Volfandt
Veteran Member
When traveling between jobs today, my route took me past a large Kubota dealership and since I was in the neighborhood I decided to make a quick stop to see if they had one on the lot and sure enough, there was one just freshly rolled out from prep and sitting right next to a BX23.
A couple quick thoughts as I compared the BX24 w/a BX23.
The operators station does look bigger. I climbed aboard and my eyes told me that there was more room and my feet told me there was more room and from the HST hump to the intake screen there was more room but when I used my arm to measure from the rear fender to the front of the floorboard it was about the same length as the BX23. Redesigning that HST hump in the floorboard to make it smaller definitely makes more room.
This model didn't have the tach but the entire dash has been redone. The switches have been combined into a "B" series type rotary switch setup. No individual switches now. Perhaps the emergency's won't flash when they get wet now.
The fuel and temp gauge's are bigger and form a qtr circle on the dash, like a car. The hr meter is under the dash with only a flush window to see it. All in all I liked this new dash setup, it looked more automotive! I did winder where the tach would go, it must take one side and the fuel/temps gauge combine on the other but I'm just guessing.
The hood, cowling and rear floorboard and fender assembly are plastic. The hood latch is definitely an improvement over the old and theres a shock absorber installed in the hood assembly to gently raise the hood when the lever is released. I had to give it alittle push to get it going but once I nudged it, it raised the hood and kept it up. Kinda like my old Thinderchicken....
The threadle pedal is gone. Well really not gone, just relocated to where the pivot is beneath the floor board. Now there is a single "toe" pedal for forward and a "heel" pedal for reverse and floorboard in between. You've got to move your foot to change directions. I can see where those that don't like the old threadle will like this setup but me, I'm so used to not having to move my foot to change directions that I like the old better. Funny, I used to think it was a draw back....
Once in the engine compartment, the alternator jumped out at me 1st. Then the redone air filter assembly. Looks like Kubota has seen the light and decided that a metal air filter bracket just won't last long when mounted on a diesel engine so they've redone the housing to integrate into the radiator housing and used a longer radiator type house to get the filtered air to the engine. The whole assembly looks cleaner and since it isn't bolted to the engine anymore it should do away with the everpresent problem of the previous BX's brackets breaking.
It looked like the dash support structure was redone to move the radiator back some inorder to fit the aircleaner assembly between the engine and radiator and it did look roomier, the alternator didn't look squeezed in and it seemed I could see the front of the engine better (i.e. waterpump) .
The only negative was that I couldn't remove the air filter cartridge with the cowling on. The cartridge looked to be the same as the earlier BX's. If I had had more time perhaps I may have figured it out but when I noticed that the cowling now has large plastic handled nut's that secured the cowling to the tractor and makes it a tool free connection, it may be that the cowling has to come off or at least move forward and/or down to R&R the filter.
Those new 10" front wheels w/R4 tires looked smaller than the BX23's 8" wheels w/Bars. Again, it must be my eyes playing with me because the BX24 is listed with higher ground clearance but with them sitting side by side I couldn't tell any difference in gorund clearance and the Bars looked bigger.
I liked the curved hood and curved FEL arms but it looked smaller than the BX23 right next to it. Again, it must be an eye thing. Perhaps those large square loader arms on the BX23 make it look bigger.
The hydraulic connections for the FEL has been moved down near the frame (like the 2210 & GC2310) and the control arm has been lengthened. The hydraulic block has been relocated also. The way the FEL mounts to the tractor as well as the mounts themselves are much different than previous BX's. The BX24 has much cleaner lines w/the FEL dismounted and doesn't have those large brackets the previous models have.
The BH is definitely bigger on the BX24. It's listed with more reach and depth and you can easily see the difference. All the lines run inside the arms and even though it's very clean and keeps them out of harms way, R&R'ing of these lines will be a PITA!
The control station has been shrunk and the control arms have been extended to make up for it. I'm guessing this gives a clearer view when digging. There was rubber non-slip pads for your feet on the floor board. The outriggers looked the same so mounting/dismounting is probably the same. One thing about the seat, when I spun it around to BH mode, it wouldn't catch on the lock. I had to force it to snap lock. Perhaps theres an adustment as my BX23 locks 1st time everytime.
The ROPS was redone in that the folding joint is lower but I didn't fold it and it didn't look like it would fold the full 180 degrees, more than likely it only folds as much as the BX23 does now.
I only had a couple minutes to go over it and when the sales rep came over to offer me the keys for a test run, I unfortunately had to decline. I know that I wouldn't have been able to get away then and that B3030 w/cab that was down the line a little ways was starting to talk to me so I had to go.
All in all Kubota has done alot of changes to the BX line that are more than just asthetic/cosmetic. Theres many improvements, especially to the air filter, more engine hp, more hydraulic power and the addition of an alternator and it looks cleaner. I think the BX24 will be a big winner for Kubota. I'll be keeping my BX23 tho, but if'n I was shopping today I'd probably pick the BX24 over the BX23.
