Yet another nex BX23 owner - but with minor probs

[ESM]

I had been debating about getting a new tractor for a long time and finally took the plunge. My BX23 was delivered last Wednesday. I got it with a 54 inch deck and turf tires, the rear ones I had loaded. For those that keep an eye on pricing I paid 14,800 and another 1,500 for the deck. The BX is replacing my older John Deere 318 with a Johnny Bucket. I'm gonna hate to sell it but there isn't room for two. The 318 has been a great little tractor but it's just not up to some of the tasks I ask of it. I have 3.5 acres and after looking at all the various makes and models the BX23 just seems to be the perfect fit for me.

On delivery day I only had a couple of hours to play with my new toy before it started to rain. It has been raining here pretty much ever since and more rain is forecast for this week. We're leaving for a weeks vacation in Vermont at the end of the week so I won't really get to play until the beginning of August /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif.

In the couple hours I did have, the first thing I tackled was a couple of small holly trees with the backhoe. It worked great and I can't wait to go after a few larger (about 12 inches) stumps left from some sick pines I took down last year. I know that project will take some time but it should be fun. The backhoe has about as much power as I anticipated but not as much as I hoped for /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. Of course, I was taking it easy and not running the engine at max RPM. I don't want to work it too hard until the after the first service.

Stuck inside again today I decided to take the the backhoe off in the garage and was impressed by how it easy it was to remove. I doubt hooking it back up will be quite as easy but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon enough. After I got the hoe off I stood back to admire my new tractor and was immediately struck by two things.

1) My hood is crooked /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif. When looking from the front the gap where the hood meets the grill is quite noticeably larger on one side then the other. Not a big deal but it bothers me. I'm not sure what to do about it but I'll worry a about after I fix the second problem. Maybe they're related but I doubt it.

2) My loader is crooked or I thought it was. One side of the bucket is about a 1/2 higher then the other. After looking at if for a while and trying to figure out where the problem was I put a level across the loader frame uprights and saw it was out of level there too. Then I flipped up the seat and layed the level across the fenders, same problem. I checked my front tire pressure and each tire was set to 20 psi. After I adjusted the fronts to 25 psi, I went to check the rears. I tried to take a reading but all I got was fluid squirting out /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif so I quickly realized I would have to rotate the tires to get the valve stems top center. I did that and measured 12.5 psi on the "high" side of the tractor and on the "low" side I still couldn't get a reading because of escaping fluid. It seems the dealer over loaded that tire. Not being able to get good pressure readings I took a tape measure and measured from the floor to the bottom of the rear tire rims. It was hard to be exact but it was almost 1/2" different, about what I measured off the tip of the loader bucket. I feel a lot better because I know nothing is seriously wrong and in fact I'm quite impressed with the structural rigidity of the frame. The problem I have now is how do I correct the fluid problem in the tire?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

This is what I'm planning to do, please correct me if there is a better way. I figured I would jack up and block the the back of the tractor so the wheels are just barely off the ground. With the tires rotated so that the valve stems are about 3/4 of the way up, I'll open the tire valves and let the fluid escape until no more seeps out. Then I'll add air to 20 psi, lower the tractor and check that everything is level. Hopefully it will be. Is this the right way to go about this? Thanks everyone!

 

[ESM]

These are the trees I was referring to.

 

[ESM]

Almost scary how easy this was to knock over. Like it wasn't even there.

 

[ESM]

Definitely tricky to get the hang of. I'm sure it will take me a while to get proficient with the hoe.

 

[ESM]

This is the end result. The mulch pile in the foreground is what's left of the trees. A little grass seed and I'll be good to go.

 

[Junkman]

The correct way to eliminate ballast from the tire is to put the valve stem at 12 o'clock and take the Schrader valve out. Do this with the tire off the ground. Let out the fluid till it stops running. Reinsert the Schrader valve and inflate tire to the proper air pressure. I would also check the other side to see if it is under filled, overfilled, or done correctly. You need to check both to get them both identical. Then if the tractor is still 1/2" off level, tell the dealer to either fix it or replace it. I wouldn't find 1/2" off level an acceptable situation since when you use the loader you want it to go up evenly and squarely. It could be a manufacturing defect that can come to haunt you in future years. For the price you paid, you should get the same quality as all the rest of us. If you wanted a tractor with defects, then you could have purchase a used one for less...

 

[RoyJackson]

"I did that and measured 12.5 psi on the "high" side of the tractor and on the "low" side I still couldn't get a reading because of escaping fluid."

Jack the rear of the tractor off the ground (¼" is plenty), then rotate the tires to the 12:00 position and check the pressure. With no weight on the tires, I doubt if you get any fluid squirting out.

I position the floor jack under the draw bar bracket and lift the entire rear of the tractor. If it's going to be off the ground for any length of time, use jackstands under the axle...especially if you have kids around.

If you do, as Junkman suggested, pull the valve stem out and drain a bit.

 

[TroyR57]

Nice machine. I have one also, and found out that 20lbs in the rears is a bit much, I now run mine at 17lbs. I had slimmed the fronts, after getting a flat on my second day, and in a few weeks, I slimmed the rears, and put 20lbs in them. I was helping a friend, clear out some bambo cane, that had been cut, we were using the back hoe to dig up the roots, and while moving around, rand over a cut pice of bambo, and all of a sudden green stuff, flying all over the place, had put a hole to big for the slime to plug. Manage to get the tractor back on the trailer before all the air escaped. Boy were the tire people mad about the slim, had to wash it all out before they could patch it. But I think if the tire pressure had been lower, it might not have putchered the tire so easy, so now I run them at 17 psi.

Also on my FEL, I notice, the same thing about it be out of level some times, after picking up heavy objects, but after a few cycles of the loader, it evens back up.

Note, to all on the Board, I am back, just return to Work after Five weeks of vacation. I now have 75 hours on my BX 23, and got all but one of the planned jobs, completed, while home, the one to help Mr. Curry, he had gotten very sick, but is better now, More latter.

On my way to Portland Maine, should be there Wednesday.

Troy. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Gowfster]

Roy-
Time for you to upgrade your ride- the BX23 has the built-on backhoe, so these jack things you speak of are from the history book! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Allen2]

Congrats on the new tractor. I have been digging out stumps lately with mine as well. The hardest so far has been the 6-10 inch diameter maples. They seem to have a tough root system. It took some serious digging to make them let go. I try to leave about 2 feet of the trunk to use as leverage when it is time to break it loose (somebody's advice from this group). I am always impressed with the pushing power of this tractor. I accidently hit a 4 inch wild cherry stump while I was moving forward (OK the heat was probably getting to me) and it popped it right out of the ground. Another push at the base and it was history. Good luck with your projects. Keep us posted with some pics.
Allen