enough tractor

[JonLeonard]

The retail price of the 60" Mid-Mount Mower is $1800 for the BX, for the $2710 its $2340 (72" is $2948). Tractor supply sells 60" rear mounts from King Kutter for $999, last time I checked.

You should be able to get a discount on the 60" MMM (BX) though, making the price between $1400 and $1500.

Having only used Mid-Mounts on regular lawn tractors, I would think it would take some getting used to, to use a rear mount. Several people here have said you have to be really careful with them for a while to avoid hitting houses/cars/etc. when you first start using them.

 

[Leef]

Hops,

I have a 2910 and love it, except for one thing - it feels tippy on modest slopes using turf tires (see my thread "tire question with a new slant" on kubota owning). I've fixed it by loading the tires with calcium and taking the FEL off, but I think you should consider a tractor with a lower center of gravity. The BX sounds pretty convincing. Consider the 7500 with r-4's as a compromise. If you do go for the 2710 or 2910, I'd strongly recommend the r-4's for stability ( maybe even get them filled also ).

Leef

ps get the FEL if at alll possible.

 

[Boondox]

Hops -- All of us will agree that it's better to ask before the purchase than to regret your decision afterwards. Having used both a belly mower and a rear finishing mower, I greatly prefer the rear (3PH) for easy of mounting/dismounting. That said, if the grass/ground is damp, the rear tractor wheels tend to compress the turf. I got around that by switching to a medium lift mower blade, but the MMM always gave me a great cut. Expect to pay more for a mid-mount, though.

Any dealer worth doing business with should allow you to test drive the tractors fairly extensively on his lot; some will allow you to take one home if he's sure of your business. If yours won't, make sure you get to test the unit on his lot under conditions as close to those on your property as possible. Mow with it, use the bucket to lift something more substantial than air, drive it on slopes and on wet ground. Drive units with different tires, etc.

Many of us buy less tractor than we need and end up either renting a big one for heavy work or trading up in a couple of years. Both are viable options. You mentioned bush hogging which is tough on a tractor. But if you only have a limited amount of hogging to do, why spend the extra $$$. It's always a tough choice, and in the end it's yours to make. Just make sure you make it from a position of knowledge.

Pete

www.GatewayToVermont.com

 

[glennmac]

I have 11 acres, of which I finish mow three and brush cut 3 or 4. I owned a BX that I traded in for a 2910, which I now am beginning to think is too small. I think you would be better off with a 2710 or 2910 than a BX for both mowing and non-mowing chores.

For mowing, I think you would want a 72" mower with 5 acres of relatively level ground. The BX is limited to a 60" midmower. With the larger tractor you will also have the choice of a 72" midmount or a 72" rearmount. That is a separate issue that you can research extensively here and on the Compact Tractor Board.

For non-mowing chores--brush cutting, loader work, lifting things, engaging dirt with implements--the larger tractor will be significantly more useful than a BX. If you are building a house and will be living on those 8 acres, I guarantee you that you will find plenty of uses for the larger tractor over the years.

As to stability on the slope: mow straight up and down, not across; get R4 tires; have your tires filled with calcium chloride in tubes; get a tiltmeter; go slow and be careful.

We have a lively and growing BX contingent (cult?) on this site, who love their machines and who are ready to take on the world with them.

 

[Bird]

hops, I'll give you my opinion on the difference between belly mowers (or mid-mount) vs. the rear mower (3-point):

1. Rear mower costs less (if you're comparing the same width).
2. Rear mower is quicker and easier to hook-up and unhook.
3. Rear mower is easier to clean under the deck, change/sharpen blades, etc. because you can lift it high enough with the 3-point to get under it (be sure you use jack stands or something similar to make sure it doesn't fall on you).
4. Rear mower will fit different tractors (don't have to change mowers if you trade tractors or vice versa); belly mowers are specific to a particular make and model of tractor (very limited market if you ever want to sell it).
5. Rear mower can be backed under bushes, low trees, etc. that you can't get the tractor under.
6. You can see where the mid-mount mower is all the time by glancing down instead of having to turn and look back at a rear mower.
7. You can make faster, closer turns (without backing up) around trees and obstacles with the mid-mount mower.
8. Overall length of tractor and mower is shorter with mid-mount mower (may be important in maneuvering; may not).
9. Rear mower swings out in the opposite direction when you turn (you may swing it into trees and obstacles until you get thoroughly familiar with it).
10. Most mid-mount mowers (perhaps not all) discharge to the right; you have to keep trees and other obstacles on the left. Rear mowers can be bought in right discharge, or you can get rear discharge so you can mow close to obstacles on either side.
11. And I can't tell that one cuts any better or prettier than the other.

