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.

 

[amigauser]

I would go with the turf tires. Unless you are working in the woods, turf tires with the front wheel assist should give you all the traction you need. If I had it to do over again, that is what I would have gotten on my B3030. The R4 industrial tires really do a number on the lawn.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Unless you have a bunch of dirt work...I mean DIRT...messy, loose, muddy, gooey dirt...I'd get the turfs. I, too, use my machine as a lawn mower and happen to do a BUNCH of other work with it. I've gotten along just fine on turf tires and have never had an issue with them leaving any type of mark on the lawn in any situation. Only very, very few times have I had any desire for more traction, even in the ice and snow. They really do quite well.

 

[Tom_H]

I am going to disagree with my friends and recommend going with ag tires. As Keith implies, different people do have differing circumstances. In my own situation, I have to do ground engagement work that requires a lot of traction: ripping very hard clay and hardpan with a sub-soiler, and digging the same stuff with a toothbar on the FEL. I originally bought 2 sets of tires on their own wheels: 1 of turfs and 1 of ags. My turfs do not get traction with the ground engagement work (they just spin, regardless of whether the clay is wet or dry), whereas the ags do no damage of any kind to my lawn. (A BX is lighter than a B3030, which is what Amigauser refers to. Also, mowing in 4wd is harder on turf than 2wd.) The turfs have been sitting in the crawlspace under the house for 7 years now. I will gladly sell them at half price to anyone close enough to come get them. (The cost of shipping would make them not worth the purchase for most people.)

As to the bagger/blower, I don't know if the model has changed much since the original that came with the BX2200. On that one, the top link connection was fused in place; there was no pivoting possible as there is with all other 3ph implements at the top link. This caused great pressure on the lift pins. It was very difficult to put the implement on and off at the 3ph. I sold mine to Junkman (former TBN member) and installed a mulch kit, with which I have been very pleased.

One of the things I have come to appreciate after all the years on this board is that different people can have different experiences with the same machine because their conditions and circumstances are not the same. What works for one, may not for another. Hopefully you can sort through what is said by different people and figure out what is closest to the conditions in which you will be using your machine. In any case, good luck in your choosing, and HAVE FUN with your new machinery!!

 

[KeithInSpace]

One of the things I have come to appreciate after all the years on this board is that different people can have different experiences with the same machine because their conditions and circumstances are not the same. What works for one, may not for another.

Totally agree. Any input is from personal experience. I own a subsoiler, but haven't tried to use it with my turfs. It just may be that time that I curse the turfs. Or set the subsoiler a few inches shallower and take 2 passes...

Also concur with the bagger discussion. Works great, but is a REAL PITA to mount/dismount. When "converting" my tractor, I mount the FEL, dismount the MMM and bagger, and mount the BH to get into "dirt mode". Reverse to turn it into a lawn mower. It takes as much time to fiddle with the bagger as it takes to do the other three COMBINED. In other terms, I can "convert" my tractor in about 20 minutes...1 minute with the FEL (cake), 2 minutes with the MMM (hands and knees, but easy), 7 minutes with the BH (no effort, but tricky to line up all 4 pins and get the right pressure angle so seat it properly), and 10 minutes farting around with the bagger. I do it about every week and have done it every week for 2 years now. I'm not selling it, but I'd LOVE to rig it up to snap into the BH subframe.

 

[BotaBigot]

Whichever tread you choose, try to stay out of 4WD when mowing. 4WD and turning tends to chew up lawns. I went with R4s because a lot of my FEL and BH work was going to be on nasty ground, and I wanted puncture resistance. they're not bad mowing...but I have a "yard," not a lawn. On good ground, I would have chosen turfs.

 

[BotaBigot]

...and 10 minutes farting around with the bagger...

Cranking down the toplink while trying to guide that double u-joint onto the PTO is a real PITA...

