Buying Advice Should I tweak my Kubota package purchase a bit ? seeking opinions re now or later ?

[check]

I would not use calcium/salt as rear tire ballast. Usually it rusts the wheels. I would not ballast the rear wheels on a BX with Backhoe. The Backhoe probably weighs 600 pounds and protrudes to the rear, increasing its utility as ballast. Filling both rear tires will only add 150 pounds or so. With 23-horsepower you will not be capable of breaking traction on level ground. Should you have a tire puncture (I never have.) dealing with filled tires is a pain. For the same reason, omit wheel weights. 54" is a good width for Box Blade for BX23S. Be sure the Box Blade has enough weight to serve as Three Point Hitch counterbalance to heavy FEL loads when the Backhoe is off. The front axles on the BXs are pretty light. Three Point Hitch counterbalance reduces front axle loading. A bucket of DRY sand or DRY dirt will not lift the rear wheels. Usually it is carrying green timber or moving heavy equipment with the FEL where counterbalance is necessary to keep the rear wheels on The Earth. You will not need a ballast box with a Backhoe and Box Blade available. Most with a Backhoe would not mount a digging Toothbar on the bucket. Most, not all. I have heavy expanded steel screen as armor under my L3560. I ripped off HST solenoid wires twice mowing jungle before ordering armor installed. The cooling fan is vulnerable on a BX but I do not know if armor and a MMM are compatible. I would buy (relatively cheap) SSQA pallet forks first and see how you like them. Pallet forks should do 65% of what a grapple will do on a BX. Consider 26" and 32" pallet forks in lieu of 42" pallet forks, unless you will actually unload partial pallets. For moving limbs and brush the shorter forks are handier. Heavier than necessary pallet forks subtract from payload every lift. (The five tines on my clamp-on Debris Forks are 19" deep.) I ALWAYS SEEK THE SIMPLEST SOLUTION AVAILABLE. SOMETIMES WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR LESS. PTO Chippers are fine year one. Year two and later too much maintenance. Always hazardous. Most "chippers" convert to "burners". My history. I had a high end Wallenstein. Chippers work a little better with a single type of wood, for which the blade(s) can be optimally adjusted. Christmas tree farmers like them better than residential users with mixed wood. My L3560 has 28 PTO horsepower. Not enough PTO power to make chipping attractive relative to burning. I do not know if the Ratchet Rake is available in Canada. You might inquire if the T-B-N STORE, an agent for Ratchet Rake, can ship to Canada. In my opinion RR is the #1 force multiplier for light tractors. RR is NOT for digging. VIDEO: Kubota BX Series VS. B Series - YouTube

First, don't get the Kubota QA. It breaks. Second, get Jery Dunn's QA AND pallet forks - they work together well, and in any case, the Kubota pallet forks set up is way too heavy. Weight is your enemy on the FEL and/ or FEL loader arms, because the lift capacity with the bucket on is only 745 lbs. "at the pin".

And try to get an EA front grapple - they have models light enough for the BX23S. But get the hydraulics NOW from Kubota. And forget the post hole digger. You only have 17.5 PTO HP, which is not enough unless you have real soft soil with no rocks.

More to come...

 

[scaredychicken]

With your needs this may mean this is the right tractor even if smaller than you'd like. Purchasing is very personal we each have to decide the best option for ourselves.

That is truer than you know.

For those that haven't read my other post ... "17 yr decision... " I am new to tractor ownership (first one pending), but have been following TBN and learning from expert farmers, hobby farmers, dealerships for years - just in the hope of buying a tractor that would suit my purposes one day. Give me some independence... while saving the cost of regularly hiring out the work.

I have considered many brands of SCUTs and CUTs, and tried most (of the reasonably close ones) out briefly ... John Deere, Kioti (cousin has a dealership, father-in-law works at one), McCormick, New Holland, Massey Fergusen, and Kubota.

