Am I in over my head?

[nnicklas]

I just stopped by the bota dealer to look at the BX22TLB. I came away a bit overwhelmed. I am currently using a Craftsman GT3000 25hp Kohler. I am a newbie to the compact tractor world and I am wondering if the bota is really a complicated as it looks to both maintain and operate. I know some of you guys must have to words of wisdom on this.

Thanks

 

[Charliebrn]

You'll be ok once you start using it a bit, just take your time with it. I came from a Cub Cadet, bought the BX2200 with FEL, box blade, tiller. Yea, it does seem overwhelming at first, but you'll learn quickly. Once you start playing, you'll see just how easy it is to use the little beast...

 

[hfd376]

I was in your shoes about three weeks or so ago. I currently have a craftsman II 18hp of about 1985 vintage. The frame and rear fenders are similar to yours and I think running gear is the same, 3 foward 1 reverse, 2 speed rear. Its an excellent rig, fairly easy to maintain and adjust when needed.
But I always wanted more. More capabilities, more versatility.

I started looking to replace old faithful, and walked into several tractor dealers. Due to sticker shock, and size of tractors I kinda chose the Kubotas, even before I knew this board existed. The BX series looked like they fit the bill. The first one I saw had the FEL and 60" MMM and was the greatest thing since sliced bread, HAD to have one. I did research on the web and found several good sites, but this one really stood out.

Do yourself a favor and read as much as you can in this forum as well as the others. Do use the search function, as it can cut down the time it takes to find answers to your questions. But don't be afraid to ask questions about your potential new tractor. I don't think I've seen a sarcastic reply to a question yet.

My money is semi tight, and after looking at financing options (there's an excellent thread in the kubota buying forum on this, BTW), and what I want to use this tractor for, I narrowed down my choice to a BX1800 with a 54" MMM, (taking delivery next week!) with the FEL to come later. Take a realistic look at your needs and what you want to use it for.

If you've never really dealt with anything larger than a garden tractor before, Yeah, its going to be a big culture shock. The BX really is close as you're going to get to a regular farming tractor, just in a little bigger than a garden tractor package. But its not something anyone here has not gone through before and they have lots of smarts on the subject.

The key is to read as much as you can on this board, and take a look at the in the pictures forum to see what you can do with your new machine. Oh, and don't forget to spend a lot of time over in the safety forum to get an idea of some of the dangerous aspects of tractoring. I found a few thing that I had never thought of before, that may be different from operating a garden tractor.

This board has a wealth of information, like a whole library on Kubotas to answer your questions. Good luck on your decision!

Doug

 

[ethiojazz]

Boy that is a posting with lots of good advice... And a nice path on how to make decisions....

1. Look at your needs now and in the near to medium future. A tractor like all other major purchases is an investment.

2. Look realistically what you can do without or will only require one or two days of work. You maybe able to rent a backhoe to remove that one or two stumps, as an example.

3 Look at your finances. In my case I was paying a fellow 200 bucks a month just to mow. Easy decision.

4, And finally just ask for help. I learned about the features, the variety of tractors, the prices and even where to go get it from this forum. As I said on the other question you posted you can learn from peoples experience where and what the best deals are.

Good luck.

PS Learning about a compact tractor and what you can use it for is really the best part of owning it. I am sure you will enjoy it.

 

[dcollie]

Not in the least. I came from a Cub Cadet Garden Tractor as well and when the BX22 first arrived my initial thoughts were: WHAT HAVE I DONE !!?!? I'll never figure all this out and have no idea how to use this stuff.

But ya know what? I went out to the back of my lot where there was some practice area, and spent 6 hours playing with it. Piece of cake! Very easy learning curve on everything....just takes some seat time. Now with 35 hours on it, I wheel it around like a pro.

Best tool I've bought in a long time for working around the property. A real back and time saver.

-Duane

 

[dgood1]

Nicklas,

If your dealer is as good as mine was, he will let you try the machine out at his location. I test drove 3 different machines and put in about 5 hrs trying the controls, ride, turning, shifting, etc.

I bought a much larger maachine than yours and have not regretted it at all. I do have a much larger lot than you do though. I love the FEL and have been using the heck out of it.

Good luck on your choice,

Don

 

[Huskerfan]

If you don't need the back hoe, consider the BX2200 with FEL and MMM which should save you $3-4 K. The capabilities of these tractors are amazing compared to garden and lawn tractors. I moved up to the BX from a Bolens GT. The learning and tinkering is fun and you'll end up on these forums for additional information quests, but that is a good thing.

 

[Hawkflyer]

Doug is right on here. While I did not jump from a garden tractor to a BX (they wern't around 10 years ago) I did jump from an 18HP (gas) MTD to a 16HP B7100. While it may seem that you are getting in over your head, you are not. I too thought at the time, What do I need all this machine for? Well over time I found out I needed a bigger one! What probably drove you to look at a larger machine in the first place is the inability of your current machine to do some task around the place that you really wanted to do.What you will find is that owning a tractor will give you a freedom you never had before in tackling projects. With the machine to help out you will COMPLETE projects that you would not have even considered STARTING with out one. I agree with the advice that this is an investment. These things are not garden tractors. They are built to last and they hold their value over the years. I recently traded my B7100 for a B2410, and got 95% of what I paid for the machine 10 years ago back in the deal. The dealer, sold it for more than I paid 10 years ago.What you will probably find over time is that you will want more machine (more power, bigger implements, etc) so it does pay to get something a little bigger than what you think you will actually need. Believe me the work will grow to meet the size of the machine. Another thing you will find is that you will become very popular in your neighborhood. You (like many on this web site) will find yourself doing lots of work for your neighbors just because you can and its fun.I also agree you should spend some time cruising this web site. It is a fountain of information. Don't be afraid to ask ANY question even if you think it sounds stupid. Everyone here started out someplace, and believe me we have ALL been there. I too have never seen anyone insult or make fun of anyone on this site. The place is full of guys that like tractors, and like the folks that like tractors. Everyone here is willing to help you all they can. I can assure you the only stupid question is the one you don't ask. Not knowing something can get people hurt or in trouble. So ask!In short, don't be afraid of the tractor (whatever you pick) and don't be embarassed to ask a question. Believe me if someone makes fun of you, he will get slammed by the rest of us.Welcome aboard and good luck.

 

[nnicklas]

Thanks to everyone for their posts. I took the plunge and will be taking delivery of a new BX22 with FEL and BH this Friday. I know I will be back with many more questions.

Thanks to all

Nick

 

[MrP]

Now here is a man that doesn't waste time.