B/BX Finish Mower Question And Which One (B/BX) Is For Me?

[ksmeyer20]

Found something interesting at the dealer and now online, Kubota/LP has a brochure/PDF indicating the matching of implements to their varying tractors individual performance. I'm interested in a finish mower (FDR) and when I refer to two different brochures (one in-store, the other online), they both state the only match for all b-series (2301-3350) is a 48" wide unit (FDR1648). I've attached the online brochure, the one in the store was completely different format so not a typo. Both say 48" max. I now refer to the BX variant brochure, the bx1880-bx2680 can, per brochure, handle the FDR1648, and the bx2380 and bx2680 can handle the FDR1660 60" cut... Also attached. Could someone explain the non-recommendation of the larger mower on the larger tractor?

If you are still reading my book of a post, had some questions about my application. Purchasing land shortly, mostly level already cleared 9 acres of property. A small bit of woods, but consider not a lot of clean up work to be done. I expect to maintain this property largely cleared, and me being an odd one, would like to mow the whole lot. Not looking for a perfect cut, but looking to quickly uniformly cut down the property weekly/bi-weekly depending on the weather/season. I define quickly as I'd like to mow say 5-6mph if the land and tractor seat permits me.. 3 hours would be reasonable to afford for the chore. Tractor recommendations? I have the BX2680/B2601 on my mind as of now..

I like the ultra compactness of the BX as I don't believe I'll be able to mow the 8mph top speed and I plan to use the FEL less for ground engaging, but more for transporting of loose pile materials (snow, delivered gravel/Stone/dirt). I also like the loader valve up in the fender, loader joystick position, filling location and the slightly lower cost. The b series speaks to me for the 3sp transmission, as no doubt there will be times I would want a fast transport speed (my ZT runs at 7.5 full out, many of times even on my small current property do I wish I can go faster). Can't negate the fact that for a little more money you can get a bigger loader, and more weight to the tractor making ballast comparatively more of an afterthought when performing the same task as with the BX.

The part I find a bit interesting, if I went with a 3pt mower deck (for my acreage, I'm thinking it's the way to go with the 9 acres), why is it Kubota doesn't publicly endorse the larger mower deck with the larger series CUT? Perhaps the larger tractor, more weight, larger hydraulics taking more of a share on the same engine hp (SCUT) leaving less for the PTO? I think the PTO hp is rated slightly less on the B over the BX, but other engineering specs they are aware of has them shy away?

I watch GP Outdoors on YouTube, I know he runs a 60" finish mower on his 2601, and I don't doubt it's not capable.. but why not recommended? Would a BX suit me fine since it's more of a mower application rather than one of a ground engaging tractor? Or is the B the way to go..I like many others get wrapped up in the back and forth neverending debate...

Thanks folksView attachment 01-bx-series-lp-implements.pdfView attachment 02-b-series-lp-implements.pdf

 

[duffer]

The main thing you have to concern yourself with is the HP at the PTO compatible with the implement (mower in your case) requirements. If you have 26 HP engine, but only 20 HP at the PTO, you need to size the implement accordingly.

I have a 38HP engine & 35HP at the PTO. Based on conversations with my dealer, he told me I could run a 84" finish mower (3 blades) with it. Not only was he right, I wish I would have gotten the 96" mower. Too late now.

I too, have acreage to mow (10 acres of Bermuda grass). I can tell you right now, you won't be able to mow @ 6-8 mph and get a good cut with a PTO finish mower. It takes me 6 hours to mow my 10 acres with the 7' mower. Not sure how big your ZT is, but if it's 48-60" and you have level ground without trees and other obstacles, you might be better off using that. I'd give that a try to see how long it takes you before spending another $2500 on a finish mower.

If the most you can handle is a 48" mower after talking to your dealer, I'd look into stepping up another level or 2 on the HP for the tractor. You'll get a bigger capacity bucket, more lifting power, more PTO power. For that much acreage, I'd get the largest tractor you can afford. You won't regret it in the long run.

 

[ksmeyer20]

Yeah, the unfortunate part is the implement gives a range of horsepower of 15-40 as I recall. Actual ground speed you can run them at it does not say. For good reason though, a given horsepower varies greatly on length, type and moisture content of grass.. I was hoping indirectly to get some first hand accounts on how long or how fast one can cut their property and at what PTO hp they are bringing to the table. It'll help home in what my needs may be.. thanks duffer!

 

[Diggin It]

First hand experience with a different color is that you will not enjoy mowing 'fast' on a SCUT. Unless your ground is near perfect, it's quite a rough ride since they have no suspension.

 

[chim]

Rear mowers are my favorite. My guess is the larger LandPride decks are too heavy to be recommended in the wider versions. My 60" LandPride 1560 worked OK on the B7500. It absolutely didn't work on my smaller Ford 1210. The 60" Caroni works very well on the Ford. Width wasn't the limiting factor so much as weight. I've had 2 new LandPrides and 1 new (and two used) Caronis. Last year I bought a used 90" Caroni that I re-habbed and another 60" recently that also needs work and will be the replacement for the one I bought in '91 or so.

Going as fast as I could without being abusive to the equipment it took something like 1/2 hour per acre with any of the three different 60" decks I used. We got the L3200 and a 72" LandPride when we went to 3-1/4 acres of mowing. The increase in HP and mower width allowed me to cut 3-1/4 acres in the same time it took to do 2-1/2 acres with the 60" deck.

You may be able to do 9 acres in 3 hours, but it will take something wider than 72" or you'll be beating the snot out of it.

 

[RickB]

Different minds wrote the various documents. There is apparently no big picture oversight to ensure obvious contradictions like this do not happen. Sometimes you just have to disregard information because it simply does not make sense. Recommending a 5 foot mower for a BX but not a B of equal horsepower makes no sense.

 

[SDT]

The BX does not have position control and the MMM is suspended.

Both are absolute show stoppers for me.

SDT

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

No tractor will mow as fast as your zero turn with as good a cut. As someone mentioned the tractors also have no suspension so you'll get beat to death with any of them at higher speeds/any speeds unless the yard is smooth as a paved parking lot.
If you just want an expensive powered wheelbarrow that can also plow snow and decent mowing the BX is great. The B does have the 3 sp trans which of course is better but rarely will it make a big difference. The main factor of the B over the BX is ground clearance and a bit more advantage with b for PTO running mowing deck sizes with higher powered B.
I liked the Rera finish mowing decks for easy accessability to blades and gear drive unit.
I currently mow with F (4wd for steep hills) and ZD which are the best mowers but also have a tractor for woods work and 15 years of property landscaping projects. I started with a BX2200 FEL MMM and traded to a B7800 FEL RFM and BX1500 MMM for some years then bunch of BX, B and L trading due to property buying and selling in different locations and land expansion at home location.
Keep your Z or get a Kubota ZD for mowing or better yet a F. If the other uses seem important get a less expensive Zero and a BX or B. But speed and BX and B don't go together unless putting green smooth yard/lawn.

 

[nrosario]

Congratulations on the land.
Looking for equipment should be always exciting.

As someone already said, buy the largest equipment you can buy.
In this particular case you are looking for PTO hp to be able to handle a decent size cutter.

You haven't mention your location.
Are you considering a cab?

Kubota is my favorite brand, and certainly there is a great dealer near where I live, but I also understand that there are other brands offering comparable equipment, in occasions, at a lower price.

Take your time, shop around and have fun.

 

[dalola]

In your shoes, I would:

A) Get the largest B/FEL along with a 72" RFM

or

B) Get a 72" commercial ZTR, and a BX w/FEL for tractor work.

 

[EddieWalker]

9 acres is a lot of land to mow. I probably mow close to that, but I don't keep up on it, so there are times when it's a foot tall, when it's 6 inches tall and even over 2 feet tall. Life gets in the way of mowing so I have areas that I maintain religiously with my zero turn. That gives me the best finish and it's the fastest, easiest mower to use. It also beats me up and it's not very much fun to mow a lot of land with it. I probably maintain about 3 acres with it, and it's 60 inches wide.

