Buying Advice What can a BX25 Do? Bushog? Mow? Dig?

[art]

The BX 25 is like a swiss army knife for a home owner but I will throw up a flag here but thats not a big thing.

To be in the back forty for much brush hoging all sub compacts have a small plastic fan under them to cool the transmissions and the B-series doesn't have them which might be why the dealer recommended going larger.

I'd perfer a box blade for your driveway work!

I'd be backing over the 2" stock stuff instead of driving over it to mow it! All mowers are built with reserve so a mower that is saying 1" stock will very well cut limited amounts of 2" stock! I won't tell you how far you can stretch it as that would depend on the mower itself! Quality does pay.

 

[Scooby074]

Great replies guys. im building a decent picture of what it can and cant do, thanks.



One more thing. Ill assume the BX has a decent hydraulic flow?

Hows the speed on the backhoe? and has anyone ever built and ran a wood splitter with one?



LB: When did you get #3?

 

[Tom_H]

Hey Art,

Can I ask a couple of questions? Have a couple of comments too.

The BX 25 is like a swiss army knife for a home owner but I will throw up a flag here but thats not a big thing.

To be in the back forty for much brush hoging all sub compacts have a small plastic fan under them to cool the transmissions and the B-series doesn't have them which might be why the dealer recommended going larger.

I'd be backing over the 2" stock stuff instead of driving over it to mow it! All mowers are built with reserve so a mower that is saying 1" stock will very well cut limited amounts of 2" stock! I won't tell you how far you can stretch it as that would depend on the mower itself! Quality does pay.

Is your concern about the fan related to foreign material or heat? I sometimes back into dense places too with the brush hog, especially if I can't reach it going forward, need to drop the deck into the side of a creek bed, or it's so stemmy that I think I might get stuff lodged in the underside of the chassis. I do go forward through clusters of sapplings a lot though. In terms of heat, I have brush hogged in 115 degrees and as long as both filters and the face of the radiator are kept clean, I do not have an overheating problem.

I'd perfer a box blade for your driveway work!

Curious whether you have ever used a scraper grader?

Jason: a lot of people are recommending a box blade. My guess is that these are people who are familiar with the box blade, but have never used a scraper grader. A box blade is primarily designed to move considerable quantities of soil and to shape that soil while emptying the box. This works best if you have top-and-tilt hydraulics on the 3 point hitch. You can buy this additional equipment for about $1000. The box blade CAN be used for grading as well. This makes the box blade more versatile than a scraper grader. IF, however, you only intend to grade a road, a scraper grader is a much better implement. It is faster, simpler, and easier. There are no two ways about it. If you plan to move and shape soil as well as grade, the box blade is a better investment. If you only plan to grade the road, a scraper grader is a much better choice. I think the vast majority of people who have used BOTH implements would agree with me on this.

One more note re. top-n-tilt: you do not need top-n-tilt in order to grade a road with a box blade and you don't need it if you are moving soil in bulk without shaping it; you only need top-n-tilt if you plan to shape the soil. If you plan to move soil with a box blade attached to a BX, a relatively small BB is better than a bigger one. The BX doesn't have a low enough pulling gear or large enough rear tires to employ the tractive power necessary to pull the scarifers on a large BB as the box fills, especially if the soil is hard dry clay.

Re. the hydraulic flow and backhoe, there is nothing to be worried about. The only thing I know of that will overtax the hydro on a BX is that if you take one of the models that don't come with a bh and put a PTO powered 3ph bh on it and run extensively, that can overtax the hydraulics. That setup will also tear the 3ph apart and warp the frame of the tractor, but none of this is a concern on a BX25. Your wood splitter will not have problems either.

 

[radioman]

Great replies guys. im building a decent picture of what it can and cant do, thanks.



One more thing. Ill assume the BX has a decent hydraulic flow?

Hows the speed on the backhoe? and has anyone ever built and ran a wood splitter with one?



LB: When did you get #3?

bx24 and 25 is nearly the same. BX is setup for its OWN equipment like the BH. I say its decent enough for what I do with it. Its not like you can rip things out, but more like chip and clear away from stumps. I dug up over 24 inch maple stumps and its a bear due to the taproots. I also dug a poplar stump nearly 2.5 ft wide with no problem- just took me a few days.:thumbsup: I noticed any stump that is over 18 wide may need to be cut in half down the middle to be able to pull it out and move with FEL.

There was a TBN'ere that installed a splitter on his BX. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/attachments/158895-harbor-freight-3-point-log.html

Just keep in mind- the BX has a much lower flow then a standalone unit.

 

[wvpolekat]

I will vote for a BX.

I will admit i may be a little partal to them since i own 3 of them

Yes, anyone who has read this site more than twice knows about them and your fuel system. We don't care anymore and I don't think you even attempt to make meaningful posts anymore beyond puffing your chest about 3 tiny tractors and a 35 gallon drum with an electric fuel pump.

 

[Gods Country]

Sorry in advance for bringing this up in the Kubota forum, but if the cooling fan is a concern IIRC the new Cub Yanmar scut's use a cooler.

 

[TripleR]

Sorry in advance for bringing this up in the Kubota forum, but if the cooling fan is a concern IIRC the new Cub Yanmar scut's use a cooler.

I believe the John Deere replacement for the 2305 also has a cooler. I believe with other manufacturers stepping up to the plate so to speak on this issue, Kubota will have to address or lose sales. I know it will cost more, but in my opinion it will be worth it.

For the record, I haven't found adding a set of Bro Tek skid plates to be a big deal and thing even with a cooling fan, I would still like the added protection for the underbelly.

 

[leonz]

Leon, I may have missed something, but it looks like the smallest Caron flail needs more power than the BX25 pumps out; like I said, I may have gotten confused as that happens from time to time.

No worries Triple R,

The first 9 Caroni flail mowers in the chart will be adequately powered for 20-30 horsepower tractors.

Models:

TL0900ASC
-TL0900FSC
TL0900PSC
TL1200ASC
TL1200FSC
TL1200PSC
TL1500ASC
TL1500FSC
TL1500PSC

The A designation is the 2 row knive rotor for grass with little more rough cut.


The B designation is the shackle mounted 2 row knive rotor for heavy brush
and bushes allowing you to back over the brush and then drive forward to shred the debris.


The F designation is the finish mower rotor with 4 rows of paired slicer knives
for fine grass cutting on sod or cleared areas.

The P rotor has the 3 rows of "cup" or "paddle" slicers to allow mowing in heavy brush and good grass with a bit of a waffle cutting action left on the mown grass.



As far as a flail mowers unsuitability for his needs the A rotor with slicers mounted on shackle hangers and the P rotor with the cup knives would work fine with it

The "P" rotor has a wider knive edge with the three rows of knives and can shred more the first time but it will be rough an have to be passed over again like the "A" rotor mounting but the "A" rotor has the advantage of the mounting shackles where in allowing it to fold back when encountering heavy brush and as a result allowing it to attack the brush continually with the two rows of knives until the brush is shredded to ground level.


The "A" type Rotor works well with heavy brush and bushes; wherein you back over them slowly very slowly to grind them and avoid the dreaded stick in the radiator cooling fan issues.

Ideally if the "A" type rotor mower was mounted on a front mount kit from Pronovost Hardy it would allow the flail mower to be mounted in the front and the rear with zero issues as a reversing gearbox comes with the Pronovost Hardy front mount kit.


For the Kubota 2660 The TL1200ASC would work well in my opinion with plenty of useable power from the P.T.O., front mounting option with the Pronovost front hitch and their reversing gearbox powered by the Mid P.T.O.,
or the rear the mounting option using the 540 R.P.M., P.T.O.

The front hitch allows you to use the P.T.O., rear mounted implement with no issues or changes.

 

[art]

Hey Art,

Can I ask a couple of questions? Have a couple of comments too.





Is your concern about the fan related to foreign material or heat? I sometimes back into dense places too with the brush hog, especially if I can't reach it going forward, need to drop the deck into the side of a creek bed, or it's so stemmy that I think I might get stuff lodged in the underside of the chassis. I do go forward through clusters of sapplings a lot though. In terms of heat, I have brush hogged in 115 degrees and as long as both filters and the face of the radiator are kept clean, I do not have an overheating problem.

My concern here is possible damage to the fan first to break and then the transmission! Most people don't realize they have damaged it till the next day when they see a spot of oil under it from the breather.

Curious whether you have ever used a scraper grader?

I think I was about 12 or 13 the first time I used one! Still get to watch them being used, just not my prefered machine at this point. I've used them for most everything including snow which might be a high spot for additional justification over a box blade.

I really know that for landscaping work I perfer a double roller power rake and for drive way grading a double V with the front forward or of that type design simuliar to the land pride units.

 

[art]

I believe the John Deere replacement for the 2305 also has a cooler. I believe with other manufacturers stepping up to the plate so to speak on this issue, Kubota will have to address or lose sales. I know it will cost more, but in my opinion it will be worth it.

For the record, I haven't found adding a set of Bro Tek skid plates to be a big deal and thing even with a cooling fan, I would still like the added protection for the underbelly.

I'd guess that we have well over 500 BX tractors out at this point probably closer to 700-800 and I'd say that we do not do but a couple a year max according to our parts movement! That is a small number for the uses and the jobs and over use or abuse being point blank that people have told me they have done.

Now for those that have had issues with coolers leaking from foreign objects, or, a loose connection and a leak? On one make those units,,,,ready more then one in ten sold!!!! not a cub cadet though!

I have trouble not being able to find a fault with any machine built!

Some far more so then others for the numbers sold!!!!!!