So, I use a rear discharge rear mower./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird

 

[GlueGuy]

Hops,

I would definitely check out a BX if I were you. I know the guys with the big tractors want you to _not_ get too small a tractor. However, your two main uses are (1) mowing, and (2) handling a slope. You mention using a FEL, but only as an option. This all spells BX in my mind (and I am a very happy owner of a B7500).


The GlueGuy

 

[frank_f15]

hops: bird said it all. on regards to rear mower.i agree 100% but those are for our conditions, yours may be diff. but i like rear mower, rear dischage. and again i will repeat, think u would be happier with something a little larger that bx. for your needs.

 

[MReeter]

Hops,We also live in Missouri,on 10 acres.We finish mow the entire property about every week-end through the season.We have both a BX2200/60" mid-mount and a B2710/72" MMM.We mow our "finished lawn",about 3 acres, with the BX and the rest of the property with the 2710.Will the BX mow all of your property? Yes,but will it maintain that long drive in the Winter months?Will it do the tough Brush cutting?I would opt for the B2710/2910,FEL,72" rear blade and a 72" Finish Mower,either rear mount or mid mount.I will say that the bigger tractor and mower are not as handy to maneuver as the BX.As you will find out,it is very difficult to find the "Perfect" compact to suit all of your needs,even with all the choices there is.I would try to get a Dealer to let you demo a unit or two,to help you make the decision.There is more than one guy here that has bought and soon realized they did'nt have "enough" tractor and traded up to a bigger unit.Best of luck to you on your adventure,and if you're ever in the Chillicothe area,give me a call.

 

[glennmac]

The biggest problem I had in buying a tractor, and the reason I ended up trading the BX for a 2910 after only 30 hours, is that I was completely wrong about what I thought my "uses" of the tractor would be. I was only focused on mowing, because I really had no idea what a tractor could do, never having owned one. I quickly realized that I could literally reshape, beautify and improve my acreage with the machine. I aslo quickly realized that a FEL was the greatest invention since Pampers. I finally realized that the BX's limited hydraulic capacity (FEL and 3ph lifting strength) and compromised 3ph geometry would limit my ability to select the implements I wanted to use and the time it would take to do chores.

I have never once regretted the decision. Indeed, I now find myself limited by the 2910 in getting the size backhoe I would really now like. The 2910 with a 72" midmower can cut almost as tight a mowed circle as a BX with a 60", and the naked 2910 is shorter and more maneverable than the BX with FEL and 3ph ballast. (Of course, the naked BX would be shorter than a 2910.) The 2910 is far more comfortable for hours of mowing; much smoother ride--due to longer wheelbase, larger tires, better seatbelt, and suspension seat (not available on 2710).

There is no doubt the BX is more stable on slopes. I cant judge how important that slope is to mow. Maybe you should plant a flowering ground cover on it and forget about mowing it.

The best thing would be to try both. The BX will hold its resale value, so if you underbuy it wouldnt be a horrible mistake. Yes, unless you are already an experienced tractor user who exactly understands his planned tractor usage, I would predict there is a good chance that with 8 acres you would outgrow a BX.

 

[TresCrows]

As usual, I think Glueguy is correct. Your specifications spell BX. I realize some guys like Glenamac want and need and can justify a larger tractor but a 2910 to mow with? as it's primary use?--nope. I now have 200 plus hours on my BX and while originally I thought I wanted a 2410 and demoed a 7500 it is the BX I decided was the correct tractor for my 6 acres and I think I was right. I sometiems wish for a 2410 still but when I consider that most of what I do is mow that would not be a smart move and the fact is that the BX is a capable small tractor given certain limitations. If Kubota offers a BX 2400 with slightly larger tires and wheels more FEL capacity, the D1005 engine and the reverse flow engine/radiator arrangement of the BX and a proper suspended deck as the BX already has I will strongly consider trading but till then the less sophisticated MMM of the larger units does not attract me and a 3-point mower would require me to purchase an LT and a new push mower to mow all the spots I now am able to do with the BX. I saw in a brochure for the B series that the MMM decks were 9.5 guage?--the BX 60 inch deck is 9 guage! Those three point mowers in my limited experience are not for typical landscaped lawns but do well in large open acerages--I would not want one for any property I have or have owned in the past.
Yes we are a BX cult and if you guys make fun of our little BX's we are going to drink orange Koolaid and meet a large spaceship behind Comet Kubotatek.
Oh, you might want to look at a 7500, I cannot imagine you really need more than either a BX or a 7500 or a 2410--good grief--unless you are planning on hiring out. Big is good but when the original pupose/needs becomes obscured by a lust for power you will find yourself spending lot's of money for more tractor than you really need. J