BX1500 questions

[Persistent]

Hello...new to the forum.
I have been trying to decide on getting a small tractor to mow with and do some light loader work.
We have 2acres that I finish mow and a pasture that I mow down 3 to 4 times per year.
We also have 2 horses.
I have been taking care of everything with a Lawn Tractor and a cart... getting a bit tired of shoveling.
Our lot is flat and so is the pasture, for the most part.

I went to the local kubota and deere dealers and checked them out.
We want something small and easy to handle. My wife and I both liked the BX1870 the most.
I was given a price of $12,800 for 54"mower and loader package, or another $700 off for cash deal.

As I was talking to the owner he said they had a very low hour BX1500, 54mmm, and loader.
He said it would do just about everything the 1870 would do. I was hesitant because it was used.
He said why dont we drop it off at your place and you can use it for a few days and let me know.
So thats what we did!

I used the BX1500 for about 2 hours this afternoon and evening.
Moved some manure piles and pushed back some snow banks and it worked great.
Very easy to use, turns so easily... and is quite zippy. I have used small tractors before, JD 2305 (i like the 1500 better).

So what do you guys think? It only has 396 hours...its starts up great..a very slight puff of smoke on startup,
I figured that was from the diesel. Its rough at very low idle I guess thats the nature of a 2cylinder diesel?
I really have been looking it over. They changed the engine oil and filter, the hst oil and filter, air filter, and gas filter.
It has a few dings in the hood and the bucket was used good, but nothing is sloppy or worn out.
Checked the PTO seals and u joints. Everything is greased real well. Ran the mower deck, engaged it at half throttle
and got a slight tug on the diesel and just a tiny bit of smoke. Is that normal?

Overall to me it looks like it has been used and taken care of mechanically but not cosmetically. Its not cleaned up very well and there is alot of grease and dirt and dried grass clippings in every cranny. The previous owner wasnt into keeping it real clean. Should that hinder my decision? If purchased I plan on doing a good cleaning and a bit TLC to get her looking good.
Hood could be fixed and repainted. Also the dealer showed me a list of everything they put into it.
-new tail lights(the ones on the ROPS)
-all new rims and tires the whole way around (they said washer fluid made the rims rot and where shot, and damaged the tires)
-one new deck spindle
-full service
-some new bulbs
-new battery
-a few other small things.

I dont think the dealer cleaned it up because they didnt want to put any more money into it.

Total cost with tax $5,800. (I thought this was a good price)
What do you guys think? What else should I look for?
-one more thing hst fan looks ok.

 

[DT86]

The fact that the dealer was willing to let you try it out leads me to believe he is confident in the machine.

Many (most?) diesels will puff a bit of smoke on start up, nothing to worry about.

 

[AceDeuce]

I've had mine for over 10 years now. Very satisfied. Minor repairs here and there but nothing major. Only two issues that peeved me a bit. One was the bracket that supports the engine counterweight. It failed from vibration fatigue. Simple solution... Don't idle all the way down for extended periods. Keep it at 20% throttle. The other issue was the front axle pivot bushings. PITA to change out. Heavy FEL use causes premature failure resulting in leaking axle fluid.

 

[East Texan]

My dad bought our bx1500 new, some time around 2003 I believe. It has ~690 hours on it right now and the only issue we've had with it is the kill switch under the seat corroded and would kill the engine while mowing on bumpy terrain. That was easy enough to fix. It will shake you to death if you don't bump the throttle up just a tad when idling, has been that way since brand new. A little puff of smoke when you start it is normal....Nature of a diesel. We don't have a loader on ours, basically just use it for mowing. Dad wanted a mower he would never have to replace and I don't think I will have to replace it either.

I usually will idle it down to engage the mower and then rev it up to mowing RPM, the puff of smoke and tug on the motor is normal - at least for ours. I wouldn't worry about it unless it seems to be excessive.

