New Holland L328 vs. Hyundai HS120V: An Established Line vs. a Comeback Skid Steer
Hyundai spent years out of the skid steer and compact track loader business before bringing the HS120V and HT100V back to the U.S. market. New Holland never left. That single difference one brand with a continuous, decades-deep L-Series lineage and one brand re-entering a category it walked away from matters just as much as any spec on the page when you're deciding which machine to finance. But the specs are close enough that it's worth putting them side by side before you get to that bigger question.
The Numbers, Head to Head
New Holland's L328 runs 74 gross horsepower at an operating weight of 7,895 lbs, with a rated operating capacity of 2,800 lbs at 50% tip. Maximum dump height is 100 inches with 31.9 inches of dump reach, and New Holland publishes real cycle times 4.5 seconds to raise the boom, 2.6 seconds to lower it along with a top travel speed of 7.0 mph. It runs on New Holland's patented Super Boom vertical-lift linkage, the same geometry we've covered in detail elsewhere across the rest of the L-Series.
Hyundai's HS120V comes in at 8,481 lbs operating weight (closed cab) with 73.6 gross horsepower (69.7 net) essentially identical power output to the L328, just carried in a heavier chassis. Rated operating capacity comes in at 1,883 lbs at 35% tip and 2,690 lbs at 50% tip, a few hundred pounds behind New Holland's number despite the extra weight. Standard hydraulic flow is 21.9 GPM at 3,335 psi, and Hyundai's published spec sheet doesn't list a high-flow option for this model. Bucket breakout force is rated at 6,327 lbf.
What the Numbers Actually Mean on a Jobsite
The headline finding here is that New Holland gets more rated capacity out of a lighter machine. The L328 is nearly 600 lbs lighter than the HS120V but still out-lifts it by more than 100 lbs at 50% tip. That's a real power-to-weight advantage, and on a jobsite it shows up as a machine that's easier to trailer and maneuver without giving up lifting performance.
The bigger practical gap is hydraulics. New Holland doesn't publish a headline high-flow spec on the L328's public page either, but the L-Series has long offered a high-flow option across the mid-size models for exactly this reason running augers, cold planers, and forestry attachments that need more than standard flow to work correctly. Hyundai's published HS120V spec sheet shows no high-flow option at all. If your attachment plan includes anything beyond buckets, pallet forks, and standard grapples, that's a real limitation worth confirming with a dealer before you commit, not an afterthought.
Who Each Machine Is Actually Built For
A demolition subcontractor clearing debris and loading dumpsters all day cares most about cycle time and lift capacity the L328's faster published cycle times and higher rated capacity at a lighter overall weight make it the more efficient tool for that repetitive loading work. A fencing or hardscape crew doing lighter material handling and occasional grading has more flexibility to choose based on other factors, like whether they're already running Hyundai iron on the excavator side of their fleet and want a single service relationship across brands.
Landscaping companies running skid steers for mulch, aggregate, and pallet work all season fall into the same category as the demolition example: the machine is working hard, every day, and the efficiency gap between a faster cycle time and a slower one compounds across hundreds of loading cycles a week. For that kind of duty cycle, the L328's numbers translate directly into more material moved per hour, which is real money over a full season even though it never shows up as a single headline figure.
Warranty and Support Coverage Deserve a Direct Question
Neither manufacturer's public spec sheet spells out warranty length or coverage terms in the same document as the machine's performance specs, and warranty terms can vary by dealer, region, and financing structure. That's a case where you should ask the selling dealer directly, in writing, exactly what's covered and for how long before you finalize a purchase for a comeback product line like the HS120V especially, understanding exactly what Hyundai and the dealer are backing the machine with matters more than it would on an established model with years of claims history behind it.
Total Cost of Ownership Beyond the Spec Sheet
Purchase price and horsepower get all the attention, but total cost of ownership includes routine maintenance intervals, parts lead times, and how easy it is to find a technician who's actually worked on the machine before. New Holland's L-Series has enough dealer and independent-shop familiarity built up over the years that finding qualified service in most markets isn't a challenge. Hyundai's re-launched compact loader line is still building that same depth of familiarity in shops that haven't necessarily worked on one yet not a dealbreaker, but a real factor worth weighing into the true cost of keeping either machine running over its working life.
Controls and Cab Details Worth Knowing
Hyundai's HS120V ships with ISO pilot controls and a self-leveling bucket function (up-only) as standard, which is a genuine convenience for operators doing repetitive loading cycles the bucket stays level as you raise the boom, so you're not fighting the linkage to keep a load of aggregate or mulch from spilling forward. New Holland's L-Series offers electro-hydraulic controls with adjustable response curves across its Super Boom models, which lets an experienced operator dial in sensitivity for fine-grading work versus fast material handling in a way a fixed pilot system doesn't.