I have a 37 hp 4x4 tractor for maintaining the rest of my land. I have 68 acres, but a lot of it is woods and stuff that I'm lucky to bush hog once a year. Eventually I will have to buy something big enough to run a 15 foot batwing, but that's off in the future. For the rest of what I maintain and keep up, I usually use my 72 inch rotary cutter. The finish is a fairly decent looking 4 inch tall field that looks nice from a distance, but not so much if you look close. It is by far the easiest, most comfortable way to cut what's growing regardless of how tall it is. At 37 hp, I'm borderline being too small. I should have bought 45 hp, but if I use that logic, I should have bought 100 hp. You never have enough power!!! There is no way in the world that I would ever want to have less hp, and after a year of mowing your 9 acres, you will understand this all too well.

I also have a 84 inch finish mower. While it's a foot wider then my bush hog, it cuts better and leaves a very nice finish compared to the bush hog. The only draw back to it is that it doesn't do well in those areas where I might not mow for a month or two. It's ideal if you can get out there and mow twice a month, maybe just once a month, but that really depends on how quickly everything grows there. Another really nice thing about the rear finish mower is that it has four wheels, so it floats over the contour of the land a lot better then the bush hog. If you keep the blades sharp, it really is a nice cut for large areas. If I ever get my big tractor, I'll probably retire my 72 inch bush hog and put the finish mower on the 37 hp tractor permanently. That would give me the best options of every situation.

9 acres is too much land to maintain with a smaller tractor. What will start out as fun will quickly turn into work, and then become a pain that you have to force yourself to do. Eventually you will either trade it in for a bigger tractor, or maintain less land.

 

[skipperbrown]

I have a bx and a b and I can tell you there is a world of difference in the comfort on uneven ground. The bigger tires on the b make a huge difference in comfort. HUGE. If you are mowing 9 acres of field grass, I would say the b is a minimum and you should be looking at an L or maybe even a MX. I pulled a 60" brush cutter on 10 ac of 2' thick grass with my B and it was a chore. The next time I mowed it, I used a 85 hp New Holland with an 8' cutter. The New Holland was much faster and much more comfortable but the turning radius requires about a football field sized area. Point is, mowing big areas quickly and comfortably requires a bigger machine and substantial HP if it is farm field rough.

 

[ksmeyer20]

Diggin it, yeah I don't doubt this will be an issue. It's currently raw ag zoned land, there is no chance in **** it'll be smooth riding not easily convertible to such a thing.. SCUT is seemingly not the mowing option at any reasonable speed.

Chim, thank you for your insight and sharing your mow times and deck combination/tractor sizing. A much more realistic view on this depicts a chore not to be taken lightly. 3 hours with the equipment I've been eyeing will be a far stretch.

RickB, I totally agree, it defies standard logic.. but when I see publications where companies normally don't want to shoot themselves in the foot on the upsell.. It raised a flag for myself, and wanted to get a bunch of opinions! Thanks!

SDT, yeah I wasn't giving mmm a whole lot of thought, the idea of having a ground contact rear discharge setup seems to click for me logically when it comes to a field. Not having to run over what's already been side discharged may help me in the case when life or weather gets in the way and the grass ends up being a bit taller than one had hoped.. and with a lot of grass to cut, sharpening will be a more frequent task, having it on the 3pt may be easier and quicker to service..

JohnThomas, I would be curious to know what my ZT can do in a field setting, it does okay in a residential setting with mulch blades, I can good enough cut at 5-6mph for the most part (26hp Kawasaki 50"). I would surmise I need to ditch the plug and go side discharge for taller grass / field setting.. I think I'll start bog if I have to run over and leftovers with any good speed.. When I move to multi acreage, I'm more in it for uniform decking of grasses.. doesn't need to be perfectly manicured, I'm okay with it looking good from afar as some put it... I'll take a look at rera, can't say it's a name I've heard of before (new to tractor side of things). Putting green smooth I guarantee it will not be!

Nrosario, thank you much! I'm very much excited. Location is more Central Wisconsin. Will be subject to Lake effect snow, and the cooler climate Wisconsin can bring. Can't say I've thought of getting a cab, probably would come in handy in the winter months, but for the most part my initial thoughts were the rops variants.. with all of these comments, I will certainly take my time in the decision! I'll do my best to make it a fun and less stressful process!

Dalola, I'm starting think this way.. Way too many comments on don't undersize and learn from my mistakes sort of mentalities.. I'll expand my research a little higher in the series ranks...

 

[ksmeyer20]

EddieWalker, I think you really hit on a note just about everyone knows too well.. The best intentions to get out and do something can easily fall through the cracks and get put off for a number of reasons.. I'm certainly not confident that over time, **** possibly after the first time doing so, I may regret my purchase decision, or want to mow and maintain all 9 acres... I thank you very much for the share on your equipment sizing and experiences.. that's amazing being borderline small at 37hp. It's hard to pin what I want or need as I stopped into a local dealer and spoke with the owner who namely deals with more ag sized applications first and for most, like you, pointed to a 35hp starting range.. my jaw still drops thinking of it.. the interesting part I find is people will also swear by 20's hp, and or being able to haul down their properties 6,7,8mph... It's such a variable task and what is satisfactory to one may not be for another... I wonder if it's a normal thing to ask can I go mow a field (maybe with used/rental equipment is more understandable) to get an idea and not take a sales guy word.. like all say, it's a bigger investment..

But dually noted. Starting out on too small a tractor will start out as fun, then work and ultimately become a pain... It's not hard for me to see such a thing from being a real possibility...

 

[ksmeyer20]

Skipperbrown, yeah I have no doubt it'll be farm field rough. It's currently zoned and had been used for agricultural purposes. I think for my sake the consensus is, if the tractor will be spending most of it's time traversing my field, the BX will contribute to chiropractic bills! I totally get the extra tire will add to the isolation in the bumps and undulations that come with a rougher field.. It's perhaps something I can work on with a lot of work to help level out. A great task to put me to work and get some real use out of the tractor. But even so, I won't likely get it to a fantastic grade to the point I can roll full out on a SCUT without losing my teeth.. I'm fairly certain the b is the lowest I can go with out insanely week one regretting my decision. It's only money... When you run out you just go to the bank and get more right?
I'll take a look at the L and Mx, something I have not done yet. I'm trying to avoid the football field turning radius, but I know there is a compromise out there to suit my needs.. I know inside brake turning can help me out, but largely I'm thinking of a un-wooded property, so I can afford to be not as nimble as a B/BX... Much appreciated

 

[PaulL2]

You could consider a larger machine, and a larger RFM. Two reasons:
1. Larger machine = larger wheels, = faster comfortable ground speed
2. Larger machine = wider mow width. = more ground mowed at the same speed.

One option if you know you won't be able to comfortably mow at full speed is to get a wider mower and mow slower. You're covering the same effective ground area but at a slower tractor speed. It means your mower will officially be "oversized", but when they size a mower for a machine/HP they tend to assume you're going to try to mow fast - i.e. it's enough HP to spin that mower in heavy grass at mowing speed. If your grass is less heavy and you're running slower than normal mowing speed, you'll have enough power to spin a bigger mower.

It's not that much more money for a larger machine, the MX in particular I think is priced well but may be changing model this week (if you're buying new).

If it's rough land, you might want to consider a flail rather than an RFM. I think you can spin a larger flail than a bush hog but they a bit more tolerant of rough ground than an RFM. If the ground is very rough, you could also consider modifying it to be more smooth - particularly if you've got an MX class machine. What do you intend to use the land for - will you feed animals, build a bike track, grow wild flowers, just look at it? That may influence what kind of shaping of the land you want to do.