Looking to buy a new L3902HST or the 3902DT….opinions?

Sail

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Aug 6, 2022
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Howdy, I’ve never owned a Kubota but I’ve had a few New Holland TC33’s. I have zero complaints with my present TC33 but it’s time to get something new. We have lost our New Holland dealer in town but have a relatively new EWALD Kubota dealer.

I was wondering what transmission to get, the gear drive or hydrostatic? Thoughts on the L3902?

I have 10 acres and use it for general work. I would be getting one of package deals more than likely…loader, box blade and bush hog.

thanks!
 

Yooper

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If most of your work is straight line stuff the dt would be my choice. If you’re reversing a lot like me on my small property the hst is preferred.
 
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TheOldHokie

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windyridgefarm.us
Howdy, I’ve never owned a Kubota but I’ve had a few New Holland TC33’s. I have zero complaints with my present TC33 but it’s time to get something new. We have lost our New Holland dealer in town but have a relatively new EWALD Kubota dealer.

I was wondering what transmission to get, the gear drive or hydrostatic? Thoughts on the L3902?

I have 10 acres and use it for general work. I would be getting one of package deals more than likely…loader, box blade and bush hog.

thanks!
I have the L3901 HST - beats the snot out of a gear drive for loader work. If your mowing involves a lot of reversing and maneuvering in and around obstacles it will shine there as well. Only real downside to the HST is transmission whine and a little less HP at the ground and PTO. Headphones work good for canceling the whine and I have not had any issues with the HP.

YMMV,

Dan
 
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Jchonline

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Gear is always going to get more HP to the ground. If you are primarily doing field work (mowing, plowing, spraying, seeding, etc) then Gear driven will be a better choice. If you are primarily doing other things that require forward/back more frequently then HST is the way to go.

I would be careful with package deals…they usually mean the lowest quality implements. At least make sure you compare what they are giving you and be sure it is capability matched to your machine.
 
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Sail

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Thinking about this combo…Land Pride is not el cheapo is it? :unsure: :cool:

99C5190C-4447-4ED9-B2D0-69F7E993CBD6.jpg
 
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mdhughes

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I have a L3901DT and love it. I do a lot of loader work and haven't found it a problem. You can get use to just pushing in the clutch and going from forward to reverse pretty fast.

I don't know if I could put up with the HST whine. Don't know how loud it is with ear plugs in (which I use all the time).
 
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radas

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2022 LX2610HST, 3rd Function, Rear Remotes, BH77
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Thinking about this combo…Land Pride is not el cheapo is it? :unsure: :cool:

View attachment 84858
Much better box blades can be had and I'm not familiar with the brush hog. Those trailers are the cheapest of the cheap - unless you really need a trailer, I'd get a tilt deck that's a few feet longer later. Also keep in mind those package deal tractors do not come with some of the options that you may want like rear remotes, turf/R14T/R4 tires, 3rd function, etc...

Just some things to think about. Messicks has a good video online about package deals and pros/cons.



Personally, I'd go HST if you plan on doing loader work and a lot of maneuvering - I like standard transmissions on cars and trucks, but not on tractors... YMMV.
 
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PoTreeBoy

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Thinking about this combo…Land Pride is not el cheapo is it? :unsure: :cool:

View attachment 84858
Land Pride makes several grades of equipment. I can't tell from the picture, but that looks like one of the lighter ones (first two #'s 12 or 15). The cutter starting with 18xx is a good, medium duty one.

I don't know the BBs, but they have at least two weights.
 
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Sail

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Land Pride makes several grades of equipment. I can't tell from the picture, but that looks like one of the lighter ones (first two #'s 12 or 15). The cutter starting with 18xx is a good, medium duty one.

I don't know the BBs, but they have at least two weights.
looked up land pride, made in Kansas is good enough for me(y)
 
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PaulL

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The L3902 is a great machine, new model but only a few changes. Neil from Messicks has a video on the changes, they're worthwhile but not ground shaking.

The 39 is the third step up - that same chassis comes with 25, 33, 39 or 4x HP. At 39hp there would be very few tasks where you'd be short of horsepower - so I personally wouldn't worry about a few HP escaping into the HST.

In my opinion HST is massively better than gear drive unless you're mowing or plowing a long straight line. Any stop/start, anything forward/reverse, anything where you need to constantly vary ground speed, an HST is better. That describes most of the tasks you do with a smaller tractor on a smaller property, to my mind. And HST still works OK for straight line dirt work, just not quite as good as gear in that situation.

Yes, you can use a clutch. And yes, people used to do that in their cars and trucks all the time. But most are automatic now because it's far more convenient, even though you lose a few HP. A tractor clutch is heavier to use than a car or truck clutch, and in my opinion you have far more situations where you need low speed and in a gear drive would be slipping the clutch. Tractor clutches in my experience (admittedly on old crappy machines) don't slip very well - so you tend to get a lurch to start.

On the Landpride packages, check with the dealer whether they'll let you upgrade. There are low end brush hogs/box blades, and heavier duty ones. The packages tend to have the light duty ones, and the usual recommendation around here is to go for the heavier ones. But the dealer may honour the "discount" baked into the package even if you get the heavier implements.

Trailers, the general recommendation is to buy a good trailer separately. The ones in packages are often not very good. In my part of the world that means Chinese-made and poorly welded, but in your part of the world it probably just means they were made to a budget - lighter deck, lighter weight axles, maybe less effective brakes. Unless you're using it very rarely I think a cheap trailer will rust and wear out/break quickly. But if you use it only to bring the tractor home, and move it place to place a couple times a year, and can keep it under cover, then it may be all you need.
 
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Tropical Jack

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Kubota L3301 w/ FEL & BH, tilt and trim, chipper, box blade, grading blade
I have the L3301HST. The ONLY thing that I don’t like is the treadle pedal and brake pedals on the same side. The new L series solves that issue. In my younger days, all the tractors I drove were manual transmission. For me, hydro is the way to go. But, it is definitely personal preference, and dependent upon the primary uses of your tractor. Either way, I think that an L3902 is a great tractor.

Jack
 
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JasonW

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I have a L3800HST. For my uses I picked HST, also the L3800DT had 8 forward and 4 reverse gears. Reverse was low range only. The newer L3901 has 8 forward and 8 reverse gears.

In this tractor size(chassis and HP) HST makes more sense, with ease of use for beginners and common use of tractors that size, also most gear drives in this size don’t have synchronizers in forward and reverse or even between gears.

Also I will go against what others have said about mowing with a DT, yes they are better for “straight line” runs but unless it’s a smooth field HST is better for speed changes in uneven conditions. With a DT you are at a set ground speed per 540 PTO speed. I’ve found you're either going too slow or too fast. 4th low between 1st high. I also have a MX5100DT that I’ve done the same tasks as the L3800HST.
 
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DoggyDaddy

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L2501, L3560
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------------------------
Also I will go against what others have said about mowing with a DT, yes they are better for “straight line” runs but unless it’s a smooth field HST is better for speed changes in uneven conditions. With a DT you are at a set ground speed per 540 PTO speed. I’ve found you're either going too slow or too fast. 4th low between 1st high. I also have a MX5100DT that I’ve done the same tasks as the L3800HST.
I have always been a manual transmission guy, lifetime of working in the automotive field convinced me that even if you don't abuse it an auto trans is more likely to fail than a manual by many times over. So when I bought myself a new tractor I went with gear drive like all of the tractors I had experience with since I was a kid working on farms for a summer job.

After 5 years with my Kubota if I were doing it again I would get an HST. It isn't a huge big deal to make sure everything is stopped to shift between Forward and Reverse (without grinding) and by now I do it without thinking about it but for loader work I have to think a hydro would be more convenient.

When I am brush-hogging I don't have any trouble matching the travel speed to a good PTO speed, determined by how high & thick the material is, and it is pretty nice to have it just run at the selected speed without holding a pedal (I can't remember if the L3902 has "cruise control" or not). However, there are a few spots on our property that need the travel speed to slow down because of a big bump or dip, it would be nice to be able to slow the travel speed while keeping the mower cutting, and I think HST would allow that.

