First post

[c5ac5b9]

Having run my own forum for cast iron antique cookware for the past 20 years, I know the feat it takes to run a forum of this size.

I'm the newbie here and am asking advice. Having lived on postage stamp size homes for the past 35 years, my wife and I took early retirement and moved onto a one acre home. Now I know one acre is small, but when I could push mow our lawn before in 30 min, I'm not going to push mow this acre. Also, we have a 300 foot driveway to snowblow in Ohio, and my wife wants a garden as well on the back 1/4 acre. Thus, I started to look for a garden tractor.

I was offered, what I thought was a great deal, 2016 BX1870, brand new, with 54" deck mower, turf tires, but no FEL. $8550 seems like a good deal to me with 0% financing for 60 months. What say the experts? The reason I ask is that I have never owned a diesel, never a garden tractor and will need to purchase implement for the CAT 1 3p for a blade for snow and rotary tiller for the garden. Any advice on what to do, run or buy? From what I've read, this seems like a great deal and the Orange subcompact seems like a workhorse and likely way more than what I need, but I have a daughter that will likely inherit this after I decide to move to our property in Fiji and give up this cold weather ONCE AND FOR ALL!! TIA for the advice!!

 

[85Hokie]

C5,

you have come to the right spot - there is sooo much help here it can be contagious daily reading!

First of all - forget the garden tractor! Second - the Kubota sub-compact is a true tractor and can do everything a garden tractor could dream of.

I would NOT buy just the BX with the MMM (mid mounted mower) I would get the FEL - it might be the best part of the entire tractor. IT is worth it's weight in gold once you get to use it and see what you can do with it. Despite the cost of all the add ons, you will see how efficient this machine can be - and how worth the price it truly is!

The BX series will do all that you wish and more - a 5' rear blade will help with snow and dirt, and if snow is a huge deal - there are front mounted snow blowers available.

AS for diesels.....once you understand how it works, and that is simple - the power from a diesel is tremendous compared to a gas engine. Diesels require maintenance - but most of that is fuel treatment in cold, Diesels are simplistically simple and a hellva lot of fun - even the noise is not an issue.

Sit down with your KUBOTA dealer - map out all that you wish to buy, you should be able to get it alllll for 0% - and that really is 0% - there is an insurance cost that you need to be aware of, however, this covers damn near anything that could happen to your machine!

A cash price will not lower the price too much - that little payment per month is cheaper than a new car and the machine is well worth the cost. The 0% is a great deal.

There are things that you might want to consider adding to your machine that the dealer might not offer. When you sit down and get a price across the board - come back to us and tell us what the current situation is.

here is a picture of my FEL doing light duty

 

[bearskinner]

It’s easy to spend someone else’s money, but if you would use a loader and snow blower, by purchasing it all together, you will have quality fit products, that mount and dismount easily, andwork perfectly, all at 0% financing. Possibly the 3 point set up too? Ask the dealer what he recommends too.

 

[D2Cat]

Any tractor with a front end loader will sell faster and hold it's value over a non-loader equipped model.

 

[c5ac5b9]

Dealer states that All components to be added to the 0% financing must be Land Pride items. RTR0542 (tiller) and RB0560 (blade) would be about $2800 extra. Don't get enough snow here in Ohio for the snowblower. As for the FEL, the dealer states we can add one on, but need to install a loader valve. I have not talked prices for the FEL and loader valve yet (kind of afraid to ask), as I have see online prices were about $2800 for the FEL and not sure what the loader valve would cost. I definitely need the tiller and blade, but believe that the $2800 price for these Cat 1 3p pieces are a little high, as I can get King Kutter tiller and blade for about $1000 less and the KK tiller has 6 vs 4 flanges.

Anyone know the price for a the LA203 FEL plus the Loader Valve?

 

[sheepfarmer]

I have not seen the valve for a loader priced out separately, so can't help there. However tractor plus loader are the most common package dealers have set up, so you might want to shop around. You would be able to do all the snow removal you want with a bucket on the loader. Since you are not up by the lake, I'll assume you won't run out of room to put snow. A neighbor of mine has done so for years, and so has rkidd (look up his posts). You might not need a blade.

My priority list would be to identify and check out dealers first, especially if you will be using them for service. Ask around. Some dealers have dandy sales staff and lousy techs.

Second go try out and drive a couple of Bx's. Have the dealer show you how easy it would be to take the loader off and put it on again if you have level ground to store it. Have you figured out where you will keep the tractor and implements? Also how easy or hard to put on the mower deck? Concrete is a real plus for this. Type of mower will depend on shape of yard. Measure your storage space and also door height before buying tractor :

The advantages of the loader are as above mentioned and then some. Your wife and daughter would like all they will do for gardening. Carry mulch, pots from car. Heavy stuff can be slid over to bucket which is flat on ground, and rolled or pushed into bucket instead of lifted.

Turf tires are good on the lawn and also snow.

 

[redfernclan]

I'm a big fan of go slow and get exactly what you want, taking advantage of the zero percent.
The bucket you will find many uses for. As we age, it take alot of the back breaking out of work. Hauling things, back blading the drive way, moving compost to your garden, hauling fire wood.
Three point for the tiller, and you may want to look into a box blade vs a blade.
You mentioned a mid mount mower. If you ground is flat, the only time you pull it will be to till. I welded hooks on my bucket so that when I do pull the mower, I chain it to the bucket, haul it over to the wash down area and hose it down. I think it alone weighs about 200lbs. Just anoth plug for the FEL.
Weight all the options and get it bundled. What I did learn when I bought mine was that prices vary greatly in a 50 mile area. I called around and got my set up for 1,400 cheaper, the rear tires filled and an extra two years on the warranty.

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

The loader to me is the most valuable. I cant believe what all i use it for. Wish I had this bx years ago to save my back. Although rare sometimes they are listed for sale, like this 1: I dont know this person or listing. Maybe you could get the valve and mounts added to the sale?


https://janesville.craigslist.org/grd/d/kubota-la203-loader-for/6430018853.html

 

[c5ac5b9]

The loader to me is the most valuable. I cant believe what all i use it for. Wish I had this bx years ago to save my back. Although rare sometimes they are listed for sale, like this 1: I dont know this person or listing. Maybe you could get the valve and mounts added to the sale?


https://janesville.craigslist.org/grd/d/kubota-la203-loader-for/6430018853.html

Thanks for the link, but I believe this is a scam. The exact same photo is being used to sell the same item and it is listed by two Craigslist accounts, one in Michigan and another in Missouri. At $1250, that is too good a deal to not be a scam, IMHO.

Going to the dealer today to work on some numbers

 

[85Hokie]

Going to the dealer today to work on some numbers

AS I and everyone else has said - that loader is the best part of the tractor. Despite the "cost" - it is an essential part. Forget the resale part.......
all that is true but the use of it is the most important thing. YOU will find that having it is far more important no having it.....even when you see the cost!

Much like the piranha tooth bar ......no one wants to spend the $300 or so on it......BUT once convinced and bought - they see it is invaluable to have!

you do what you need to do!

 

[c5ac5b9]

well I'm finding out that joining this forum is likely to be saving me money by getting some great opinions. So I started calling the other Kubota dealers in the area (50 mile radius). I have a lead on a BX1870 leftover with FEL and MMM at $11,000 or under. Dealer is contacting the REP to see about getting more money off for me. I'll know more tomorrow.

All other dealers (4 total) have no left overs and the BX1880 is going around $16,000. However, and I need to read more on this one, there is a 2005 BX2230 with R4 tires, FEL, 60" MMM and 1614 hours from the one owner who just traded it in to get a BX25. They want $6000 for that one. Is 1614 hours a lot of hours for the Kubota diesel? I might have to drive there to look at that one.

 

[85Hokie]

well I'm finding out that joining this forum is likely to be saving me money by getting some great opinions. So I started calling the other Kubota dealers in the area (50 mile radius). I have a lead on a BX1870 leftover with FEL and MMM at $11,000 or under. Dealer is contacting the REP to see about getting more money off for me. I'll know more tomorrow.

All other dealers (4 total) have no left overs and the BX1880 is going around $16,000. However, and I need to read more on this one, there is a 2005 BX2230 with R4 tires, FEL, 60" MMM and 1614 hours from the one owner who just traded it in to get a BX25. They want $6000 for that one. Is 1614 hours a lot of hours for the Kubota diesel? I might have to drive there to look at that one.

Personally, despite the 5k advantage the used has over the old, I would buy new - IF you can get what you say and need for under 11K - go for it!!!! AND at zero % - damn hard to beat.

As for a kubota diesel - 1600 hours is just a number - thats about a midpoint for a typical small diesel engine. Many kubotas will run 5000 hours or more, it is all about HOW that engine was treated.

as for the 1870 and 1880 - if the 80 series was inside a 1000 bucks - I would pause and compare, at what you are quoted, the 1870 is a hellva bargain.

New machine - 2 year warranty on all parts........and a free hat!!!
Ask the salesman if there will fill the tires for free too......

 

[c5ac5b9]

Well, the quote that I got for the 1880 just got better. The new 1880 has the LA344 FEL with quick attach, 54" MMM and the quick hitch QH15. It's $12750. I believe this is with R4 tires, but I would like the turf tires, I believe. Also wondering if a 48" deck would be better for mowing as I have several trees to maneuver around.

Still waiting to hear back about the left over 1870, that should be $11K or under. I should hear back today on that one. I'm going to see a 1880 today, hopefully, but it is still 6 degrees out at 9am.

 

[Missouribound]

Anyone know the price for a the LA203 FEL plus the Loader Valve?

Go to Kubotausa.com and look around. You can "build" your Kubota there and as you do the pricing adjusts to show what you add.
The loader valve kit and loader is about $3300.
But as everyone already said it is something you really should get. It's a third hand, it can be your snow removal tool, your wheelbarrow, stump puller and too many things to mention.

 

[Missouribound]

but I would like the turf tires,

My B2320 came with industrial tires......the dealer swapped them out for turf's at no cost to me. And you definitely want turfs if you plan to use it on your lawn.

 

[c5ac5b9]

I want to thank everyone for their help. Today, I went and looked at the BX1880 and will drive it shortly(too cold today). Also the price for the new BX1870 was not decreased further by the REP and stayed at $11,000. I was offered the BX1880 by two dealers for $12,750 and $12,999. I'm going to go with the $12,999 deal, as they have service for their customers that is hard to beat. They will deliver the tractor for free (40 miles one way), pick it up for free for service and deliver again. Also they have implements that they will rent (e.g., King Kutter rotary tiller for $40/day), as well as many other items for their customers.

Now I need to figure out exactly what implements I need to package with it. So far, I have the 54" deck, QH15 (quick hitch) and the LA344 Swift tach loader. Already got the to throw in the hat and fill my turf tires for free too. Other Recommendations??

 

[Missouribound]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. I did get a box blade for my machine to maintain my gravel driveway. Snow isn't an issue for me here in southern Missouri. I have a little over 5 acres, about 3 which I cut and 2 wooded which I play around in a bit. I intend to get a Piranha tooth bar when it gets a bit warmer to continue playing in the woods. You may want to checkout a site called BXpanded which sells a lot of Kubota accessories. I did buy some hooks for my bucket to make it easier to attach a chain. If you are going to do any loader work think about a ballast box as your counterweight. Many people fill their tires but I opted not too as I mow primarily on my property and the extra weight won't be any nicer to my lawn.

Have fun and keep us updated.

 

[85Hokie]

C5,

you done good brother....done good!

JUST wait till you get it working - you will have the orange disease next, called PERMA GRIN, that is where your face hurts from smiling!

 

[bgk]

I run a snow plow and a 3 pt blade on my B2400 for snow removal. It works fantastic. I use the rear blade a ton by the way. I would not want to forgo having the hydraulic front plow blade though. Once you drag snow out you have to do something with it. I’d want the front end loader or a plow. Here’s what my set up looks like for snow.

Also, having a tiller is awesome! I have in total
Roughly 1/3 acre in garden. If you’re going to have a small back yard patch it may make more sense financially to simply buy a stihl or similar hand operated tiller.

 

[bgk]

Just saw your update. Good luck with the purchase, and the implement rental seems like a no brainer to me for the tiller as long as you can move it or have it dropped off.