Will I regret downsizing from a B7500?

[robertm]

I recently posted on the Kubota board about my thoughts of selling my B7500. From the various feedback, I think I may have purchased a little bit more than I really needed. The B7500 is a fabulous unit, the LA272 FEL has proved very valuable, and the 60" MMM does do a good job, except that my lawn is not the smoothest, so it only produces results that it can.

I am thinking that now that my better half and I are not thinking anymore about moving to 5 acres in the near future, the BX Series or the JD 2200 Series may be better for me. I will not do without a loader, but the use primarily is to move dirt, gravel, snow, and mulch. All of which a smaller loader can do with ease. Besides, the bucket size between these unbits and the B7500 are almost the same. The main use is to mow. The 80 hours on my B7500 are mostly mowing (80%) so I'm thinking that a suspended deck will give me a smoother cut where the ground contact MMM on the B7500 bounces too much.

In addition, I do not like the front tires on the B7500. They are sharp edged, and when turning (even slowly) they cut the grass and leaves circles, I think a wider tire like on the sub- compacts will resolve this issue.

I will need to get rid of my 72" Land Pride rear blade for a smaller one a sub-compact will handle, but that is not an issue.

So the question is this... and all opinions and thoughts are welcomed... will I regret stepping down? The way I view it, the cut time (60" deck to 60" deck) will be the same, the tractor weights are negligable, the smaller loader will lift about 100# less, but for my use it shouldn't be a big deal, the BX has mmore HP than my B7500, and if I were to move to 5 acres, a BX or 2200 would still be adequate.

Am I missing something? The ground clearance of a B is not really needed for me, and I will probably never use 3pt attachments other than a rear blade and possibly a tiller. I am a bigger guy (6'5") and when I test drove the BX two years ago I felt a little large on it, but I'm not going to a fashion show, eh?

So, will I regret it? Have any of you downsized? How about the BX2230 versus looking at a JD2200? Thank you in advance.

 

[markie61]

Before you trade down:

1. Try lowering your tire pressure to the bare minimum. This will help with the bounce and the edge cutting in on turns.

2. Remove your loader. The weight off will help with the bounce and take pressure off the front tires.

3. Slow down on your turns and widen them. No tractor is a ZTR. Try not to turn any sharper than 3 rows.

4. Do you have turf tires? Changing/trading to these will help.

I have a larger class III CUT with R4s and a RFM. If I follow these suggestions (except the turf tires), I get a very good cut.

Hate to see the baby get thrown out with the bath water.

Mark

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I have posted my opinion more times than I can count (I never was good at math) that most people buy tractors that are too large for their needs and they ulitmately regret it. And by the term "most people" I mean the folks that have 1 to maybe 15 acres and do not farm for a living but just have a piece of land in the country that they want to maintian.

So do I think you will regret it, my answer is absolutely not from any practical standpoint.


But the REALITY is that the little toy tractor is NOT a toy, it is a heck of a useful tool. And based on what you wrote, it is probably what you REALLY NEED while the B7500 is probably what you WANTED. Needs and wants are 2 different things.

The little tractor will be softer on the lawn, the little tractor will probably mow faster than the bigger one simply because the turning radius will be tighter. So go ahead and downsize, you will probably be happier in the long run.

 

[robertm]

I appreciate the input. I do not mow with the loader. I have lowered the tire pressure, and even done the opposite and pumped them up to the max, too, thinking they would not "crab" and pull out the grass. No good, but as you said, wider turns eliminate the problem. The front tires just have a square edge, where most others I see are rounded. Some areas I just can't avoid sharp turns, and cutting down the speed to a crawl just doesn't help. I have thought about going to R4's just because I think the large bars will be less likely to slice the grass like the turfs do, and I really do not think the R4's will tear up the lawn like ag tires would. I havetried to get different tires, but in the size for the fronts, I cannot find any. Someone posted about two years ago with a picture of their B7500 tires (from the dealer) which were a cross between an R4 and a turf, but I couldn't find the tires, and cannot find the old post.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

Are you looking for the Galaxy Turf Special?

 

[WiJC]

"Now from the TIM "the toolman" TAYLOR standpoint, scream like a little girl for hours on end when you see your "big" tractor leave and it is replaced by a little "toy" tractor."

great way to put that! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

John

 

[markie61]

6. One more thing: Mow in 2WD.

Didnt realize you had ag tires. This is probably the biggest difference.

