BX 24 digging capability & my quote

[txkevin]

I have been looking at a BX24 for my 1 acre lot. Lot is generally level except for a 4' hill side where we boarder the road. WE are basically on the bottom of a large limestone hill in the Texas Hillcountry. Ground is very hard but on the positive side NO water stands on it at all. Even 5' inspection holes for foundation did not hold water right after hard rains. The tractor will be used for mowing the property, removing the 100 billion small rocks that range from golf ball to mellon size to plant wildflowers and sod, planting trees, distributing the mountains of mulch left over from clearing and moving tons of left over masonry stone and rubble that surrounds the home.

I am trying to decide if I can use the backhoe on the BX24 or if it will be a waste of money based on the type of land we have. Our land is predominately dirt with lots of 4-8" rocks mixed in and a predominace of weathered limestone below 2-3 feet. While I know I would not expect it to dig through a ledge, I can generally dig a hole in the yard with a shovel to around 2-3" but it requires a pick. Larger tractors that the BX 24 had some limited difficulty in certain areas digging for my septic system but managed without special rock breaking attachments. Some of that difficulty may have been wanting me to pay a large markup for rock breaking attachements though. I have more flexibility on digging location than they did overall and can avoid any larger rocky formations but certainly will encounter hard ground everywhere expecially if digging over 2 - 3 feet.

Any opinions on the digging capabilites of the BX 24 in challenging "soil". I was considering other options where the Backhoe could be added on later due to the costs.

My deal without any negotiation right now...

BX 24 $14,629
12 Bucket $ 419
60MMM $1,684
Doc / Prep $ 125
pretax total $16,821

I think its ok. This was the best out of 3 initial quotes.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[slewisma]

Price is very good compared what I just paid (only one dealer in reasonable range of me).

The BX24 BH will pleasantly surprise you for digging in what you've described. If you want to get into that same soil and rock combo with the FEL, get a toothbar. I had the same situation with shoveling being really hard due to lots of small and medium rocks. BX24 BH makes child's play of it.

 

[txkevin]

To give you an idea of the conditions....

 

[txkevin]

. BX24 BH makes child's play of it.

Thanks for the input. I will likely rent one for a day just to be sure. Wife is literally choking on the price and I fear is looking at having me committed. Obviously she is not the one swinging the pick axe when she needs to plant a grape vine.
Based on what I have seen the price seems pretty good. Tax hurts though and brings it up to $18,198. I suffer from an unrealistic expectation of putting this in the garage for less than 16,500 it seems. These simply do not come for sale used so I think there are limited other options that include all of these capabilities.

Thanks again for the input on the digging capabilities of the BX 24.

 

[slewisma]

I rented one memorial day weekend. Got 3 days for the price of 2. Great way to preview it. One tip: if you want to negotiate the rental price as a discount to the purchase price, do it before you rent it. I tried too late.

 

[KeithInSpace]

That's a pretty good price.

I don't have the BX24, but have a Woods BH6000 which has similar capabilities.

In my flower bed project, I transplanted some 10 gallon trees to other places in the yard. One of the new locations was in hard-pan clay, dried by a summer of drought. For giggles, I stuck a spade in the soil and was able to chisel out little 1/2" chunks with the tip...pretty hard stuff.

It would have taken me all day to dig that hole by hand, but with the BH, it took MAYBE 20 minutes while periodically sipping a cold beverage.

I find great sympathy in your comment "she's not the one swinging the pick-axe". Fortunately, my wife has seen what I go through to complete our home projects...the weekends with a jackhammer digging holes for our last deck...the countless trips with a wheel barrow moving 2 yards of mulch.

Now I can move 15 yards of mulch in an afternoon. I can move/grade 60 yards of soil in 2 days. I don't even bring a shovel to my projects...it is more of an afterthought to some particular situation..."Aw, darn. Need to grab that shovel again." I haven't used a digging bar in the 3 years I've had my tractor. And I've saved about $8,000 that I would have otherwise spent on labor to complete my random outside projects...projects I've done myself with many times the care and quality of materials as I would have gotten if I had contracted the work out.

You will be impressed with the loader and more pleased with the BH. Don't think they'll pop 12" stumps with one jerk, but they make life MUCH easier in nearly every job you do. From moving mulch, trees, timber, brush, etc. to carrying salt to the back stoop, taking out the trash cans, and hanging your daughter's pinata on her 3rd birthday. I even use it as a mobile ladder when hanging the Christmas lights.

All I can say is that is worth EVERY PENNY if you use it. Just saw a post about someone that bought a BX23 and is selling it because he contracted everything out anyway. I sympathize with him wanting to spend time with the kids (I have the same struggles), but that is NOT the way to get your worth out of a very, very expensive lawn mower.

If I didn't do a single thing more with my machine, my wife would still think it was worth every penny by what she's seen me do with it so far. Think of it as a "time machine" and a "back saver" instead of a lawn mower and it is a much easier sell.

 

[asylum575]

That's a very good price. I did a little better in November, not much. That's probably because the frost was coming and not much digging was happening. I think that's a great spring/summer price. If I was offered that price now, knowing what it can do, it would be a done deal. No regrets.
You will not be disappointed. I have dug up about 20 stumps, some big ones. Once I got the feel for it, it went quick. It's amazing after a while swinging the backhoe is just like waving you hand. Like someone said, you're not pulling stumps with one pull, but once you get a feel for it, they come out in a couple of minutes. Well, at least it feels like a couple of mintutes, could be an hour, but who cares. It's fun.
My wife was not sold till I showed her Keith's lawn project. Thanks Keith. Someone else did a great backyard/retaining wall project. This stuff is great.

Good luck and enjoy.

 

[txkevin]

If I didn't do a single thing more with my machine, my wife would still think it was worth every penny by what she's seen me do with it so far. Think of it as a "time machine" and a "back saver" instead of a lawn mower and it is a much easier sell.

Great comment and I really appreciate it. I sent your entire post to her. You may be in the doghouse by the way........... Its ok though, I hang out there quite a bit.

 

[txkevin]

That's a very good price. .

thanks for the input. The quote was good for 30 days so I have to make a decision by 7/11. I just wish I knew if Kubota was going to keep the 42 month 0% for July. If it were 60 mths I would have it later this week but thats not going to happen.

Based on the input, feel much better about this piece of equipment being worth the money on my property.

 

[KeithInSpace]

... I hang out there quite a bit.

I've added air conditioning to mine to make it more bearable in the summer months...used the 3PH subsoiler to run the electric line. Add a fridge and she'll have to coax me back into the house! Of course, that's where the keys to the tractor are...

For real, my wife is as frugal as they come. Definitely NOT cheap, but truly frugal. For HER to choke down a $20,000 "Lawn Tractor" ($15k for starters and another $5k for the BH a year later) and feel GOOD about it both at the time AND 2 YEARS LATER is real testament to the investment. It carries great weight, in my opinion.

Ownership and maintenance of my home would be a near impossibility without my tractor, for one. I am a "do it yourself-er" like no other. I LOVE doing my own work and really disdain paying others to have all the fun. And the time SAVED through its ownership has allowed me to actually spend MORE time with the kids. I'm able to complete signficant projects in a couple weekday evenings instead of a month's worth of weekends. I can't tell you how much my wife and kids appreciate that...and it is one of the more powerful things I can think of through over 2 years of ownership...something I am VERY appreciative of.