BX - Buyer's Remorse? Loader remorse, anyway.

[Jay4200]

So, I recently bought a BX2200 w/ 5' MMM, loader, and snowblower. I bought the tractor primarily as a mower, and wanted the blower as an emergency backup should something fail with my 3pt blower that sits behind my L4200GST. I also wanted a loader, just 'cause. Well, after attempting to do some loader work for the 2nd time this past weekend, I can definitely say that the BX is just a hair better than useless when it comes to loader work. Not that it's a bad machine, it's just too light and the wheels are too tiny to get anything done without sliding and digging in. I was trying to dig in beach sand, and couldn't even come close to filling the bucket before all 4 wheels were spinning and going nowhere. Last time I used the loader, I was up on 3 wheels while trying to drive over a 4" drop with all of a half bucket of gravel. Both times, I pulled out my L4200 and had done in a single bucketload what I couldn't do in a half-hour with the BX. I can assume that it will do an adequate job running its snowblower, based on my experience running front-mount blowers on lawn tractors, though I don't really expect it to be significantly better that the lawn tractors. It should be adequate to function as a snowblower backup, but will probably need all 4 tires chained. On the other hand, my L4200 3pt blower will eat a car and not even cough with front chains only.

I'm happy with the BX's performance as a mower, and expect that the blower will be OK, but I totally wasted the extra money I spent for the loader. I can only imagine how frustrating a BX backhoe must be.

 

[oldnslo]

I used my BX1850 FEL for moving dozens of yards of dirt while back filling my home addition and moving excess dirt to other locations in my yard. Yes these are light machines and spins easily but they are better than a shovel and wheel barrow. Seemed like one of the keys to using the FEL was keeping some weight on teh front tires while pushing into the pile.

Can't comment on the snow blower but I had a six foot plow mounted on mine with no chains. My drive is also flat.

 

[oldnslo]

I used my BX1850 FEL for moving dozens of yards of dirt while back filling my home addition and moving excess dirt to other locations in my yard. Yes these are light machines and spins easily but they are better than a shovel and wheel barrow. Seemed like one of the keys to using the FEL was keeping some weight on teh front tires while pushing into the pile.

Can't comment on the snow blower but I had a six foot plow mounted on mine with no chains. My drive is also flat.

 

[HEC]

It's not always easy to go from big to small for sure . I bought the B2650 with a cab for snow blowing this winter , to do some garden work in the summer and some mowing with a rotary cutter . I own an M5700 and my biggest surprise was the rough ride of the smaller tractor with those smaller tires . The B works so much better for most of my garden work as it isn't nearly as heavy and can pull cultivators I never expected it could . I didn't get the loader for some of the very reasons you have mentioned . I have seen videos of the BX blowing snow on you tube and they seem to do a very good job . I agree with oldnslo anything is better than a shovel and wheel barrow , and there are many happy BX owners out there for that very reason .

 

[ultrarunner]

I've moved 80 yards of dirt and 15 of gravel for a backyard project where the cement block wall had only a 4' opening and it would have killed me have to wheelbarrow the same down the steep slopes.

The BX23 took it all in stride and I figure a heaping load around a 1/4 yard...

Never have tried it in sand and maybe the small diameter wheels would make it less than ideal for this situation.

 

[rbarker]

I think part of the problem here is that you are comparing the BX performance to an L series tractor and it's clearly not able to measure up to that. It will lift over 500 lbs in the loader which sure does beat using a shovel and a wheel barrow. Naturally an L will work harder and faster but not everyone has a use for such a large tractor.

As for snow, it's a competent snow mover but again, you will move more snow faster with the L. In 12 years of NE winters I have not needed chains, the turf tires have been fine. This includes snow blowing and snow removal with loader and back blade. Of course, your experience may be different but I would try it first before spending more money on the BX.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[jesseb3@att.net]

I dug a hole deep enough to bury a full size goat with a BX loader. Granted, I wasn't in sand...may be a bit tricky in sand without extra weight. I've been scooping 3" and 2b gravel lately, and I will say that more finesse than usual is necessary to maintain traction once the wheels are on the loose 2b gravel. The rear diff lock is mandatory there. As far as tipping goes, do you have a counter ballast? I'm carrying heaping buckets of 2b with only a BB as a weight - I recommend MORE counter weight by the way... trust me on that one

It's likely that you're not used to the finesse the littler machines require. I'm not questioning your skills - it's all about what you're used to. If you've got a bigger tractor, you haven't much need to learn how to maximize the little one.

 

[TripleR]

I guess it depends on your terrain, soil etc., we have a BX2200, BX2660, L5740 and M8540, we use them all where appropriate and would hate to give up our BX with FEL. I've moved tons of dirt and rock with them.

 

[CHDinCT]

Two weeks ago, I moved 6.5 tons of grave for a neighbor and spread so he hardly had to rake it out. Took about 20 minutes and I was picking up and moving the tonage on older gravel he was adding to. Sand would be tougher I suppose. You never mentioned what weight if any you had on the back of the machine. You should have max ballast - at least 500 lbs I'd say - to do loader work on sand. Try it on some other material/other terrain and let us know what you think then.

 

[dragoneggs]

So, I recently bought a BX2200 w/ 5' MMM, loader, and snowblower. I bought the tractor primarily as a mower, and wanted the blower as an emergency backup should something fail with my 3pt blower that sits behind my L4200GST. I also wanted a loader, just 'cause. Well, after attempting to do some loader work for the 2nd time this past weekend, I can definitely say that the BX is just a hair better than useless when it comes to loader work. Not that it's a bad machine, it's just too light and the wheels are too tiny to get anything done without sliding and digging in. I was trying to dig in beach sand, and couldn't even come close to filling the bucket before all 4 wheels were spinning and going nowhere. Last time I used the loader, I was up on 3 wheels while trying to drive over a 4" drop with all of a half bucket of gravel. Both times, I pulled out my L4200 and had done in a single bucketload what I couldn't do in a half-hour with the BX. I can assume that it will do an adequate job running its snowblower, based on my experience running front-mount blowers on lawn tractors, though I don't really expect it to be significantly better that the lawn tractors. It should be adequate to function as a snowblower backup, but will probably need all 4 tires chained. On the other hand, my L4200 3pt blower will eat a car and not even cough with front chains only.

I'm happy with the BX's performance as a mower, and expect that the blower will be OK, but I totally wasted the extra money I spent for the loader. I can only imagine how frustrating a BX backhoe must be.

Put a Piranha Tooth Bar on it and it will change your opinion. I have dug many yards of glacial till, moved 40yards of gravel, 100+ yards of dirt. Terraced a huge hill. The teeth bit into the soil much much better than a straight edge. Trust me on this one. I was disappointed too when I first tried to use the virgin bucket.