Mark

 

[robertm]

Sorry if I misinformed... I do have turfs, justvthe fronts have square edges, not nocely rounded like the BX

 

[BotaGuy]

Robert,

I am picking up my new BX23 tonight. I had a B7500, and loved that machine, so I am about to do exactly what you are thinking of doing. I never felt the B7500 would have been any good at keeping a nice lawn., and your experience seems to show that. I had 63 acres before with a 700 foot drivewayt.....and with the trails and woods, the B7500 was perfect. I never felt it was "Undersized". I did have access to a large JD 6415, but never used it on my wooded property.

My curent lot is 7 acres, mostly flat and low. I have lots of pine trees, and a nice pond to mow around. I think the BX series will be a perfect fit. After iusing the BX this weekend, I will report back to let you know how it felt compared to the B7500. In fact i am headed up to the dealership right now.

 

[_RaT_]

I went from a L48 to a L3830 and found the smaller tractor, weight and HP to be ideal for my setup. Went from a 48 HP to 38 HP and don't miss the 10 HP one bit. Tractors are very accomodating. The ability to get the chores done in an enjoyable way is really what your striving for. I have more fun doing it with my L3830 then my L48 primarily because I can remove the loader. I think you will enjoy the smaller tractor and appreciate the nimbleness of it, all without the need to put the right or left nut in a lock box controlled by your wife. YOU WILL BE OK! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[robertm]

I would certainly appreciate your feedback. I know it will cost me a few bucks to make a trade if I do, and I would like to be as sure as possible before I make the final step. I figured that I would be buried at 101 years of age with this B7500 (about 60 years from now /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif), but now that I look at it, I am think I should have planned for the next five years... not ten.

 

[Koz]

As I am expecting to get a Kub 7610 delivered any day (week?) now, I have been reading these threads with great interest.

Given the negligible difference in weight between the BX and 7500, it seems to me that cutting capability is the biggest issue you have with the 7500.

Before selecting the 7610, I was concerned about the ground contact decks cutting ability compared to the BX's suspended deck. My neighbor has a BX, and his yard always looks fine, similar to my yard mowed with the 445.

I had my dealer bring a demonstration 7500 to my house. For an hour, I mowed with it on both finished lawn and a rough field. After it was taken away, I pulled out my JD 445 (60" suspended deck) and mowed.

For the field (thick grass), the 7500 was vastly superior. The JD just didn't have the HP to use the 60" deck in the thick grass. The 7500 didn't come close to bogging and gave results much better than the 445.

For the lawn, I can honestly say that you could not see a difference. My lawn is definitely not the smoothest. I usually use a roller in the spring to smash down the areas that get heaved upwards during the winter, but I have not done this yet this year. So....my lawn is bumpy. So bumpy that it is irritating, especially when trying to mow fast.

For me (3.5 acres), a BX could certainly accomplish everything that I want to do with a tractor. Initially, I just assumed that I would end up with a BX2230. I test drove one, and remember thinking that it sure is not as comfortable as my JD 445 (even thought the 445 is much smaller). I am 6'-2" tall. I ended up looking at bigger JD's (much more comfortable than the BX), the 2210 and 4110.

Some of the local JD dealers really pushed the 2210 hard. others definitely advised against the 2210, saying that the entire design/construction process for the 2210 was greatly abbreviated and that the tractor was developed for the sole purpose of having good stats and pricing compared to the BX versus quality/longevity. This sounded legitimate, as the 2210 seems to share very little with its only slightly larger 4000 series cousins.

I was resigned to paying a lot more for a JD 4110 when I realized that surely Kubota must have larger tractors that are more comfortable than the BX. I drove to a dealer, found the 7510 and ended up buying the 7610.

I'm sure you will take a beating trading the 7500 for a BX. Make sure you find the BX to be comfortable. If it is acceptable, I guess the question is whether the possible improvement in cutting capability (get a demo and see for yourself if it is better) and grass wear (maybe you can increase the radius around obstacles to reduce wear) is worth the loss. My gut feeling is no.

