First time buyer, need buying advice, requirements included

[esloser]

A couple of years ago, I was in the same boat as you. Although, I don’t have as much land and am still stuck in the subdivision. I went with a bx1870 since the plan was to replace a smaller John Deere x310, but wanted the front end loader.

We had an in ground pool put in and it didn’t include any final grading or backfilling. I thought I could pay someone a few thousand to do it or buy a tractor, do it myself, and then have a machine that would pay for itself year after year.

Now, I only have a 1/2 acre so a B was totally out of the question an the 1870 was the smallest I could get with a fel and 48” deck. I love it.

Here’s some things I’ve done over the years:
1. Leveled backyard and filled in trenches from pool construction
2. Spread 30 yards of mulch in a single weekend
3. Planted two rows of thuja green giants along both sides of my property line - tilled the ground, trenched, carried trees from truck to planting, and back filled them. 28 trees planted in 3 hours.
4. Tilled 12 x 20’ garden
5. Moved playhouse quite a few times
6. Mowed the yard
7. Plowed the neighbors out. I usually do 9 or so driveways a storm using box blade and fel.

The fel has completely replaced a wheelbarrow.

Here’s my backyard after the pool was put in. The pool builder kept telling me the landscapers would fix the yard. It took me a bit, but I found out I was the landscaper they kept talking about.

And here is what it looks like now. No sod x all from seed.

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[Tractor Dell]

I honestly recommend you check out the Messicks YouTube channel. They do a lot of videos on Kubota's. Everything from helping you size your tractor to your needs, to what implements will work best, to how you operate them.

One of the most recent ones talked about pulling power of a BX with different tires. The one thing they most remind you of is that HP has nothing to do with lift capacity. That is all based on the hydraulics. The only thing HP matters for is running something off the PTO.

I watch all their video's, and they really help me. Heck, I even bought my BX23S from them.

 

[PaulL]

My only real concern would be whether it could handle the higher HP tasks

I guess the real question is what tasks you need HP for? Going back to your original list:

• Grading the driveway. Not in any way HP limited - the size of blade you can pull is driven by traction, which in turn is driven by weight and tire size. But in saying that, a BX will pull a 4 foot wide box blade, a B will pull 5 foot. If you drive down the driveway one direction, you have to come back, may as well make a pass on the other side of the driveway. Unless your driveway is more than 8 foot wide (BX) or 10 foot wide (B), a bigger tractor won't do it a lot faster. And it sounds like a job you do a few times a year, and probably your skill with the implement is what will cost you time, not tractor size
• Snow blowing. Definitely HP limited - more HP = bigger blower. You can get a 26HP BX, and a 26HP B. Anything bigger comes with emissions equipment (such as the 33HP B). Would you drive a blower that needs more than 26HP? Larger tractors often don't come with mid PTO (needed for a front blower), unless you go to a Grand L. That's an expensive tractor. But how often does it snow, and how deep? If not often, then plow instead
• Snow plowing. Like grading, traction is the limiting factor. And that controls how big your blade is. And like grading, a BX will push a 4 foot blade, a B maybe 5 foot. How wide is your driveway again? Same logic applies, you have to come back once you get to the end anyway, and same skills question - better to learn with a smaller machine
• Lawn mowing. Not really HP limited unless you're pulling a massive rear mower. If you're running a mid mower, then whatever size mower Kubota put on the tractor it'll happily drive. 60 inch on a BX and small B, 72 inch I think on a large B - that's plenty of mower. And a B or BX will mow way better than a larger machine
• Mulching. More HP means a bigger mulcher. I drive this machine that I got from China http://www.lefa-cz.com/Product/Wood-chipper-BX42.html - it's a knockoff of an older Wallenstein model. It takes 4 inch branches, and runs fine off my BX - which is only 23HP. Anything larger than that I cut for firewood anyway. So whilst you could get a bigger chipper - why? Costs more money, more to move around, you only have 5 acres.
• Woods cleanup Here a B is definitely better than a BX. More ground clearance. If you go to an L then it won't fit in as many gaps.

