Compact against Utility · same Kubota lineup
Kubota L3902 vs Kubota L4802
| Spec | Kubota L3902 | Kubota L4802 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$26,181 | ~$24,925 |
| What that price is | MSRP, base build | MSRP, base build |
| Size class | Compact | Utility |
| Transmission | Gear | Gear |
| Engine hp | 37.5 hp | 48.4 hp |
| PTO hp | 32.1 hp | 40.5 hp |
| Loader lift | 1,506 lbsat the pivot pin | 2,147 lbsat the pivot pin |
| Three-point lift | 1,998 lbsat the ball ends | 2,870 lbsat the ball ends |
| Hydraulic flow | 10.1 GPM | 12.5 GPM |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| Engine | Kubota | Kubota |
| Weight | 2,767 lbs | 3,428 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 11.1 gal | 13.5 gal |
| 4WD | Yes | Yes |
| Front loader | Yes | Yes |
| Cab available | No | No |
| Hydrostatic | No | No |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | No | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr / 2000 hr powertrain | 6 yr / 2000 hr powertrain |
A highlighted cell wins its row on the rule named above the table: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price. A lift row is left unwon whenever the two makers measured in different places, or where either of them did not say — a figure quoted at the pivot pin and one quoted 500 mm ahead of it describe the same loader and differ by roughly a third, so ranking them against each other would invent a result. Prices are typical list and move with dealer packages.
From owner discussion and long-term write-ups
What owners of each one say
Kubota L3902
What they like
- 32.1 PTO hp on the gear build pulls a six-foot rotary cutter or tiller without lugging, which the 19.8 hp L2502 cannot
- 1,998 lb at the lift points, and still 1,435 lb measured 24 in behind them, which is where a long box blade actually hangs
- Combined pump output of 10.1 gpm - 6.3 gpm to implements, 3.8 gpm to steering - runs the LA526 without starving the hitch
- Shares the 111.4 cu in engine and 11.1 gal tank with the L3302, so the roughly $2,400 step up buys 4.5 hp on a proven block
- Kubota builds the engine, the loader and the backhoe, so no part of the package depends on an outside supplier
- The shuttle lever is column-mounted, so forward-reverse changes on loader work never involve the range lever
What they complain about
- The headline hitch figure is measured at the lift points; 24 in behind them it falls to 1,435 lb, and that is the number a long implement sees
- Kubota lists no factory cab for the Standard L02, so this is a ROPS-only machine whatever the weather
- It carries the L3302's engine block, loader and tank, so the price premium buys horsepower and almost nothing else in the spec table
Kubota L4802
What they like
- The only four-cylinder in the Standard L range at 148.5 cu in, and 40.5 PTO hp on the gear build
- The LA766 lifts 2,147 lb at the pivot pin and reaches 105.2 in, which is round-bale and dump-trailer height
- 2,870 lb at the lift points is genuine utility-tractor hitch capacity on a compact-tractor footprint
- 13.5 gal of fuel, about two and a half gallons more than the rest of the series carries
- 12.5 gpm of combined pump output, half again what the L2502 flows, so the loader and hitch do not fight each other
- The BH92 backhoe digs 109.8 in against the BH77's 89.8 in on the smaller L02 models
What they complain about
- The published starting price is for the 2WD L4802F; the 4WD gear and HST builds most buyers actually order cost meaningfully more, so it is not a like-for-like figure against the L3902
- 3,428 lb in 4WD gear trim makes it the heaviest machine in the series and the hardest of them on turf
- No factory cab is listed anywhere in the Standard L02 range, so a 48 hp utility machine still leaves the operator in the weather
- The narrow L4802DTN variant takes no front loader at all, so the narrow body and loader work are mutually exclusive
- At 48.4 hp it sits close enough to the MX4900 that the MX's heavier frame and cab option are worth pricing before committing