 

[robertm]

That is an excellent point. Thank you. One dealer (local) said I should just come on down and try a BX on his lot, where he stated his was much more bumpier than mine (assumption). Another dealer said he's bring one over and let me try it. So, I should set a time up to mow with the BX and B7500 (at the same deck height) side by side. Thanks again.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If MOWING is your prime concern, you might want to look at STEINER and VENTRAC tractors. Their larger models are similar in size to BX series Kubota and will accept a FEL. BUT, the real difference between those 2 brands and everyone else is that they are designed as TURF tractors. I recently purchased the smallest Ventrac model and cannot believe the cut quality and how much better it is compared to my Cub Cadet or my New Holland. On the Steiner and Ventrac tractors they put the deck IN FRONT of the tractor and they have much tighter turning radiuses than normal CUTs. The model I have is comparable to a garden tractor, but I find that it it mows so much faster and better that I may not need to even use my New Holland for field mowing at all. In fact, mowing time will probably be reduced by a couple hours each week, and the cut quality is superior.

If you are interested in either tractor, and since you said you need to keep the FEL, you might want to consider the Ventrac 4200 or the Steiner 430MAX tractors. They are amazing tractor, the cut quality is superior, and the effective mowing speed is significantly faster because they are more manuverable. Size and price are probably comparable to a BX series Kubota. But they are funny looking with their front mounted decks.

I can say that now having mowed several times with a front mounted deck, I cannot even imagine going back to a MMM and having to use one of those again. The difference is as wide as NIGHT versus DAY.

 

[BotaGuy]

Well, the BX23 is on my trailer and sitting in front of my workplace. They did not have the mower deck....so I can't mow with it until it comes in....but I kept my ZTR for that purpose until the 60" deck comes in. There was a 7510 sitting right next to the BX23 on the lot. The only reason it appeared larger was the larger diameter tires. The BX tires are short and fat, and look impressive.

Sitting on the two, I like the B7500 a little better, the seat sits lower...but the BX has great visibility and all controls seem natural in placement.

Ground speed does not seem as fast in fast transit.....especially compared to my ZTR.

Very nice quality unit.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

BotaGuy . . . If your experience is anything like mine, you will find that your mowing time will increase by 50% by switching from a highly manuverable ZTR to a slow turning tractor.

It used to take us about 6 hours to cut our property with 2 of us on tractors. Now, using the Ventrac, mowing time is under 4 hours and probably pretty close to 3. And a ZTR will mow faster than a Ventrac, but I can't use a ZTR on my property because of steep hills, rough fields, etc.

 

[_RaT_]

I think you make a good point Bob. It really depends on what your main purpose and uses will be. MY experience on ZTR's is that nothing comes close to doing what they do. If weekly mowing on relatively flat land with lots to do, a ZTR is tough to beat for agility and speed.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

_Rat_ . . . the original post said that 80% of the use was for mowing but that a FEL would be essential for material moving.

That being the criteria, it seems like a mowing machine that is able to do some additional things might be in order. That is why I brought up the Steiners and Ventracs. They will go places that no other tractor will go so despite their small size they are amazingly capable. But they are also designed for cutting quality, and are used commercially on golf courses, parks, and at monuments like the St Louis Arch.

Cutting speed is much more than ground speed, it is also comprised, in very large measure, by the mowers abiltiy to go around landscaping quickly. I did a lot of testing and research before buying my Ventrac, and from what I can see, the larger units by Steiner & Ventrac are probably much better mowers than the BX series Kubotas, and they are pretty darn good tractors too.

 

[robertm]

That is something I really liked about the B7500 over the BX. I am tall and longer legged, so I like sitting up on the B7500 where my knees are level with my keister. On the BX, is seems like my knees are up toward my chest. That is something I am going to consider because I have a 3 year-old boy who smells the diesel fumes from the Bota (and from the truck, too), and goes nuts... he HAS TO RIDE. That is why a zero turn is out for me, as well as the Steiners with the seat styles they have (at least I've seen they do not readily accomodate a man and his co-pilot. In addition, I am concerned that the stock BX has a rigid ROPS, which may interfere with some of my trees, but then again, I cut all the limbs off that caught my B7500 ROPS, and that sits much higher.

As an option, is anyone using the 54" deck on the B7500 or 7400? It looks like that deck IS suspended like the BX Series, so maybe somebody has some input on using it. To go to 54" vs. 60" wouldn't be that big of a deal for me... I think... as long as it helps the lawn cut quality.

 

[Egon]

I'm assuming MMM and just can't quite understand what the difference would be. If the lawn is not level a mower sure isn't goint to make it level.

Egon