My BX is too fragile

[kghenson]

So new to tractor world, got a new BX-2670 with FEL and Roto-tiller. Also got the ride over MMM. The reason I bought this tractor is that I have about 2 acres of land that came with my house the previous owner let grow wild for 30 years after it used to be a meadow.

My wife and I had been clearing it by chain saw and brush cutter for 6 months and decided we needed more power, hence the Orange tractor and Piranha bar.

So a couple of weekends ago it got dry enough to go to work. At first it was slow going but as I gained experience the tractor and the FEL were doing a great job. But....

Here is the rub, apparently Kubota doesn't want you to use the tractor to do any rough work. It is far too fragile for that. If sticks come up under your tractor the orange folks did not choose to protect your 18k tractor and wires, hoses and fans are all vulnerable. Seriously.

Come on Kubota, you should do a better design job then this. Total failure of design, where is the shield!!!!. My Buick is better protected then this.

So I checked with Xpanded, they sell a shield but with my Ride Over mower rails have to come off first. So to use my mower I would have to take off the shield then put the mower frame back on, followed by the mower.

It sure looks pretty in the barn, so after I do the clearing with the chain saw and brush cutter I can use it to ride around and maybe mow the grass...

Rant over

 

[rentthis]

I would have never bought a BX2670 to do the job you described. This is a really powerful lawn mower and a very small tractor. Sticks damaging tractors is a fact of life when clearing land. I own several much larger tractors L-4600 etc for use in my rental fleet. They are dramatically larger than your BX. I won't, under any circumstances rent them for land and brush clearing. They never fail to come back damaged. After you get your place cleaned up, your BX will be perfect to maintain your place. You are probably asking to much of the little guy.

 

[kghenson]

Actually the little guy rocks, was clearing the land very successfully. Once I got the hang of floating the bucket and using the the piranha bar to rip the brush and very small trees up it was doing an awesome job. And this with a first time operator at the controls.

You still need to go back with the chain saw or cutter and do clean-up but with the tractor you can accomplish in a day what takes a week with a chain saw, and the tractor can gather up the brush into burn piles much quicker then by hand.

It was the fragility that shocked me. Especially since a couple of shields in place could have protected the tractor quite well and cost almost nothing to install.

 

[skeets]

Sounds more like you want it to work like a 988,, it aint, you need to think through with everything you do. Just think things through before you do anything, that;s all it take's and you will find out that little beast is one tuff muther trust me on that!

 

[kghenson]

The little beast is tough, the design team did poor job of protecting the plumbing. Inexcusable

 

[tcrote5516]

Skeets nailed it.

These tractors are everything but fragile, you just need to use them with common sense. Kubota could skid plate the bottom from the front to the back but most people don't use a BX for land clearing because...well their not built for land clearing and all that extra protection would make servicing that much harder for the 95% of people that use them as intended.

I've cleared land with mine without a skid plate and caused no damage you just need to pay attention. It's a SUBCOMPACT tractor not a bulldozer but with all things considered it's amazing how well it play's the roll of one.

 

[85Hokie]

The little beast is tough, the design team did poor job of protecting the plumbing. Inexcusable

I'll make two comments here.

First - having done the research, protecting the "flaw" is a must when going on a non perfect grass world. Kubota has tried a little harder to protect the fan, but I agree - aint much there!

Second, asking a 5' grass cutter to be a bulldozer is like asking one of these two idiots to be a good president!

 

[hodge]

I'll make two comments here.

First - having done the research, protecting the "flaw" is a must when going on a none perfect grass world. Kubota has tried a little harder to protect the fan, but I agree - aint much there!

Second, asking a 5' grass cutter to be a bulldozer is like asking one of these two idiots to be a good president!

I agree. You bought the wrong tool for what you want to do, plain and simple. The BX was not designed for the type of work that you are using it for- other models, like the B series, have more ground clearance and an enclosed drivetrain.

Other manufacturers build and market the same way, like Deere. They have models that are designed for heavy duty yard work, and models for what you are doing. Kubota, and others, didn't slack- they purpose build. You are using yours for the wrong purpose.

 

[TripleR]

Had you come here or TBN prior to purchase, you would have known, those of us who hose to use these machines beyond their design parameters find a guard plate from Bxpanded or Bro Tek is essential. When you only have 8.7" of ground clearance, you simply cannot take any machine into rough stuff and not expect some damage and this is not unique to Kubota, we also have owned two John Deere SCUTS. a better choice would have been the B if you cannot add a skid plate. I know of no models of any size that have a good OEM skid plate.

 

[kghenson]

Its a tractor,I grew up on a farm. Tractors are supposed to do tractor stuff.

Telling me that I bought the wrong tool when the problem is lack of protection for the drive train and plumbing doesn't pass the sniff test.

It clears brush perfectly, and was well recommended by several landscapers for just what I am using it for. Plenty of power, got the right attachments, works fine.

Don't need a more expensive machine, just a little better design to protect the vitals

 

[TripleR]

Well I grew up on a farm too and own nine tractors including three SCUTS and knew buying any of the presently available was going to be problematic without adding protection.

Many find adding additional protection on any tractor used in the woods will prevent damage, lots of threads on adding belly pans to 60-90 HP machines. I've got filter plating from this man. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...-m9540-belly-skid-plate-brush.html?highlight=

You are being told the same thing by everyone, so that may tell you something.

 

[cerlawson]

More two cents. I 've had both larger, yet compact tractors and now a BX. The only reason for the BX is the location now is a city lot. If I was to make the same choice for the subject property and the budget was limited, I'd go with a larger used machine. The BX has some pretty cheap parts, the main complaint is the crummy three point control, just up or down, no setting the tool position via the lever position. Crummy fuel filters also.

 

[TripleR]

More two cents. I 've had both larger, yet compact tractors and now a BX. The only reason for the BX is the location now is a city lot. If I was to make the same choice for the subject property and the budget was limited, I'd go with a larger used machine. The BX has some pretty cheap parts, the main complaint is the crummy three point control, just up or down, no setting the tool position via the lever position. Crummy fuel filters also.

No disagreement there, but to get those you have to buy the deluxe John Deere SCUT, we have one a 1025R, which costs considerably more. The BX is set for a significant upgrade this yea, but will still have the quarter inching 3PH which many seem to be OK with.

 

[kghenson]

Yeah that was an awesome link. It seems when you go to a non-orange forum they are not as defensive. Many comments there about tractors in the B and L range being too fragile as well.

I am thinking about getting the BXpanded Under Armour but to install it I need to remove the MMM ride over mower frame work. I will crawl under the tractor next week to see how hard that is...

Thanks for the link.

 

[TripleR]

I've found having grown up farming and thus being use to the old seemingly industrial tractors can in some ways leave us a bit unprepared for the modern, less robust machines. I began making the adjustment in 1998 with a new Case CX80. Break downs and broken/bent parts "seemed" all too common, but in speaking with others it was pretty par for the course on the new machines.

We have some made in the 50s, 60s and one in 86 and they are pretty hard to tear up, not impossible, but harder. The newer machines do certainly have their advantages though.

Just because a machine "will" do something" doesn't mean it was "designed" to. Dealers of all colors including different brands of trucks etc.

I bought a Yamaha Rhino and Grizzly as well as Polaris to ride in my woods only to discover the plastic CV joint protectors and underbelly skid plates lasted about a day, so metal ones had to be purchased and installed.

As mentioned I have several different brands and sizes and have come to accept no matter the color, if used in the woods without added protection, I'll spend more time in the shop, welding, straightening and repairing broken parts.

If you have time to read this, you will see it is not just Kubota or BX that can use added stuff: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kioti-buying-pricing/315694-my-nx6010.html

 

[bxray]

Well except for the under belly mine is a tough unit for its size.
It has a fel and bh so it should be able to go off turf!

You do have to watch out for sticks.
I know my jd has the same issue.I have replaced the hst fan 2X.

Here is another under plate system that may work for you.

http://www.bro-tek.com/skid_plate/

Ray

 

[olthumpa]

"you beat on anything long enough and hard enough you can break it even granite river rock" my cousin

p.s. he is a stone mason & he has a BX? and a L3830

 

[bxray]

Just go to youtube and look at all the epic construction failures!
There are some big units hetting stuck, falling over.
As ling as you know your limits and do not exceed them you will live to see another day.

Ray

 

[tcrote5516]

Don't need a more expensive machine, just a little better design to protect the vitals

Sounds like you do need a more expensive machine or you don't want to come to grips with the reality of product production.

Better design = higher cost.

No way around it. Better design cost money 100% of the time. Better design demands higher quality materials 90% of the time. Both those impact cost. You will never find Bentley quality with a Chevy Aveo price tag just like you will never find Grand L capability with a BX budget.

 

[maclean]

I own a BX25. We bought it to clear 17 acres, build 2500' of road, house, septic field and lots and lots of trenching and fencing.

2 years later. Just rolled over 900 hours. Two FEL tilt cylinders. HST fan...then I bought a skid plate and 3 inch spacers...problem is the spacers make another gap for sticks...so time for another HST fan. All the safety switches are wired out...including a bypass for the timer, which got crushed. Second set of tires.

Yes...I have abused and used this tractor. Yes I probably should have bought a bigger one...but my neighbor bought a 3900 and I don't like hist $690 a month payment...my sub $300 a month payment is palatable.

But I look at the rental BX 25 Home Depot has and my tractor is in far better shape.

Use it...abuse it...love it, repair it and maintain it. Kubota builds tougher tractors than most. Just be ready to fix what you break...I have a list of pins, parts and tires I keep on hand so I don't loose a weekend on an oops.

-Mac