BX23s Pin Bucket vs 2 lever

c5er

New member

Equipment
BX2360
Mar 28, 2024
2
0
1
wi
Looking at trading my BX2360 in for a BX23s for the backhoe. I really like the idea of the ability to remove the loader bucket and attach other front implements, not that I have any plans for forks or grappler at this time. However i am worried about the loss of lift capacity with the quick connect bucket. Anyone have regrets going with the 2 lever quick connect over the pin style bucket.

Additional does the bucket volume changed between the two types?

Lastly, I havent had a chance to look in person yet, but in pictures it appears that the newer 2380/23S buckets might be lighter duty than my 2360. Not sure if anyone has an answer for that.

Thanks in advance for your help.
 

NCL4701

Well-known member

Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,536
3,621
113
Central Piedmont, NC
Get the SSQA and get an appropriate size set of forks. If you don’t think you have any use for forks, despite not knowing anything about your situation, I respectfully disagree. After you’ve had them for a bit you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them. As a bonus, they’re relatively cheap and don’t require third function. Just an opinion.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 5 users

PaulR

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 23S -- 100 hours seat time so far
Aug 3, 2020
581
457
63
Hadley, MA
You won't realize the difference.
If you're buying "only" a 23S, you're prime concern isn't lift capacity anway.
If you want to be on par with the pin bucket, just add a shim or two.
Convenience > capacity loss, just MHO.
It's awesome to flip back and forth between the bucket, forks, and grapple all the time.
I'm constantly flipping those two levers, don't know what I'd do without them.
P
 

Soopitup

Active member

Equipment
BX23S
Oct 25, 2018
283
127
43
New England
I have a new 23S with the SSQA. I also have a set of pin on pallet forks. So I have experience with both.
If I had to pick one I would say the SSQA without hesitation. I also just picked up 2 more buckets, so I have to switch between 3 buckets, pallet forks, and an auger. That's a lot of pins to swap around.
I've been a mechanic for 25 years, am still able to lift heavy things and roll around on the ground without a problem.
And swapping the pin on is still time consuming and a hassle. Especially with the newer attached stand that comes with the loader.

However, you do lose lifting capacity with the SSQA. It's fairly heavy, plus it pushes the weight slightly further from the pins (further you go the less you can lift).
Which is why I have a the pin on forks, for heavier things I can't lift with my SSQA forks.
There are several other ways to get slightly more lift as well. But you need to proceed with caution there and understand what you're doing. The BX is very stable on the ground, once you start raising extra weight up high it can drastically change the balance. And you can potentially overstress the loader arms.
I also don't agree that if you need to lift more you automatically need a bigger tractor, FWIW. Other considerations go into which tractor besides just size.

I don't know if the newer bucket has less capacity. I do know anything you can lift with the 23S isn't going to stress the bucket that comes with it. I've buried the bucket in piles so deep I couldn't lift it and had to back out more times than I can count.

The nice thing with the SSQA is it's retroactively installable. You can buy the pin on loader and add the SSQA to the loader down the road (the SSQA pins onto the loader), though it may be a little more expensive that way.
There's also a aftermarket different quick attach available from AI2 that's lighter than the Kubota one. But it doesn't work with SSQA implements, only the ones designed for it.

One last thing. I believe anything that pins onto your loader will also pin onto the newer loader (they have the same pattern). The only difficulty is the stand for the newer loader requires different pins.
I actually have a thread about that, I'll try to find it and link it.
So if you have other pin on attachments you want to use you can unpin the SSQA and pin on whatever, then remove and reinstall the SSQA as needed.
More of a pain, but an option.
 

Soopitup

Active member

Equipment
BX23S
Oct 25, 2018
283
127
43
New England
Link to thread.
This was a good learning experience for me.
 

Runs With Scissors

Well-known member

Equipment
L2501 TLB , Grappel, Brush Hog, Box Blade, Ballast box, Forks, Tiller, PH digger
Jan 25, 2023
1,814
1,910
113
Michigan
I am also on "Team SSQA" side. No question about it.

The convenience of having it, far out weights a few pounds "lost lift capacity"

I would go so far as to say, If I were looking at a tractor, I would pass on buying it, if it did not have SSQA.

It would be a deciding factor (for me at least).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
9,913
4,066
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
If you're 'worried about loss of lift capacity' just wait until you find out the backhoe doesn't dig as fast or deep or as much as a 'real' backhoe like a CASE 680 ! RUN away from buying the Kubota and buy bigger......
sigh......
I've had my SSQA version BX23S for almost 6 years (1155 hrs) and have NOT regretted demanding the SSQA loader setup. The mythical 'loss in capacity is told by others who need bigger machines, plain and simple.
dbl sigh.....
I have the HLA 900# pallet forks and it's a 50/50 tossup what's on at any moment. yesterday used bucket to turn compost, then forks to haul a 5by9 sheet of 3/4" plywood(new trailer floor..'I was bored' post )

Of course there's a limit to 'bucket capacity', heck my 5000# forklift won't lift 6000# for 'some' reason....

