Buying Advice New Tractor buyer: BX23s or B2601 or XJ2025H?

[AndyW]

The new R14 tire looks promising giving good traction from what I have seen but I do not know how stiff or puncture resistant they are? R4 industrial tires are the most popular, especially on a TLB, so probably the best choice.

They are R4s.

 

[Gulfmp]

I didn't yet read all these replies (I will) but I wanted to add my two cents for others to comment on. I have a BX2370-1. Love it, its been great. But now I think I'm going to go bigger. Why?
1. I want to be better able to lift out rocks and small stumps. I was looking for a BH model, but changed my mind. I will go with a trench bucket/bucket spade kind of attachment instead. If its a big job I will need an excavator anyway. I will get most stuff done with the trench bucket. I will also probably get a 3 point hitch stump grinder, I don't need to uproot a stump, just make it disappear for my trail.
2. Ground clearance. I hit my BX on a lot of stuff in the woods. The extra clearance would be nice.
3. HST fan. I constantly worry about breaking this when trail blazing. I think the bigger models don't have the same exposed plastic fan or underside vulnerabilities.
4 . 3 range tranny. Many times when under load going up a hill the Low-low range would do me much better.
5. Inching value on three point hitch

I am torn between a Kioti Ck2510 and a Kubota B2601. I like the Kioti better and its is slightly cheaper. It's very well though out from a maintenance standpoint and better specs in all categories. BUT, the B2601 has 3 range tranny-That will be huge to me and it also has a mid PTO included in the base price. I also am concerned with weight. The Kioti is much heavier, which is usually good for tractor purposes, but not mine. I will use the tractor for lawn work also and my ground can be quite wet at times. I know the Kioti will rut up my lawn much more than the Kubota.

I'd like to hear other considerations that I may have missed.

 

[nards444]

I didn't yet read all these replies (I will) but I wanted to add my two cents for others to comment on. I have a BX2370-1. Love it, its been great. But now I think I'm going to go bigger. Why?
1. I want to be better able to lift out rocks and small stumps. I was looking for a BH model, but changed my mind. I will go with a trench bucket/bucket spade kind of attachment instead. If its a big job I will need an excavator anyway. I will get most stuff done with the trench bucket. I will also probably get a 3 point hitch stump grinder, I don't need to uproot a stump, just make it disappear for my trail.
2. Ground clearance. I hit my BX on a lot of stuff in the woods. The extra clearance would be nice.
3. HST fan. I constantly worry about breaking this when trail blazing. I think the bigger models don't have the same exposed plastic fan or underside vulnerabilities.
4 . 3 range tranny. Many times when under load going up a hill the Low-low range would do me much better.
5. Inching value on three point hitch

I am torn between a Kioti Ck2510 and a Kubota B2601. I like the Kioti better and its is slightly cheaper. It's very well though out from a maintenance standpoint and better specs in all categories. BUT, the B2601 has 3 range tranny-That will be huge to me and it also has a mid PTO included in the base price. I also am concerned with weight. The Kioti is much heavier, which is usually good for tractor purposes, but not mine. I will use the tractor for lawn work also and my ground can be quite wet at times. I know the Kioti will rut up my lawn much more than the Kubota.

I'd like to hear other considerations that I may have missed.

I looked at the kioti and kubota and really it came down to the 11th hour. But for me By the time you started adding to the kioti it wasnt all that cheaper. IMO getting a tractor my as well get the mid PTO up front for the price, allows you front attachment going forward. other things to look for were adjustable 3 point hitches(swing arms on the back). Cab also matters. Kioti was a good machine

 

[oronoco]

Yeah...spent the last hour watching videos on LS issues. Making me much less enthusiastic about them. You have to factor in that people without issues don't make videos but still...searching for Kubota issues seems to result in a lot fewer hits.

The post mentions XG and XJ. I just bought a XJ2025H and tried to watch every video or post of problems/use for them. I did not look for XG problems.

The list of known problems I came up with was:

1. Muffler cracks.
2. Engine-oil dipstick likes to wiggle out.
3. "R"-pin on lower arm pivot can be sheered off by neighboring bolts.
4. It doesn't have a metal body.
5 (edit add): HST fan is not shielded.

My take on the problems is:
For 1 & 2: The Mitsubishi motor on the XJ is really smooth above 1600 rpm and is rubber mounted. At low RPM, it is not smooth and the rubber mount gives it more room to move. For my use, I'm okay with keeping revs up and have a bungee for the dipstick. I have the hydrostatic transmission instead of the shuttle which makes that statement easier to make. I also want to keep revs up for circulation and cooling of the hydro here in Texas. (There is one long video by an XJ owner with problems 1 & 2 who was actively seeking minimum-rpms for fuel economy and complaining about vibration.) The muffler is covered for 6 years of warranty although it would still be annoying if it cracked.
For 3: The dealer replaced the R-pin with a roll-pin.
For 4: Metal would have been nice but the LS resin seems better than the JD resins.
For 5(edit add): I'm worried about it but have spent most of it's first hours dealing with trees and brush around a fair amount of trimmings and limbs.

In the end, the price difference, the fact I'm not making money with it, need > 18HP at the PTO, and the dealer made the purchasing difference. If there are other XJ problems I should keep an eye on please let me know.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

So...we pulled the trigger on a B2601 TLB. Added the 3rd function option and it comes with a bucket thumb. Was $32K after 9% tax and KTAC. No cash discount so 0% for 60 made sense to us.
I also know some quarters gripe about KTAC, but it seems like decent targeted insurance.

We did look at the 2650 (in fact they had all three - BX23s, B2601, B2650 - next to each other when we went in today so you could really compare) and while it was only ~$2K more, it really seemed like too much for our needs...time will tell, I suppose.

There is definitely a price premium for Kubota (and JD!) but from our perspective, it was a peace of mind thing. "You get what you pay for" has proven true for us in other areas of life and will hopefully prove true here.

Jeff...I will be ordering a ratchet rake shortly...and maybe some pallet forks! Not gonna consider a grapple until I thoroughly explore those much cheaper and simpler options.

Thx to everyone for all the good advice...I am sure I will be back for a lot more once it gets delivered next week and we start using it. This is clearly a very welcoming forum. Hopefully I'll learn enough to pay it forward in the future.

Andy, I have a BX 25, could have used a grapple but could not justify the cost. I used 4 forks on the bucket for moving trash type stuff, limbs, and etc. Having a small place and doing a lot of landscape and site improvements I found the BH of the BX a real cost saver not having to rent as I was doing a lot of ditching. Where in the PNW are you located? Who did you buy from? I am using Jennings Equipment in Puyallup. Their shop is the best in the area.

Ron

 

[RalphVa]

I know nothing about LS. Of the Kubotas for what you want, I'd go with the B. Would think the B2301 is enough. It's the same tractor as the B2601 but with less cost due to less hp. In my case, I don't need more than 18.5 hp that I had in the JD 4010 (like a 2019E). For what you're doing, I'd say the same. You DO NOT the extra ground clearance for working in brush, and you don't need the underbelly cooling fan on the BX to be ripped away by it. The only problem I had with lower hp on the 4010 was startup of the bush hog. Had to rev it a little. The 2025R starts at idle (1300 on it; 1000 on the 4010). With the clutch PTO engagement on the B, you won't have this problem.

Ralph

 

[AndyW]

Andy, I have a BX 25, could have used a grapple but could not justify the cost. I used 4 forks on the bucket for moving trash type stuff, limbs, and etc. Having a small place and doing a lot of landscape and site improvements I found the BH of the BX a real cost saver not having to rent as I was doing a lot of ditching. Where in the PNW are you located? Who did you buy from? I am using Jennings Equipment in Puyallup. Their shop is the best in the area.

Ron

Hi Ron,

I am in Kingston and purchased from Kitsap Tractor in Silverdale. I am really getting use out of the ratchet rake and only two forks...but they are cheap so I think I may order two more. Thx!