BX vs B series Belly mower???

[bp fick]

Hi BP...I see you are Beaver Creek in Northern Michigan...we call our 80 acre home property Bear Creek...between Duluth and Two Harbors 5 miles inland from Lake Superior.

You and John are very helpful to an analytical accountant trying to spend some money but having a hard time committing I truly appreciate the time you guys and other TBN members spend "educating" a novice tractor guy like me. Now time to define what I need...maybe you can read my JT response and weigh in on choices...BTW...if more HP truly is better and will hop me "throw the grass/weeds farther...so to speak...then I may do that if it makes sense. If the extra HP just makes your wheels spin sooner...maybe I should skip it?? Also, any early word on the new 2650/3350 series...a bit larger farm than the xx20 series. Not sure when I move past practical on frame size? Pretty sure my use in the woods leads me to the B vs BX for both ground clearance and extra weight benefits...not sure I need to move to xx50 series with new pollution stuff. BTW...are the 2620 and 2920 being phased out due to 25HP pollution rules?? Thanks BP...btw...might you have a link to your (and John's) past "articles on B vs BX? Thanks...Tom R

P.S. I also likely may have obsoleted by HD 6'x10' single axle trailer...I only tow about 20 miles between my home and cabin property. Trailer has maybe 15" steel side walls and a 2"x6" wooden deck so it is quite sturdy/heavy duty. It does have a single axle...I think total Gross weight rating is something like 3200# and I was hoping that I could use current trailer w/o anything on the 3pt...and rest the loader over the front trailer wall??? It has a ramp gate so no extra room in the back. I think the BX would have fit on better?? Your thoughts on the 10'x6'?? Kind of eventually want a larger trailer w/ aluminum to make it lighter to move around. TMR

Get out there and see if you can find a deal. Personally, and this is personal preference, if the 29 was priced right, it would be OK, but normally, it is priced too high. The 26 is well balanced as is the 23. The price point on the 2320 is attractive and 23 hp is plenty good, BUT.. very few will be equipped with the larger loader and bucket that is standard on the 26-29 machines. They all bolt up the same, but most dealers just follow the SOP. If you want a larger bucket with a tad more lifting hydraulic pistons, the B2620 is generally seen as a great "sweet spot" combination.

Don't let it get you all hot and bothered though. See what is still left in stock and what the price is. Any Bxx20 series would suit you and let availability and price be your guide. These are Kubotas "standard economy" tractors. Stepping up to larger B's will get you a stouter machine and a heftier price tag. Before you know it, you'll be considering an L machine. LOL

 

[TMR]

Stepping up to larger B's will get you a stouter machine and a heftier price tag. Before you know it, you'll be considering an L machine. LOL

You must have spoken with my wife My favorite has always been the Grand L. Already looking at a much larger trailer. Tom R

 

[cschulz]

With the things you are planning for I would suggest the B. Ive had a BX for 3 years now and its a great machine as a small garden tractor goes. Its a good mower and material handler. But thats it it doesnt do much beyond this and when its pushed to work hard I feel as if Im going to wear this thing out quick. In other words I regret not getting the B. Mowing would of been the same as they use the same 60" deck and I still end up using a small push mower for around the house detail cuts.

Chris

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Get out there and see if you can find a deal. Personally, and this is personal preference, if the 29 was priced right, it would be OK, but normally, it is priced too high. The 26 is well balanced as is the 23. The price point on the 2320 is attractive and 23 hp is plenty good, BUT.. very few will be equipped with the larger loader and bucket that is standard on the 26-29 machines. They all bolt up the same, but most dealers just follow the SOP. If you want a larger bucket with a tad more lifting hydraulic pistons, the B2620 is generally seen as a great "sweet spot" combination.

Don't let it get you all hot and bothered though. See what is still left in stock and what the price is. Any Bxx20 series would suit you and let availability and price be your guide. These are Kubotas "standard economy" tractors. Stepping up to larger B's will get you a stouter machine and a heftier price tag. Before you know it, you'll be considering an L machine. LOL

You must have spoken with my wife My favorite has always been the Grand L. Already looking at a much larger trailer. Tom R

Agree with BP to try and find any of the B2(3/6/9)20 machine that are available. I had a B7800 and B3200 for the next step up and they are also good sized and capable machines but I also had a Grand L3240 and it was Grand and scary on my hillsides. When it leans or tilts you clench or I did.
I wouldn't go over 200 yards with a B or maybe even a BX on a small single axle trailer but you may be more daring than me. My first job with Ky State Gvmnt was as an Auditor so I to have to make numbers match and the numbers of the weight of a B or BX with FEL on a 10' single axle trailer don't add up with enough safety margin for me. I forgot at one time to add the weight of the trailer to the total and was glad things went well but never did it again. I support 100% trailers with 2 wheels on each side because with only one tire and if it blows then one can be in deep dookie pretty quick. I like that extra safety margin with the extra tires which I think is that old Auditor blood in me.
Don't forget that one can buy a tractor today and use it for doing lots of work and then down the road one can sell/sale that tractor and buy a different one that matches their current needs (as BP and I have done) just like with cars and trucks.
I did an "article" some years ago about your first tractor just being your trial tractor to determine the tractor you really need but that to can be an elusive concept because life circumstances are/can be constantly changing thus I've bought 17 different Kubotas because of those constant changes in needs/circumstances. Lighten up and go spend some of that money or the commitment to spend it on a monthly basis spread out over 60 months instead of just moving it around on a computer screen/ledger.
My first job as an Auditor....I'd go to work every day and the old auditor/accountant that had been there 35 years would come in and unlock and open his center desk drawer and stare down at it for 10 minutes every day. I started noticing him doing this. One day on break I asked some of the other auditors/accountants what he was looking at. They all said they didn't know but that he had been doing it as long as all of them had been there and some of them had been there for over 30 years. Well, the old guy finally retired and the first day after he was gone we all ran over to his desk, one of us got his keys, unlocked that center drawer and opened it...........:shocked::shocked::shocked: there in the center of the drawer was taped a yellowed sheet of paper with, in bold black marker 6 words......debits on the left.....credits on the right. For those of you that are going.....what It's an old, old accountant joke.:laughing::laughing:

 

[TMR]

Hi John...I can relate...CPA/CFO and last 1/2 of career CEO. But ALWAYS the analytical pragmatist .

Little update. I went to our cabin yesterday and mowed about 1/3 of my trails. Maybe 3/8 miles. My trails on this 40 acre piece are quite developed as the property was logged about 30+ years ago. The 40 acres interior to mine were are owned by the county and they also logged their 40 at the same time with the original owner. They cut a main logging road right down the middle and put a turnaround just inside the county 40. This trail is quite wide and very solid hard packed base with some loose sand...not deep however.

The ground in this part of my 40 acres has lots of small rock and some gravel base. The prior owner considered setting up a gravel pit and selling road gravel. So when I mow I have a combination of some nice wide grass based trails and some gravely, hard packed trails. My trails cross and criss-cross the 40 so it is all nicely accessible to my Polaris Ranger for fun rides/tours and morning on my trees.

Yesterday I reminded myself of the HARSH use I make of my mower deck...currently my infamous 10 year old 42"/24HP Sears with wheel weights and chains Most summers seasons I end up with at least one deck breakdown that I need to repair. Blades/spindles or belts. Yesterday was my "breakdown" day . After mowing about 3/8ths miles I started getting a blade slapping noise from the deck. Upon first exam in the field (Hot.humid,buggy day) I found one blade had broken off maybe1"+ of the end of one blade but that was not the one making the noise. The other blade was hitting the deck a small but significant amount. It appears I may have bent the decK at a spindle mounting point. I put back on trailer and took it home with me. Repair will/would be maybe a new deck...$300-$400 for cheaper Sears 42"...but first I will inspect more closely to insure I have damages the deck.

Long story short...not sure I want an expensive deck to treat this way and pretty sure i am going to continue to mow like ti is a demolition derby. I LOVE the look of my 40 acres and trails when they look like a country estate...which they do when I am down. BTW...this is my 4th year of owning and mowing this 40 acres. We also have 40 acres at our home 30 miles away with another 3/4 to 1 miles of trails...not as much deck destructive sand/rock. As a side note...maybe my deck is co clean underneath from the sand blasting it gets on part of my trail...also tough going for the driver as sand files everywhere for a few hundred feet of the trail

I think the best mowing choice may be a 10 year duty/disposable $1,500 Sears or Husqvarna MTD mid 20's HP narrow (42"-48"...likely 42" so it only has two blades) mower with added wheel weights and chains as I have now...and had for the prior 10 years (different but similar mower). I may try to fix my current one but the deck linkage has been damaged and re-bent/repaired enough times I am not sure it is worth fixing at this point.

