Interesting thread. I own a
GR2100, and have been considering a Johnny Bucket as well. I haven't bought one yet, but have almost (but not fully) decided to. Here's how I've been thinking about it:
Weight: The Johnny Bucket weighs about 75 lbs. and has a stated capacity of 200 lbs, for a total weight of 275 lbs. This is a bit heavier than the GR's snowblower attachment. The weight rating of the front axle of the GR is 660 lbs, according to Kubota. After subtracting the estimated weight of the engine and other components sitting over the front axle, there seems to be plenty of capacity left.
Transmission: This is the larger issue, in my opinion. Despite the GR series being a relatively low volume seller compared to some other products in its price class, there's a lot of chatter on the internet about transmission problems including leaks, PTO malfunction, etc. Apparently, Kubota has been addressing these issues on a running basis as they've been identified. I have the parts manual for the
GR2100 and 2110, and there are definitely differences in transmission components. The manual I have for the
GR2100 shows that some updates were introduced with transmission s/n 10,000, but the
GR2110 manual shows even more improvements. I suspect that these updates were made on a running basis, and not all at once with the introduction of the
GR2110. The only supporting evidence I have is that I saw one of the early 2110's at a dealer, and the transmission s/n sticker had
GR2000/
GR2100 marked on it (the s/n was 31xxx, as I recall). Therefore, I suspect some of the very last
GR2000 and 2100 tractors had the fully upgraded transmission. All this is speculation on my part, of course, and I could be totally wrong.
I bought my tractor in April of '07, and it has transmission s/n 17xxx. So I know it has some of the updates, but I don't know how many (the "final edition" of the
GR2000/2100 parts manual should tell me that, but I don't have it, unfortunately). Given that my intended use of the JB is for moving relatively light loads such as mulch, I assume that there would be somewhat less stress on the tractor than using a blade to move material (again, maybe I'm wrong?).
All that said, Neil's recommendation not to use the JB with the
GR2100 gives me some pause. My own dealer was not familiar with the JB and didn't render an opinion beyond a general warning against using non-Kubota-approved implements with this machine.
If you made it this far, thanks for hanging in there. I guess I'm still not any closer to making a decision. Maybe I'll just trade the GR for the new JD x749 - that machine appears to have the best combination of diesel power, tight turning ability, and traction available in a garden tractor. I just wish the list price was 4-5K less!
