The BX and the pebble

[zoltanthegypsy]

Or maybe the Princess and the Pea...

I don't trust my BX 24. First time mowing the tall grass: torn drive shaft boot, broken radiator fan and shroud, fuel pump wiring ripped out. That led to a full set of Bro-tek crunch plates. And a $$$ repair bill.

2nd time mowing that same tall grass: front axle pinion seal wiped out. That led to a home-made guard for the front u-joint and seal - so far so good.

3rd time mowing the tall grass: actually, before mowing. Noticed a puddle of coolant on the ground. Upper radiator hose clamp not sufficiently tightened.

Today (same tall grass) it seemed like I wasn't getting full fwd throttle in low range, but I haven't been on the machine for a while so I just figured my memory was bad. (I could hide my own Easter Eggs at this point, if you get my meaning..) Mowing for 3 or 4 hours, and suddenly could only crawl in forward. Reverse was OK.

Crept down the hill and got it on the trailer. 2 hours of pulling off wheels, poking at every linkage I could find. No joy. My guess was something internal in the transmission. Finally pulled up the access flaps in the the rubber mat on the floor pan. It took a while with my elderly eyes, but I finally spotted a pebble on top of the fwd/rev pedal pivot mechanism outside the frame. It kept the forward pedal from moving more than a few degrees.

How it got there, I'll never know. Why it stayed in place - sheer cussedness I guess. Should have checked there first, but I'm so leery of the machine at this point, I just assumed the worst.

Too soon old, and too late smart,

Z. (thanks for listening, I feel a _little_ better now)

 

[ultrarunner]

The BX is known for low ground clearance and a soft under-belly.

I too added bro-tek plates and think the money is well spent... had a couple of close calls... a twig hit the hydro cooling fan and a small but stout small branch somehow snagged my fuel line and tore the hose.

Too bad it's so uncomfortable to mow in reverse... might eliminate problems.

Hear the weather has been very good in your corner of the country...

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

...
Hear the weather has been very good in your corner of the country...

Yep, two nice days (in a row!!!!) out of the last 200 or so.

Z.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Is this a new tractor or new to you? How many hours on it and did you put them all on it?

 

[EE_Bota]

I have had similar things happen on taller "known good" tractors, so it is not surprising that the BX would be challenged by tall grass.

I suppose if I had to do tall grass with a BX, I would use the FEL down low to the ground to try to knock it over to keep it our of the works.

The BX is very handy for what it is to be used for, and tall grass likely is not in its range of uses. Most of us, we do use it out of its range, but we all have to be careful to mitigate its weeknesses so we can enjoy its strengths.

I wish you luck, and if you are going to do something to challenge the BX, I hope you will ask a question so we can all try to tell how we have handled it.

 

[Volfandt]

Agree w/EE_Bota, tall grass has slayed many the bigger tractor too.
I've had it wrap around the pto shaft and wipe out the pto seal. Also had it to get up into the radiator fan and somehow get the belt to jump off the pulley and wipe itself out too, along w/the seal in the water pump. All this on a tall sitting TE20 Ferguson
One time, when bush-hogging down some corn rows, the same tractor's front right front wheel found enough of a hill to where it lifted the front end up and it came smashing down once it was over the hill. When it came down it smashed down on a cornstalk and it bent it down to the point where the stalk was rigid enough to bend the steel oil pan enough to cause an oil leak on the oil filter access cover. On that old Fergie there was an access panel right at the bottom of the oil pan that had to be removed inorder to get at the oil filter. Later model TO20's and up moved the oil filter to the outside of the block but thats another story
I've sickle mowed them corns rows since

Good luck w/your BX2350, perhaps you've gotten all them gremilns out now
Dave

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

Is this a new tractor or new to you? How many hours on it and did you put them all on it?

I bought it new a couple of years ago. Only around 90 hours on it so far. Forgot to mention the front tire w/a damaged bead when delivered by the (less than useful) dealer.

I should have said that all the grief (except the coolant leak) happened while bush hogging tall grass. No sticks, no stones. I hate to imagine what a real 'hogging job could do to this machine.

The little thing was brilliant for trenching an irrigation system. Never occurred to me that nice soft grass would be so deadly.

@Volfandt: Now I'm really scared

At least this time I can' t blame Kubota. Thanks for the replies,
Z.

 

[dodge man]

The next size larger tractor than a BX is a B series. You see a lot of post where people ask should they buy a BX or a B. Usually people say if you are working in rougher area or need larger tires or ground clearance, get a B series tractor. It sounds like if you are doing a lot of brush hogging, you need a B. BX's are great little tractors, but they do have limitations.

 

[Wacky]

I have done quite a bit of bush hogging w/ my little GC. I ALWAYS leave the FEL on and close to the ground. Do you have your FEL on? I mow the pastures and such when the grass is about 3' tall. I have found some grass wrapped around the fan, but not enough to worry about, just a couple of strands. But I always check under the unit at least once a week to check for "gremlin damage" you never know.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Sounds like the experience I get with my tiller. When ever i use it I break it. But after fixing it about 6 or 7 times now, I have successfully used it twice both yesterday and Saturday and it did not break! Now I am very happy to have it. :laughing: Lets see, with your BX, watch the fuel filter under the operator platform, my neighbor's BX24 had a plugged filter and ran very poorly because of it. So i went out and got him a filter, replaced it for him, runs like a top. :thumbsup: His hydro fan has no blades on it and i offered to replace that but he is a little leery of letting his 15 year old neighbor take apart his $15k tractor. Why do i do it? It is a neighborly thing. I like helping out with that kinda stuff and being young, love to learn how to fix it. :thumbsup: