Bx24 or Equivalent: Strategy

[aesanders]

I just do not see how the bx could be "too small" for 5-7 acres. Many people maintain larger tracts of land with smaller less powerful garden tractors. It also does not sound like the backhoe will be used for major digging tasks. Just digging out some rocks and landscaping around the property.

****This is exactly the type of property and situations the bx series and equivelents were made for****.

Also the word slope was mentioned. The bx is going to be a more stable machine on sloped property as the center of balance is lower.

Now granted, "I'm definately not saying do not get a larger tractor". You can do things with a larger machine that are just not possible with a smaller machine. But the same can be true of going smaller. If you are looking at finish mowing in the future, the BX will be a much better finish mower down the road than the Mahindra will be.

To get the Mahindra and hoe you are looking at at least 4k more. Then you may still need a good mower down the road for additional k.

Me myself and I would get the smaller machine and rent a full size backhoe for a weekend here and there if you need to do some major work. A full size Backhoe will make any subcompact or compact look like a toy when it comes to digging and loader work.

 

[Hotwheels]

Slope defines our property ... some is steep, other parts workable. We can probably mow 3-4 acres and afer some work leveling and filling, then finish mowing is what we want to do since the rough cut length long term will not be enough for us. But, we have rocks, etc... to get out of the ground and other preparation to do before we can finish mow. I suggest that we rent a large backhoe or excavator for moving any larger rocks, but the BX24 or equivalent machine would please my wife who has her heart set on using the BH to dig out rocks, stumps, and other things. For us, the larger tractor would be most useful in the short term, the smaller tractor better long term. I can't justify 2 tractors and so our needs are to have some utility tractor that can move rocks, haul dirt, flatten out bumps, and do general landscaping tasks.

We will look at some more TLBs, ones with good ergonomics, enough power, good for slopes and good manuverability to get around the rock outcroppings and trees.

Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[mscott]

You will love the BX24........ i have had a BX23 almost 2 years and with 20 acres I look for projects.

 

[coasterez]

Test drive as many as you can, both subCut and CUT, and then you'll know what to buy. Some considerations:

• roll bars get in the way when mowing around trees, but would save your life in a roll over.
• Many prefer rear mount mowers to midmounts, especially on larger machines.
• Tractor weight is paramount for digging. Lightweight machines are simply poor diggers.
• Lift capacity and, more importantly, lift height are much less on FELs for subcuts. Many subcuts will not lift high enough to reach a pickup bed.
• Subcuts use smaller implements, which are easier to store. But, there are fewer options available to choose from.
• Some SubCuts offer 4 wheel steer. This is a great option that you might want to consider.
• Money spent for 3 or 4 days of rental of a big backhoe might be enough to buy a second lawn tractor.
• Two machines means twice the maintenance. But, then two people can work at the same time.
• Consider how many hours you'll be spending mowing, and at what level it will be tolerable for you. I use a 54" mower on 2 acres; takes 2 hours on one of the most efficient mowers out there. I wouldn't think about mowing more than 3 acres with anything smaller than 60".

 

[HomeBrew2]

Hotwheels, I'm another extremely happy BX23 user. Turned 700 hours this weekend. All of my 5 acres slopes to some extent too. I've often thought of a larger tractor but, not being an expert tractor man, I find doing things in smaller chunks, or slower, allows me time to think about what I'm doing and not have to re-do something I screwed up badly.
Whatever you wind up getting, enjoy!
Cheers!

 

[DavesTractor]

You "BX" tractors guys bring up a good point. If you are not in a hurry, a small tractor will get a tremendous amount of work accomplished. My first tractor, and I've sold more than a thousand since, was a Yanmar YM1500 2wd. It didn't have a loader, but I had a box scraper and a set of forks, plus a drag. I got so much work done on that little machine! My perspective has changed now, but there is a lot of truth to what is being said.

On the flip side, the smaller machines tend to be "first" tractors for most guys with more than an acre or two. They get good at working the machine and soon want to take a bigger bite with the loader, dig out a bigger rock, pull a wider box scraper, etc. The good news is that tractors do not depreciate like a car or truck. You can use them for a couple of years, or 10 years, and still get a good share of your money back. So if you buy too small, it does cost you to trade up later, but it isn't a real bad hit.

 

[Hotwheels]

I went this morning before the sun became too hot to look at the Massey version of the BX24 -- nice machine too. I also looked at the Kioti CK20, but it gets more costly with a backhoe and loader than the Kubota or the Massey. it was suggested that I also look at the Mahindra 2015 that has good power and turning radius.

The dealer I spoke with suggested that it is mostly time and some terrain issues that determine tractor size. You take smaller bites, move less at a time, etc.... If I was buying the tractor for today, it would have to be a bigger one that would take less time, but I am tapering off work this year and hope to spend most of next year and those to come doing landscape work, woodworking, fishing, etc.... So, although time is an issue, it is not the same issue as it would be if I were still working full time.

I am still not completely sold on the smaller tractor, but my spouse is. I need to see the smaller Mahindra and check out the costs to equip it with a backhoe, but my guess is that it would be 3-5k more.

Thanks again for the observations and comments.

 

[Hotwheels]

Hotwheels, I'm another extremely happy BX23 user. Turned 700 hours this weekend. All of my 5 acres slopes to some extent too. I've often thought of a larger tractor but, not being an expert tractor man, I find doing things in smaller chunks, or slower, allows me time to think about what I'm doing and not have to re-do something I screwed up badly.
Whatever you wind up getting, enjoy!
Cheers!

Homebrew -- looked at the photos and I cannot imagine needing to lift bigger rocks than shown in your pics with the "thumb" attachment. Do you have the Kubota part numbe for that ))) Looks to be a very stout tractor for its size and should do as much as I need it to, although maybe it will take a little longer than if I had a larger machine.

 

[roxynoodle]

The Mahindra is definitely worth checking out, too. I could be wrong, but when I was looking at them it seemed they had higher lift capacities than other tractors their size. Little workhorse of a tractor.

I still vote for a new TLB, whether Kubota, Massey or Mahindra, than adding the backhoe to the slightly used Mahindra. Question for you guys though... any of you ever mow with that backhoe on using a MMM? How easily will he be able to mow? How easily does the backhoe come off if he wants to mow with a RFM?

 

[Hotwheels]

Roxynoodle: People who know about the Mahindras say the 2015 and 2615 are strong machines. The specifications on the Mahindras must not tell the whole story because the BX24 looks very strong other than in weight and lift capacity.

2015 2615 BX24
weight 1973 2458, 1542
Horsepower 20 26 23
PTO 16 21.1 17.7
Width 53.5 59.4 55.1
Turning Radius 7.2 7.9 7.5
Lift capacity 1400 2205 450
Cost (TLB) 20969 22954 16000 (list prices)

It does not seem there is much dealing on Mahindras. I can buy a BX24 for 15500 plus tax and delivery. I have to add a mower later, but that would be close in cost for any of the options, or close enough for me that it is not in the decision mix. With a 4k difference, the BX24 looks very nice.

Edit
Speciication 2015 2615 BX24 GC2310 Koti ck20
weight 1973 2458 1542 1367 1993
horsepower 20 26 23 22.5 21
PTO 16 21.1 17.7 18.7 15.5
Wheelbase 53.5 59.4 55.1 57.1 57.9
turning radius 7.2 7.9 7.5 na 8
lift capacity 1400 2205 450 1190 1109
cost 20969 22954 16000 16900 ?????