Anonymous Poster
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2005
- Messages
- 29,678
Hi folks,
I took a couple of days off to get some work done with the bx, and felt that a review of the machine's capabilities here would be helpful for those looking to buy a bx. I ran an old Power King 1618 w/fel for the last seven years(a very early version of a subcut??) on my 5 acres, for moving stone, snow, etc. I have been mowing for a while with the bx and doing some fel work, but nothing that would push the machine's limits until this week. I have:
bx2200, fel, 54" mmm, filled bars
Woods GBC box blade
Woods 40" tiller
Woods lrc60 landscape rake
FEL: The fel works well and is easy to get on and off. It does lack power and lift height to a certain degree over my old machine. When working with compacted or wet dirt, I am noticing that biting in and backing up slightly allow the fel to pick up a full bucket without running out of steam. It just doesn't have the breakout force that I was accustomed to but works well once you adjust to it. It is awfully fast acting as well . With filled bars the bx is very stable, though a box on the back increases stabilty. I moved 9 yards of wet manure 150' onto the garden beds and tilled it in in under 2 hours across a decent slope. Low and slow was the way to go. Used to take me all day with the old machine and a Troybilt tiller.
Mowing: The bx 54"mmm has really impressed me with its cutting quality. I have a Dixson ZTR and am considering selling it as the bx gives a better cut and better hill mowing capability. For those who remember my early posts, mowing on hills was a big concern for me. I finally tried it on my worst slope last night and I can even STOP IT on the middle of the slope with no slip at all (WOW! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). This compares to sliding down the hill with the Dixson and a Snapper rider. I do have to belt up (I do anyway) or I would have a hard time staying in the seat but the machine performed flawlessly. I think they should call it the billy goat!
Box blading: The bx and box blade combo really work well. After getting the top link/scarifer adjustments squared away I found that the bx wil move some serious dirt. I re-contoured my old garden plot (about 60' x 70'), some established lawn, and made some new beds. The bx will pull the box without much problem until the box was full with extra dirt loading up under the rear of the machine. The only time I experienced any problem was when I set the scarifers all the way down and shortened the top link too much. I'd fill the box in 10' and bog the machine down (dummy newbie operator problem, not the bx). The box gave a good cut and getting a good finish grade was pretty easy, though feathering the 3p lift takes some practice. This is on well compacted clay soil with some large rocks in it. The Woods box is nicely made and has a good paint finish. The only concern I had was that the top link pin holes are 13/16" diameter and the head of a standard top link pin almost went through the pin opening. Called the dealer and he checked with Woods. The large holes are correct. I put 5/8" flatwashers on either side so that the pin would not come off.
Tilling: Tilled some established and new beds with the Woods tiller. Don't worry about overpowering the bx; it wasn't even straining, even in virgin soil with rocks getting chucked out at regular intervals. The Troybilt would beat the heck out of me trying to get new beds started.
No experience with the rake yet but I am getting the gauge wheels for it due to the short wheelbase of the bx. IMHO I feel that with the small machine it will follow contours too much and make finishing harder.
IMHO, the bx is one great all aroud machine. Its a great lawn mower, a capable, though slightly under powered loader, and has more than enough power to pull/run implements. And its built like a brick you know what. I have no regrets about buying this machine whatsoever.
DaveL
I also want to thank all of you for your opinions, suggestions, and all the information that you have compiled on this site. For anyone contemplating biting the bullet and spending some hard earned $$$ on a machine, this site has some of the best information available, and some of the best people around.
Thanks again.
I took a couple of days off to get some work done with the bx, and felt that a review of the machine's capabilities here would be helpful for those looking to buy a bx. I ran an old Power King 1618 w/fel for the last seven years(a very early version of a subcut??) on my 5 acres, for moving stone, snow, etc. I have been mowing for a while with the bx and doing some fel work, but nothing that would push the machine's limits until this week. I have:
bx2200, fel, 54" mmm, filled bars
Woods GBC box blade
Woods 40" tiller
Woods lrc60 landscape rake
FEL: The fel works well and is easy to get on and off. It does lack power and lift height to a certain degree over my old machine. When working with compacted or wet dirt, I am noticing that biting in and backing up slightly allow the fel to pick up a full bucket without running out of steam. It just doesn't have the breakout force that I was accustomed to but works well once you adjust to it. It is awfully fast acting as well . With filled bars the bx is very stable, though a box on the back increases stabilty. I moved 9 yards of wet manure 150' onto the garden beds and tilled it in in under 2 hours across a decent slope. Low and slow was the way to go. Used to take me all day with the old machine and a Troybilt tiller.
Mowing: The bx 54"mmm has really impressed me with its cutting quality. I have a Dixson ZTR and am considering selling it as the bx gives a better cut and better hill mowing capability. For those who remember my early posts, mowing on hills was a big concern for me. I finally tried it on my worst slope last night and I can even STOP IT on the middle of the slope with no slip at all (WOW! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif). This compares to sliding down the hill with the Dixson and a Snapper rider. I do have to belt up (I do anyway) or I would have a hard time staying in the seat but the machine performed flawlessly. I think they should call it the billy goat!
Box blading: The bx and box blade combo really work well. After getting the top link/scarifer adjustments squared away I found that the bx wil move some serious dirt. I re-contoured my old garden plot (about 60' x 70'), some established lawn, and made some new beds. The bx will pull the box without much problem until the box was full with extra dirt loading up under the rear of the machine. The only time I experienced any problem was when I set the scarifers all the way down and shortened the top link too much. I'd fill the box in 10' and bog the machine down (dummy newbie operator problem, not the bx). The box gave a good cut and getting a good finish grade was pretty easy, though feathering the 3p lift takes some practice. This is on well compacted clay soil with some large rocks in it. The Woods box is nicely made and has a good paint finish. The only concern I had was that the top link pin holes are 13/16" diameter and the head of a standard top link pin almost went through the pin opening. Called the dealer and he checked with Woods. The large holes are correct. I put 5/8" flatwashers on either side so that the pin would not come off.
Tilling: Tilled some established and new beds with the Woods tiller. Don't worry about overpowering the bx; it wasn't even straining, even in virgin soil with rocks getting chucked out at regular intervals. The Troybilt would beat the heck out of me trying to get new beds started.
No experience with the rake yet but I am getting the gauge wheels for it due to the short wheelbase of the bx. IMHO I feel that with the small machine it will follow contours too much and make finishing harder.
IMHO, the bx is one great all aroud machine. Its a great lawn mower, a capable, though slightly under powered loader, and has more than enough power to pull/run implements. And its built like a brick you know what. I have no regrets about buying this machine whatsoever.
DaveL
I also want to thank all of you for your opinions, suggestions, and all the information that you have compiled on this site. For anyone contemplating biting the bullet and spending some hard earned $$$ on a machine, this site has some of the best information available, and some of the best people around.
Thanks again.