Assuming I don't change directions again...this makes the "tractor" purchase "cleaner"...w/o the irritation of a mmm to deal with. Main change in plans is realizing that it probably does not make sense to buy a $5K+++ premium GT mower such as JD X5xx series or other and then run it through my harsh mowing routine...it would hurt too much vs a 10 year cycle $1,500 Sears type mower...which I also already have a lot of experience maintaining/repairing. Still think the B series is all the larger I want to go. Yesterday my son and I discussed out next trail addition and today we may begin marking the trail path and maybe cutting (chain saw) and throwing some of the small (3-4") 30 year old "slash" left over from the last logging. I am SURE we would have much use for a B series IF we had one. Trail will go about 1/4 mile through mostly brush and sapling with the old slash mixed in. Once slash is clear my DR Brush mover should be able to cut much of the trail with some chain saw and brush saw (saw blade on a "stick") assistance. Many other project after that.

I spoke with Kubota dealership and he agreed that my 3200 single axle trailer, while very sturdy 2"X6" decking and steel side wall...is both a bit short at 10' and likely no GVWR cushion at all. I called my trailer guy who was out...but I may look at a tilt bed, aluminum 18-20', double axle with GVWR close to 10K. I move my equipment between home and cabin (where the extra 40 acres is) many times a summer and as long as I am buying a new trailer I would like plenty of room for an extra attachment or my riding lawn mower or my DR. Will probably have to deal with trailer brakes in some manner with my truck.

Well...done mowing this weekend...will plan and mark trails, ride my Polaris Ranger, watch the grand kids and their two friends swim and "tube" behind our 1960 runabout and look at my broken down lawnmower next week...hope the humidity and heat drop. Was 80+ and humid and the bugs a bad this summer with all the rain we have had. Also need to do dome shopping.