What you didn't mention is:

• Price. Larger tractors cost more. Although an L doesn't cost all that much more than a large B, it does start to add up. And a B is a nicer tractor - an L is a budget tractor
• Learning. As a learner, I'd say a smaller tractor is probably better. A big machine breaks everything you bang it into. Actually, so does a small machine, but just to a smaller extent.
• Transportability. Smaller tractor is easier to trailer. Would you take it places? Help out family or friends?
• Implements. Bigger tractor means bigger implements. Bigger implements cost more
• Time. Bigger tractors do things faster. But you say you don't have that much work for a tractor, and much of the work you do list I'm not sure would be that much faster with a bigger machine. There's not much of "move large piles of stuff from place A to place B" or "rototill a field"

Bottom line, don't worry too much about HP. Worry about the jobs you want to do, the implements you want to drive. Think about the practicalities of what you need to do. If your driveway is 10 foot wide and you want to only make 2 passes, you need a 5 or 6 foot blade. If it's 8 foot wide, then 4-5 foot will do. How much snow do you really have? Is it 2 inches on the ground a few times a year, or is it 4 foot every weekend? (if you're doing snow a lot you need to think about a cab)

I'd def need lawn tires and then need to chain it up for snow removal

I don't see many people with lawn tires on an L. If you're doing lawn type stuff I feel like you shouldn't have an L in the first place, you should have a lawn tractor (a BX or B). Having said that, many people say the turfs have more traction on snow than the R4 or R1 tires. I wouldn't look at chains until you've tried it.

Your property and tasks don't really feel BX sized, and if you're worried then go the B. The bigger question is the small B frame or large B frame (i.e. B2301/B2601 v's B2650/B3350). I'd say the B2650 is the sweet spot for what you describe - that 72 inch mower looks excellent. But the B2601 would be worth a good look too - smaller mower, probably a smaller blade and box blade, but still a great tractor.

 

[Hillhigh Guy]

I was in a similar situation recently. 3 hilly acres and a new house to landscape around, create new yard etc... I felt that with the unimproved nature of the property, the bx with it's little tire would beat me up over the rutted yard. I also needed a bit more ground clearance. I looked at the B2650 and to me, just felt too big. Great tractor though. I know some folks discount the B2601 but it was a nice middle ground between the bx and and the b2650. I'm going to be planting bunches of trees in the future so I went all in with a BH. A little spendy but I figure I could always sell the BH down the road. Sit on and drive a wide variety and get a feel of what your most comfortable on. I was concerned that 25hp wasn't going to be enough but so far, I've been able to drag a rfm up a pretty good hill and not lose PTO power plus I don't have to deal with the emissions stuff down the road.

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[ItBmine]

See my pics here:

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34775

If you don't want to spend a lot of money, go with the B2601. It will do everything you need to do and more.
I have moved and spread 330 metric tonnes of gravel, built 1 mile of bush road with mine. And mow 2 acres of lawn, run a chipper/shredder, etc with mine.

Sure a cab would be nice at times in the winter, but I don't want one 90% of the time.

The B2601 saves enough money over a B2650 to pay for an implement.

 

[RCW]

Wow fellas, I wish I had asked Clover’s question 5+ years ago myself!!
Like I said earlier, 90% of the time I’m happy with my BX2360, other 10% wishing for more....but I didn’t realize how much work the little thing could do. Never wanted more horsepower, wanted more lifting or pulling power, which is a function of weight, especially rear tires.
But in all for my use, I can live with the 10%....
I think Clover could do well with either, but to TripleR’s point about position control of the 3PH, that alone could tip the scale if I was looking today..... I’ve learned to deal the quarter inching thing, but it’s much less than optimal.

Thought maybe to give Clover an idea of scale/size, I’m attaching a picture of my blower. It’s sitting on a dolly, but gives an idea how big it is, and was buried in my earlier picture when we had 34” of snow. This also works with a B, with the proper hitch and mid-PTO assembly. Plowing is not an option for me because we get too much snow, and I don’t have room to push banks back.