I was not reading a lot of posts here when I bought my tractor but since then I am not seeing much in the way of trouble with the hydro transmissions so I'm gaining a respect for the durability. And to be fair, they really are not the same as an automatic transmission in the automotive world.

My 2 cents for whatever it is worth. Good luck with your new machine.
 
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DoggyDaddy

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Oh, and another thing I would do differently: get a Quick Hitch right away.

When I was buying my tractor I didn't think I would be switching attachments much. And I ended up with a County Line (from Tractor Supply) box blade. When you are changing your 3 point attachment it can be a real wrestling match getting the links onto the pins, with a Quick Hitch you pretty much just back up to the tool and raise the 3 point arms, very easy.

OK, there is a catch: The attachment has to be Quick Hitch compatible. That County Line box blade that I used (and wrestled with every time I changed) for a few years was not and I had to modify it to fit the Quick Hitch. I'm going to say that if you buy Land Pride products it will almost certainly be compatible, for other brands check first.

I am assuming that you are going to get a Skid Steer Quick Attach (SSQA) on the loader, I think sometimes that is a way that a dealer creates a lower priced package is to not include that but you definitely want that. Believe me, you will find other things you want to put on the front of your tractor.

Also, get the rear tires filled. Your loader will be limited by the rear tires coming off the ground if you don't have enough ballast. Filled tires and a box blade work well for me.

HTH!
 
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jyoutz

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MX6000 HST open station, FEL, 6’ cutter, forks, 8’ rear blade, 7’ cultivator
Jan 14, 2019
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Edgewood, New Mexico
I owned a DT tractor for 20+ years. I bought a HST tractor last year. I would never own another DT tractor. The HST is some much more fun to operate and rotary cutting is much quicker because I frequently need to back the cutter under trees. Also loader work is much easier. Overall, precision control for doing about anything is better with HST. I wouldn’t worry about the few HP loss at pto for HST. Just buy enough tractor so the pto HP is suitable for your implements and don’t worry about it. Enjoy operating your HST tractor.
 
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jimh406

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You do lose a bit of power by going HST, but HST is very handy. If you think you might be low on HP, I suggest looking at a more powerful Grand L or MX. You aren't that far from their prices for a significantly more capable tractor with a much more powerful loader that can lift higher.

Do look at the L3560LE and L4060LE and MX5400. Btw, they are also available with cabs. Keep in mind that cabs aren't just for heat/cold. They are also good to keep you from breathing dust, pollen, and being attacked by insects including bees. There's been a few times that I couldn't do loader work because the dirt that I was scooping was blowing right back at me where I was taking it. Kind of annoying. However, I went non DPF with a L2501 and a cab really added a lot more money. I'm retired, so I just waited until it wasn't windy. ;)

I don't think the L3901 or L3902 in either HST or DT is a good value compared to the other models that I mentioned.
 
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TGKY

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L4701DT
May 24, 2018
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35
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US
I recently purchased an L4701DT

i did test drive hst versions in Kubota (mx5400) and JD(4044) and very much prefer the DT.
These new DTs shift from forward to reverse really smooth and quick and that was enough for me to keep with what I view as the larger pluses for gear. I would have like the mx but availability, wait and the price difference in my area kept me from waiting for a DT.

Specifically I do a lot of tilling, discing and bushogging, when I’m doing utility or blade work, which is fairly often I’m used enough to gear drive that it works perfectly fine for me. I believe You can learn to be as precise with a clutch as an HST IMO so the trade off is. Worth it.

as for the package and implements shop around and be sure. Nothing wrong with LP at all just make sure to study the specs of it all and see that it will do what you need it too. Price it all individually and just do the math. I didn’t go with the package. I would recommend the heaviest trailer you can or want to pay for- I always end up wishing I had more capacity and I would highly recommend rear tire ballast on these L series.
 
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