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

[GolfAddict]

Jay, have you checked the hydraulic pressure on the 2200? It's over ten years old, and I have no idea how it was treated before you got it, but I'm wondering if there is some issue.

The way you describe it's capability, I wonder... you may have just been expecting way more than these BX's can do, or maybe it's not performing as it should.

 

[bcp]

BX weight lifting test:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/311309-bx-weight-lifting-test.html

Bruce

 

[Tollster]

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 it up for sale, I doubt you won't have a line of takers, ohhhh, be sure to share you story with them before ya sell it so they get a fair deal..

 

[GPintheMitten]

It's probably the sand. Hard to get traction in sand.

 

[Threepoint]

Jay, have you checked the hydraulic pressure on the 2200? It's over ten years old, and I have no idea how it was treated before you got it, but I'm wondering if there is some issue.

The way you describe it's capability, I wonder... you may have just been expecting way more than these BX's can do, or maybe it's not performing as it should.

The BX2200 is ten years old? Guess I missed that, or maybe it was in another thread that I haven't read. Seems to me that changes things. Jay, I'd for sure check the hydraulic pressures at the loader quick-connects against spec before drawing any final conclusions on the BX's capabilities. Easy to do, you can make up your own pigtail and liquid-filled gauge. There could be worn seals in the lift and curl cylinders. Was the loader on the tractor when you bought it used?

If the pressures are within spec, then I'd put the whole tractor up for sale. You'll likely have a number of takers. I agree with others that this isn't the machine for you.

 

[RaydaKub]

The BX2200 is ten years old? Guess I missed that, or maybe it was in another thread that I haven't read.

Naw, you didn't miss it. It just that they have had the BX2230, BX2350, BX2360, BX2370, and now the BX2370-i
announced yesterday. The production more or less ceased when a new model came out.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I must be crazy, I have the smallest BX going and I love the little bugger

 

[94BULLITT]

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.

I have noticed the same with the BX. What takes minutes to do with the BX takes seconds to do with the L4240. I don't have anything against the BX, I really like. It is very nice to have for some jobs. I can do so much more with BX than I could with the machine it replaced. I'm not singling out the BX, any SCUT would be like this.

Also the L4240 is probably at least 50% more productive than the Bobcat CT235 (L3800 size tractor) I had. The 4240 is a larger machine and has HST plus which make it more productive.

My BX has more than 4'' of travel on the font axle pivot. Maybe they changed that on the newer ones.

You will be surprised in the snow. This past winter I drove through 18"-20" of snow without chains. I actually made a video going through 16.'' I need to upload it to youtube. At times the exhaust was blowing snow:laughing: I also used the BX to push some of this deep snow with a rear blade. It did the job it was just really slow.

I think some times people are misleading in posting what they do with their BX(or even other tractors). They post pictures of doing a big job and don't tell how long it took to do or lie about how long it took.

I think most of you missed my point. My BX does a wonderful job at exactly what I bought it for - mowing the grass. I am not dissing the tractor in that regard. I also wouldn't call a BX a "glorified lawn tractor", but I might call it "a lawn tractor on steroids".

My point was/is that I spent a considerable amount of extra money finding one with a loader, simply because I thought every tractor should have one. After using the loader a couple of times, however, I am of the opinion that I pretty much wasted my money on it - it is simply not worth using the loader, as I have a bigger one at my disposal. The BX tractor simply isn't enough machine to adequately perform with one, even as little as the bucket is. If you have no other choice, it's certainly better than nothing, but for me it isn't even worth doing a quickie job with it, as the performance is SO far inferior to my bigger machine. It it nice to carry tools or bulky stuff around, sure - my barn and house are 1/8 mile apart, so I do appreciate the loader for that. When you see a loader on a garden tractor, you can tell at a glance that it is primarily for looks, and that it is incapable of doing any real loader tasks. This is pretty much the case for the BX too, which was a surprise to me. I don't know if it is just lack of weight, since I don't think the 'B' frame tractors are all that much heavier - must be that coupled with the little wheels.

I figured that the BX bucket would be useful doing smaller jobs - I first used it digging gravel out of a pile to fill in low spots beside my driveway. I fully expected it to be half as efficient as my big loader, as the bucket is roughly half the volume, but it is nowhere close to half as efficient - more like 1/5th. I just wanted to let those out there who might be in my position know what to expect (or not to expect), because I expected quite a bit more out of it. That's all.

I think if anyone is considering a getting a BX with a loader they should consider getting a B series. A B series makes more sense if they are considering a backhoe. Look at the specs of the B series, it is 50% more tractor in a lot of ways. The B series also has a 3 range hydro. I think the 2 range on the BX really slows down production. Reverse in Low range is so slow.

 

[wawajake]

All I know is my BX gets put on trailer and hauled once or twice a year.... 5 hours away to my daughters house building project , where it gets put to the test. This year in three days it was given the task of moving 55 yards of fill around the house and to the back yard where it was spread , then 55 more yards of topsoil followed that . The BX loader and markham toothbar handled it no problem. The previous year it handled 72 yards of inch and half gravel, moving and spreading it on her driveway.
Then it comes home and handles all my jobs around my hobby farm , digging swales with the loader , and drainage ditches (I don't have a backhoe) all this in my red hard clay.............seems to me the original poster just needs some practice with his loader and some weight on the rear end. I don't cut the lawn with mine, I use a smaller lawn tractor for that !

 

[ultrarunner]

If I had only one tractor it would be my little BX23

I use it about 80% of the time and the Deere 110 maybe 20%

This year picked up an L3800 for the ranch with my brother... good unit... he really wanted to get a BX and I talked him out of it for one main reason... the terrain is quite rough and the BX has small tires which would accentuate this.

There is a reason the BX is often called the Swiss Army Knife of tractors and why it has captured such a large segment of the Estate market...