BX23 or BX24?

[Volfandt]

I'll qualify MHO on this by stateing my BX23 has given me over 200 hrs of trouble free operation. It's primary usage has been finish mowing 4 acres which it does extremely well but I've also pushed it's envelope in carrying many loads at or above it's listed FEL capacity, lifted and carried loads at or beyond the BH's listed capacities (used as an articulated boompole) and went down into a foot deep muck to dig out a pond and the BX23 has performed these tasks well. I can't count the times I've heard the BH squeal when digging out stumps and or when taking too big a bite when digging in hardpacked clay. That said, there have been many times where the extra power provided by the additional 1 gpm on the BX24's hydraulic pump, or the slightly extended reach of the BH's boom pole or perhaps even alittle more lifting power on the BX24's higher rated FEL would have come in handy
but not handy enough to where I would consider trading my now broke in BX23 for a new BX24.
The cosmetic problems w/the easy to break plastic floor pan and ill fitting battery/intake screen cover seems to have been corrected by Kubota so I wouldn't let that sway me from purchasing a brand new BX24 as long as these issues were already corrected but,,,, there is an issue, a very important issue that WOULD effect my decision to purchase the BX24 over the BX23 and that is the repair procedure on replacing a damaged HST cooling fan. On the BX23 it is a DIY type repair that can be done a an hr or so, but according to the one case I've read about re. this same procedure on the BX24, it is a major repair procedure that involves unbolting the engine and perhaps even having to lift it out of the chassis to enable the removal of the driveshaft to R&R the fan. If I recall correctly in the one case I've seen of this the dealer was going to charge an extremely large price to repair this as it is NOT a warranty item. Of course I've slept since then and don't recall the fix but I would question the dealer on this prior to buying as these fans can be broken rather easily when working in area's where sticks can get up into the under belly. I was lucky the other day on my BX23 as I was going slow enough to hear the sound of the stick hitting the fan blades and backed off before any damage was done....
Of course an aftermarket skidplate could help to protect the fan and other vitals and is highly recommended for BOTH machines but thats an additional cost above the purchase price...... I'm currently deciding whether I want a permanent mount or quick attach mount skidplate as I will be clearing some long fence rows that are highly overgrown and I will be running over the debris.
Anyways,
Being a BX23 owner it's good to see the resale value being so high but if I was to buy a used one now I'd expect to negotiate it down some more.

This rambling post is probably no help but if'n it was me, I'd address the fan issue w/the dealer on the BX24 as well as the cosmetic fixes and then get on both and operate them abit and see which one fits best.
It's always nice to have a warranty and 0% financing is also a huge plus.

Good luck
Volfandt

 

[fishpick]

I see the curved loader arms and the curved backhoe boom as just a cosmetic change. It doesn't make either work any better. If curved arms were actually a benefit, the large backhoes that are used by construction contractors would have them by now. I just don't see the curved arms as an improvement, unless you consider an aesthetic change an improvement. Dusty

Improved vis - yes minor - longer reach w/ the BH - yes minor - but an improvement.

I mean - come on - we all know the BX24 is a BX23 wrapped up differently...

To the point about the BX24 looking like a blimp - hey - some guys like that look some don't. Personally, I like it better than the BX23 "old school" tractor appearance. But that's me.

Volfandt's above post hits the nail on the head... I have heard 2 sides to the fan issue - one is it's a break the tractor in half to fix really pricey account - the other is it's not much different than the BX23...

 

[rdsaustintx]

I'm sure I'll get pummeled for this - but I'm gonna ask it anyhow...

Why - exactly - is the BX23 a better choice than a BX24 - for only $1500ca less? If you were buying last model years car - you would expect a lot more than $1500ca off the sticker... (granted a tractor is not a car - just my observation)
Yes - the fenders are an issue for some people on the BX24 - but there are a lot more BX24 owners who don't have fender problems.
I think the list of improvements on the BX24 outweighs the cosmetic issues that may arise - curved loader booms and curved BH boom to name the 2 biggest.
I dunno - it just seems to me that, right or wrong, you should expect some minor bugs to get worked out of any new model anything... Kubota products no exception... and if the biggest worry I ever have is the original fender might crack (and be replaced) - I'm thinkin it's a pretty solid product. My $0.02.
You asked for opinions - I say - get the BX24.

Not pummeling here, your opinion is probably more valid than mine, BUT tractors aren't cars. Model year styling don't count for squat, and the depreciation is not nearly as immediate.

The curved loader arms don't do diddly. The curved BH boom does let it dig a bit deeper though. The real change on implements is internal hoses and the control valves. Hoses are better protected, but much harder to replace. The control valves are puny on the 24 compared to the 23!

They are both hard to work on (due to size), but the 24 driveshaft cannot be removed (to replace HST fan) without yanking the motor or transaxle. Big minus there.

The 24 has a higher-output hydraulic pump, a small plus there. Note that cylinder size and geometry determine stall forces, not gpm.

I am a klutz, but I would have already replaced a hood and a fender if mine were plastic. Metal got bent back into shape and repainted no problem.

Like I said, either is a good machine, this comes down to personal preferences.

 

[shownuff]

i had my bx 23 for 2 years and 127 hours traded up to bx 24 last friday there is a lot of difference,.... sounds different controls and floor plan seem larger almost like a reg size tractor , with the industrial tires it seems awesome im glad i traded..............just my 2 cents


not to detour this post but i have a brand new never hooked up 3 point hitch [ 3 pieces] and a left front tire bar type tread mounted on new rim all brand new for bx 23 if any is interested ... wont work on the bx 23

 

[Ken_CT]

The BX24 is a very good tractor. What concerns me is the plastic. I know they have come out with a reinforced part, but it is still plastic. How will the plastic hold up in time? Will it be affected by cold, or exposure to the sun? If the fender breaks in 3 years what will it cost to replace? And, I don't believe the fender breaking away from the floorboard is a cosmetic issue.
On a different note, I've never looked closely at it, but why can't the cooling fan be made in two sections so you could attach it to the shaft without having to pull it?

Ken

 

[Dusty]

I look at my neighbors Husqvarna garden tractor with its plastic hood cowling that is badly faded and cracked. Will the BX look like this in 5 or 6 years????One thing that has to be considered is that the BX22 was out for about 3 or 4 years before it was replaced by the BX23, and that model had about a 3 year run. Assuming that the BX24 has the same production run before it is replaced by the BX??, what is going to happen 10 or 12 years later when the fenders and floor pans are no longer available? With metal fenders, you can always repair them. With plastic, there is no repair, but replacement only. I know that many people don't think of this, and it seems that many of the BX owners trade up every few years, but when the body parts are no longer available, the tractors are going to take a deep dive in value. I believe in the long run, that a BX22 or 23 will hold a greater value than the BX24 on the same day sometime in the future. Only time will tell if I am correct on this, and I hope to be around to find out first hand. Mark this post and lets revisit it 10 years from now.
Dusty

 

[Danilo]

In what ways exactly? Other then plastic?

First off, both are similar in design right... not really. The loader on the BX23 while rated less, actually had more capacity than the BX24. I own the BX24 while a guy up from me has the BX23. Going side by side the BX24's BH is far superior, but... The Loader on the BX23 is beefier, meaning we could pick up/push more rocks with it. Not to mention all the plastic on the BX24... What were they thinking? I hope Kubota addresses the fender/plastic issues so we can put it to rest. A better pump flow wouldn't hurt either

 

[MOPAULY]

I didn't look to closely at the 23's, as I could not buy one new around here so I don't know about the FEL capacity. For my residential uses I can say I'm pretty happy with it but a contractor may say different.

The plastic I'm sure is a cost saving effort that may come back to bite them in the rear. Mine has not cracked yet, we'll see if it does over the winter.

 

[Danilo]

I didn't look to closely at the 23's, as I could not buy one new around here so I don't know about the FEL capacity. For my residential uses I can say I'm pretty happy with it but a contractor may say different.

The plastic I'm sure is a cost saving effort that may come back to bite them in the rear. Mine has not cracked yet, we'll see if it does over the winter.

I agree, I was not worried until mine cracked in the cold. As long as Kubota adresses the issue and fixes the problem, I will say the tractor is great. Think kubota jumped the gun on the plastic fenders. While I agree plastic is the norm now and will not rust, etc. Plastic should not be the support holding the deck up while a 200lb plus person steps on. It only makes sense. after looking under the tractor you can clearly see they forgot some metal support.

 

[proudestmonkey]

I had the choice to buy the 2230 or the 2350 (basically, the same consideration as the BX 23 vs. BX 24, but w/o BH). My dealer had two of each in boxes, needing dealer assembly. I went with the previous model. I saved $1,500 ($1,000 MSRP + Kubota was offering an additional $500 rebate on the 2230 if you financed through them). I was afraid of the plastic hood and fenders before anyone started complaining. I had a plastic hood on my older JD Garden Tractor. I mow around lots of trees with low branches, and gouged it but good. I also have several retaining walls to build and repair. I was afraid of cracking the hood. I have already dented the hood with enough force that I would have probably cracked a plastic hood (scraped it actually, cutting a little too close while maneuvering around a retaining wall). I took it off, pouded it out, and will later this winter take it off again and sand it down, prime it and touch up paint it. Good as new.

I also wonder about the structural strength of curved, as opposed to straight, metal arms on my FEL. I prefer straight. Just seems stronger over the long haul. I also like the more simplistic look of the 2230. In addition to the curved arms, the 2350 (and BX 24) have that weird japanese headlight thing going on--kind of reminded me of the one or two years that Toyota had hideous headlights on their Supra model. Just my taste preference.

The other deciding factor was exactly what turned out to be the case: rev 1 problems. I don't ever want to buy anything that costs more than $1,000 when it is a "new model". That applies to cars, houses, computers, and now, tractors. I want the bugs worked out first.


If the price had been the same, I probably would have gone with the 2350, if for nothing else than the resale value.