Middle Buster/Subsoiler for BX2200

JWE · Oct 23, 2003

Mahlon

I bought mine from a local tractor dealer. Originally I tried to buy it from Tractor Supply Company (http://www.mytscstore.com/) but they kept messing up the order. They called me a couple of times and said that it was in but when I went to pick it up it was the wrong type. They reordered it twice and each time they got the regular CAT1 subsoiler rather than the XB model. I finally gave up and ordered from a local dealer. It took the local dealer two weeks to get one in.

Anyone that sells KingKutter products can get them. I think I paid $89.

John

DannyD · Apr 18, 2004

Got my interest up. Could you not just remove the spade on the Middle Buster and manufacture a blade for doing this? From the frame that holds the spade there is about 5 inches of spade to the tip, giving you room to play with.

Or the second option, get another spade and cut it down to what you need.

I have a KK middle buster and it does well, although yes the tractor does ride up on the previous pass of dirt. This still beats a shovel hands down

scrinch · Apr 19, 2004

How deep and wide a trench can you dig with these implements? I'm looking to dig a trench about 16" deep and 4" wide for some drain pipe.

DaveInColorado · Apr 19, 2004

Yeehaw! Finally - something about which I am an expert! I have a BX1500 - nearly identical size to the BX2200. I bought a subsoiler - couldn't raise the thing high enough to keep it from dragging. I lacked about 4" in height. So I exchanged it for a middle buster (King Cutter - something like that) and took off the plow blade and fastened a little 3" wide plow point where the blade was. Conclusions:

1 - I can really drag a trench in a hurry. A couple of times back and forth and I have it about 8 inches deep - maybe a little deeper. I wanted something deeper so I welded on another little blade. I'm about at the maximum length on the middle buster without constantly dragging. Even so, I still hit and scratch all the grass off someplace when I go over a bump. I've messed with every aspect. I Do Not Believe that you could drag a trench any deeper than 10" with a stock BX and a stock middle buster. I live in Colorado and 8" isn't nearly deep enough. I'll be renting a real trencher when I put in the sprinkler system.

2 - The middle buster is a fairly useful item. I think I paid about $100 for it. With the narrow point I can really break up the garden deeply and quickly. I've also used it to try to pry up a dead bush. I'll use it later in the summer when I pry up a cracked sidewalk. The wide buster blade is useful for the garden but that's about it.

3 - Just tonight I was using it to pull out an almost dead bush and I broke off the 3" wide plow point! They are easy to weld and I'll be back in business in no time. I've hit large rocks with it while test-trenching and never broke it, but an old bush snapped it right off.

4 - Case-hardened plow points are nearly impossible to drill through! I dulled a couple of bits and finally said "good enough". I wanted a hole in a different location. I did not get it.

5 - A middle buster is one heavy thing to drag around to the tractor and it won't stay up by itself while you align it! Wear your steel-toed boots because you'll probably drop it on your toes a couple of times and bang it into your knee.

To summarize, I regret buying the thing because it won't do what I wanted it to do (dig 18" trenches), but it isn't a big regret because I've found other uses for it. I have a modification to this design bouncing around in my head that would solve the problem but no time nor drive to make it happen.