Changing it up again - BX23S to B2601HSD

[looch]

The expense is the only thing that gets me. I figure I can sell my BX23 for $13k or so. A new B2601 with FEL, backhoe, mower, and forks will be at least $27k. That's a pretty significant difference to me. Used ones with what I want seem pretty few and far between, and usually when I do find them they're close to the cost of a new one anyway.

Yeah - it's a bit of a spread alright. There's also a sweet spot on the hour meter - whether there are 20, 50 or 100 hours on your unit I don't think would make much difference. I surmize that after 100, that starts to change. They gave $20K for my BX23S and priced the B2601 with loader, mid-mount mower, backhoe with 16" bucket and mechanical thumb at $35750. We have a lovely 14.975% sales tax to pay, but thankfully, the trade-in comes off the top. That meant that I had to find $18250, tax included. This is all in Canadian funds, of course.

I hope that wasn't too indiscreet.

 

[nybirdman]

While looking at used Kubota's online;it seems there are quite a few BX's listed and few "B" or "L" sized tractors;I think a lot of people bought too small to start.

 

[PA452]

I've often wondered if that's the case too, or if BX's are just a lot more prevalent. If I scan through Craigslist in this region, there's lots of BX's to be had, but few B's.

 

[looch]

When I bought my B7500 back in 2001, the dealer's first recommendation was the BX2200. I figured either Kubota was pushing that line (which was fairly new at the time) or it was just the m.o. of that tractor dealership, hoping for future upgrade sales.

BTW nybirdman, while I'm prodding the alders with my drahthaar I have a clear view of the windmills of Ellenburg as well as the slopes of Titus mountain. Are you that far north?

 

[nybirdman]

When I bought my B7500 back in 2001, the dealer's first recommendation was the BX2200. I figured either Kubota was pushing that line (which was fairly new at the time) or it was just the m.o. of that tractor dealership, hoping for future upgrade sales.

BTW nybirdman, while I'm prodding the alders with my drahthaar I have a clear view of the windmills of Ellenburg as well as the slopes of Titus mountain. Are you that far north?

We are in St.Lawrence co.,across the creek from Prescott,On.Malone area is about 80 miles away.We can hear the train whistle on the Canadian side.Skied Titus years ago.We own a pheasant preserve and see all kinds of bird dogs;own GSP's and one English Pointer.

 

[dnw64]

In my three tractor experience it takes a 50% increase in bare tractor weight before the operator BEGINS to notice improved capability.

I have very little tractor experience, but I can tell you in no uncertain terms that the 35% increase in bare tractor weight between my GC2300 and B3030 is plainer than the nose on your face.

 

[dnw64]

While looking at used Kubota's online;it seems there are quite a few BX's listed and few "B" or "L" sized tractors;I think a lot of people bought too small to start.

My guess is that generally people who buy Bs and Ls have real work for them. A lot of people buy BXs as a fancy lawn mower that has lots of cool attachments and decide, after a year or three, that they really don't like cutting the grass with a $25k mower than they did with their $1k Crapsman.

 

[dodge man]

I just traded my BX for a JD 2025R, which is similar to a 25hp Kubota B model. It was a secondary reason, but the road speed of the larger tractor is nice. I have a 600 foot long driveway and it seems like I'm always running up and down that driveway, and not just for snow removal. The bigger bucket is the main reason I switched. I also found that used BX's were a lot more common.

 

[PaulL2]

I have a BX2350, and I'm one of those people who bought it as a bigger lawnmower with fancy attachments - I mow a bit less than an acre. According to Messicks they sell more BXs than any other model, and my view is that people buy a BX because they have a property just big enough to have a tractor. But if they move house they may not need it any more, and the new owner may not be interested in a tractor. So they probably turn over quite a bit. In our part of the world whilst they are for sale a lot, they're very rarely cheap - people are paying most of new price for second hand machines. That says to me that it's not because the machines are too small or not useful, there's just a lot of them around.

