Buying Advice Is it worth it!??

[harpoonalt]

I had a BX and just traded up to a B. The BX is a great tractor. Mowing without the loader, it turns on a dime and does just as well as my neighbors Cub Cadet. With power steering and the power up and down on the deck, it's easy to avoid the rocks. You may even be able to dig out a few with the loader.Snow drifts? Heck, That hard packed stuff at the end of your driveway the plow leaves won't even make the tractor work hard.I've moved 5' drifts no problem. Snow blowers are nice but if you're stretching the budget, the loader and back blade will do it all for way less for now. If you do gardening you can use the loader to move mulch, get rid of dead stuff, or just use as a work platform with your tools. You'll most likely end up selling your wheelbarrow in a garage sale.
My wife originally thought the tractor was way too much money, but now that she's seen all that we can do, and the time and money it saves, she's seen the light. It's an investment that really pays off. Looking forward to seeing pics!

 

[jimmyj]

Good advice here from all the lads. A BX would make you a very happy person for a long time. Are there dealers near where you live? Do they have a good reputation?

 

[jake98]

Good advice here from all the lads. A BX would make you a very happy person for a long time.

I have a BX22 for sale in Northern New Jersey. Not sure what to ask for it yet, it belongs to my father. It's in excellent shape, back-hoe, loader, and 3-point finish mower. Feel free to take a look at it if you'd like.

 

[kday64]

Don,

Option 2: Totally out of the question.

I agree but my wife is insisting that she is more then capable to survive a winter without me around. She says, "If it snows and I cant leave the house then I call work and tell I am not coming." I find her responce to be 100% out of the question. I want her to go to work, it is the only thing that will keep her from shopping.

Option 3: You have woods around your property, can you collect the leaves in a bagger and deposit them in the woods? (after trimming the brush line?)

There is a small path in the back of my property that leads into the woods. But the path is not large enough to take a 54" mower through it. I am pretty sure that a chainsaw and FEL would help solve this problem very quickly. But I didn't intend on purchasing a FEL right off the back because I like the idea of the snow thrower.

I guess the bottom line is I can dump the cut up leaves at the entrance to the path and use my jet blower to solve the rest of that problem.

~k_day64

 

[jimmyj]

An FEL is likely the handiest attachment you would ever have. Certainly the mower deck would be used the most hours but to move snow, rocks, lift stuff and so on you could probably get by without the blower. Just a thought. Good luck and let us know what you do! With pictures of course!

 

[picker77]

Don,
A majority if the CT potatoes are low enough that I can mow over them with my little JD push mower. There are 3 potatoes that I have to manuever around. So I guess I am really concerned with the manueverabilty. How tight of a turn can a BX2360 make? While going slow?
~k_day64

First thing I'd do is get a guy with a backhoe in there for a couple of hours and get rid of those three Connecticut State Flowers you have to mow around, and maybe a few of those getting close to that stage.

Then go buy a 16-20 hp subcut with FEL like others have said. Keep in mind that nice condition used subcuts with no warranty are uncomfortably close to the discounted price of new with full warranty and zero-down/zero interest financing. Once you've shopped around enough to know what's what, call these guys in Somerset, KY: Barlow Equipment - Home of the Kubota Tractor Package Builder. They might surprise you with their prices, they have a stellar nationwide reputation, and they will deliver to your doorstep for a very reasonable fee.

 

[mostly_gas]

Kday, there is one thing to bear in mind when you increase the width of your mowing deck by more than 2 times. And that is some of the potatoes that you could mow over with ease will now interfere and the deck will loose in the collision. I would hate to see you spend a chunk of money only to have spend more during the learning curve. Don't ask me how I know :ashamed:

 

[harpoonalt]

Not trying to spend your money but the best advice I can give is above all other things, get the FEL with the tractor. Snowblowers are great, but are one trick ponies. The FEL is capable of lifting heavy stuff, moving snow, digging, and so much more. It's the one thing that makes that tractor so valuable. Otherwise you'd be better off with a garden tractor and snowblower for way less money. As for the leaves. You can make a plywood bucket extender for leaves (leaves are light), rake or blow the leaves into it and go dump. I've seen one and am going to make on for myself since it worked really well. If that's an option you save more money by not getting a bagger. My .02 is to get a tractor, mower, and FEL with back blade. You may never need anything else and that saves you some money. If you want extras later, go for it, but you'll have a better idea of what will work best for you after owning the tractor for awhile.A lot of people who have been just where you are hopefully will now offer advice and save you some money.

 

[D33r3 6r33N]

--harpoonalt, I think you read my mind.

 

[irvingj]

As much as it can be, when it came to a decision I guess I "had it easy." I'd been using, for 18 years, a walk-behind blower for my rather long, uphill driveway, parking/turn-around area, and path around the house.

As my wife is an RN and has to leave the house by 0630, the drive had to be cleared, including the snowplow ridge at the top of the drive. I had to begin by 0430, and it would take me 4-5 hours to finish the whole job.

I decided I'd had enough, and had been thinking of a tractor of some sort for several years.

SCUT with snowblower, no two ways about it. Yes, it was expensive, about the same as a new car. I also opted for the TLB version, with a backhoe.

Do I regret it? Not one bit. Snow clearing now takes about an hour and a half and is immeasurably easier on my small frame! Snow is now further off into the woods or lawn, so I also have no large/high ridges to deal with.

The bonuses: I picked up a used MMM, and that has saved even more time- from 4-5 hrs with a push mower to about an hour now. And it does a better job and uses less fuel! That large rock I always had to mow around? History. Took about 5 minutes with the backhoe, push into FEL, and cart off to the woods. Manhandling logs from downed trees to process into firewood? A thumb on the backhoe allows me to carry logs to the edge of the driveway, then hold them in the air for cutting with a chainsaw. Moving stuff --picnic table, summer rock fire ring, etc--around for changing seasons? FEL with a couple simple slip-on wooden forks, done. Digging out the septic tank cover? Backhoe, and it becomes a 10-minute job. On and on, I'm only beginning to learn the capabilities of this machine. That's my, uh, 15 cents, I guess.

I really love my SCUT!:thumbsup: