Buying my first Kubota - education needed!

nrosario · Feb 14, 2019

oldballs said:
I've never owned a grapple and am not sold on its utility at my place. I'd say that using some model of a pin on fork is the best option. I say this because I really doubt that a grapple will pick up all the debris that I accumulate dropping dead pine trees. I really don't mind lifting my butt out of the seat to load the FEL/pin on forks. Even a dedicated Pallet Fork might even be better....viz..no third function hydraulics.
See these pics of a Kubota "B" model and a "BX" model.View attachment 591593 View attachment 591594

View attachment 591595 View attachment 591597 View attachment 591598

That is your opinion and is a valid one...In the meantime "I love my grapple".

...And you know what, once you try one I'm sure you will love it too.

Tractor Dell · Feb 14, 2019

I have a BX23S with a 55 inch Wicked Root Rake grapple. I use it all the time to move logs, or stumps I have dug out of the ground. Is it going to move as big of logs as a L series? Of course not. However, if you are not trying to move 16 foot logs, it will be fine. I have moved 12 foot logs, depending on the type of tree. Now oak will make it work, but I am not tying to lift it high into the air. Just off the ground so I can go from point A to B.

I have posted a few pictures on here about some things I have moved. Some were even used by EA to show the grapple in use. If you look around, you will see the BX will use a grapple quite well. Especially a Wicked, which is quite light for the quality of it. Check out other threads or even the EA website. As mentioned above, Tractor Time with Tim uses a grapple on his JD. It is basically the same as the BX, and you will see all the neat things he can do with it.

My thoughts.

PaulL2 · Feb 14, 2019

Again, the question of what a grapple will lift is "compared to what?"

Compared to a bigger tractor - it doesn't lift that much.

Compared to forks or the bucket, it lifts about the same (maybe a little less), but you don't have to get out of the seat and load it. Even if it lifts half as much as forks would, it probably does it twice as quick without getting out of the seat. So do two loads instead of one....

Compared to doing it by hand with a rake and wheelbarrow? It lifts heaps, and you'll get things done about ten times as fast.

Everything is relative, and if you've got the money then do it. I've seen people spend money on much less useful things.

JOHNTHOMAS · Feb 15, 2019

PaulL2 said:
Again, the question of what a grapple will lift is "compared to what?"

Compared to a bigger tractor - it doesn't lift that much.

Compared to forks or the bucket, it lifts about the same (maybe a little less), but you don't have to get out of the seat and load it. Even if it lifts half as much as forks would, it probably does it twice as quick without getting out of the seat. So do two loads instead of one....

Compared to doing it by hand with a rake and wheelbarrow? It lifts heaps, and you'll get things done about ten times as fast.

Everything is relative, and if you've got the money then do it. I've seen people spend money on much less useful things.

I agree with all this. Time and money are key factors. I got a grapple a few years ago and love it for it's purpose(s). I loved the RatchetRake and I like the Piriniha and my tiller is most helpful and my SSQA forks, bucket and post hole digger are grand and the 6' front hyd angle blade that has never been attached to tractor looks awesome. I had a Ferguson overseeder at one time that my brother nad nephew really liked and the big 3ph fertilizer funnel never took up to much room and the landscape rake did a few things OK and individual 3ph quick hitches were handy but not as handy as the single mount quick hitch. Lots of great, grand, useful attachments and implements available for these small, med and large diesel powered workhorses and I'd love to have a Harley rake and land planer but alas I'll stick with my already owned boxblade. I even like the three tractors with back hoes and currently have a front SSQA backhoe laying ready to use.
Get what you want and can afford and if it helps then it was the right thing and just about all implements and attachments I've bought have helped to some extent, worth the cost? I'm not saying all of them were/are.
I love my grapple on my L and would have liked it on my Bs and got some value out of it on my BXs, but a smaller one for sure.

We used to argue over gear vs HST and I got one gear B and will never do another after 20+ HSTs. I've gotten lots of advise over the years from people that never owned something and considered giving advise sometimes concerning something I never actually owned myself but most refuse to do thta after several years of trying different tractors and attachments and implements and determining for myself how much they are worth to me and sometimes I feel I sure blew several hundred/thousand dollars but now I know from experience vs from and I heard or from a test drive experience some give.
Us grapple owners say go if you have the money and then you decide if it's worth it to you and then post your experience for others.

TripleR · Feb 15, 2019

eubie5 said:
So, seems like everyone here is a nogo on a small grapple for a bx? I know it couldn't pick up huge logs, but i have acres of smaller logs and branches that i have let lay over the years. That's why I'm looking to get one. And even a larger tree can still be cut up into smaller pieces. EA makes an excellent grapple built just for that size tractor.
Am i crazy to be thinking about doing this?
Tim, from tractor time w/tim has a grapple and i think he uses a JD 1025. He does quite a lot with his grapple.

Not crazy at all, I don' have one on our SCUTs because I have one on my L5740HSTC and another on our M8540HDC. I never thought I'd use one, but James (k0ua) and Richard (ovrszd) convinced me.

JOHNTHOMAS said:
These are good on going posts with lots of good contributions of thoughts/questions by lots of experienced and inexperienced owners/buyers. BP Fick also did a great personal experience write up on the B vs BX question if it can be found. I actually have done the B to BX to B to BX trades several times due to property and needs changes and with a great trading/selling dealer like Barlows the financial hit hasn't always been that bad. My venture from tractors to skid steer back to tractors was a financial disaster though.

I couldn't find that thread by bp fick either and it was a good one.

628pm · Feb 22, 2019

I've had kubota tractors for over 20 years, I also went from the bx to b then back to bx. Went back to bx because the wife wanted to help mow the 10 acres we mow each week. I use the f2690, but that is a different story. In my opinion the bx with a mmm is a better mower than a b with a mmm mower. A grapple would be nice to have if you can afford it. I have a set of quickconnect pallet forks that work real good, but only used them may 4 times in the 2 years that I've had them. But they are ready for use. If I could justify and had the storage room I would like a small L series with a backhoe, but no justification for it. A front blade would be nice for snow removal if that is what you will use it for. Bottom line in my opinion buy as large as your needs can handle, and buy all of your implements when purchasing your tractor. It will last forever if you maintain them properly and you have a good dealer to work with.