2 Acres half Woods and Lawn Is this B2320 for me?

[dragoneggs]

Here are the guidelines on wheel spacers and what will fit what: Bro-Tek

I strongly endorse the Bro Tek spacers. I put the 1.25in on the front and 2in on the rear and this definitely improved my stability/feel on slopes.

 

[varmint]

Seems like the Bro Tek parts are high quality, and their information is a real plus... but I have trouble getting beyond the price. The Kubota 1.75" steel spacers, with 10.9 hardware, cost about $160 for our L3400. I like steel, instead of aluminum, for several reasons- least of all the extra weight, where you want it. No matter whose you install, they will help increase your comfort factor on slopes!

 

[AxleHub]

Axle, you seem to be using the BX specs in your comparison with the Gc1715, not the B which is what is under consideration... which gives somewhat differing results. But you make a good point, maybe the OP should seek out some other tractors before buying his friends. The implements his friend's tractor comes with have value, and that may also be a factor? Just sayin...
I also tend to agree with everything the above poster has observed- although I wish he had a simpler user name!

Greetings Varmint,

Yep, you are correct Varmint, I used the bx numbers deliberately because the op mentioned maybe he should consider the bx instead of the b2320.

My point was that it doesn't appear he's used the b2320 for lawn cutting if the fel had never bern used. It also didn't sound like he as yet had tried any other units so I wanted to present a middle choice (Massey GC1705/GC1715) as well as the bx choice.

I'm just not sure the OP is excited about the b2320. Seems like his only experience with the b2320 is on the things that are not his 80% need (his number). I want him to know there are alternatives that are aimed at his primary desires yet are not "toys".

If he had 25 acres of woods and was going to actively clear and harvest big log wood for heating . . It would be different. If he was thrilled and excited about the b2320 and hiw it cut his lawn . . it would be different. If we knew if it was gear or hst or the normal unit or the narrow version . . it might be different.

So far the only thing I've heard is $13,000 and a whole box full of implements and a "fairly comfortable running it" without even saying what he ran it to do or accomplish . . I just can't see how any of us could honestly say "go ahead and buy it" . . without more information. Our job is about offering perspective to his needs . . Not our desires . . and as yet he hasn't explained any of the background.

Does anyone else besides me notice how 30 degree and 30% grade is interchanged? Which is it . . there's a big difference. Does anyone besides me notice the mmm has never been used yet grass/lawn is his biggest commentary (he said 80%)?

Does 20% of the need being defined as moving loam and mulch and maintaing sn atv trail in a single 1 acre woods really require 12 or 14 inch ground clearance (not in my mind)?


I just don't think as yet that the op has given us enough info to really know his situation to base our input . . except to encourage him to give us more info or for him to test some other equipment out . . So that's what I did

You're a good guy Varmint . . you don't pull the "opinion trigger" as fast as some.

Here's an example of my philosophy. In grade school the teacher would ask the class what was the answer to a math problem. Hands would shoot up and 4 or 5 different answers would be presented. Each time the teacher would request the answering students to show how they arrived at their answer (because each was a different number). Most of the time they didn't have any method . . The number was a guess or just sounded good. If someone was depending on getting a valuable answer . . most would have been wrong. Without more information . . its just guessing and assumptions which are guesses with a longer spelling lol.

In short . . the op should give us more info as I outlined in my prior post . . . at least that's my opinion.

 

[brasco426]

Hey Avery11 I don't know what part of S NH you are but Chappel Tractor is in Milford and carry Kubota. They have been around a long time, and great reputation. Brentwood is their Mahindra dealership. Go have a peak up close to compare. Donnie

Avery11 go look for yourself up close and see what meets your needs.

 

[GPintheMitten]

I liked the cut that my 60 inch mmm did on my lawn. I would not call it rough at all.

 

[OVRxNxOUT]

Axle, you seem to be using the BX specs in your comparison with the Gc1715, not the B which is what is under consideration... which gives somewhat differing results. But you make a good point, maybe the OP should seek out some other tractors before buying his friends. The implements his friend's tractor comes with have value, and that may also be a factor? Just sayin...
I also tend to agree with everything the above poster has observed- although I wish he had a simpler user name!

Sorry, it's just been my screen name forever so I stuck to it ya know? Its just my twist on the phrase: Over and out! My real name is Jared & your more than welcome to address me by that, or some ppl shorten my user name to just "OVR". Have a good evening y'all!