Volfandt
A couple quick thoughts as I compared the BX24 w/a BX23.
The operators station does look bigger. I climbed aboard and my eyes told me that there was more room and my feet told me there was more room and from the HST hump to the intake screen there was more room but when I used my arm to measure from the rear fender to the front of the floorboard it was about the same length as the BX23. Redesigning that HST hump in the floorboard to make it smaller definitely makes more room.
This model didn't have the tach but the entire dash has been redone. The switches have been combined into a "B" series type rotary switch setup. No individual switches now. Perhaps the emergency's won't flash when they get wet now.
The fuel and temp gauge's are bigger and form a qtr circle on the dash, like a car. The hr meter is under the dash with only a flush window to see it. All in all I liked this new dash setup, it looked more automotive! I did winder where the tach would go, it must take one side and the fuel/temps gauge combine on the other but I'm just guessing.
The hood, cowling and rear floorboard and fender assembly are plastic. The hood latch is definitely an improvement over the old and theres a shock absorber installed in the hood assembly to gently raise the hood when the lever is released. I had to give it alittle push to get it going but once I nudged it, it raised the hood and kept it up. Kinda like my old Thinderchicken....
The threadle pedal is gone. Well really not gone, just relocated to where the pivot is beneath the floor board. Now there is a single "toe" pedal for forward and a "heel" pedal for reverse and floorboard in between. You've got to move your foot to change directions. I can see where those that don't like the old threadle will like this setup but me, I'm so used to not having to move my foot to change directions that I like the old better. Funny, I used to think it was a draw back....
Once in the engine compartment, the alternator jumped out at me 1st. Then the redone air filter assembly. Looks like Kubota has seen the light and decided that a metal air filter bracket just won't last long when mounted on a diesel engine so they've redone the housing to integrate into the radiator housing and used a longer radiator type house to get the filtered air to the engine. The whole assembly looks cleaner and since it isn't bolted to the engine anymore it should do away with the everpresent problem of the previous BX's brackets breaking.
It looked like the dash support structure was redone to move the radiator back some inorder to fit the aircleaner assembly between the engine and radiator and it did look roomier, the alternator didn't look squeezed in and it seemed I could see the front of the engine better (i.e. waterpump) .
The only negative was that I couldn't remove the air filter cartridge with the cowling on. The cartridge looked to be the same as the earlier BX's. If I had had more time perhaps I may have figured it out but when I noticed that the cowling now has large plastic handled nut's that secured the cowling to the tractor and makes it a tool free connection, it may be that the cowling has to come off or at least move forward and/or down to R&R the filter.
Those new 10" front wheels w/R4 tires looked smaller than the BX23's 8" wheels w/Bars. Again, it must be my eyes playing with me because the BX24 is listed with higher ground clearance but with them sitting side by side I couldn't tell any difference in gorund clearance and the Bars looked bigger.
I liked the curved hood and curved FEL arms but it looked smaller than the BX23 right next to it. Again, it must be an eye thing. Perhaps those large square loader arms on the BX23 make it look bigger.
The hydraulic connections for the FEL has been moved down near the frame (like the 2210 & GC2310) and the control arm has been lengthened. The hydraulic block has been relocated also. The way the FEL mounts to the tractor as well as the mounts themselves are much different than previous BX's. The BX24 has much cleaner lines w/the FEL dismounted and doesn't have those large brackets the previous models have.
The BH is definitely bigger on the BX24. It's listed with more reach and depth and you can easily see the difference. All the lines run inside the arms and even though it's very clean and keeps them out of harms way, R&R'ing of these lines will be a PITA!
The control station has been shrunk and the control arms have been extended to make up for it. I'm guessing this gives a clearer view when digging. There was rubber non-slip pads for your feet on the floor board. The outriggers looked the same so mounting/dismounting is probably the same. One thing about the seat, when I spun it around to BH mode, it wouldn't catch on the lock. I had to force it to snap lock. Perhaps theres an adustment as my BX23 locks 1st time everytime.
The ROPS was redone in that the folding joint is lower but I didn't fold it and it didn't look like it would fold the full 180 degrees, more than likely it only folds as much as the BX23 does now.
I only had a couple minutes to go over it and when the sales rep came over to offer me the keys for a test run, I unfortunately had to decline. I know that I wouldn't have been able to get away then and that B3030 w/cab that was down the line a little ways was starting to talk to me so I had to go.
All in all Kubota has done alot of changes to the BX line that are more than just asthetic/cosmetic. Theres many improvements, especially to the air filter, more engine hp, more hydraulic power and the addition of an alternator and it looks cleaner. I think the BX24 will be a big winner for Kubota. I'll be keeping my BX23 tho, but if'n I was shopping today I'd probably pick the BX24 over the BX23.
Volfandt