I'm in the market for a B2601. My BX2350 when I bought it was very banged up - I bought it cheap to see if I really had use for a tractor. Turns out I do - between running a chipper, moving things with the bucket, lifting things with the forks, quite a bit of mowing and helping out neighbours, I'm probably on it every weekend. So I can justify a newer tractor (probably brand new), and if I'm getting a new tractor I'm going a little bigger. I still only have 1 acre, so a B2601 is really all I need (even that I don't really need), but it'll make me happy to have a tractor that someone else didn't wreck before I got it.

I do agree that at the very small end of the market - BX and small B - for many people it's a toy as much as a tool. I could do everything I do with a less expensive machine or a ride-on, or with a hand shovel and wheelbarrow, or by taking my tree trimmings to the tip. But I enjoy my tractor, and people I know have far less practical/useful toys than mine - I don't have expensive cars, I don't have endless sports equipment. I think that does play into the features that Kubota put on these smaller tractors - they're quite feature rich and "deluxe" - reflecting that the buyers are generally people who are buying them because it makes them happy, not buying a stripped down economy machine to do a job. The small L is the first tractor in that economy category - and it's at a size where you're starting to do more real work with it than you are with the BX and small B.

To be clear (because people can get the wrong impression), I'm not in any way saying a BX or a small B isn't a real tractor. I do a lot of real work with mine, and I get far more done in an hour than I would by hand. But the reality in this size class is that I _could_ do most of what it does by hand if I really tried. Whereas getting up into an L class machine I think you simply couldn't do by hand the work it does, or at least not in any realistic amount of time.

 

[Tractor Dell]

I have a BX2350, and I'm one of those people who bought it as a bigger lawnmower with fancy attachments - I mow a bit less than an acre. According to Messicks they sell more BXs than any other model, and my view is that people buy a BX because they have a property just big enough to have a tractor. But if they move house they may not need it any more, and the new owner may not be interested in a tractor. So they probably turn over quite a bit. In our part of the world whilst they are for sale a lot, they're very rarely cheap - people are paying most of new price for second hand machines. That says to me that it's not because the machines are too small or not useful, there's just a lot of them around.

I'm in the market for a B2601. My BX2350 when I bought it was very banged up - I bought it cheap to see if I really had use for a tractor. Turns out I do - between running a chipper, moving things with the bucket, lifting things with the forks, quite a bit of mowing and helping out neighbours, I'm probably on it every weekend. So I can justify a newer tractor (probably brand new), and if I'm getting a new tractor I'm going a little bigger. I still only have 1 acre, so a B2601 is really all I need (even that I don't really need), but it'll make me happy to have a tractor that someone else didn't wreck before I got it.

I do agree that at the very small end of the market - BX and small B - for many people it's a toy as much as a tool. I could do everything I do with a less expensive machine or a ride-on, or with a hand shovel and wheelbarrow, or by taking my tree trimmings to the tip. But I enjoy my tractor, and people I know have far less practical/useful toys than mine - I don't have expensive cars, I don't have endless sports equipment. I think that does play into the features that Kubota put on these smaller tractors - they're quite feature rich and "deluxe" - reflecting that the buyers are generally people who are buying them because it makes them happy, not buying a stripped down economy machine to do a job. The small L is the first tractor in that economy category - and it's at a size where you're starting to do more real work with it than you are with the BX and small B.

To be clear (because people can get the wrong impression), I'm not in any way saying a BX or a small B isn't a real tractor. I do a lot of real work with mine, and I get far more done in an hour than I would by hand. But the reality in this size class is that I _could_ do most of what it does by hand if I really tried. Whereas getting up into an L class machine I think you simply couldn't do by hand the work it does, or at least not in any realistic amount of time.

Excellent post. I couldn't agree more. I have a BX23S I bought 2 years ago. It really is a big toy to me. Like you, I do real work on it, but it is so much fun to use, I am not sure you can call it work.