BX - Buyer's Remorse? Loader remorse, anyway.

[ultrarunner]

Need to add that when I moved mountains of gravel with my BX I always had the Backhoe on and my rear tires are foamed filled which add more weight.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I agree wholeheartedly dragoneggs, the PTB will change your opinion completely on the BX.

 

[PapaPerk]

So, I recently bought a BX2200 w/ 5' MMM, loader, and snowblower. I bought the tractor primarily as a mower, and wanted the blower as an emergency backup should something fail with my 3pt blower that sits behind my L4200GST. I also wanted a loader, just 'cause. Well, after attempting to do some loader work for the 2nd time this past weekend, I can definitely say that the BX is just a hair better than useless when it comes to loader work. Not that it's a bad machine, it's just too light and the wheels are too tiny to get anything done without sliding and digging in. I was trying to dig in beach sand, and couldn't even come close to filling the bucket before all 4 wheels were spinning and going nowhere. Last time I used the loader, I was up on 3 wheels while trying to drive over a 4" drop with all of a half bucket of gravel. Both times, I pulled out my L4200 and had done in a single bucketload what I couldn't do in a half-hour with the BX. I can assume that it will do an adequate job running its snowblower, based on my experience running front-mount blowers on lawn tractors, though I don't really expect it to be significantly better that the lawn tractors. It should be adequate to function as a snowblower backup, but will probably need all 4 tires chained. On the other hand, my L4200 3pt blower will eat a car and not even cough with front chains only.

I'm happy with the BX's performance as a mower, and expect that the blower will be OK, but I totally wasted the extra money I spent for the loader. I can only imagine how frustrating a BX backhoe must be.

What kind of tires does it have? Need Ag or industrial. Sand is pretty hard for any vehicle to deal with. Have to air down the tires. You need ballast for loader work as well.

The BX are estate tractors.... Used around the yard in tight quarters for doing flower bed work, etc. they are handy for this due to their size. But they have major limitations compared to a large farm tractor.... Which has limitations compared to a CAT front end loader. (0:

Going from a big tractor to a BX will be a humbling experience.

 

[GolfAddict]

I can't imagine anyone that has their big Cat end loader, who then buys a L4200, coming on here and bashing the L4200 because it doesn't compare to the Cat... that would be silly.

 

[Threepoint]

I can't imagine anyone that has their big Cat end loader, who then buys a L4200, coming on here and bashing the L4200 because it doesn't compare to the Cat... that would be silly.

I don't think that's what Jay was doing. He was describing his personal experience and impressions with his new machine. Whether his expectations were realistic or unrealistic, it might save someone else who's considering a tricked-out SCUT of that size (regardless of manufacturer) from a similar disappointing experience.

 

[GolfAddict]

I don't think that's what Jay was doing. He was describing his personal experience and impressions with his new machine. Whether his expectations were realistic or unrealistic, it might save someone else who's considering a tricked-out SCUT of that size (regardless of manufacturer) from a similar disappointing experience.

Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I'm mistakenly taking some of his posts about BX's to be a bit of bashing... from another thread:

"While threads like this always bring out the BX fans who think a BX is a real tractor...it isn't. It's a dandy lawn mower, and that is precisely why I bought one, but for doing any kind of real tractor work, you're p*ssing in the wind with a BX. I got a loader on mine, which is nice for carrying around bags of seed or a snowblower, but it is virtually useless for doing REAL loader work. I played with mine in a dirt pile for about 20 minutes then grabbed my 'L' - I had more work done with the first bucket load than the BX did in those 20 minutes.

So - you were not clear about your intentions. If you are talking about using your BX to mow the grass - sure, it's perfect for that. Yes, a B or L tractor would be ungainly to use as a lawn mower. If you want to use it to actually build your house, forget the BX - it will be fundamentally useless. For doing HP-intensive work such as running a tiller, forget the BX and get an 'L'. If you're worried about mowing or bushhogging in a rough field, I'd vote for a B or L at least, simply because of the bigger tires. A BX could do it powerwize, but with their little wheels, a BX going to get beat to death and beat the heck out of the operator."

 

[montelatici]

The BX, at least my BX24, is a "real" tractor and can get quite a bit of work done. The backhoe may not be as capable as the the one on the L3700, but it does allow work to be done around the house that the L would be too big for. I cleared a tremendous amount of trees and brush that had grown along fences for 20 years with the BX and was able to save much of the fence. With the L the fence would have had to go.

 

[Threepoint]

Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I'm mistakenly taking some of his posts about BX's to be a bit of bashing... from another thread:

"While threads like this always bring out the BX fans who think a BX is a real tractor...it isn't. It's a dandy lawn mower, and that is precisely why I bought one, but for doing any kind of real tractor work, you're p*ssing in the wind with a BX. I got a loader on mine, which is nice for carrying around bags of seed or a snowblower, but it is virtually useless for doing REAL loader work. I played with mine in a dirt pile for about 20 minutes then grabbed my 'L' - I had more work done with the first bucket load than the BX did in those 20 minutes.

So - you were not clear about your intentions. If you are talking about using your BX to mow the grass - sure, it's perfect for that. Yes, a B or L tractor would be ungainly to use as a lawn mower. If you want to use it to actually build your house, forget the BX - it will be fundamentally useless. For doing HP-intensive work such as running a tiller, forget the BX and get an 'L'. If you're worried about mowing or bushhogging in a rough field, I'd vote for a B or L at least, simply because of the bigger tires. A BX could do it powerwize, but with their little wheels, a BX going to get beat to death and beat the heck out of the operator."

I bet I know where someone can get a great deal on a barely-used loader attachment for a BX2200, maybe the whole tractor.

 

[dodge man]

I do a lot of work around heavy construction equipment. I've seen large scrapers moves as much dirt in an hour as my BX would move in days. Its all a matter of how you look at it. Parked next to a large piece of heavy construction equipment, the BX is a toy. Parked next to a wheel barrow and a shovel, it looks pretty large.

 

[gmikem206]

Jay, seems your issues are the ability to dig and the amount the bucket will hold. I need back ballast to do any heavy lifting or digging with my BX. The Piranha Tooth Bar has really made the bucket very useful in moving brush, and digging/lifting rocks and cut trees. Of course I don't have a larger tractor. And I am not sure the tooth bar is the main reason you can't get into the sandy soil, sounds like that's more traction related (need ballast). As far as the capacity of the load, BXpanded does also offer a bucket expander you may want to consider. But maybe just pulling out the bigger machine is a better option for you? Good luck. Mike