Talk me out of A BX23s

[dragoneggs]

I did the rear blower, fel for 5 years. When I bought the GC1723 I got a front blower (used, about half of new for price). Wouldn’t go back to a rear blower if you paid me.

No experience here with snowblowers, but I always prefer the work in front of me rather than behind for best control. Tilling, plowing, grading doesn't typically need precision and I don't know about most of ya, but I can't twist around like I used to.

 

[GeneV]

Hello, I was once a member here years ago when I owned a MF 1428v I bought back in 2004. A divorce and a lifetime later I'm back in the market for a new tractor.

When I had the 1428v I had 4 acres and after time, I thought the tractor was too big for my needs. It mowed well, but I wasn't a huge fan of the rear mounted mower. I did not like unmounting the FEL, I rarely took it off because of the difficulties I had.

With that all being said I now have 11 acres - have a gravel driveway I want to maintain, a large lawn, a small garden and plantings. About 3/4 of my land is wooded and I won't do too much with it.

I like the idea of a smaller tractor, It will mainly be used for snowplowing in the winter, landscaping, mowing and driveway maintenance other seasons. I don't mind paying more for quality, I won't be buying another machine again. I want a drive over belly mower, backhoe, snowblower (not sure if front or rear), a loader, and a back blade.

I really want ease of disconnect of implements, I am not dealing with it again.

Any thoughts?

I'd say the main upside to kubota is the multi-coupler connect they have for the loader hydro lines...that thing is sweet, and no other scut mfg has one. If you're going to be mowing with a mmm, you're gonna want to dismount the loader. Disconnecting individual lines ain't a biggie, but connecting them again is a pain in the tuchus.

Other than that, I don't see kubota with an edge over anybody else. Their drive-over deck system kinda sux, you gotta mount little ramps on the deck to drive over it. Also, their loader detach thing where you could lower the stands from the operator seat, I don't see the big deal to that. If anything, I could see that breaking down the road. The treadle pedal, I suppose some people are ok with it, not me tho.

I got a massey scut tlb with 60" drive-over mmm, overall I gotta say it's quite alright. The deck is a true drive-over, and it's a beast. It will cut through anything yet gives a great cut, I could do float or suspension...just no complaints about it. With the spinner knob on the steering wheel, the side by side pedals, and that deck, it's plain fun to mow with this tractor now, I'm zipping this and that way, flying through grass, it's awesome. The one caveat to that statement, I modified the seat, which made all the difference in the world. I hated mowing with this tractor with the original wobbly-*** seat, so would use my garden tractor to mow. All scut tlb's will have such a seat, so just keep that in mind if you're looking for an all-in-one machine.

As for loader and backhoe, yeh this thing rocks. I think all the different color tractors are on par in that regard, however my massey will can do it at lower rpm than kubota can.

 

[CJinNH]

I got a massey scut tlb with 60" drive-over mmm, overall I gotta say it's quite alright. The deck is a true drive-over, and it's a beast. It will cut through anything yet gives a great cut, I could do float or suspension...just no complaints about it. With the spinner knob on the steering wheel, the side by side pedals, and that deck, it's plain fun to mow with this tractor now, I'm zipping this and that way, flying through grass, it's awesome. The one caveat to that statement, I modified the seat, which made all the difference in the world. I hated mowing with this tractor with the original wobbly-*** seat, so would use my garden tractor to mow. All scut tlb's will have such a seat, so just keep that in mind if you're looking for an all-in-one machine.

As for loader and backhoe, yeh this thing rocks. I think all the different color tractors are on par in that regard, however my massey will can do it at lower rpm than kubota can.

Frankly after looking at many videos I'd prefer to get a MF 1725 MB. I loved my 1428v, though it was a stripped down tractor.

If I could only get someone at the dealers I contacted TO GET BACK TO ME! I've never had such a hard time trying to give people my money.

It kind of sucks I"ve got two Kubota dealers within 10 minutes of me, the closest MF dealers are an hour away the next is an hour and a half away.....

I called a MF dealer in Mass, at leas he answered! Getting a quote shortly.

 

[GeneV]

Yup, I hear ya on that! I'm in the Chicago area, got a bunch of Kubota and JD dealers nearby. As for, MF, 2 dealers 1.5 hrs away, one in each direction. The one I took a drive out to, frankly I wasn't too happy with the place. I wasn't thrilled with kubota, but was leaning toward their bx2380 simply because the dealer seemed to want my business at least. Lucky me, I stumbled on my MF GC1710, private sale.

Well, let us know how the quote goes. I think you'll be happy with the GC1725MB, it's the updated version of mine, with the loader joystick on the fender and tilt steering, both I think are a huge improvement.

You asked earlier about a snow blower. I personally don't use one. I was used to plowing with my garden tractor, but with the massey I used the loader. I had a snow edge mounted on it. This year, I'm planning on welding the plow from the garden tractor on a skid steer plate so I could use it on the massey. Btw, make sure your quote includes a ssqa loader!

 

[CJinNH]

Got one quote on a mf 1725m with mower and back blade- same cost as the Kubota with a snowblower... disappointed

 

[MoMower]

Got one quote on a mf 1725m with mower and back blade- same cost as the Kunitz with a snowblower... disappointed

That sucks.

 

[President2024]

I'm in the market for a GC1700 as well. Could I ask you why the GC1725M vs the 1723E? I know the HP is more but it's the same engine just at a higher RPM. The only other difference I can tell is the armrests. Seems like a money money for MF but I could be wrong.

 

[CJinNH]

I just want top of the line, my daughter is graduating high school in 2 weeks, so I will now have a much larger chunk of change monthly. (Sorry I won't be paying your mortgage anymore ex-wife). Tractor payment is a 5th of what I was giving her.

I just ran by the Kioti dealer in North Hampton and checked out a partially assembled CS2510, figured I'd get a comparable price. Nt sure I want a Kioti, but if the price is right...

 

[scaredychicken]

I did a lot of research, and over 17 yrs I came to the same conclusion time and time again, Kubota had the best features and options for me, and the dealer (1 hr away) was most responsive. I bought a New BX23S (2018) with extras ... box blade, auger, grapple & 3rd function, canopy, brush hog mower, bucket edge, the dealer also modified (gratis) a few extras for my needs ... a step on the left side, a grab bar for easier entry / exit, and a plate to toggle the pedals for me. I am very happy with it. It does everything that I need, and I love the compact size for my property. I already had a small 12 foot single axle trailer that manages to transport it around easily. I don't personally use the backhoe (difficult given my mobility limits) but my wife uses it all regularly.

A real bonus for me re the Tractor Loader Backhoe combination was that it came as a package deal, and the tractor and backhoe use 1 seat (reversing) only.

I had looked at numerous brands. Many were very comparable, Kioti and JD were close, but it came down to features, deal, and dealership.

If I was to do it again, I would probably consider a B series, simply for the extra HP (30+ hp range), the lift and capacity for loader, pallet forks (pending) and the wood chipper options (pending). Eventually, I will get a front mounted snow blower.

All the best in choosing.

 

[CJinNH]

Got my pricing on the BX23s with FEL, backhoe, BHthumb, 3 pt hitch, drive over 60" mower. $22,800.00 I don't know if that's any good. Got another price, $800 higher from another dealer as well. The MF is not worth paying more for the more I look at it.

The dealer with the lower cost is also 10 minutes from my door.