It's quite a stout little machine, I would love to get a FEL on ours but having another tractor with a loader already, we can't justify it.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Persistent, welcome, I'm a new member as well. I have a BX1500 I bought 3 1/2 years ago from a friend for $5700. Mine came with the loader, 48" MMM and a Curtis cab. It had 85 hours on it and turf tires. I love this little tractor! I have around 170 on it now, most of which were put on last year, mainly mowing grass, some of which was unmanaged prior. I leave the loader on it and the little BX is still highly maneuverable. I have a blast on it and actually enjoy it a bit more than our larger farm used tractors. I bought a Land Pride 42" rear mount rotary mower which is used on occasion to get the rough stuff in tight areas the big tractors can't get to. Save the $7000.00 and go for it, use it for a while and if you decide you need a little more tractor later on, you'll get your money back without much effort.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Persistent, welcome, I'm a new member as well. I have a BX1500 I bought 3 1/2 years ago from a friend for $5700. Mine came with the loader and a Curtis cab. It had 85 hours on it and turf tires. I bought a real nice condition 48" MMM used on CL for $600.00. I love this little tractor! I have around 170 on it now, most of which were put on last year, mainly mowing grass, some of which was unmanaged prior. I leave the loader on it and the little BX is still highly maneuverable. Does a good job on the lawn. I have a blast on it and actually enjoy it a bit more than our larger farm used tractors. I bought a Land Pride 42" rear mount rotary mower which is used on occasion to get the rough stuff in tight areas the big tractors can't get to. $5800 seems like a very fair price. Save the $7000.00 and go for it, use it for a while and if you decide you need a little more tractor later on, you'll get your money back without much effort.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I've owned a BX1500 but without the FEL. I used it just for mowing on a steep hillside acreage. It was the most stable BX that I've owned on my hillside and it now resides in West Va or it did the last I heard and the current owner loves it and he owns other bigger Kubotas.
Every thing you described is normal with the BX1500. As others have said, keep the idle up to prevent or minimize, probably can't totally stop it,. the shaking.
It will do the jobs you've mentioned and should have plenty of life left in it. You should expect doing some occasional maintenance/repair on an older used machine but not anywhere near $7000 dollars worth. I don't usually buy used Kubotas but the price seems fair but I think you could offer $5000 cash and probably walk away with it since it belongs to the dealer (New Kubotas belong to Kubota till they are sold, mostly, but used equipment is bought and owned by the dealer, usually. He has his money tied up in this machine until it's sold. Just sayin that I'd negotiate in this case but I do think it's probably worth the money. Most people want to buy stuff that's clean and new looking and the dealer knows this. He also may figure you'll be a future customer with repairs and maybe buy another machine from him later or upgrade and trade you another machine which you can slip into the conversation in your own way while negotiating just incase he doesn't think about it. Leave the words, the offer and tell him to think about it and let you know while your checking on some other used equipment on Craigs list and other dealers and do so. But have your check book with you because I suspect he'll take it or drop to $5500.

 

[amigauser]

$5800 for a BX1500 with mower and loader is a great deal. I have seen ones with just a mower (no loader) go for $5000 or more. That would be a fantastic deal in this area.

 

[Persistent]

wow guys..thanks for the replies.
im going to really check it out today... but it looks like im going to keep it.
i really like the size for what i need to do.
these 1500 seem like great little machines.

as far as price...around here they go for around 7,000.
dealer already said that 5800 is the lowest he will go.
i think they want to move some machines, and right now is a good time to buy.
he said if he waits till spring he would probably get 6500 to 7000 for it.

ill look for that counter balance bracket and check the condition.
Ill post some pics once its all cleaned up... and the hood is repaired.
thanks guys!

 

[SPYDERLK]

$5800 is a great deal for a BX1500 w FEL. Ours, w/o FEL, has 2k+ hrs. Ask that the dealer change out the o-ring in the steering piston. It wears out from all the siding back and forth. At around 700 hr intervals it will start bypassing steering fluid. Youll notice it as slow steering corrections not having any effect ... esp when warmed. No catastrophe, but It slowly gets worse.
larry

 

[coveredbridge]

I bought my BX1500 new 9 years ago next month. I have the 48" mmm and FEL. About 1200 hrs on the clock, about 60% - 70% mowing. It is a great little machine. I don't know how I ever managed without the FEL. I had the same problem with the front axle pivot leaking, but I don't believe I worked the loader that hard. I would try to check carefully for a leak before buying. It was about a $350 repair at the dealer. Another issue I've had is with the HST pedal tending to stick in the forward position. I've tried to lube it and adjust the tension spring, but I've never been able to fully resolve it and I've just gotten used to operating it that way. The kill switch under the seat has given me trouble from time to time, wanting to kill the motor when it shouldn't because it works loose from its bracket. Again no big deal. Probably due to the fact that I am a larger than average person. I've had washer fluid in my rear tires since I bought it, and the rims are like new, so I don't know about that story that the fluid ruined the rims. Also I don't think anyone puts fluid in the front rims, so why would the fronts need replaced? Make sure you check the antifreeze/coolant. It is a royal pain to change and if any maintenance was skipped, I would bet this would be it. The manual calls for replacing it every other year, and I admit I stretch that out because I hate doing it. The 2-banger does vibrate like crazy, especially at low idle, so I avoid running it at low idle. Keep it at 20% or more and it smoothes out nicely. I've never had a problem with the mower. Any wear part can fail of course, but a new spindle at less than 400 hours, as well as your description of the condition of the machine, suggests to me that it may not have been well maintained.

