Kubota BX series ridiculous transmission

[JOHNTHOMAS]

This is a quite rational post that is back 'down to earth' and written by the owner of a very expensive piece of equipment who is truly bummed about a particular aspect of the machine's operation and cannot 'buy' himself out of the problem. Cool.

I have to say, that really stinks to high heaven. Unfortunately, this issue seems far deeper than a new seat or a couple chunks of metal. And perhaps you can train yourself away from stopping from reverse without it being uncomfortable, but that ONE TIME you don't, you'll get as irritated as ever. And like you said about someone else using your tractor (like others have mine...within my eyesight...)

Though I am one of those non-50 series owners who is, apparently, not permitted an opinion in the matter, I have no problem joining in a wish/hope for some simple/inexpensive (to the owner) cure to make the tractor more comfortable to use.

You are permitted an opinion. In fact I welcome your opinion. Glad to see you prefaced your opinion with I don't own one. Guess that's what's bothering some of the 50 series owners is people giving an opinion without having any actual knowledge of the issue/jerk of the 50 series or knowing the owners personally to understand their anger/concern. I've owned 8 Kubotas so I know it's not common to Kubotas. I can feather it if I'm not in a hurry and reduce the jerk but when I operate the 50 in the same manner as I operate the others it's a pain and should operate like the others I've owned or own. I don't like having to baby the pedal when I mow because it takes several hours to mow doing it with the right response much less the added time to softly make my forward and reverse manuvers. Again, most owners of the 50 series are people that have bought their first and last Kubota for mowing and then add a few more people that added FEL's. They have no basis to judge if their tractor is operating properly. Most of their friends and family told them they were stupid to pay that much for a glorified lawnmower so they ain't about to say something isn't right with it. It's a tractor and is supposed to be rough and rugged....right? Wrong. They are to be durable and strong and useable and enjoyable. I've always enjoyed using the other 7 but I no longer enjoy using the BX2350. That's wrong!!! I've decided I'm not going to not enjoy my tractor for many years and I'm trading and will grudgingly pay the difference and in a couple of years forget mostly the BX2350 but not totally. Yes, it will influence my recommendations in the future but not unfairly. I took my nephew to the local Kubota dealer a week or two ago and helped him buy a BX2360 so I'm not giving up on Kubota but the taste in my mouth is not as sweet as it was. Those with opinions, give em but maybe tell where/how you came up with your opinion if you don't have a 50 series Kubota that jerks in reverse.

 

[TripleR]

manonthehill,

When you become the owner of this forum, be sure to let us know; until then I will post on any thread on which I desire information or feel I have something relevant to say, if you don't like it skip them.

 

[itsjustme]

I took my BX1850 to the dealer two weeks ago and had the linkage on the HST replaced to help with the sudden stop in reverse. Altho mine wasn't that bad I chose to have it upgraded in case another family member had to use it.

Now when the reverse pedal is released it appears to have a 2 stage stop. It still stops quick but it doesn't bring the front wheels off the ground. The forward stop was effected to a small degree now it takes a second longer to stop.

The replacement parts used were from a BX2660. I'm attaching a copy of the parts list for those interested.

You will also see a section for the internal parts but I'm very pleased with the results thus far and will forgo breaking the factory seal on the hydro.

There is also a video showing the stop in reverse on a small incline after the linkage was replaced. Please ignore the operator of the tractor.


Any questions? Comments

 

[KeithInSpace]

Well that looks about like mine stops when warm. I did the exact same thing the other day so I could speak intelligently about how my tractor functions under the same scenario. A very firm and controlled, swift, but not abrubt stop.

I've driven an 1850 and know what it feels like, but I'd love to see a video of an unmodified 1850/2250 performing this same test...not the originally posted "on a slope with a bagger" nonsense.

 

[milkman]

Fellow Kentuckian. I see you have a BX2200. I had one of those as my first tractor and kept it for a year. It was a great tractor but the ground clearance or lack of it was a problem for my needs. Traded it to a B7800 and also bought a BX1500. After three years I traded the B7800 to a L3240 and traded the BX1500 to a BX2350. Also bought a gas Kubota mower and a F2680E. Traded the L3240 to a B3200. Have now bought 8 different Kubotas so I'm a committed Kubota owner and buyer. I have experience driving many Kubota models and am not normally a complainer but my experience with Kubotas lead me to believe that this is a BAD operating transmission. I plan to keep my BX for many years (I know some of you are smirking at that statement) so I'll pay the difference to get rid of this BX2350 because I don't want to deal with it for years. Does it enter your mind why a tight Kentuckian would be willing to pay $2000 to trade for a machine that operates like yours? That's what I"m going to pay to trade for a 60 series. Guess I'm wondering why you have an opinion concerning a 50 series tractor when you don't have one. We're not talking about Kubotas or HP or anything else, we're complaining about the 50 series Kubota. Only the jerk in the 50 series tractor. Yours doesn't jerk so why should mine? My others don't/didn't jerk so why does this one?