 

[Avery11]

Hey all, OP here.

Sorry for the absence. long weekend with the boys' sports. I have just caught up with all the replies and I am impressed. I am on forums for other interests and this bunch meets or beats them all. As I was reading I was going to quote and reply to each post but that would have begun to pile up quickly so let me thank you all for the great input and reply en mass.

Axle made a good point which is that I have not given enough detail as yet. Perhaps that is because I really didn't understand what was important. You all are bringing me up to speed on the quick.

Here goes:

The friend's 2320 is a HST.

I have used it to drag some really big logs (20" x 30'), move dirt and rock, and tear up small trees and brush with his ratchet rake.

I have not used the mower, have driven it on my lawn when wet, and have not used it without the FEL.

By "comfortable" I mean that I felt confident operating it, found it to be intuitive, and was not intimidated by the size or power. I have about 12 hours on it so am still a beginner.

I did find that the rear scraper and rake were not that efficient when I was trying to roughly grade and rake larger (over 4") rocks after removing trees and stumps on my property. Having researched box blades, I think one of those would better suit my needs (grading and filling).

I did head out to JD and Kubota dealers (1 each) over the weekend to look at the 1025r and the BX2370. I got quotes from both dealers for the machine with MMM, FEL, and grass catcher.

JD quoted $20,500 with a 54" deck. Kubota was $15,800 with a 60" deck minus the grass catcher but there is one on C-List locally for $1250.

It was rainy so I did not get on the 1025r but it cleared up so I did hop on the BX. The BX was bigger than I expected which I liked. It was comfortable under my 6' 185lb frame. I did not take the BX on a hill or test out the lifting power but the dealer said it would have plenty for my needs. He agreed the 2320 was a great deal but probably overkill after the first year when my bigger projects were done. I also like the 60mo 0% option over writing a check for 13K.

Axel pointed out my indiscriminant use of percentage and degree for slope and I'm glad he did. Having taken another look,I think I overestimated. The sloped areas I am dealing with are probably around 20-25 DEGREES.

Back to the dealers: The JD guy seemed pretty firm on his price. I didn't negotiate but I got the feeling he was proud of his product if you know what I mean. He pointed out that the JD had a plastic hood and a better front axel configuration (more protection of the axel and no HST fan exposure) so it would be better in the woods. He also said the BX FEL would lift 600 pounds while the 1025r would lift over 900. Any real world experience on that?

The Kubota dealer was pretty up front. He told me about the "hidden costs" which piled up quickly. About 1k total for some sort of freight charges plus dealer prep fees - hmmm. I live in NH so no sales tax which is great. I wonder if the Kubota folks would sharpen their pencil on the price. Over N Out, can you weigh in on your dealership's practices in this area of sales? Is Kubota willing to negotiate or do I just pay sticker?

I have come up with a couple more questions:

1. The Kubota dealer said that the mounting hardware for the drive-on MMM would have to come off to attach a front snow blower in the future. He suggested a standard deck and said it was not difficult to take it on and off. True?

2. I will take this machine into the woods over uneven terrain and will use turf tires. Any real issues with this as far as traction, clearance, and damage to the HST fan? I take care of my things and will be careful. Regardless, is the BX an expensive lawn mower or a legitimate woods worker if I do my part and don't expect it to be a dozer? Nusthell: Should I worry about the clearance and fan or is this J.D. dealer hype?

All in all, it seems like the 2320 is a great deal but perhaps not great for my particular needs. I currently use a Poulan Pro (MTD) with a 48" deck, triple bagger, and a 48" agri-fab 2 stage snow blower - This package is now 12 years old. I am ready to make my work easier and more enjoyable. I would like to replace my riding mower with a real tractor. I want a nice looking lawn, I want to save my already bad back (I'm only 39 but all discs are shot), I want to work on my 1 acre of woods and carve it up. To be honest, I just want all the advantages a tractor affords. I have the money to make my life easier and don't mind admitting that I would enjoy "playing" on a machine once in a while. I realize I have more research to do. I need to run both machines more at the dealerships - I only had time for short visits over the weekend.

I hope I have provided some useful information.

I look forward to your thoughts and experiences.

THANK YOU

A.

 

[OVRxNxOUT]

Avery,

Keeping in mind that I work for a Kubota dealer & therefore want to stay as professional as possible from one dealer about/towards another dealer, if that makes sense. So here is what I would suggest:

- Go to Kubota Tractor Corporation Here you can read some of the online literature for the BX2370, specs, features, as well as run a competitive comparison to the JD. On the Kubota website you can also build & price your own machine to get an idea of pricing. I did a quick one this morning for you & I came up w/ an MSRP of $16,698 - BX2370 w/ standard 60" MMM, LA243 Loader package, I didn't add the grass catcher since you said the price you got was also w/o it. Also, the system will automatically add in a ballast box when you click to add the FEL. I subtracted the ballast box cost of $245 to get to the $16,698 - (Ballast is a good idea but in reality its not always required).

- Go to: Kubota Tractor Corporation - Build My Kubota > this should take you right to the quote builder for that machine.

- Go to: Finance | Customer Rebates | Kubota Tractor Corporation > Make sure if/when you go back to your Kubota dealer you go in armed w/ some knowledge. This webpage is to the Customer Instant Rebate offerings by Kubota currently. Towards the bottom of the page you will see that you can get $300 - $1,000 CIR (Customer Instant Rebate). Let me make sure to say that this rebate is actually for the loader & NOT the tractor. You get $300 off for buying the loader & then you get an additional $700 off for buying at least 1 additional qualifying implement (the MMM counts). Therefore, you should qualify for a $1,000 rebate. Also, in this instant on this particular machine/loader/implement combo you can get the rebate AND still take advantage of the 0% for 60mo $0 down.

I hope this helps you out & gives you more confidence when/if you go back into your dealer. Being knowledgeable & letting your dealer know you did your homework will make it harder for them to try & clean out your pocket book. As with buying a car, never take the first price they throw at you, there's always room for negotiation from there.

Good luck my friend & if you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know! ;-)

 

[GPintheMitten]

My daughter has a BX. I have a B2620. I've run mine a lot and hers enough to know it's capabilities. Both are good machines. But I would want the B model for trail making and woods work. I understand you want to pick up the clippings and I dont do that. I really like the job that the mower does on the lawn. I don't know if there is a option from Kubota to pick up clippings or not but there are third party units that do it. My neighbor had one that he used with his New Holland or Ford tractor that is similar size tractor to mine.

I would go with the friends B2320.

 

[Avery11]

Avery,

Keeping in mind that I work for a Kubota dealer & therefore want to stay as professional as possible from one dealer about/towards another dealer, if that makes sense. So here is what I would suggest:

- Go to Kubota Tractor Corporation Here you can read some of the online literature for the BX2370, specs, features, as well as run a competitive comparison to the JD. On the Kubota website you can also build & price your own machine to get an idea of pricing. I did a quick one this morning for you & I came up w/ an MSRP of $16,698 - BX2370 w/ standard 60" MMM, LA243 Loader package, I didn't add the grass catcher since you said the price you got was also w/o it. Also, the system will automatically add in a ballast box when you click to add the FEL. I subtracted the ballast box cost of $245 to get to the $16,698 - (Ballast is a good idea but in reality its not always required).

- Go to: Kubota Tractor Corporation - Build My Kubota > this should take you right to the quote builder for that machine.

- Go to: Finance | Customer Rebates | Kubota Tractor Corporation > Make sure if/when you go back to your Kubota dealer you go in armed w/ some knowledge. This webpage is to the Customer Instant Rebate offerings by Kubota currently. Towards the bottom of the page you will see that you can get $300 - $1,000 CIR (Customer Instant Rebate). Let me make sure to say that this rebate is actually for the loader & NOT the tractor. You get $300 off for buying the loader & then you get an additional $700 off for buying at least 1 additional qualifying implement (the MMM counts). Therefore, you should qualify for a $1,000 rebate. Also, in this instant on this particular machine/loader/implement combo you can get the rebate AND still take advantage of the 0% for 60mo $0 down.

I hope this helps you out & gives you more confidence when/if you go back into your dealer. Being knowledgeable & letting your dealer know you did your homework will make it harder for them to try & clean out your pocket book. As with buying a car, never take the first price they throw at you, there's always room for negotiation from there.

Good luck my friend & if you have any other questions, please feel free to let me know! ;-)

This is great information - thank you for taking the time. I appreciate your professionalism and would not ask you to editorialize on the merits of your competitors' products. Nonetheless, I still have lingering questions. Is the standard MMM the way to go if I want a snow blower in the future? Have you ever seen a real world comparison of the FEL lifting power between a BX23 and a competitor's similarly classed model? Essentially, will the BX's lift hang with the pack? Thank you.