SSQA is a GREAT time saver and EASY on the back ! Can change stuff in SECONDS instead of fighting to get 4 pins 'just right'. That PITA operation can take minutes in the cold, freezing snowy-rainy-yuck.

Really if you need 'capacity' buy a MUCH bigger loader. Only you KNOW what your operations are, what you're moving...but for me SSQA was a 'nobrainer'.
 

c5er

New member

Equipment
BX2360
Mar 28, 2024
2
0
1
wi
I really havnt pushed the boundaries on the 2360 in use. Mostly used for top soil, gravel/stone, mulch. i did notice the impact when i moved from the b7610 to then bx, but adjusted to it without a problem, just took a couple extra trips. mostly i was concern if that 100 lbs of capacity was majorly impactful. sound like most people are not seeing that impact and the flexibility is far out weighing the loss. Thanks for you opinions.
 

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,164
2,369
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
I really havnt pushed the boundaries on the 2360 in use. Mostly used for top soil, gravel/stone, mulch. i did notice the impact when i moved from the b7610 to then bx, but adjusted to it without a problem, just took a couple extra trips. mostly i was concern if that 100 lbs of capacity was majorly impactful. sound like most people are not seeing that impact and the flexibility is far out weighing the loss. Thanks for you opinions.
My B2910 loader is a LA402 on a significantly larger tractor than a BX. It used to be the lift capacity of a Kubota loader was the number designation in Kilograms. Not sure if that is the case today or not.

But my take on it is that if the rating of the loader on the BX is essentially 700 pounds, and you lose 100 pounds going with a quick hitch, this still leaves 600 pounds, with a small tractor connected to the loader.

My son-in-law has a BX 23S with the quick hitch. As far as I know, he never complained about it. And I'm sure it's so much better when you hook up your pallet forks because you can see what you're doing. At least as compared to what I have which is clamp on forks that are used with my bucket and I can't see anything.

Get the quick hitch. If you don’t you likely will regret it afterwards...
 
  • Love
Reactions: 1 user

RCW

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
Apr 28, 2013
8,395
4,047
113
Chenango County, NY
Looking at trading my BX2360 in for a BX23s for the backhoe. I really like the idea of the ability to remove the loader bucket and attach other front implements, not that I have any plans for forks or grappler at this time. However i am worried about the loss of lift capacity with the quick connect bucket. Anyone have regrets going with the 2 lever quick connect over the pin style bucket.

Additional does the bucket volume changed between the two types?

Lastly, I havent had a chance to look in person yet, but in pictures it appears that the newer 2380/23S buckets might be lighter duty than my 2360. Not sure if anyone has an answer for that.

Thanks in advance for your help.
I have a BX2360 as well.

If a BX works for you, a SSQA BX will work too. ;)

I readily admit I should have bought a B-series 11 years ago.

Have shopped them several times since I got the BX.

Even considered a B2601 with FEL and backhoe ($27K), while keeping the BX for snowblower and mowing work. Didn't make sense at the time and still doesn't.

That said, the incremental increase in capability is not important to me 95% of the time. I can live with that.

The incremental increase in cost of a B versus the BX is important to me 100% of the time....

I do suggest you compare the current B's with the BX23S.

In similar vein, I've had 1/2 ton pickup trucks for 32 years. 95% of the time, 1/2 ton truck is fine, and they're cheaper than a 3/4 ton truck, sometimes with rebates.....I can live with that.
 
Last edited:

chim

Well-known member

Equipment
L4240HSTC with FEL, Ford 1210
Jan 19, 2013
1,772
861
113
Near Lancaster, PA, USA
The buckets on B7500 and L3200 I had were pin-on. The L4240 has QA. I really prefer the QA for the ease of swapping attachments. I made a few attachments for the first two that hooked up to the buckets, so it's possible to live without QA. Whole lot nicer with QA though.
 

fried1765

Well-known member

Equipment
Kubota L48 TLB, Ford 1920 FEL, Ford 8N, SCAG Liberty Z, Gravely Pro.
Nov 14, 2019
6,638
4,198
113
Eastham, Ma
You won't realize the difference.
If you're buying "only" a 23S, you're prime concern isn't lift capacity anway.
If you want to be on par with the pin bucket, just add a shim or two.
Convenience > capacity loss, just MHO.
It's awesome to flip back and forth between the bucket, forks, and grapple all the time.
I'm constantly flipping those two levers, don't know what I'd do without them.
P
It can get even better than that!
I don't flip any levers.
I just activate the 3rd function diverter, and the levers become hydraulically actuated.
No need to dismount!