Bx 2660 Seat

[Bacffin]

Hello Everyone!

I want to thank you all for the great information that you folks provide. This site is great! I have 2 1/4 acres mostly wooded with pine trees and a large lawn. I am a real newbie and now getting quotes now for a 2660 with a FEL. My main use will be loading for now and when the budget allows, move into mowing and a back hoe. My question is, when I go to purchase the back hoe (woods?) does it come with a reversing seat? The 2660 tractor only comes with a stationary seat now. It may seem like a silly question to some but I want to buy a tractor that I can build on.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[KeithInSpace]

The Woods BH6000 comes with a seat rotating mechanism.

I've played with the Kubota seat mechanism and like it much more than the Woods solution...at least the solution that was in place when I installed my Woods BH6000 4 years ago. Perhaps they've improved on the design since then.

I've thought about purchasing the Kubota mechanism, but haven't gotten around to it.

All that said, the Woods mechanism works fine. It spins the seat around and back and tilts the seat forward to it is more comfortable/natural to sit in while using the backhoe. It hasn't broken and doesn't seem that it ever will, but once you get it and compare it directly to the Kubota mechanism, you'll know what I'm talking about.

I'm sure you'd be very pleased with the BX2660. It is the 'biggest of the smallest' and will give you many years of joy. I'm just cresting 300 hours on my BX2230 doing all manner of chores and inflicting all manner of abuse...and if I spend 3 hours washing it, you can't tell it from new. Not a moment's problem or a minute's downtime in over 5 years (knocking on own head).

So you know, the BH6000 is ~$5,000 to $5,500 to add later...at least it was when I bought mine. Wonderful device and I'm very pleased with it. But the Kubota unit is a little easier to put on and take off and the overall investment is slightly lower with the BX25...I think it's less than ~$4,000 premium over the BX2360. Of course with the BX2660 you get another few HP, but if you ask the question everyone here would agree that these machines run out of traction LONG before they run out of power. The extra HP will only really matter if you're talking about chippers, generators, or other power-hungry 3PH attachments.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Bacffin]

Well thanks for the info Keith. If I had done did a little home work on the BH6000, I would have figured the seat out. Thanks again.

I was actually going to look at BX2360 too. It's about $1000.00 less according to one dealer in NH up here. HP and the reclining seat appear to be the only difference. One attachment I know I'll be getting is a chipper (gawd, do I hate pine trees!) and I need to decide if the extra HP is big enough to warrant the added cost of the 2660. Do you or anyone have some thoughts on this? Saving a Grand would be a great option if I don't need the HP. This is where experience plays a role and I lack it. :confused3:

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[KeithInSpace]

I've not run a chipper or other high HP application off the PTO, so I can't say much about that from experience. Logic would say "the more, the merrier" as far as PTO horsepower and chippers.

As far as normal use, I can speak to that. Normal includes, but is not limited to, FEL loading of dirt, stone, sand, pavers, salt, multch, etc. on and off a trailer, excavation with FEL and with BH, pushing snow, pushing trees, pushing OVER trees, removing 2" scrub pine, hanging pinatas, taking out the garbage, carrying the newspaper, lifting an ATV, oving an air compressor, mowing and bagging 1 acre of heavy wet grass, moving around a 5,000# travel trailer, moving around a 20' utility trailer, and many, many, many other things. As far as NORMAL goes, I have never once wanted a single more HP than I have available. If high range doesn't do it, I have low range. I can pretty much spin all 4 tires on asphalt in low range.

I know a guy with a BX1860 that wishes he had a little more power. I know another guy with a BX1850 that is happy as a clam.

I don't recall a single person on this forum that thought the BX2230, 2350, 2360, 22, 23, or 24 was wanting on power. Folks run out of ground clearance (and move up to a B, L, or M) before they run out of power.

Of course, the BX2660 has more, and that's cool too.

I'm sure others will speak up, confirming or denying the above.

Hope all continues to go well with the decision process.

 

[radioman]

Well, as a BX24 owner all I can say is that its easier to get the right stuff the first time. If you have plans for BH, why not get one built in? A used BX TLB is just as good as new one. I have not sit in a woods BH, but I like the kubota BH so far.

 

[Bacffin]

I would love to get a BX 24 or 25 but the budget doesn't allow for it right now and the used ones in my area are 13k plus.

 

[KeithInSpace]

For my part, I'll offer this:

On the original purchase, my wife told me to "get whatever you can for under $15k". That I did.

6 months later, she saw a backhoe on the back of a B series and offered, "You need one of those."

6 months after that (the following spring), I added a backhoe.

She's happy, I'm happy. It makes better financial sense in the long run to get a BX24/25. But sometimes, that isn't the best decision.

Go with your gut. What Mr. Radioman says is 100% correct...but that doesn't make the way I went about it (adding a BH6000 later) the wrong way to go...

 

[TheFlatlander]

Well thanks for the info Keith.
I was actually going to look at BX2360 too. It's about $1000.00 less according to one dealer in NH up here. HP and the reclining seat appear to be the only difference. One attachment I know I'll be getting is a chipper (gawd, do I hate pine trees!) and I need to decide if the extra HP is big enough to warrant the added cost of the 2660. Do you or anyone have some thoughts on this? Saving a Grand would be a great option if I don't need the HP. This is where experience plays a role and I lack it. :confused3:

Thanks,
Bruce

I have been using a 6" Ginma chipper and have experience it with both the 23 & 26HP models. Both models are able to get the job done. Now with that said the additional PTO power of the BX2660 is noticeable and appreciated.

I got my BX2660 when the change over in the models was just starting from the 50 to 60 series. the The BX2660 was the fist to come out. BX2360 was not available for quite a few months and I wanted nothing to do with the 50 series. So the decision on the BX2660 was kind of made for me. They were hard to get and if I read the serial numbers correctly mine was the 50th made. Anyway-Really glad it went that way, as I make good use of the PTO. Seat was an added bonus.

 

[CHDinCT]

I run a DR chipper off of my 13.7 PTO hp BX1860. It handles dead or green branches up to about 3" fine, sometimes a bit more and on occasion I have to feed it slowly. I think for pine branches, you'd probably be fine with the BX2360. Of course the extra ponies of the 2660 wouldn't hurt, but I'd be inclined to put the money toward a BX25 if I knew I'd need a backhoe at some point.

 

[Bacffin]

I got the dealer to come down $650 more for the BX2660. Is there some dealers out there that sell online? I know shipping must be an issue. There are only 2 dealers in the area, 1 local, 1 an hour away.

The snow is melting and the mess of 70 trees I took down last month is starting to take shape...:laughing:

Thanks,
Bruce