This thread was started with a link to a video, if yours stops everytime in reverse and has the front wheels come off the ground, then you've got a real complaint. I can make my BX2200 do the same as in the video if I hang weight on the back and stop going down hill. The exaggerated video is what makes me, and I suspect others, skeptical.
On a lighter note, I bet Barlow's loves to see you coming

 

[rdsaustintx]

Those with opinions, give em but maybe tell where/how you came up with your opinion if you don't have a 50 series Kubota that jerks in reverse.

Messicks said it short and sweet. A dozen people have noted that the complaint with BX22 and BX23 owners was the tractor did not stop fast enough. The manufacturer made a logical change and some folks don't like that either.

OP never says why he bought a tractor that behaves this way. But he repeatedly posts that Kubota doesn't care, rips off buyers and can't build a functional hydrostatic transmission. It's plain trolling. Deleting contrary posts makes it worse.

If I did own a 50 series I would be more angry than regretful after reading this nonsense for a month. In this regard TBN disappoints much more than Kubota.

 

[dodge man]

Itsjustme, that looks like an improvement to me, my BX2350 would stop much quicker than that. Do you know how much that cost to have done?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

This thread was started with a link to a video, if yours stops everytime in reverse and has the front wheels come off the ground, then you've got a real complaint. I can make my BX2200 do the same as in the video if I hang weight on the back and stop going down hill. The exaggerated video is what makes me, and I suspect others, skeptical.
On a lighter note, I bet Barlow's loves to see you coming

I think this post had ran several posts before I watched the video. I knew mine jerked so I didn't watch the video for several days. I do think the video is done to make it appear at it's extreme worst. I mow on a hillside. I mow in turtle always. I do sometimes back down hill and should be able to when I want to without any problems. I would not back down hill with a boxblade on the back at rabbit speed. If I did I would expect any BX to do a wheelie. My others do and did back downhill at slow speed without a weight on the back without the jerk that this BX exhibits. I avoid the backing down hill as much as possible with this tractor because it jerks so abruptly. It also jerks abruptly backing uphill or level ground. It stops abruptly in reverse! It shouldn't. No more so than earlier and later BX's. I can see people making remarks about this issue based on the one video but many, many owners of the 50 series tractors have chimed in with the same complaint. It's not one first time buyer that expected car responses. It's several of us that have had and do have more than one Kubota.

I had a 57 Chevy a few years ago. Step on the brake hard and it would jump up on the sidewalk or ditch on the right side. If you steered hard left when you wanted to stop it was OK. If I stopped quick and forgot to jerk the wheel left it jumped the sidewalk or in the ditch. I took it to a shop for repair. Some improvement but stilled pulled right. Now if it came from the factory doing that and customers started complaining and GM fixed it to where it would take an extra 20 feet to stop but it would stop straight and slow. Yes customers would complain. Should they or are they just complainers after GM fixed the jump right problem? Now some on this board would say you 57 Chevy buyers can never be satisfied, GM fixed the problem.
rdaustinintx: Messicks said it short and sweet. A dozen people have noted that the complaint with BX22 and BX23 owners was the tractor did not stop fast enough. The manufacturer made a logical change and some folks don't like that either.
Now logical change becomes the fly in the ointment. Us 50 owners do not believe it was a logical change and Kubota doesn't either because they changed it on the 60 series. What tractor do you have RD? Your defense of Kubota making a claimed bad product then fixing it with another bad product sure shows a lack of confidence in Kubota to do one right. I've had and have several right ones. They can and do have right ones. The 50 series just isn't it.
I do believe Barlows like for me to "visit" them. I have expressed my disgust with my BX2350 purchase but I've stayed rational and calm and brought my nephew in to buy a BX2360 a couple of weeks ago. I do like the Barlows but Kubota has dropped a notch in my eyes due to their response or lack of response to this "issue".

 

[itsjustme]

Itsjustme, that looks like an improvement to me, my BX2350 would stop much quicker than that. Do you know how much that cost to have done?

It was "upgraded" at no cost to me. My receipt shows the labor was billed @ 1.5 hours and listed all the parts. There wasn't anything priced. I would guessimate $200.00? to have it done.

 

[rdsaustintx]

Oh man. This is too good. Check out this thread (same OP):

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...2-bx-neutral-return-position.html#post1597191

Case closed.