Tractor Sizing Some tractor size info needed (long)

[Timber]

I'm thinking the B2630 is probably the best fit for you. Personally I think your better off with a small Lawn tractor for cutting grass. I have 4 acres of lawn and find my lawn tractor a better fit. Your post hole digging and stone work with really require a B or L series tractor for you Loader capacity and ground clearance for a PHD. I'm sure being hear for some time that a tooth bar and R4s are about the best for loader work and over all durability & puncture resistance. Your budget was about the same as mine and I wound up spending $18 grand and only wanted to spend $16 grand. But add a tooth bar, rear remotes and a PHD, some forks and it adds up quick. I also recommend a quality PHD like a Land Pride or woods. You might want a box blade 1st though for your land clearing & Ballast for you loader. I have to say the Loader & Box blade combination is about the most useful configuration I keep my tractor in. If I am doing heavy digging or fork work I use my Ballast drum but other wise the box blade is perfect. I like the Bs because they are big enough for standard attachments yes small enough to maneuver in the woods and close to the house and gardens. They also lift High enough & enough wt. to do most tasks.

 

[kcook]

I'm thinking the B2630 is probably the best fit for you. Personally I think your better off with a small Lawn tractor for cutting grass. I have 4 acres of lawn and find my lawn tractor a better fit. Your post hole digging and stone work with really require a B or L series tractor for you Loader capacity and ground clearance for a PHD. I'm sure being hear for some time that a tooth bar and R4s are about the best for loader work and over all durability & puncture resistance. Your budget was about the same as mine and I wound up spending $18 grand and only wanted to spend $16 grand. But add a tooth bar, rear remotes and a PHD, some forks and it adds up quick. I also recommend a quality PHD like a Land Pride or woods. You might want a box blade 1st though for your land clearing & Ballast for you loader. I have to say the Loader & Box blade combination is about the most useful configuration I keep my tractor in. If I am doing heavy digging or fork work I use my Ballast drum but other wise the box blade is perfect. I like the Bs because they are big enough for standard attachments yes small enough to maneuver in the woods and close to the house and gardens. They also lift High enough & enough wt. to do most tasks.

THanks great point of view, the B2630 is on my list for sure.

KC

 

[Volfandt]

Well since you asked

The general concensus is to go big, and on the surface ths is always the safe bet but, is it necessary, that is the question

Let sbreak down your projected uses and then go from there.

I currently have 2 ackers I mow and take care of.

This is a L&G's territory, hardly make a BX24 or B series break a sweat.

I havelots of landscaping, (with a retaining wall built with stone/rocks and lots of dirt) to do at my currenty home (pea gravel and some bark around the hole house). The new home will need the same (some type of stone)

This is definitely in the realm of a BX24 w/thumb to handle the stones. Do a search on "twiddleing my thumb" to see a BX23 in action w/setting stone. The B series will give alittle more FEL capacity for material handling but the BX24's is pretty good for it's size and the BX will out mow any bigger machine

as well as many holes for fence and deck.

While a PHD is THE tool for setting post's, what else is it good for once you've dug all the holes? A BH on the other hand will dig the holes almost as quickly and still be used for a myriad of other uses. Theres been several posters remark on how well the BH on their BX worked for digging their post holes. A BX24 will of course come in less expensive than any of the B's w/a BH with the B's BH having more capacity. COurse one could rent a PHD and come out better than buying one.

300' or so of driveway and 1/4 mile of road that I will need to maintane thru out the year (I live in Mid Michigan, we can get some good snow).

If I'm not mistaken the BX24 and B7610 are rated up to a 4' box blade and both also are rated for upto a 60" grader blade so this is a wash. Both the BX24 and B7510/7610 accept about the same size in snowblowers also so thats a wash also.

The new land is right behind my current land! My wife wants me to mow our new land and move some small trees before we start on the new home. My plan is to have a line of tree's (currenty on the land) between my parcel and the next onel. This tree's are small at this time so I want to get them moved before they get to big.

One of the main uses I had for my BX24 when I 1st got it was to plant trees. I should say sapplings. I had no problem at all transporting, digging and planting trees up to 5' tall. The BX24 & B7510/7610 can handle bigger but you'll have to dig out pretty far to get a good tree root. A BH is the prefered tool for this.

The new land is very rolling, the road is brand new (still be put in) and is rolling as well. Road and driveway will be dirt!

Once you remove the FEL & BH for finish mowing, a very easy task to do btw, the BX24 w/a 60" fully floating MMM will give a nicer finish cut than the ground contact 60" MMM's of the B7510/B7610. You'll have to go w/the B2630 or 7800 to get a 72" MMM. Since the BX will be lower, it may be more stable on the rolling slopes also. Grading the driveway is a wash as both the BX & B7510/B7610 work th esame size box blades & grader blades.

After we move to the new home, I will have just the 3 ackers of yard work and driveway/road to do! As with most I don't want to over spend on to much tractor (money wise, I would rather have more attachments and a pole barn but I don't want to have to go get a larger unit a year or two later.

I maintain slightly over 4 acres w/aBX23 and it does a great job for me. Since my 200' driveway is asphalt I don't need to grade it, only seal it every yr.....
You say attachments, what type of attachments are you wanting? If these attachments are for gardening, i.e. plowing, disc'ing, etc then this is an area where the B series shines over the BX. That said, the BX does have plows and disc's made specifically for them and they will do a great job on a small garden but ground clearance is the key in this type of environment.

A rule of thumb I went by to determine which class of tractor was for me was:
If finish mwing is going to be the primary job with ground engagement work being 2nd'ary, go with a BX.
If ground engagement type of work is primary w/finish mowing being 2nd'ary go with a B7510/B7610.

Addemdum #1, If a BH is needed and price is the primary concern, go with a BX TLB.
If price isn't THE primary concern then go with a B series and BH.

Addemdum #2, If ground engagement is the primary purpose and there is lots of ground engagement to do, go w/position control i.e. B2630/B3030

Addemdum #3, if a "cherry" used BX24 or B7510 or B7610 or B2630 or B7800 or B3030 becomes available for you to purchase at an outstanding price, GO FOR ANY ONE OF THEM

Seems the BX24 will work for you but going with a larger machine, to err on the safe side of going bigger, then that'll work out for you too. It'll just cost you alittle more but in the long run it's not tha tbig a deal as you've got the machine you wanted. Theres been many posters here upgrade from a BX to a large B series and most liked the BX for what it was but needed bigger. Theres also been a few thats downsized to BX from a larger machine. So changing tractors isn;t that unheard of around here

Don't get to caught up in the specs and just go out and test them all out. Your seat will probably decide for you, or your wallet

 

[Timber]

I would agree the BX24 and the BX in general is a fine machine. I considered the BX24 my self because of the Back-hoe alone. But I had to also consider my long term plans as well. I have lots of fencing to do, Trials and fire roads to maintain. Land to clear & so on. I was very concerned about Loader capacity and lift hight & ground clearance. I need to lift Pallets of hay into my loft as well as dirt over the side of my truck. Pallet forks are just a way of life with me. I will not even get into a discussion about digging post holes with a back hoe. If you know anything about laying fence it is not even worthy of a comment. Considering your budget if you were interested in a hoe the BX24 would be the way to go. It would certainly fit your property size. It is a fine machines. I do know my Land Pride PHD will work on a BX but not all PHDs will. I am a big fan of the Bs & Ls for ground engagement but don't rule out the BX if you think it is better for you personally. I do love my B7800 but had the B2630 been available I just might have gone with that 1 myself but I probaly not LOL. I'm shallow, I bought the B7800 because I thought it was cute

 

[kcook]

Well since you asked

The general concensus is to go big, and on the surface ths is always the safe bet but, is it necessary, that is the question

Let sbreak down your projected uses and then go from there.

This is a L&G's territory, hardly make a BX24 or B series break a sweat.

This is definitely in the realm of a BX24 w/thumb to handle the stones. Do a search on "twiddleing my thumb" to see a BX23 in action w/setting stone. The B series will give alittle more FEL capacity for material handling but the BX24's is pretty good for it's size and the BX will out mow any bigger machine

While a PHD is THE tool for setting post's, what else is it good for once you've dug all the holes? A BH on the other hand will dig the holes almost as quickly and still be used for a myriad of other uses. Theres been several posters remark on how well the BH on their BX worked for digging their post holes. A BX24 will of course come in less expensive than any of the B's w/a BH with the B's BH having more capacity. COurse one could rent a PHD and come out better than buying one.

If I'm not mistaken the BX24 and B7610 are rated up to a 4' box blade and both also are rated for upto a 60" grader blade so this is a wash. Both the BX24 and B7510/7610 accept about the same size in snowblowers also so thats a wash also.

One of the main uses I had for my BX24 when I 1st got it was to plant trees. I should say sapplings. I had no problem at all transporting, digging and planting trees up to 5' tall. The BX24 & B7510/7610 can handle bigger but you'll have to dig out pretty far to get a good tree root. A BH is the prefered tool for this.

Once you remove the FEL & BH for finish mowing, a very easy task to do btw, the BX24 w/a 60" fully floating MMM will give a nicer finish cut than the ground contact 60" MMM's of the B7510/B7610. You'll have to go w/the B2630 or 7800 to get a 72" MMM. Since the BX will be lower, it may be more stable on the rolling slopes also. Grading the driveway is a wash as both the BX & B7510/B7610 work th esame size box blades & grader blades.
I maintain slightly over 4 acres w/aBX23 and it does a great job for me. Since my 200' driveway is asphalt I don't need to grade it, only seal it every yr.....
You say attachments, what type of attachments are you wanting? If these attachments are for gardening, i.e. plowing, disc'ing, etc then this is an area where the B series shines over the BX. That said, the BX does have plows and disc's made specifically for them and they will do a great job on a small garden but ground clearance is the key in this type of environment.

A rule of thumb I went by to determine which class of tractor was for me was:
If finish mwing is going to be the primary job with ground engagement work being 2nd'ary, go with a BX.
If ground engagement type of work is primary w/finish mowing being 2nd'ary go with a B7510/B7610.

Addemdum #1, If a BH is needed and price is the primary concern, go with a BX TLB.
If price isn't THE primary concern then go with a B series and BH.

Addemdum #2, If ground engagement is the primary purpose and there is lots of ground engagement to do, go w/position control i.e. B2630/B3030

Addemdum #3, if a "cherry" used BX24 or B7510 or B7610 or B2630 or B7800 or B3030 becomes available for you to purchase at an outstanding price, GO FOR ANY ONE OF THEM

Seems the BX24 will work for you but going with a larger machine, to err on the safe side of going bigger, then that'll work out for you too. It'll just cost you alittle more but in the long run it's not tha tbig a deal as you've got the machine you wanted. Theres been many posters here upgrade from a BX to a large B series and most liked the BX for what it was but needed bigger. Theres also been a few thats downsized to BX from a larger machine. So changing tractors isn;t that unheard of around here

Don't get to caught up in the specs and just go out and test them all out. Your seat will probably decide for you, or your wallet

One big question others have brought up about the BX tractor was the ground clearance and the ability to maintaning the road/driveway? What is your thoughts? The other is I will have 3 ackers to maintain after we move, 5 ackers total right now.

KC

 

[Volfandt]

One big question others have brought up about the BX tractor was the ground clearance and the ability to maintaning the road/driveway? What is your thoughts? The other is I will have 3 ackers to maintain after we move, 5 ackers total right now.

Ground clearance is lower on a BX than a B and that IS the major difference between the two series of tractors.

Ground clearance becomes a major concern when one is working in the woods or plowing/discing a garden. If doing either primarily, a B series is preferable over a BX. I didn't notice whether or not you're planing to plow or disc, if so then the rule of thumb I posted earlier applies.

re. maintaining your road/driveway. Like I posted earlier, the BX will handle the same size box blade and/or grader blade as the B7510/B7610 will. All 3 have the quarter inching 3PH also. The BX24 actually has more hp than the B7510 and only 1hp less than the B7610.

When maintaining an already cut and somewhat level driveway, ground clearance isn't that big of an issue. But, if your cutting in a new driveway, higher ground clearance is necessary.

re. handleing your snowfall, the BX24 operates the same size snow thrower as the B7510/B7610 do. Same size front blade too. Theres a heated cab available for all of them.

re. 5 acres, I just don't see how a 23 hp BX will have any more trouble maintaining 5 acres if a 21hp B7510 and/or 24hp B7610 won't.
I don't know if theres a limitation built into how many hrs a BX24 will run and if so if it's lower than a B series but I doubt it.
The BX D902 3 cylinder diesel is designed to run at higher rpms than the B7510/B7610 engines do to make their rated pto output and theres been much debate here on whether an engine designed to run at high rpms will wear out before an engine designed to run at lower rpms will. My opinion is that if an engine is designed & built to run at high rpms it will run for as long as an engine designed to run at lower rpms. (i.e. I-4's seem to run as long as V8's)

Like I posted before, I maintain alittle over 4 acres w/a BX23 and theres no doubt in my mind that it couldn't handle 5 or more.

Are you going to be working in woods and/or rough terrain? If so go with as big of a B series tractor as you can afford, with a BH.
Any of the B series tractors will handle the rough construction phase better than a BX and do a great job in maintaining the lawn once it's done.

That said, the BX24 with it's integrated TLB brings alot to the table also. There are posters that use their BX TLB's in their commercial endeavors because it'll fit where a larger TLB won't. But it's low ground clearance and smaller bucket capacities means it'll take longer to do what a larger machine will do faster.
Finish mowing is where the BX shines.