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[JWool]

I went from a BX2350 used for snow blowing, lawn and other implements to a B2650HST mainly because I wanted a cab for snow work, and after looking into the advantages of a factory cab over aftermarket became clear.
I end up going with a a Z421 zero turn for the lawn.
I have 4 acres half or so wooded, mow about 1 acre.
Driveway 300 plus feet half gravel and half paved.

 

[mic214]

I just went through the same process trying to decide what tractor to get for my place. We have a little over 6-3/4 acres of mostly flat and partially wooded property around the house.

I started looking at the BX and moved on to the B2650. The BX would have been OK for mowing, but I have a bunch of stump work to do, so I wanted something with a backhoe and a little more HP.

We also have 140 acres of hunting property that requires some road maintenance (Box blade work), so I got to looking at the 'L' series and figured that maybe the L2501 would be a good choice.

In the end, my lovely bride and the dealer convinced me to to go with the largest tractor that we could afford, so that I would not have any regrets down the road about buying too small of a tractor. So I ended up with an L3901.

It just got delivered last week......

 

[edritchey]

Well sir you ended up with a nice rig there I'm sure it will do a lot of work for you. I had one for a short time and it was a nice tractor.

I just went through the same process trying to decide what tractor to get for my place. We have a little over 6-3/4 acres of mostly flat and partially wooded property around the house.

I started looking at the BX and moved on to the B2650. The BX would have been OK for mowing, but I have a bunch of stump work to do, so I wanted something with a backhoe and a little more HP.

We also have 140 acres of hunting property that requires some road maintenance (Box blade work), so I got to looking at the 'L' series and figured that maybe the L2501 would be a good choice.

In the end, my lovely bride and the dealer convinced me to to go with the largest tractor that we could afford, so that I would not have any regrets down the road about buying too small of a tractor. So I ended up with an L3901.

It just got delivered last week......

 

[Clover13]

Really great feedback and insight all! Some nice tractors too! I'm going to try to get to the dealer on Thursday and discuss some options and pricing, see where they steer me.

Snow wise, we don't get a ton here usually. But when we get hit, it's that standard NE, wet, heavy snow/slush mixture that breaks your back shoveling. Last couple years we got hit pretty good with some 12-20" storms. Final one last winter I think I was out there 5-6 times shoveling and driving over it to compact it to stay ahead of it. Year before I got stuck and my neighbor plowed me out...that's what I want to avoid moving forward.

Driveway is pretty wide at around 10-12' on average, and areas that are wider...so the 5' box probably makes the most sense.

Woods are a little tight, I'll need to cut some trees and remove some stumps in a few areas to get some trails (either rent a BH, borrow my neighbors, or shovel/pull them out with the tractor and some pulleys). I won't be pulling enough stumps to warrant buying a BH I don't think. If I find myself in that situation, I'll explore it later.

So tractor wise, one thing I did notice is there isn't much of a wheelbase width difference between the current B2650 (65.6") and the B2601 (61.4"). Not sure how much that 4.2" really saves for maneuvering through the woods. My gut tells me the B2650 is probably the one to go with given the great reviews on it from many. I also like both have the position control valve...I don't like that quarter inching concept, sounds like it would get annoying really quick.

I'll check out Messicks channel as Tractor Dell mentioned too, would like to see that info on the BX. Assuming they all come with the quarter inching though (didn't see it on the quick specs, so might be one of those hidden features they avoid listing explicitly).

I do want to talk to my neighbor about why he wishes he had more power. He has a JD 4310, which is 31.2HP at the engine and 27HP at the PTO. From what I've been learning so far, outside of snowblowing with a blower (I may even get a blade instead), nothing I'd be doing requires a lot of HP.