Thanks again for all the help...Tom R

Agree with BP to try and find any of the B2(3/6/9)20 machine that are available. I had a B7800 and B3200 for the next step up and they are also good sized and capable machines but I also had a Grand L3240 and it was Grand and scary on my hillsides. When it leans or tilts you clench or I did.
I wouldn't go over 200 yards with a B or maybe even a BX on a small single axle trailer but you may be more daring than me. My first job with Ky State Gvmnt was as an Auditor so I to have to make numbers match and the numbers of the weight of a B or BX with FEL on a 10' single axle trailer don't add up with enough safety margin for me. I forgot at one time to add the weight of the trailer to the total and was glad things went well but never did it again. I support 100% trailers with 2 wheels on each side because with only one tire and if it blows then one can be in deep dookie pretty quick. I like that extra safety margin with the extra tires which I think is that old Auditor blood in me.
Don't forget that one can buy a tractor today and use it for doing lots of work and then down the road one can sell/sale that tractor and buy a different one that matches their current needs (as BP and I have done) just like with cars and trucks.
I did an "article" some years ago about your first tractor just being your trial tractor to determine the tractor you really need but that to can be an elusive concept because life circumstances are/can be constantly changing thus I've bought 17 different Kubotas because of those constant changes in needs/circumstances. Lighten up and go spend some of that money or the commitment to spend it on a monthly basis spread out over 60 months instead of just moving it around on a computer screen/ledger.
My first job as an Auditor....I'd go to work every day and the old auditor/accountant that had been there 35 years would come in and unlock and open his center desk drawer and stare down at it for 10 minutes every day. I started noticing him doing this. One day on break I asked some of the other auditors/accountants what he was looking at. They all said they didn't know but that he had been doing it as long as all of them had been there and some of them had been there for over 30 years. Well, the old guy finally retired and the first day after he was gone we all ran over to his desk, one of us got his keys, unlocked that center drawer and opened it...........:shocked::shocked::shocked: there in the center of the drawer was taped a yellowed sheet of paper with, in bold black marker 6 words......debits on the left.....credits on the right. I know just what you are talking about For those of you that are going.....what It's an old, old accountant joke.:laughing::laughing:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have a few acres of steep hillside behind my brothers house which is beside my house. I bought a RTV1140 (2 rows of seats) to entertain my Grandkids before they get to old to spend time with Papaw. I had a man with a track loader cut trails back and forth from front to back across the hillside for our RTVing. I mow the trails with my 4wd F3080 6' deck. There is a mountain behind me with a logging trail that goes around it, maybe a couple of miles. The trail had grown up. I bought a 4' rotary mower to use on my previous B2320 and mowed the trail then sold the mower and the B2320. I now mow the trail with my F3080. Did bend a blade last year when the deck bounced down on a rock but under $30 replaced the blade and on I go. This past winter a couple of trees fell down and I don't know if they made a sound or not but they did block the trail which stopped my F. Took my B2620 FEL BH up the trail Thursday and the trail is now back open all the way around. I keep clippers with me and my grands and I clip the overhanging limbs on our sides when they start intruding into our cockpit. Lots of the trails have tree canopy over it.
I bought the RTV1140 thinking it would just be for fun with the Grands but use it often and another item that I should have bought sooner and won't go without one again. Grands now twin 9 years old with a 3 year old brother. My 9 year old Grandson has to drive me around when he's here and he's been driving it since I bought it.
Points to ponder. A rear finish rear discharge (to shoot cut items and sand and gravel) Landpride mower built like a tank of 4', 5' or 6' (had one for a couple of years) will cost near what a box mower will cost. Easy on and off and service on a tractor, no lifting with quick hitch. Deck is near indestructible and will last past your mature lifetime. Add a B with FEL and use a cheap lawn mower around trees and the house and your done. I really preferred the REAR DISCHARGE rear finish mower over any mid mount mowers that I was taking off and putting back on. I also liked their quality of cut. They can be lifted for rougher ground if you don't like cutting rocks (I have several limestone rocks that wait for my mowers just above the ground enough to be cut from time to time).

 

[GPintheMitten]

B2620 would be great for your described use. But if you can't find one get either of the other two models.

You should be able to smooth your trails by back blading with the loader. You may want to look into ratchet rake attachment for your loader. A landscape rake would probably help you get the rocks off the mowed trails. Then you can use the mmm.

I like the advice that you have been given to get out there and get your B tractor that you need and deserve.

Don't let analysis paralysis set in.

 

[TMR]

John...I agree - the purchase of my Polaris Ranger 800 XP four years ago was one of the best buys I have made. I use it heavily as a work/transport vehicle when traveling the 1/2 mile from our cabin to our 40 acres and have tools in the back end. Also use it for many tasks around the cabin...like yesterday putting the boat in the lake...much easier with the Ranger than when I had to back my truck down a steep hill through close trees. Also, 5 grandkids...age 11 to 19 are in it often when I go anywhere. Even the ladies drive it a couple of miles to the rural farmer's market. They are legal on highways in our county...other than major highways such as fed roads. You are supposed to stay as far right using the shoulder as appropriate and and safe. Only the side-by-sides...not the regular ATVs.

I looked up the Landpride finish mower and I think you might be on to something. Would take a bit of training to learn to only mow forward but I don't think that would be too difficult. Might have to slightly modify my trails and create moderate turnarounds. Can the rear discharge get rid of tall weeds/grass with a B power source? Most of my rocks are either small loose...or medium and in the ground. With the Sear's I have gotten used to slightly pulling up the deck as I go through a couple of areas that have most of the rock...not very significant part of the trails. Others may just get skimmed occasionally by the blades but nothing serious. Maybe I could skirt the areas with rocks and either weed sap or use the walk behind mower. I will take a look at the dealer. Key question is how they handle taller grass and weeds such as my field which I mow once a year. Probably would mow it 2-3 times if I had the right tool.