I was in a similar situation as you about 3 yrs ago and I'm very happy w/my BX23. It's done all it's been tasked to do well. But it's primarily a finish mower and thats why I went with it. I will admit though that I'd like to have a B3030 w/a conditioned cab but unfortunatly as my property stands now, it just wouldn't fit in too many places I'd need it to, so I'l just keep the BX23
Remember the rule of thumb and good luck

 

[kcook]

Ground clearance is lower on a BX than a B and that IS the major difference between the two series of tractors.

Ground clearance becomes a major concern when one is working in the woods or plowing/discing a garden. If doing either primarily, a B series is preferable over a BX. I didn't notice whether or not you're planing to plow or disc, if so then the rule of thumb I posted earlier applies.

re. maintaining your road/driveway. Like I posted earlier, the BX will handle the same size box blade and/or grader blade as the B7510/B7610 will. All 3 have the quarter inching 3PH also. The BX24 actually has more hp than the B7510 and only 1hp less than the B7610.

When maintaining an already cut and somewhat level driveway, ground clearance isn't that big of an issue. But, if your cutting in a new driveway, higher ground clearance is necessary.

re. handleing your snowfall, the BX24 operates the same size snow thrower as the B7510/B7610 do. Same size front blade too. Theres a heated cab available for all of them.

re. 5 acres, I just don't see how a 23 hp BX will have any more trouble maintaining 5 acres if a 21hp B7510 and/or 24hp B7610 won't.
I don't know if theres a limitation built into how many hrs a BX24 will run and if so if it's lower than a B series but I doubt it.
The BX D902 3 cylinder diesel is designed to run at higher rpms than the B7510/B7610 engines do to make their rated pto output and theres been much debate here on whether an engine designed to run at high rpms will wear out before an engine designed to run at lower rpms will. My opinion is that if an engine is designed & built to run at high rpms it will run for as long as an engine designed to run at lower rpms. (i.e. I-4's seem to run as long as V8's)

Like I posted before, I maintain alittle over 4 acres w/a BX23 and theres no doubt in my mind that it couldn't handle 5 or more.

Are you going to be working in woods and/or rough terrain? If so go with as big of a B series tractor as you can afford, with a BH.
Any of the B series tractors will handle the rough construction phase better than a BX and do a great job in maintaining the lawn once it's done.

That said, the BX24 with it's integrated TLB brings alot to the table also. There are posters that use their BX TLB's in their commercial endeavors because it'll fit where a larger TLB won't. But it's low ground clearance and smaller bucket capacities means it'll take longer to do what a larger machine will do faster.
Finish mowing is where the BX shines.

I was in a similar situation as you about 3 yrs ago and I'm very happy w/my BX23. It's done all it's been tasked to do well. But it's primarily a finish mower and thats why I went with it. I will admit though that I'd like to have a B3030 w/a conditioned cab but unfortunatly as my property stands now, it just wouldn't fit in too many places I'd need it to, so I'l just keep the BX23
Remember the rule of thumb and good luck

THank you for your point of view Ground clearance was a concern with a new home and the ground around a new home. It's a big decision as you know.

Another question if you will. I will need a PHD, I have been told and read that a BH is not a good option for digging for post holes. It will make to large of a hole and the post will not last. I have many to place at my new home and more at my in-laws! Your opinion please

KC

 

[Volfandt]

I have been told and read that a BH is not a good option for digging for post holes. It will make to large of a hole and the post will not last. I have many to place at my new home and more at my in-laws! Your opinion please

I've not planted any posts with my BH yet but theres been afew that have, the link is one thread on it. A search should turn up more.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...khoe-post-hole-digger.html?highlight=back+hoe

 

[kcook]

I've not planted any posts with my BH yet but theres been afew that have, the link is one thread on it. A search should turn up more.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...khoe-post-hole-digger.html?highlight=back+hoe

Thanks for all your input. I will continue to work and do research on this subject! The BX24 is high on my list!!

KC

 

[Timber]

I have to tell you. Now I have no regrets with my B7800. I really do love this tractor. I have spent all weekend on it as I do every weekend. If you can swing a tractor with position control you will never regret it. I would never dis a mans tractor unless it is Homebrew but thats just for fun. The guy is pretty bright we just think a little different There really is an advantage to that feature. I would love to have a hoe but that said on an every day basis I think there is much to consider. I think ground clearance Is no small matter. or Fel capacity and loader reach. I also think that 2 pistons on the curl over 1 is an issue. I think the B2630 is your deal if you do not really need a hoe. If you do then a BX24 is your fit. Life is a ***** LOL. If it were me I would do The B series but your tractor is your own personal choice. Either way I don't think you can go wrong