When is a BX enough?

[sea2summit]

How rough is the ground? Is there much slope? How fast do you need to do the chores?

BX is really a diesel powered lawnmower more than it is a tractor. Don't get me wrong I had two and loved them to death and often miss having one, but the tires really limit what they can get done for real work. Stepping up to the B or the L2501 is orders of magnitude more capability even with the same HP. The price difference between the BX and the B is essentially nothing if you're making payments and less than $1k with cash, L is going to be like 6K more but that's significantly more tractor. If you want to do all the work yourself without renting a mini ex for the stumps and rocks really consider the L just for it's ability to take the abuse.

FWIW when I went to the MX from the BX I was digging pine stumps from a previously harvested planted forest so all were pretty uniform 6-8" stumps. BX would take nearly 45 minutes per stump and the MX took six. BX would also take nearly 10 minutes to get from the front of the six acres to the back just because it had to go so slow navigating the rough terrain where the MX could get there fast enough it didn't need to be timed. Just differences to consider.

 

[Rdrcr]

^^^^
Agreed. With the rocks and stumps, B2601 at minimum.

I had to go from the B2601 to the L2501 for these very same reasons. And, when I got the L2501 home…I realized I could have gone to an MX…tractors tend to shrink when you get them home.
That said, I’m happy with the L2501 and don’t have any immediate plans to upgrade.

Mike

 

[dj1701]

^^^^
Agreed. With the rocks and stumps, B2601 at minimum.

I had to go from the B2601 to the L2501 for these very same reasons. And, when I got the L2501 home…I realized I could have gone to an MX…tractors tend to shrink when you get them home.
That said, I’m happy with the L2501 and don’t have any immediate plans to upgrade.

Mike

They do shrink. Funniest **** I ever seen.

 

[hornett22]

When I briefly lived in Corrupticut, I only had 1.2 acres. I had the equivalent of an L2501. I wouldn't have wanted anything smaller.

Once you have a backhoe, you should quickly realize it's for more than digging trenches. I highly recommend it.

 

[BEAGLES]

I had a BX for 10 years, great little tractors but I agree, a B sized machine would be better for you. So far I’ve never needed a backhoe. I often see advice given to rent a backhoe or trencher and do all your stuff like that at once.

Agreed on that one. When you need to dig, rent an excavator.

 

[WVH1977]

FWIW, I have a 40 hp tractor. I used that tractor on 6 acres for 10 years. I only used it on 3 acres of it. Never once did it feel to big for me. Now using on 16 acres and would like to step up one more size. My Uncle uses a Massey1643 tractor on his 5 acres and I help a lot over there. Never wished we had a smaller tractor.

I really like these smaller units like the BX but they would just not do it for me right now. They are well engineered and would be a blast to use. I almost bought a little Massey GC1710 but ended up not doing it. I still might get me a smaller tractor one day to compliment the bigger one but if I could have just one tractor it would be at least the full size compact (JD 4 series, Kubota Grand L, Massey 2800m, etc).

 

[scaredychicken]

You'll be fine with a BX23S. Very useful, utilitarian enough to get most jobs done.
IF you need something larger (I doubt it), buy a 2nd tractor that is 30 - 40 yrs old for $5000 - cheaper than the B2601 option (additional cost). Then you have it all. I needed the Open Deck of the newer models.

prior to buying the BX23S, we were busy as beekeepers and required pallet fork lift capacity of the B3030... never bought that one as the beekeeping time ended and the BX23S was fine for our needs.