BX2350 Questions

[Ken_O]

I am shopping for a new tractor and have been looking at a BX2350. I have about 1.5 acres of lawn and the tractor will be used mainly for mowing, but I may want to add attachments in the future such as a Frontend Loader. I am looking for a well built machine that will last for many years. I am replacing a small Honda riding mower that has lasted 20+ years.

I priced a BX2350 with a 56 inch mower at a local dealer and he gave me a price of $10850. Thats about $600 below list. I am assuming that includes freight, setup and delivery, but I need to check with him. Is this a reasonable price, seems a little high to me? I have seen other posts talking about getting 10% or so discount. I plan on taking the 42 months 0% financing.

Since the freight, setup and delivery may be extra, what is a typical charge for this? I live about 15 miles from the dealer.

I also thought about getting the 60 inch mower, it's about $200 more. What are the pros and cons of the two? I thought the 54 inch might be a little bit more maneuverable and less scalping, but will take a little more time to mow. The 60 inch mower is self balanced and the 54 is suspended linkage, is one type better than the other? I also saw a 54 inch fine cut mower on the Kubota website. Does the cut look much better than on the standard mower?

I am also thinking about the Grass Catcher with a list price of $1825. I would use it mainly for picking up leaves in the Fall. I have one now on my current mower and like it a lot. Does anyone have the Kubota one? How well does it work? Whats a typical discount on attachments.

I am anxious to buy, but better do some homework first. Thanks for the help.

Ken...

 

[bx24d]

Excellent machine and you'll be amazed at the cut. would go with the 60" deck unless you have a 58" gait to get thru. The 60" deck will allow you to cut around obtacles much easier than the 54". This did not sound right to me at first so I bought the 54".....Later I upgraded to the 60" and it made a big difference. For my money, it is totally worth the extra $200 over 42 months.

Can't speak to the fine cut vs. regular cut question but I can't imagine a better cut than the standard deck. Great machine and it has so much potential for you when you're ready to do more than mow.

My delivery was free by the way. Can't remember about set up.

 

[jcpwrsprt]

I agree, if you can swing it go with the 60" deck. I have no complaints. The quality of cut is much better than I originally anticipated. My previous mower was a Cub 2000 series with a 48" deck and it did a fantastic job of mowing IMO. The 60" BX deck does as good as a job on flat terrain. Can't really comment on the grass catcher as I do not have one. My dealer also setup and delivered FOC

 

[JD F350]

I agree 100% with the above posts go with the 60" deck, it will be much more manuverable which I couldn't figure out at first either? But makes sense, try another dealer if possible you might be able to get a break on a FEL as a combo.

 

[BotaBigot]

Here's another vote for the 60" deck. I too, thought the 54" would be more maneuverable, but took the TBN recommendation and went with the 60. It works with the BX turning radius perfectly.

As for the bagger, I too had one on a previous Deere garden tractor that I liked a lot. I use mine exclusively for leaves in the fall/spring, and am very happy with its performance, durability, and maneuverability. The only problems I have are that it's so efficient picking up leaves that the three bags can fill up in a hurry. This fall I'm going to try "Gator Blades" hoping they will chop the leaves finer so I can go farther. The second problem is sticks. Sometimes the mower won't break them up small enough and they wedge in the tubing and cause an obstruction. I no longer use the clamps on the hoses, so I can quickly clear jams. Finally, sometimes when mounting the bagger, I can't get the u-joint to easily slide on the PTO. There was a recommendation here to use a lot of grease on the splines, which I will try this fall...

 

[Ken_O]

Thanks for the feed back. A lot of good points were brought up in favor of the 60 inch mower. That sounds like the way to go.

I am also leaning towards getting the grass catcher. As mentioned above, it has some disadvantages, such as filling up fast with leaves and an occasional clog in the shute, but it does a good job vacuuming up everything in its path when you want to do that. I usually don't bag when mowing the grass, but its great for picking up leaves in the fall.

What do you think about the dealer price? Is a 5% discount off list reasonable, or should I try for more? How much discount should I expect on attachments? People have been saying its best to get your attachments when you buy the tractor because you get the best deal then, but only a 5% discount doesn't seem like that good of a deal. Purchasing them with the 0% 42 month financing is probably one advantage of buying them with the tractor.

I hate to say it, but I am starting to think about other attachments. I am pushing my budget with the tractor, mower, and bagger, but wouldn't a FEL be nice. Whats your opinion? I read a lot of posts about people that were very happy with there FEL purchase. They were surprised how often they used it.

Another attachment I am considering is a post hole digger. I have been wanting to put a fence up around my property, but I have been dreading the thought of digging all those holes. We have heavy clay soil, and it is like concrete when it is dry. How good of a job does the post hole digger do. Do you think I would have problems in clay soil?

Thanks,
Ken...

 

[amigauser]

Get the FEL, you will find a ton of uses for it and not regret it. It is like owning a powered wheel barrow. Down the road it will also help with the tractor resale price as most people want a FEL on a used tractor. I would get the FEL instead of the Kubota power bagger. If you are not bagging your grass clippings (much better for the lawn to leave them) then the tow behind baggers hold a lot more leaves. You can always get one later.
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The 3 pt post hole drills work well if the soil is not real rocky. Here in Connecticut we have tons of rocks so they do not work very well, at least in my area. If you are dealing with just clay soil and very few rocks having one on the BX should work fine for you. Just make sure you get one that is designed for a subcompact tractor as the 3 pt lift height is lower on a BX than a full size Cat 1 tractor.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Personally, I would not wait to get the FEL. It is fundamental to the tractor purchase. I use it for MUCH, MUCH more than hauling around mulch or dirt. Very useful...perhaps most useful...attachment. I only take it off to mow.

The 60" deck is a dream...you can get very close to obstacles, cut a very small circle, and I have had very minimal problems with scalping due to the 6 guide wheels.

I like my bagger and live on a heavily wooded lot...LOTS of leaves. You can always add that in the fall, if you like. On mine, at least, there are no particular things bolted to the tractor to support the bagger, so you can add it yourself in a jiffy.

If you're quiblling over $400 (to reach your 10% magic number), I'd look at the dealership. If they offer a quality service, are clean, and are treating you well, I'd just get it. It is a decent price.

Post Hole Digger is tricky to use, but it is fine in clay soils. I have them in abundance.

 

[BotaBigot]

I too would vote for the FEL over bagger. While a FEL wasn't an issue for me because I bought a BX24, I seem to recall that my dealer wasn't giving much of a price break on the bagger, so I opted to buy other attachments with my 0% finance money, and wait on the bagger...

Depending on how much fence you plan to put up, you might consider renting the post hole digger. There's a learning curve to using one correctly in anything but sand. A recent thread on the subject was started by KeithInSpace...contains good usage tips.

 

[Ken_O]

If I go with the BX2350, 60 Inch mower, FEL, and grass catcher what type of tires should I get? My options seem to be turf , bar or industrial. I will mainly use the tractor for mowing, but I am looking forward to using the FEL.