60" tiller, 12" single plow, etc... I guess my biggest concern is that the L3240 will not have enough power to perform the tasks I need it to do. Can you provide some additional insight from your experiences? Also, what types of implements are you using? Do you use a rotary cutter? If so, what brand are you using?

Thanks in advance for you time and consideration concerning my numerous questions.

....

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candoarms
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2013-06-21          187422

Gulfvet01,

I'm using a B2920 with a 60" King Kutter II tiller. My smaller Kubota handles it just fine. You'll love the larger L3240.

My implement/horsepower chart shows 1 horsepower per inch of plow. Your L3240 should easily handle a 12" or 14" 2-bottom plow.......requiring 24-28 horses at full depth.

When you finally take delivery of your L3240, please keep us posted on your experiences with it.

Joel ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-06-22          187445

Gulfvet01 congratulations on choosing the Kubota L3240 tractor!! I do not have any experience with a roto tiller, but I think that Candoarms covered that part nicely. I think that you made a very wise decision. It is sort of like going from a Chevrolet to a Cadillac. The same family, but oh those little things that make such a world of difference!

I have been able to use a two bottom plow, to turn over clay type soils with no difficulty, when the ground was right to plow. With a one bottom plow you will not have any difficulties. In fact I suspect that it will not be long before you start looking for a two bottom plow.

I routinely use a seven shank all purpose plow to loosen up all types of soil, and to break up roots before I pick up the dirt in my front end loader. In medium low range my L3240 has pulled the seven shank all purpose plow through roots very well.

I have never had any problems when using a three point hitch type smoothing harrow behind my L3240. In addition I have also used a sub soiler plow with no problems.

Information that I came across says that(QUOTE) “The HST Plus has a 2 stage drive motor which is switched between high/low settings either manually by the operator or automatically by the computer, depending upon the setup you have selected. In manual mode, if the operator knows the engine will become bogged down, they can use a lever on the left side of the steering column to switch the drive motor from high to low settings – effectively trading off 40% travel speed for a 30 to 60 percent increase in torque.” Torque is defined as a measure of how much a force acting on an object causes that object to rotate” (END QUOTE). I do not know if there is a specific answer, regarding the amount of torque you gain when using the low range setting. I normally operate in medium range, in four wheel drive, most of the time. I do know from experience that whenever I switch from high to low range from within the medium range setting the tractors pulling power does dramatically increase.

The only suggestion that I would make is that if you have not already considered it, please consider having the dealer to add water to the rear tires. My tractor has 430 pounds of water (BALLAST) in each rear tire. This has made a big difference in pulling power, with less rear wheel slippage. It also helps to balance out heavy loads in the front end loader.
....

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gulfvet01
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2013-07-01          187556

Thanks for the input guys! My dealer is a good guy and has really tried to help me out with this decision. He says that I should be fine with the 3240, but that nagging feeling I get when I read posts from other forums where folks feel that they should have gone up in size gives me some concern.

I still am waiting on the loader and tractor to arrive and it looks like it could be another two weeks before the LA724 loader comes in from Kubota. There are no more L40 series in the state of NC per a few different dealers that I have called. The 3240 I am having brought in comes from Virginia, so if I wanted to go up in size I would have to go with the L60 series--probably around $4K more in price to just go up to the equivalent of the L3540. I don't think that the price difference would be worth it. What do you guys think?

....

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gulfvet01
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2013-07-01          187557

Any recommendation on a brush cutter that should work well with the L3240? I have mostly woods, but after I cleared some paths I will need to keep the trails clean. The two larger areas requiring brush mowing are a little hilly but for the most part are flat. For areas that have a substantial grade I will probably just use my trimmer with a metal blade to keep them under control--not worth risking an accident. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-07-04          187579

Gulfvet01 I think that you will be more than satisfied with the L3240. The majority of folks who own the L3240 are very happy with what they have. It is a wonderful tractor that will serve you well.

I own a four foot medium duty Ford mower that I bought new in 1988 when I owned a 27 horse power Ford Model 1710. This mower is still in good condition, and does the job for me on those occasions when I have a need to use a mower, which I might add is not very often. In the almost 17 months that I have owned my L3240 I have used this mower once.

I know that when I sold my Ford Model 1710 in 1999, and bought my Massey Ferguson that I had to buy a stronger shear bolt to accommodate the extra PTO horse power of the Massey Ferguson. When I traded in the Massey Ferguson toward the purchase of my Kubota L3240 I went to my local Kubota dealer and bought a couple of new shear bolts for my mower that were rated at a lower number than what I had been using when I had the Massey Ferguson. It has been a while, but I think that this last time I bought a couple of grade 2 shear bolts.

If my memory serves me well, the L3240 is rated at about 26 horse power for PTO use. This limit’s the size, and power capability of the mower somewhat. If I were buying a new, or used mower I would feel comfortable getting a medium duty five foot wide mower, but I would want to make sure that the connection between the PTO shaft and the mower gearbox is connected with a bolt that is soft enough that it will shear off if something large is clubbed hard by the mower blades. When you decide, please be sure to buy more than one shear bolt. You will be glad you did.


....

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gulfvet01
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2013-07-05          187581

Sassi,
Thanks for responding! My apologies for taking so long to respond to your previous repsonse. I've been tied up with work and haven't had the opportunity to check the site.

Would you recommend a shear bolt model over a slip clutch? A shear bolt model would definitely save some money but the slip clutch would mean no work stoppage but I would definitely have to make sure to keep up with the service to ensure that the slip disc do not get frozen up and fail to work as intended. Getting a good brush cutter will be pricy if I can't find a good used one. I've looked at a bunch but am considering the Woods and Land Pride models the most since I have local dealers who have these models. The Land Pride 1860 or Woods B60X models are what I am currently considering.

I may have another week before I can get my new tractor so I am a little anxious to get back to work. I have a bunch to do on both my little acre as well as our home/farm stead. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-07-05          187585

Gulfvet01 I am not any kind of mower expert. What I have learned from reading other posts on this subject leads me to believe that unless you have over 40 PTO HP, which is not the case here on what we are discussing, then I wouldn't be concerned about a slip clutch. It is not likely that you will shear one in a year of mowing unless you hit one of those immovable objects. Shear bolts are relatively inexpensive items to buy. You can always keep a couple of extra shear bolts in your tool box for when you do need one. ....

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candoarms
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2013-07-06          187588

Gulfvet01,

I agree with Sassi on this one.

Slip clutches are a pain in the caboose. You never really know if they'll work when they're supposed to. Unless the plates do actually slip from time to time, it's highly likely that the slip clutch plates will lock together over time.

Unless you plan on using your L3240 as a farm tractor, I believe you'll find that it has more than enough power for most of your projects. The key to using any tractor, of course, is to properly match the size of your implements to the power output of your machine. If matched up properly, there is nothing the L3240 can't do.......it might just take a bit longer than it would with a larger tractor.

I'm so happy that I decided to stay with the smaller Kubota tractors, rather than moving up to something considerably larger. It's amazing how many times I'm called upon to do a job that a larger tractor is just too big to fit into the work area.

Let us know as soon as you take delivery of your new L3240. You'll love that thing, my friend. I promise.

Joel ....

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gulfvet01
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2013-07-07          187591

I think that you guys are right. The 12" single plow I have has a shear pin and the tiller I have is slip clutched. Since the plates could freeze and act as no protection at all this could cause a major problem by tearing up my PTO. Given this, the shear pin would probably be the better option. I will be doing some farming but only on a personal level for gardening and food plots for the deer.

Thanks again for all the input and support guys. I will hopefully take delivery this week. I'll post pics and may try to do a running montage as Sassi did to show what we are doing.

Take care,
Scott ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-08-11          187832

At 143 engine hours on August 2nd I greased my L3240 Kubota. I knew it was about time to do this, and I decided to do the greasing before I got carried away using the front end loader to clean hay out of a couple of barn stalls. I cleaned all the fittings off with a clean cloth. I found that I had a couple of grease fittings that for a better word, had frozen up. I kept working with them, but they still would not take grease. I finally sprayed some Kroil oil onto the top of the grease fittings that were stuck, and waited about ten minutes or so. I then used a small screw driver tip to push the little ball in the center of the grease fitting down. This got things to move freely, such that the grease finally went in properly. I have had this to happen a few times on a harrow, but this was the first time this has ever happened on the L3240.

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Sassi7855
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2013-09-03          187958

On September 1st I did the 150 hour service check on my L3240 tractor. Everything on the checklist was fine. I did have to top off the UDT fluid level a little.

This is the first week in a while that I have used the tractor much. After all the recent storms here where I live I found it was time to pick up fallen dead limbs from the front yard. It is so much easier to just load the bucket on the tractor with the dead limbs, and when it is full to dump the refuge into my 5X13 foot trailer. My Kubota L3240 has really spoiled me in a number of ways. ....

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Sassi7855
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2013-09-20          188003

We have a very large front yard where I live. There are many azalea bushes in this yard. Each year I have to cut the tops back on each azalea bush. I normally try to get this done right after the azaleas quit blooming. This year because of all the rain and high humidity we have had here where I live, this job has been put off several times. This week the temperature and humidity was excellent for doing yard work. I spent several hours each day trimming azaleas.