Neither approach is objectively better across every use case self-leveling is a real time-saver for a crew doing high-volume loading all day, while adjustable electro-hydraulic response gives more control to an operator who's doing precision work with a grading attachment or a set of forks around finished surfaces. It's worth having both machines demoed side by side if either feature is a priority for how your crew actually works.
The Dealer Network and Parts Question
This is where the "comeback" framing stops being a marketing footnote and starts being a real financing consideration. New Holland's L-Series has been sold and serviced through the same construction-equipment dealer network for years, which means parts availability, warranty claims, and resale comparables all have a track record. A contractor who buys an L328 today can find used comparables, expected trade-in value, and a parts counter that's stocked the part before, because the model's been in the field long enough to establish all of that.
Hyundai's HS120V and HT100V mark the brand's return to this class after stepping away from it, which means the current dealer and parts network is still rebuilding depth in this specific product line, even where Hyundai's excavator and wheel loader support is well established. That's not a reason to rule it out Hyundai's broader dealer network is real and expanding but it is a reason to ask pointed questions about local parts stocking and service turnaround before you finance one, especially if uptime on this exact machine is what your bid schedule depends on.
Where Each Machine Actually Wins
The L328 wins on proven lineage, a documented high-flow attachment path, and a lighter machine that still out-lifts its competitor the safer default for a contractor who needs the widest possible attachment compatibility and the most predictable resale position.
The HS120V is worth a serious look if you're already running Hyundai excavators or wheel loaders and want to consolidate service relationships, or if a competitive introductory price on a re-launched product line fits your budget better than an established competitor's pricing.
Ground Conditions and Tire Considerations
Both the L328 and the HS120V are wheeled skid steers rather than tracked machines, which means tire selection and ground conditions matter more here than they would on a compact track loader. Wheeled skid steers generally handle hard, paved, or gravel surfaces with less wear and better fuel efficiency than a tracked equivalent, but they lose traction and flotation faster in mud, loose sand, or wet turf. If your work is concentrated on finished surfaces, parking lots, or hard-packed yards, either wheeled machine is the more efficient and lower-maintenance choice over a comparable compact track loader. If you're regularly working soft or wet ground, it's worth cross-shopping New Holland's C-Series compact track loaders instead of either wheeled option in this comparison.
The Rent-vs-Own Math Doesn't Change Either Way
Whichever brand you land on, the underlying economics of owning versus renting a 70-plus horsepower skid steer are the same. A landscaping contractor, hardscape installer, or small grading outfit that rents a machine in this class for a season is paying rental rates for a tool that goes back to the yard the moment the job wraps, with nothing to show for it on the balance sheet. A demolition subcontractor or a fencing crew running this class of machine several times a year hits that same math even faster.
Financing either the L328 or the HS120V converts that same monthly outlay into equity in a machine you can put to work on the next bid without waiting on a rental yard's availability and it means the machine is earning for your business on day one instead of costing you every day it sits idle in a lot somewhere else.
The Spec Comparison at a Glance
Operating weight: L328 at 7,895 lbs vs. HS120V at 8,481 lbs (closed cab).
Horsepower: L328 at 74 gross hp vs. HS120V at 73.6 gross hp / 69.7 net hp essentially even.
Rated operating capacity at 50% tip: L328 at 2,800 lbs vs. HS120V at 2,690 lbs.
High-flow hydraulics: documented on New Holland's broader L-Series; not listed on the HS120V's published spec sheet.
Standard hydraulic flow: HS120V publishes 21.9 GPM at 3,335 psi; New Holland's public L328 page doesn't list a standard-flow GPM figure.
What This Means for Financing
Deposit requirements on either machine generally track your credit profile and time in business rather than the brand itself strong credit can put a contractor at little to nothing down on either the L328 or the HS120V, while newer businesses may see deposit ranges from roughly 20 to 40 percent depending on the full application. That means the deciding factor between these two machines should come down to the fit for your work and your comfort with each brand's support network in your area, not which one is easier to get financed.
Our Take
If you're financing your first compact skid steer and want the least amount of risk on parts, resale, and attachment compatibility, the L328 is the safer starting point and our L-Series financing breakdown walks through the numbers in more depth. If you're already committed to Hyundai iron elsewhere in your fleet, the HS120V is a legitimate option worth financing on its own merits, and our Hyundai HS120V and HT100V financing guide covers what to expect. Either way, see how the L328 stacks up against Bobcat, CAT, and Kubota in our four-way 74-hp skid steer comparison before you finalize a decision, and check our New Holland compact track loader financing guide if tracks instead of tires might be the better call for your ground conditions.
Finance It Before Your Competitor Does
Whichever brand you land on, a financed skid steer builds equity in your business every time it's on a jobsite. A rented one never does.
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