7500 vs 2410

toddler · Feb 8, 2001

Sandalwood,
That price is awsome! Probably several hundred usd less than what you'd pay in the states without bi-speed turn. And that's after I factor in your 15% vs our 7%. You should buy up there. That said, I'd think carefully about the bi-speed turn. As a nerd, I love the idea, but 2 dealers in my area told me it's a problem to maintain. That was a few years back, and we were pricing the B2400, so maybe they toughened it up with the B2410. It may also only have shown up with the comercial/1000hr a year users they saw, but neither of them stock tractors with it anymore. If I were making a lot of tight turns while doing loader work on the lawn, I might have considered it anyway had I not bought a 2710. Still, if it were durable, wouldn't Kubota put it on the bigger B's and L's too? It's make even more difference there. I think maybe New Holland came up with a better option with their supersteer. You can get that on tractors up to 45hp. Of course only time will tell how durable it is.

Regarding cold starts, I don't have a block heater, but have had no trouble starting down to -5°C. Can't comment on much lower temps as I park in the garage, but with a block heater, glow plugs, and anti-gel, you'll probably do alright. Just let her warm up 15 minutes or until the gauge registers, before you load the engine!
Todd

sandalwood · Feb 8, 2001

I too had concerns about bi-speed turn. Both local dealers reported that they could not recall any problems with bi-speed turn. As you suggest that may be due to fact that most owners are not putting on the hours that commercial units might get. One dealer did point out that Kubota does put bi-speed turn in M110 and M120 tractors. I think that someone pointed out in an earlier post that bi-speed turn seems more popular in the northeastern states than elsewhere...reason?

Knight9 · Feb 8, 2001

I have been speaking to a Kubota dealer here in Alberta and they do NOT let a new machine go out without a block heater. They are considered standard equipment...sort of like a ROP or tires!! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Kevin

toddler · Feb 9, 2001

Sandalwood,
Didn't know you could get bi-speed on the m110. Wonder if it's the same basic system.

I'm still not sure you'll fit that 2410 twix the house and the fence. I suspect you get a lot of snow, and with only 2" of clearance on either side of a 50" blower, you're gonna trash something. Also, you again get into the problem of overall width. If you're going to have any chance at driving precisely between the house and fence, you'll need the blower to clear a path as wide as your tires. And that means the overall width is again, a few inches wider than the tractor. And which way is that snow going??

Is there any way to put a door thru the back of your garage to get to the back yard. $$$! but so is trashing property. I don't know the width of the BX's, but you can get a lot of great info at http://carverequipment.com/kubota.htm Steve has a page comparing all the tractors mentioned in a very fair way.

If you go BX2200, the savings could go towards getting a front blower, not a 3pt hitch. I didn't want one since I use both bucket and blower for snow, but if space is at a premium, your not going to want the loader on or you may not be able to turn around. Being short is good! I almost took out our farmers porch last night while backing up. That was doing a K turn on a double wide driveway, and I learned to parallel park my old colony park station wagon in Manhattan. But if I took off my loader with the 3pt blower on, I'd need front weights.

Last point, it's not easy to drive perfectly strait on snow or ice looking thru the blizzard your blower will make, it's twice as hard backwards. Again, there goes the house, or my porch, or your neighbors fence.

It makes me wonder what the loader on a steiner 525 is like. Front mower, front blower, cab, 23.5hp kubota diesel engine. Nobody seems to know the cost, and I'm sure resale isn't as great as kubota, but that is one cool tractor. An articulated compact with a cab! Think about it.

Todd

sandalwood · Feb 10, 2001

Todd,

I did have a look (and tried) Steiner. It was a lot of fun and a very capable piece of equipment. It was great for at home where space/maneuvering is critical. At my camp where the land is less than flat, ground clearance became more of an issue. They have a great assortment of implements which attach quickly and the front mower makes mowing around trees easy. Having said all that, I still found myself looking for the additional ground clearance and versatility of a tractor. I like the idea of having a choice of manufacturers for implements, if for no other reason, at least to have a price range to choose from.

I did look at BX2200 also. Another great machine!!! Ground clearance became an issue again. Interestingly, minimum width for BX2200 is 45.1" vs B2410 at 46.3" - not much difference.

One of my local dealers brought B7500 (42.4" wide) and B2410 to my home 2 days ago. The difference in width didn't seem that great when moving both through the tight space into the back yard but the bi-speed turn on the 2410 was nice. Your comments on the moving a 50" piece of equipment through a 54" openning are valid. It looks simple enough on paper (several inches) but when I tried to put the 2410 through the gate with the rear wheels at 50" width, I have to say that I went verrryyy slowly.

I had planned on rear blower and FEL but after my experience mentioned above I too wondered about navigating ?14' of tractor and attachments through an openning with such little tolerance. The tractor salesman suggested a front blower though I would likely need rear blade also.

Perhaps the decision has been made for me. I managed to get my wife out to drive the B2410 when it was here. Her family having been farming in this area for generations so she is no stranger to large tractors. She has viewed my pursuit of a tractor as a quest for a (not particularly useful) toy. After trying the 2410 she thought it was "cute and kind of fun to drive". Afterwards she mentioned that maybe it would come in handy for some of her garden work! Nothing like having your wife on side when acquiring something of this sort.

She too sided with the salesman on the issue of a front blower and I realize it would be easier to use especially for someone (my wife or my son) who does not run the equipment that often. Cost for the front blower is at least twice that of a rear blower.

Anyone out there with a front blower that want to enlighten me as positive/negative experiences?

Lyle

PaulB · Feb 10, 2001

I have a 1700, which is the same size as both the 7500 and the 2410, and I can ASSURE you that with the front loader and a back blade on it is way, way long when you get in to tight spaces. I have punched 3 holes in the wall of my wifes riding arena with the corner of the front loader, and came so close to sideswiping our brand new Suburban that my knees were literally shaking. I now leave the FEL in the garage unless I am using it for a particular job. It comes on and off easier than a 3 point implement, so it is no problem switching it around like that. Remember though, even if you have the FEL off, what about the rear mounted implement width? I use a 60 inch rear blade, and I assume you would do the same. No way you are going to fit a 60 inch blade through a 54 inch space regardless of how narrow the tractor is!
Oh yeah, mine always starts at the first turn of the key, even below zero, I have it outside in a lean-to so it is covered but not any warmer than the air temp, and I do not use a block heater.

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by PaulB on 02/10/01 09:37 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

toddler · Feb 10, 2001

Lyle,

You're clearly not going to make any major mistakes, trying everything out as you are.

The only downside to front blowers that I've ever heard expressed is cost, and the fact that you have to take off the loader. I seriously doubt you'll need a blade plus the blower. If you're thinking that it would let you back up to the house and pull the snow out, to then use the blower on, it would work, but the loss in agility will more than offset any good it does you. Remember, you can aim the chute on your blower. I've aimed it 30° behind the blower to avoid throwing snow and rocks at my car, and there's a "cutting" edge on the blower that will scrape the driveway really well unless you have gravel like me. Since you don't have a windshield, you're going to want to wear ski goggles using the blower on powder, and a hood!!!

You're really climbing up the cost ladder here, aren't you. 7500 to 2410 to 2410 with the front blower. I remember doing the same thing when I was shopping. But it sounds like your reasons are better than mine. Anyway, resale is good, and you're really going to love having the stuff.

Let us know what you finally decide on, and load the tires if your property isn't level (and the trailer will bear it). Best of luck and be safe.

Todd

ps) how much do steiners go for??

sandalwood · Feb 11, 2001

Todd

I looked at the Steiners and tried out a ?430 several months ago. Though they were great machines I had already started to lean towards conventional tractors at that point (for the reasons stated above). As a result I did not request written quotes. I therefore am relying on my (poor) memory. I seem to think that the 430 was about ?18,000 CDN without any implements.

I appreciated your comment about the rear blade. I assumed that the rear blade would serve 2 purposes. One would be to act as a counterweight at the back of the tractor to at least partially counter the weight of the front blower. The second purpose would be moving material that I didn't want to go through the blower. We have a brick driveway so gravel is not a problem but ice in the street is. In the last 2-3 months of the winter as temperatures warm up, I can expect 1-2x/week having to move a ridge of large ice chunks left at the foot of my driveway by city plows.

I see that there is a quick hitch system for front blower that also accepts front blade. Are there good reasons for choice of front vs rear blade? Is a front blade more expensive as a rear blade?

Lyle

toddler · Feb 11, 2001

Lyle,
I know nothing about front vs rear blades, sorry. Maybe there's an old thread on it at //jplan.com/trator/home.sht
But I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that front blades cost more, because you'll need hydraulics. Rear blades use the 3pt hitch to raise and lower. That's why front blowers cost more too. It's a FEL with a blower, not a bucket.

But hey, if you're going to take off the Blower to move ice, then you could put the FEL on. That'll move ice.

As far as counterweight goes. Get a 1.5-2' long piece of 12" or 18" sono tube +/- a 5gallon pail. stick a drawbar thru it ($20) and fill it with concrete. Put a big eye-hook in for the top link (I put my eyelet in the sand and poured the concrete in thru the bottom), and for $30-40 total you've got a 100+Kg counterweight. It won't lengthen your tractor, and if you're doing a lot of loader work, it works great. Just measure from the bottom down ~14" when you place the draw bar in. I measured from the ground up, even though I was pouring the whole thing upside down, and now my drawbar is only 7" off the ground(14" from the top of the weight). I have to put it down on 4x4's to hook it up until I make another.

Todd