In times past once I finished the trimming part, I would rake the cut material into piles and use a wheel barrow to pick up and move the trimmings to my trailer, where I had to unload the wheelbarrow and start the process over again. Once the trailer was full I then had to move the trailer out to the main road in front of our place and manually unload the cut material, placing the cuttings into neat piles for the trash collection folks to pick up.

Thursday (September 19th) I put the Kubota L3240 to work. I stuffed the front bucket full of azalea trimmings and drove the tractor out to the main road in front of our house and dumped the trimmings into neat piles for the trash collector to then remove. By doing it this way I eliminated a number of the manual processes (loading a wheel barrow, dumping the load into a trailer, moving the full trailer to the main road, manually removing the azalea trimmings from the trailer and placing them into neat piles).

You do not have to have a large amount of property to justify a reason to buy a Kubota with a front end loader on it. Remember Kubota tractors with front end loaders come in a lot of different sizes. All you need to do is to look at all the chores and work processes that you do in your yard each year, and then imagine how much easier it would be if you had a tractor with a front end loader on it that could eliminate some of the more mundane labor intensive things you do outside, thus giving you more time to enjoy those other things you really like to do.
....

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Sassi7855
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2013-11-06          188294

The rains finally let up some here in middle Georgia. My holding pond is now dry enough to go in and clean it out, and make it into a permanent shooting range. I plan to also get another area dug out and have it become my new water run off holding pond. I have been planning this for some time. After doing some simple math I came to the conclusion that it would just take me too long to do all of the earth moving that would be required on my own, using my Kubota L3240. Plus I have no doubt that I would get my tractor into some awkward positions, which would scare my wife too much.

Monday November 4th I had a man come in with a large John Deere tractor with a huge front end bucket that can pick up over five times the amount of dirt my Kubota L3240 can handle in one pass through. It also has a back hoe should we need to do some digging. This man, and his tractor did in eight hours of work what would have taken me most all winter to accomplish on my own. He cleaned out all of the accumulated sand in my old holding pond, and used that dirt to build up the berms higher around what will become my new shooting range. He also built the basic foundation for my new holding pond, by defining the new pond with five foot high thick berms, all the way around the new pond, using dirt from inside the new holding pond.

It is now up to me and my L3240 to do the finish work. I started the second phase of the clean up today. I have to finish digging out the inside part of the new holding pond. The man with the big tractor removed four feet or so of dirt from the new floor, all around, to create the berms. I plan to remove about another three feet of dirt all around the inside of the new holding pond, and finish it to whatever the final depth of the new pond turns out to be.

When the new holding pond is completed, I will go back into the old holding pond, which is now my permanent shooting range, and finish cleaning it out and defining the floor by making it more level than it currently is.

Once all of that is finished I will use the front end loader on my L3240 to pick up, and to move, and align several poles cut from old telephone poles to be used to create the foundation for a new bridge over the trench that will funnel the water run off into the new holding pond.

Granted my Kubota L3240 is not in the same league as the big tractor that did all of the heavy digging and moving, but it still serves the functions that I bought it for. ....

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New Kubota L3240 First Look Review

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2014-02-27          189287

It has been a while since I have been on here. I had surgery the end of December 2013. I am just beginning to get back into things.

My L3240 has seen very limited use in recent months. The hour meter has just passed 186 hours. Part of that was due to me and my medical issues, and part due to the very cold weather we have had in Georgia recently. Because it was sitting, and not being used this led to the battery dying on me. It could not take a charge, so I had to go and get a new battery. The original battery lasted for less than two years.

In a couple of weeks I will have owned my L3240 for two years. I have reached the conclusion that my purchase of the L3240 was one of the best investments that I ever made. The L3240 has yet to let me down. It continues to amaze me with its versatility. ....

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New Kubota L3240 First Look Review

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2709 NorthWest NJ
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2014-02-27          189290

Glad you are feeling better, the cold weather up north has led to much more use than usual. But the left over ice and snow and crazy cold looks like a slow start to spring use in March, probably little to do until it melts ... ....

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New Kubota L3240 First Look Review

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Sassi7855
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 52 Georgia
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2014-06-02          190425

May 17th I had the local mechanic who works on my L3240 come out to the house and do the 200 hour service on my tractor. The hour meter was at 203 hours. It took him about two hours to do all that was a part of my manuals requirements for the 200 hour check up. All was well except for some bolts that needed to be torqued to the correct tightness. It has been an amazing two years with the L3240. ....

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New Kubota L3240 First Look Review

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2709 NorthWest NJ
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2014-12-11          191598

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sassi7855 | view 189287
... new battery.The original battery lasted for less than two years.


Hope you are fully recovered and out on your tractor again. You never know with batteries my Kubota battery lasted 8 years which is insane...:)
....

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