Thanks JT Tom R

I have a few acres of steep hillside behind my brothers house which is beside my house. I bought a RTV1140 (2 rows of seats) to entertain my Grandkids before they get to old to spend time with Papaw. I had a man with a track loader cut trails back and forth from front to back across the hillside for our RTVing. I mow the trails with my 4wd F3080 6' deck. There is a mountain behind me with a logging trail that goes around it, maybe a couple of miles. The trail had grown up. I bought a 4' rotary mower to use on my previous B2320 and mowed the trail then sold the mower and the B2320. I now mow the trail with my F3080. Did bend a blade last year when the deck bounced down on a rock but under $30 replaced the blade and on I go. This past winter a couple of trees fell down and I don't know if they made a sound or not but they did block the trail which stopped my F. Took my B2620 FEL BH up the trail Thursday and the trail is now back open all the way around. I keep clippers with me and my grands and I clip the overhanging limbs on our sides when they start intruding into our cockpit. Lots of the trails have tree canopy over it.
I bought the RTV1140 thinking it would just be for fun with the Grands but use it often and another item that I should have bought sooner and won't go without one again. Grands now twin 9 years old with a 3 year old brother. My 9 year old Grandson has to drive me around when he's here and he's been driving it since I bought it.
Points to ponder. A rear finish rear discharge (to shoot cut items and sand and gravel) Landpride mower built like a tank of 4', 5' or 6' (had one for a couple of years) will cost near what a box mower will cost. Easy on and off and service on a tractor, no lifting with quick hitch. Deck is near indestructible and will last past your mature lifetime. Add a B with FEL and use a cheap lawn mower around trees and the house and your done. I really preferred the REAR DISCHARGE rear finish mower over any mid mount mowers that I was taking off and putting back on. I also liked their quality of cut. They can be lifted for rougher ground if you don't like cutting rocks (I have several limestone rocks that wait for my mowers just above the ground enough to be cut from time to time).

 

[dodge man]

I will add a couple of comments. I've owned a BX about 8 years. The truth is it doesn't make a great mower, its good but not great. Its like a lot of mower or tractors, the front wheels mash the grass down and then it doesn't get mowed well. Its just worse on a true tractor like a BX or a B since its diesel, 4 wheel drive, water cooled etc. that puts even more weight out front than a cheaper dedicated lawn mower. That is the reason zero turns cut better, all the weight is out back with the deck hanging out front cutting the grass first.

For cutting your trails is sounds like you need a brush hog not a mid mount mower. I picked up a pretty rough used one for a $150. They will take a lot more abuse than a mid mount mower.

I'd say you are going to want a better trailer. Your current trailer MIGHT be good enough for just the bare tractor, but when you add a end loader and something out back then start to get long, even a BX gets about 14 feet long with end loader and brush hog.

To me it sounds like you need a B. Don't under estimate how much you will use the end loader. I bought an end loader thinking I wouldn't use it that much but probably 40% of my BX use the end loader.

 

[TMR]

Thanks Dave...pretty much decided that a CUT rather than a sub-cut is appropriate for my needs. Also, I think John Thomas may have the best compromise in a Landpride rear discharge finish mower....see post above. I really do no cut any "lawn"...just field/cabin yard/and pretty well developed trails.

The primary need for CUT is ground clearance. I will likely be off trail (so to speak) quite often on my land and both th clearance and the items underneath the tractor point to the B vs the BX...I have lots of nasty sticks, low cut stumps and other items waiting to "poke" at the underside. Thanks Dave...Tom R

I will add a couple of comments. I've owned a BX about 8 years. The truth is it doesn't make a great mower, its good but not great. Its like a lot of mower or tractors, the front wheels mash the grass down and then it doesn't get mowed well. Its just worse on a true tractor like a BX or a B since its diesel, 4 wheel drive, water cooled etc. that puts even more weight out front than a cheaper dedicated lawn mower. That is the reason zero turns cut better, all the weight is out back with the deck hanging out front cutting the grass first.

For cutting your trails is sounds like you need a brush hog not a mid mount mower. I picked up a pretty rough used one for a $150. They will take a lot more abuse than a mid mount mower.

I'd say you are going to want a better trailer. Your current trailer MIGHT be good enough for just the bare tractor, but when you add a end loader and something out back then start to get long, even a BX gets about 14 feet long with end loader and brush hog.

To me it sounds like you need a B. Don't under estimate how much you will use the end loader. I bought an end loader thinking I wouldn't use it that much but probably 40% of my BX use the end loader.