Buying Advice BX23S options question

[Jaypeesi]

Hello all. I've been in the market for a small tractor for the last year and the stars have finally aligned and I believe I will be purchasing one in the next few days. I am heading to the local Kubota dealer on Monday to get a price and I want to be certain I am getting all of the options correct. I will be buying a grapple so I know I will need a third function valve kit but beyond that I am little unsure of what else I should be adding. Are there still different front end attachments (pin vs quick attach I believe). I have been on Kubota website but an not sure if I am missing anything. Anything I should be including that are optional from Kubota that would make sense during the initial purchase? Thanks for you help! (I will also be getting a mower and box blade)

 

[check]

Don't get there FEL skid steer style quick attach. It lowers the capacity of the front loader way, way too much. And you need all the capacity that you can get.

Have fun with it! There are some really nifty improvements over the BX25 that I have.

 

[Jaypeesi]

Thanks for the help! That is exactly what I was hoping for!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I would not get their pin type FEL. That will restrict you from so many attachments and may not even be able to get a grapple to fit it if not the SSQA attach.
I've owned a few Kubotas, two of the previous BX25s and attaching would be more important than a few pounds less lift capacity. :2cents:
After over 20 Kubotas in around 13 years I finally bought a grapple and it should have been one of my early purchases. I LOVE IT!! I've owned and traded off/sold many attachments/implements over the years. I have always kept the RatchetRake and boxblade. I've now bought another tiller and another post hole digger (Since I no longer own a BH) and another Rotary mower since aquiring another 28 acres. Needs change.

 

[robertm]

No disrespect to John, but I'll chime in... BX2670 owner, my 5th Kubota in 15 years, second BX.
Don't get the SSQA. If you have plans for the grapple, look at MyTractorTools. Jery Dunn makes a variety of grapples that are extremely light, but pick things vertically from trees the diameter of a pencil, to 55 gallon drums. Also makes a bunch of other grapples that I've seen in action that are incredible and light and strong. His quick attach with flip-style locks will retain your weight of the BX's capacity, and add some because it saves weight. I've had two sets of his QA and Forks, and they are the shiznit. Quality makes Kubota's look cheap. The SSQA cuts your weight, and unless you plan on using other skid steer type attachments on your BX, why lose your weight capacity? Those skid steer attachments weigh a bunch, and how do you get enough hydraulic flow and pressure from the BX to run some of the skid steer type attachments? Jery's QA WILL fit his grapples, and I'd bet his will fit other grapples that are designed for a pin-on style attachments..

 

[TMGT]

Does anyone have the actual numbers on the ssqa weight and how far it moves the attachment out compared to the other qa options?
I see a lot of post about the ssqa weight but don't remember seeing any actual numbers for them.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

http://www.kubota.com/product/BX80/specifications.aspx
Looks like 86 lbs is the weight lifting difference between pin and ssqa on Kubota site for BX23S or 126lbs. Not sure why two different lift capacity numbers. I'd still go for the SSQA having owned several of them and many, many more of the pin types on bigger machines. Maybe not as important with the BX for the SSQA.
I have a SSQA bucket, SSQA hydraulic post hole digger and SSQA grapple and previously had a SSQA forks. Swapping out front implements, being old, hooking up and disconnecting on sometimes unlevel ground and usually always working alone makes me still pick the SSQA.

 

[check]

No disrespect to John, but I'll chime in... BX2670 owner, my 5th Kubota in 15 years, second BX. Don't get the SSQA. If you have plans for the grapple, look at MyTractorTools. Jery Dunn makes a variety of grapples that are extremely light, but pick things vertically from trees the diameter of a pencil, to 55 gallon drums. Also makes a bunch of other grapples that I've seen in action that are incredible and light and strong. His quick attach with flip-style locks will retain your weight of the BX's capacity, and add some because it saves weight. I've had two sets of his QA and Forks, and they are the shiznit. Quality makes Kubota's look cheap. The SSQA cuts your weight, and unless you plan on using other skid steer type attachments on your BX, why lose your weight capacity? Those skid steer attachments weigh a bunch, and how do you get enough hydraulic flow and pressure from the BX to run some of the skid steer type attachments? Jery's QA WILL fit his grapples, and I'd bet his will fit other grapples that are designed for a pin-on style attachments..

Really great points, robertm - I'm convinced. If I can find it, somewhere I have a post whereby I calculated the reduction in lifting capacity as the result of the fact that the quick attach moves the pins forward about three or 4 inches or so. Even so, I think Jerry's set up would work well for me, and certainly have a lot greater lifting capacity than my current BXpanded forks that just attach to the front edge of my BX25 FEL. I have a 600 lb. fridge that I need to move, and there's no way I could do it with my existing set up.

 

[check]

Really great points, robertm - I'm convinced. If I can find it, somewhere I have a post whereby I calculated the reduction in lifting capacity as the result of the fact that the quick attach moves the pins forward about three or 4 inches or so. Even so, I think Jerry's set up would work well for me, and certainly have a lot greater lifting capacity than my current BXpanded forks that just attach to the front edge of my BX25 FEL. I have a 600 lb. fridge that I need to move, and there's no way I could do it with my existing set up.

Found my earlier post. The extension to the length of the loader arms is 3 5/8 inches. Thus, if you have the FEL on after, the reduction and lift capacity is about 100 lbs total, but that is with the bucket sticking straight out level. If you call the bucket back towards the tractor, the reduction and lift capacity is less. That figure would also be reduced by the difference in weight FEL bucket versus the pallet forks assembly, and I think that is where Jerry's set up shines.

 

[TMGT]

I'd still like to see numbers on the differnt qa setups, both the factory pin on and ssqa and the aftermarket options, once my dealer gets some bx80s in I'll have to stop by with my tape measure.
Still would like to get the weight of them all.
I've built and sold some pin on qa for B series Kubota's in the past, so I'm curious to see how they did on the factory options.

I have to believe the bx ssqa can't reduce capacity too much or else they wouldn't have changed from the pin on.
Maybe Messick's can help with figuring out the real numbers.