bp fick
Super Member
Almost 6 years ago, my wife and I took possession of our pre-retirement property, now retirement rural property. I grew up in the 1950's on a farm and my grandparents and uncles farmed, so tractors weren't odd to me, but I was 30 years out of touch. I knew I would garden on a large scale and I also knew I would have serious snow to plow. Knowing those two tasks to be absolutely primary, I started to shop for a Garden tractor. I considered Massey-Harris Pony or FarmAll tractors from the 1950's as likely candidates, but I also just assumed there were a number of options in the "Garden Tractor" genre. Boy, was I surprised.
I admit, I was out of touch. Who knew that the old style Garden Tractors of the 1960's and 70's were long gone. The old "names" were done. Toro, Wheel Horse, Case, Simplicity and all the rest.
A trip to a Kubota dealership to see if I could function with a T series or GR series was somewhat disappointing. While nice machines, they were very expensive and were really lawn mowers. Nice lawn mowers, but not really what I was looking for.
And then? The salesman said to me, "Have you seen a BX?" Shoot, I had no idea what he was talking about. After an hour's worth of introduction and demonstration, I said, "OK, wrap one up and put a bow on it, as I'll take it."
Little did I have a clue how much I would grow to appreciate the modern garden tractor that is now known as a subcut, a term I'd never even heard before. I always find the various and sundry threads that endlessly debate, often with exaggeration on one side and snide ridicule on the other as to whether a BX is "really a tractor" or how capable a BX is or isn't to be pretty darn silly. I am rarely even the slightest bit tempted to join in these frays. Bleh!!
I use my BX weekly to work the garden, as promised. From prepping the soil to digging the 'tators, it does just fine, to moving a chicken tractor about the pasture, to pulling the utility trailer, to fetching firewood, to oh yes, plowing that snow, over and over again, the BX does just fine.
This is my story of how I first got a Kubota BX. Starting out by looking for a Garden Tractor or snow pushing lawn tractor and Ta Da!!! You'll eventually find the BX. If you're like me? You wouldn't trade a BX for a 1977 version garden tractor, with 18 hp gasser engine, draw bar implements, no FEL, no FWD, and so on. They may have been nice, useful and fun back then, they just wouldn't cut it in the 21st century, not for me anyhow.
Just some rambling thoughts on a grey, cold Monday night.
I admit, I was out of touch. Who knew that the old style Garden Tractors of the 1960's and 70's were long gone. The old "names" were done. Toro, Wheel Horse, Case, Simplicity and all the rest.
A trip to a Kubota dealership to see if I could function with a T series or GR series was somewhat disappointing. While nice machines, they were very expensive and were really lawn mowers. Nice lawn mowers, but not really what I was looking for.
And then? The salesman said to me, "Have you seen a BX?" Shoot, I had no idea what he was talking about. After an hour's worth of introduction and demonstration, I said, "OK, wrap one up and put a bow on it, as I'll take it."
Little did I have a clue how much I would grow to appreciate the modern garden tractor that is now known as a subcut, a term I'd never even heard before. I always find the various and sundry threads that endlessly debate, often with exaggeration on one side and snide ridicule on the other as to whether a BX is "really a tractor" or how capable a BX is or isn't to be pretty darn silly. I am rarely even the slightest bit tempted to join in these frays. Bleh!!
I use my BX weekly to work the garden, as promised. From prepping the soil to digging the 'tators, it does just fine, to moving a chicken tractor about the pasture, to pulling the utility trailer, to fetching firewood, to oh yes, plowing that snow, over and over again, the BX does just fine.
This is my story of how I first got a Kubota BX. Starting out by looking for a Garden Tractor or snow pushing lawn tractor and Ta Da!!! You'll eventually find the BX. If you're like me? You wouldn't trade a BX for a 1977 version garden tractor, with 18 hp gasser engine, draw bar implements, no FEL, no FWD, and so on. They may have been nice, useful and fun back then, they just wouldn't cut it in the 21st century, not for me anyhow.
Just some rambling thoughts on a grey, cold Monday night.