 

[Tom_H]

7 minutes with the BH

After building two different dollies for my bh and not being satisfied, I finally decided to give the bh itself wheels. A quick on/quick off swivel caster skateboard that bolts to the botom of the base with gigantic wing nuts, quick on/off swivel casters on the stabilizer pads, and a little pin-on swivel skateboard at the end of the boom. It moves pretty easily in any direction and the main section will pitch forward and back during the process of attaching/detaching (but not while rolling and in storage). Getting it on takes about a minute, off takes about two or three because the little skateboard that goes under the base has to be lifted and alligned just so.

I'm in the midst of digging out some stone paths with the bh and FEL so they can be paved next week. Will get some pics up in an old bh dolly thread as soon as I can get that and a couple of other projects under control.

I'm also in the midst of designing a quick on/off fueling boom arm that will attach to the vertical post on the right side of the ROPS and will support the weight of a 5 gal. Blitz diesel fuel can and allow suspension of and a smooth pivoting of the can for quick, easy, and steady-handed fueling. Will start a new thread with pics as soon as it's done.

I also finally found some appropriate pins to connect the Bro-tek ripper to the BH6000. Again, I designed a quick on/off system that I will post pics of as soon as these projects make some headway.

Sorry to take this thread off topic.

 

[ChuckinNH]

I'm not selling it, but I'd LOVE to rig it up to snap into the BH subframe.

Keith, the new bagger system does mount that way. If you don't have a backhoe, the mount provided looks just like it only is made much lighter of course.

 

[Volfandt]

Room for another opinion? You know, they're just like, ahemmm, we all got 'em

Concur with most of the previous posts.
Even tho theres nothing wrong w/the 54", if your layout allows it, go for the 60". It cuts down on your cutting turning radius, allows you to stay further away from the object your close trimming around and it cuts a bigger swath which cuts down on your mowing time.
Course the 54" has the same advantages over the 48" etc...
If space is a limitation, theres not a thing wrong w/the 54".

re FEL, besides the MMM, this is most important add-on implement you can have on a SCUT.
It'll carry things from point A to point B that'll save your back and do it quicker. It'll dig out most whatever you need to dig, it'll level terrain, with the addition of bucket hooks it'll lift things too big to fit in the bucket and on the BX series it can be mounted/dismounted in a few minutes without tools.
Theres other add-ons to the FEL such as a grapple or pallet forks that compeletely change it's function and usefulness too.

re. PHD. Theres many who use theres regularly so they're happy they purchased one and theres others that used it for a single project and it collects dust in a corner. You could always sell one after it's done it's job but I'd get an FEL over one personally.

re. grass catcher. I use a combination of gatorblades and a cyclone rake for clippings and leaf pickup. Upside is that it'll hold more than the OEM bagger and is easy on/easy off, VERY easy. Downside is it is LOUD, very LOUD and is another engine to maintain.
For grass clippings I mow in such a way so that I don't have the bagger mounted when mowing. I side discharge into several long windrows then go back and vaccum them up when I'm done mowing. Hook up to the cyclone rake is to back up to it, pin it on to the constantly mounted 3PH bracket, hookup the boot & hose then go for it. Takes a few minutes and is tool-less.
I great side benefit of bagging for me is compost, a fresh organic yearly supply of compost that so far has kept my small garden fertilizer free and feeds the Mrs' flowers.

Not to say that the way anyone else does it is wrong, as it isn't, this is just MHO and like evryone else, I got one too
Good luck in your quest....

 

[Ken_O]

Well I did it . Ordered the BX2350, 60" MMM, FEL, and Bagger. Also applied for the 42 month 0% financing. Delivery the end of the week. Cant wait.

Thanks for the all the advice. It was very helpful in deciding what options to get. I am a little nervous about the bagger though, sounds like it has some issues. It is an important option for me though. I pickup the leaves in the fall and make lots of compost for the garden and flower beds. Great stuff.

Sounds like I may need some upgrades for the FEL. A Toothbar looks interesting. Any recommendations on brand/stype? Is this something the dealer should install? What are your most important ugrade/add-ons to the FEL? By the way, what is a "Thumb"? Seems like a lot of people have them. Can it attach to a FEL?

Ken....