I think the bx1500 is a great machine and probably very well suited to your needs. However, the machine you describe sounds like it may have been neglected, or even abused, and I would think very carefully before buying. If you can afford to wait, maybe another one will turn up that was better cared for. Again, I have 1200 hours on mine, and I expect many more years of use, but I believe maintenance is key.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Also just a FYI, check the screen behind the radiator. It pulls out easily to clean debris. While mowing, I pull mine out when putting the machine up for the day. If the screen plugs up, which it will if not kept clean, it'll run real hot and could overheat.

If you can post some pics as the machine sits now and follow up with some more following the detail.

 

[Persistent]

yeah i checked the screen and its clean...
i do have some reservations about the rim story.
he wasnt quite sure what was in the rear tires...washer fluid or something..and i also thought...why would they replace the fronts? as far as the spindle he said the po hit something that bent a spidle shaft.
it is dirty but i dont see anything leaking fluid anywhere...everything is dry.
no other scratches or dents except for the hood.
in a few minutes im going to go out and take the deck off to get a good look underneath.

 

[coveredbridge]

Everything you've described points toward a machine that was neglected or abused. Having said that, these tractors seem to be built well enough to absorb some abuse, but I think it would be reasonable to expect that you are going to have some mechanical issues with it if you buy it. If you can live with that, then go for it. However, I would definitely negotiate on the price. I also would ask for the name and phone number of the previous owner and I would talk to him about how he used and maintained the tractor. If the dealer doesn't want to give you that information, I would not buy the tractor.

 

[Persistent]

ok guys...i ran the 1500 for around 2hrs straight.
ran great no problems at alll. then i brought it in the garage and let it melt off.
got it under some good light and looked it over really good.
no other scratches except the small dent in the hood. seat is great no rips and no damage.
loader looks better than what i originally realized...i just wiped off some grease and cleaned it up.

bucket edge is worn good but none of the joints are sloppy..alot of old grease caked in.
looked all over the underside...no leaky hydraulics....no bent shafts...and the axel pivot seems fine.

so i cleaned it up a bit and its really looking nice.
i called the dealer and asked for the mechanic that worked on it, and asked about the deal with the rims.
he said the backs were filled with antifreeze (i originally said washer fluid...that was my mistake) and the rims were shot and damaged the tires. so instead of painting the front rims to match the new back rims they said it was cheaper to order
all four tires on the rims and just bolt them on. i think the po greased it and did maintenance but wasnt into cleaning it up much. they said run it over the weekend and let them know next week if i want to keep it. they also said write down anything i see that is wrong and they will pick it up and fix it before i buy it. they also said they would fill the rears with rim guard if i wanted it. so im thinking im going to use it over the weekend and probably take it.

 

[DT86]

Sounds good.

My only question is why haven't we got to see any pictures? Even if it's not "yours" yet, we need pictures!

 

[crabhab]

I have had my bx1500 since spring 2013. It has the FEL, 54 inch mmm, and PTO Kubota bagger. I paid 7500 for the set with 390 hours and thought I was doing well.

I use it to now my grandmother in laws 5 acre yard on her 55 acre farm. We live across the street in a wooded 2 acre lot. I run a king kutter 48" bush hog. And a tractor supply 48" box blade made for bx sized tractors.

I repaired a broken engine counter weight and a front axle bushing. Just like many of the owners here. I have replaced my two front tires with the same grass master brand 4 ply. Tough little machine. I rigged up another adjustable lift arm to lift my brush mower high enough to get the tail wheel up. I also use it to move trailers with a draw bar and draw bar stabilizer from northern tool. I traded a case 1130 23hp geared 2wd tractor for my bx and found that the Kubota works circles around the bigger machine for what I use it for.

 

[coveredbridge]

Definitely get the rimguard. You'll want the weight in the rear for loader work. Sounds like you found a good deal. Makes me wonder what I could get for mine on trade for a BX25. I've been thinking lately that a little backhoe would come in real handy.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Sounds good.

My only question is why haven't we got to see any pictures? Even if it's not "yours" yet, we need pictures!

We're waiting for the pics

 

[deadhorse]

Check the fluid level in the front axle. If the level is low it will not leak at the axle pivot, fill to the correct level, drive the tractor, then check for leaks.