I don't need a large tractor, as it is hobby farming and yard maintenance primarily. The property is only 7.5 acres, with 1/2 of that being forested untouched slopes. At this point the wide open spaces, grass areas etc are limited, so a smaller tractor is ideal for maneuvering etc. I have paid others in the past, to do the work that I now want to do; to maximize the potential of this property. The tractor - loader - backhoe package appealled to me from the beginning. The integrated backhoe was a bonus feature that most other packages don't offer.

The quick attach system makes me glad that I didn't buy the earlier versions (couldn't afford until now anyway), because these new features really make the decision easier. Selling points for me (on any tractor option) ... HST, open deck (nothing to climb over), diesel, 4x4, quick attach, drive over mmm, the available implement / accessory options and capacity with a smaller tractor - auger for fencing, pallet forks, even the backhoe.

With my physical limitations (cerebral palsy) and my novice tractor experience, the reaction that I get from almost everyone is ... "can YOU even do that?" , or "why would YOU buy a tractor ?" My response is typically something like ... I need a tractor, and so far I can (Dr's thought that I would never walk, be restricted to wheelchair years ago etc)... I may not be your typical hobby farmer, and I'm okay with that. Actually and oddly, the lower profile and centre of gravity on a small tractor is also a feature for me .

I really do appreciate all the feedback in this forum, and in this post. I'm still learning a lot and now considering things that I had never before even thought about ... filled tires, counter-weights, tractor insurance, chains.

One other bonus is that the BX23S or similar tractor options, will legally fit on the flatdeck trailer that I bought 12 yrs ago. Larger units may not be able to do so (weight limits, length).

When my wife was a beekeeper (before she became disabled 3 yrs ago) we were looking at a larger tractor, simply for the pallet fork lift capacity. We can get by with less now.

Well, that's a bit more to my story and decision process. Thanks.

 

[scaredychicken]

To answer some of the questions that I missed earlier (sorry)...

- the tasks are basically yard improvement and management, on a small hobby farm
- no significant wide open spaces as half of the 7.5 acres is sloped bush
- there are some minor slopes, between the areas that need to be worked on
- we have chickens and goats (pending fencing), some bees, and 2 dogs (to keep the bear by the creek and away from the house
- mowing (mostly in the future) when I can level things out in larger patches - we have an older JD160 LT currently used for the rough areas
- fencing: still a lot to do, post and wire ... the auger and backhoe will be put to use
- brush removal - using loader, and grapple (future)
- levelling out the property, especially driveway ruts from every winter - box blade and loader
- tree stump removal
- snow removal / winter maintenance - the loader to clear (also have an ATV with snow blade)
- dirt mamagement / clearing - general use tractor
- lifting / moving / carrying stuff - I can lift a lot of things that would be regularly encountered, but I am not able to carry / move them very far (balance issues)

cheers

 

[Doofy]

It certainly sounds like you have given this tons of thought and that the BX23s does everything you want it to do. Kudos for not rushing headlong in to a spur-of-the-moment purchase until you are sure. I am a Sucker for new, shiny toys.

 

[scaredychicken]

I'm a sucker for new stuff too Doofy. It's just been a long time since buying anything significant for me.

But my budget was impossible with no income the past 2 yrs. Now we have renters upstairs, AND my Disability support was FINALLY approved, so I noe have everything paid off in the past 2 weeks, except the Line of Credit, - the timing is good. It will allow us to get a lot of work done around here, and I will write the entire package off as a business expense of the hobby farm ... so with the 0% and 84 months, I'm hoping that it pays for itself.

Although my wife is supporting the purchase, this is really my deal. She has no interest in making this decision, but she will enjoy using it. She doesn't know or really care what the cost is ... but it is half the price of her car. I think I'm okay with that, and I'll probably drive the little 2003 Cavalier for a few more years, until this is paid off.

 

[check]

To answer some of the questions that I missed earlier (sorry)... - the tasks are basically yard improvement and management, on a small hobby farm - no significant wide open spaces as half of the 7.5 acres is sloped bush - there are some minor slopes, between the areas that need to be worked on - we have chickens and goats (pending fencing), some bees, and 2 dogs (to keep the bear by the creek and away from the house - mowing (mostly in the future) when I can level things out in larger patches - we have an older JD160 LT currently used for the rough areas - fencing: still a lot to do, post and wire ... the auger and backhoe will be put to use - brush removal - using loader, and grapple (future) - levelling out the property, especially driveway ruts from every winter - box blade and loader - tree stump removal - snow removal / winter maintenance - the loader to clear (also have an ATV with snow blade) - dirt mamagement / clearing - general use tractor - lifting / moving / carrying stuff - I can lift a lot of things that would be regularly encountered, but I am not able to carry / move them very far (balance issues) cheers

Stump removal is a big pain. Get a Bro-Tek or bxpanded.com ripper tooth for your BH - both companies also sell a QA so you can easily and quickly switch back and forth between the ripper tooth and the BH bucket when digging out your stump. Makes stump removal a lot easier!

 

[Doofy]

I'm a sucker for new stuff too Doofy. It's just been a long time since buying anything significant for me.

But my budget was impossible with no income the past 2 yrs. Now we have renters upstairs, AND my Disability support was FINALLY approved, so I noe have everything paid off in the past 2 weeks, except the Line of Credit, - the timing is good. It will allow us to get a lot of work done around here, and I will write the entire package off as a business expense of the hobby farm ... so with the 0% and 84 months, I'm hoping that it pays for itself.

Although my wife is supporting the purchase, this is really my deal. She has no interest in making this decision, but she will enjoy using it. She doesn't know or really care what the cost is ... but it is half the price of her car. I think I'm okay with that, and I'll probably drive the little 2003 Cavalier for a few more years, until this is paid off.

Really glad things are finally looking up for you. With some of the pressure off, you can better enjoy the benefits of a new tractor. Cheers!:drink:

 

[Goldnrod24]

The difference in "cash price" vs "financed price" is around what 6.X% interest would be over the term of the loan. Still paying all the interest, just buying down the loan to 0% in effect.

I believe this to be a false statement. If a dealer is telling you this, find a different dealer. You are being played.

 

[TMGT]

I believe this to be a false statement. If a dealer is telling you this, find a different dealer. You are being played.

Some manufacturers do it that way however Kubota typically does not, although Kubota will occasionally give cash incintives on some models.

Since CMV has an LS maybe that's what he was referencing?

 

[PaulL2]

Late to this party, and probably not as experienced as some around here. Still, I've had a BX for 2-3 years now, and I'm doing similar stuff (but probably lighter duty) to what you describe.

My thoughts, which pertain to my situation but may be interesting/useful to you:

• mower: I have the 54 inch, thinking about moving to the 60 inch with next machine. You overlap a bit with each pass, so with a 54 inch you're probably mowing about 48 inches (4 foot). So the extra 6 inches (half foot) is an extra 15%-ish. Risk is scalping, but my lawn is reasonably flat. Sounds like yours isn't, but you plan to make it so over time, so worth thinking about. Also, I put mow strips round the edge of the lawn, and it's sometimes hard to get into the curves. A 60 inch would stick out that bit further and avoid reversing to get into corners
• pallet forks: I got a 3ph pallet fork setup. It was inexpensive. It doesn't lift as high as the FEL forks would, but I don't need to lift that high, and with a pallet on back it doubles as a transport tray, with a 44 gallon drum part full of water it doubles as a counter balance (plastic drums free from brother in law). If you get rear pallet forks you don't need QA loader bucket, and that means you get a bump in lift capacity by avoiding the weight of that setup plus save the spend on the QA option
• I didn't load wheels, I can easily add an implement or pallet forks + drum of water, one day maybe a ballast box. Filled wheels are permanent, so only do it if every task you do you want extra weight. For me, I didn't want that weight mowing lawns or when transporting the tractor. I think the benefit though if you do is that you don't have to think about it - so every time you drive the tractor you don't have to think "do I need ballast" - and when you're out on the farm you don't have to get part way through a job and go home to get ballast. Messicks have a good video on youtube on filling wheels which you could look at - they do pros and cons on different ways to ballast
• spacers depend on how steep your hills really are, and whether you go up and down them or across them. You say you have some slope, but didn't have the usual adjectives that indicate they're steep. If you keep your bucket low and are reasonably sensible (and you don't sound like you're 23 years old, so just living this long suggests you're somewhat sensible...) then it's reasonably fine.
• chain tie down system. If you're not driving too fast, a decent set of strops (which you may have around already) will suffice. I actually don't take my tractor as many places as I thought I would, so I wouldn't invest in it unless you have other uses for it too. And it's definitely something you can buy later, from somewhere else and when it's on sale
• BigToolRack. Looks cool, a pallet on my pallet forks sort of does the same thing. You have to save some things for the missus to buy you for birthday and christmas presents in future....
• As everyone has said, if you want the third function valve, get it installed when you buy the tractor. You can add the actual grapple later. Given your disability, the grapple might be something to get now - but think about whether you want a grapple on the FEL or a thumb on the BH - I have neither but I feel like the thumb on BH would be more dexterous but slower to set up, the grapple on the FEL better for grabbing something and taking it somewhere
• Tooth bar. I've never had one, and haven't had anything to move that I needed one for. But I don't really use the FEL to dig down into the ground - mostly I move piles of stuff
• Installed grease fittings. Not sure what they are - my FEL has grease nipples, haven't needed to grease anything else
• Wood chipper. If you can burn that's easier. If you can't burn (I can't due to location) then a chipper is excellent. They are dangerous as all **** though, I nearly lost my finger in mine through stupidity, only takes 2 seconds of not paying attention or trying to cut a corner. You may find that it's easier to pile things up and burn than to chip - it's quite physically taxing feeding the thing and relies on a bit of coordination to not have things go wrong, it might not suit your physical situation well
• Winter tire chains. I'm in NZ - winter just means rain. I suspect it depends on what tires you're putting on (suspect ags given your needs), and how much snow really you'll drive in. I see plenty of videos of guys with snow clearing equipment on a BX and no chains, and they don't look like they're getting stuck
• Post hole auger. Seems a bit ambitious on a machine this size, but if that lets you put a fence in that you couldn't otherwise, then probably just means going slow and careful. Digging post holes with a BH will be slow, and you'd need a lot of back filling and hand ramming - again maybe not ideal for you physically

Overall my suggestion would be not to go crazy with all the extras up front. Get the basics and anything that'd be more expensive if you bought it later and that you definitely need. Use if for a while, see how you're using it and what you're doing. Then get the extras you need once you've demonstrated you need them. You may also find entirely different things you need.

Other random things you may want to consider would include some chains for lifting things, and maybe hooks on the bucket to attach those chains to. I'm always dragging or lifting unwieldy things, and I broke a few ropes before getting chains. And I got rid of the 3ph turnbuckles and got telescopic arms from Mark Hodge, they're excellent and I have no idea how he makes them so cheaply.

I haven't tried the drive over decks, but I think I hear the mechanism leaves some stuff hanging down on the tractor even when the mower is off, and can rattle and generally be annoying. Not sure if that's material. I don't find the MMM unreasonably hard to get off - you can turn the wheels, or use the loader to lift the front wheels. But for you doing the driveshaft may be hard, it's a bit of reaching and pushing - so drive over may be worth it for that.

Also, think hard on the backhoe. I've seen people say before that you use them infrequently, and they're a big slice of cost. If you're gonna use it 10 times in 5 years, you could rent a small excavator for less money, and it'd do the job much better. And the wife can then drive the tractor while you make piles. I'm actually looking at getting a BH when I get a newer tractor, so I can totally understand getting one - for me it's that I'd have to go to town and rent an excavator, rather than putting the back hoe on and digging what I want. But if you're financially stretched (and you sound like you are a bit) then think hard on the BH and how much you really need it. Conversely, if you don't get it now you can't get it later without trading the whole tractor....so there's that too.

Best of luck with your decision - I doubt you'll regret it. And as many have said, tractors hold their value like nothing else, so if in 2 years time you decide you'd rather a bigger one, you can just trade it in.