I think in the end I just need to go give them a test drive and see what feels best. The only concern I have now is whether I can cut the lawn with whatever I choose without wrecking it or the sprinkler zones throughout. I live in pretty soft/sandy soil with top soil under the lawn and do fear the weight of either tractor could be problematic. Right now I have someone who cuts it for me with a zero turn, man they tear the hell out of the lawn because they run it like an Indy 500 race car driver (time = money)...but the weight of the ZT seems fine even in wetter conditions (post rain, post watering). They're probably around 1100-1300lbs, so I figure a 2601 (1632lbs) or a 2650 (1786lbs) shouldn't sink in and leave massive tracks with lawn tires that are wider than the ZT mowers. However if I fill the tires, it's probably adding another 500lbs+ I'd imagine. Now I'm in the realm of double the ZT weight. My gut tells me it's probably smarter to get a cheap little riding mower for the 3/4 acre, where I can grab a beer and cruise around while still keeping the lawn well manicured. The lawn is more of an aesthetic thing, not a "work task"...so I'd rather lean toward babying it a bit. Keep the tractor for the brute work tasks, and gear it out for those specifically. Worth noting, when doing a reno and moving some dirt, we used my neighbors FEL on his JD and it did leave some pretty good ruts even with lawn tires in the mulch beds and lawn in spots...so that in itself probably tells the tale, but it's also a much heavier machine too at 2600 to 2900 pounds (plus he had a BH on it).

Again, thanks for all the great feedback guys, really tremendous! I'll follow up once I meet with the dealer and get their insight. And if anyone has any more feedback or pictures of their setups, please do share, I enjoy seeing the pics!

 

[BAP]

I have a B2920 with loader, 60” MMM, BH65 backhoe, brush mower, 63” front snowblower and rear blade. I have the turf tires loaded with beet juice and mow my 1-1/4 acre lawn with the mid mount mower. My lawn ranges from steep, hard dry hills to low soggy ground. I usually take the loader off to mow to make it easier to maneuver. Even when it is wet, I rarely leave any kinds of tracks. In the winter I use tire chains with the snowblower and rear blade. Never have a traction problem. The B2920 is just 3 horses more than the current B2650. It has been a great tractor and I have done a lot of work with it. I have moved a lot of dirt, built roads and landscaped my yard. It is big enough to do a lot of work but small enough to be very maneuverable in tight areas. Whatever model you choose you will have a great tractor. The best thing to do is to try out several models and see how comfortable you are on them. Check out the controls, how easy or not they to run, how stable you feel on it on slopes and so on. Good luck finding the right fit.

 

[Clover13]

I have a B2920 with loader, 60” MMM, BH65 backhoe, brush mower, 63” front snowblower and rear blade. I have the turf tires loaded with beet juice and mow my 1-1/4 acre lawn with the mid mount mower. My lawn ranges from steep, hard dry hills to low soggy ground. I usually take the loader off to mow to make it easier to maneuver. Even when it is wet, I rarely leave any kinds of tracks. In the winter I use tire chains with the snowblower and rear blade. Never have a traction problem. The B2920 is just 3 horses more than the current B2650. It has been a great tractor and I have done a lot of work with it. I have moved a lot of dirt, built roads and landscaped my yard. It is big enough to do a lot of work but small enough to be very maneuverable in tight areas. Whatever model you choose you will have a great tractor. The best thing to do is to try out several models and see how comfortable you are on them. Check out the controls, how easy or not they to run, how stable you feel on it on slopes and so on. Good luck finding the right fit.

Good info on your experience with the lawn mowing! Fortunately my land is all flat as a pancake, so slopes are no issue.

 

[RCW]

I'm thinking you're well-prepared to talk a dealer now!

Will be very interested what your impressions are.

Best wishes, and keep us posted!

 

[PaulL]

I've mostly said my piece, but a couple of points I picked up in your last comment:

1. Filling tires. I probably wouldn't for the property you describe - it doesn't sound like you have a hills problem. There are many ways to ballast a tractor, the advantage of filled tires is that the weight is low. But that's mainly a stability question. When you have a rear blade on you'll probably have plenty of weight, and when you're doing loader work you could use a ballast box. The downside of filled tires is they're always filled - so mowing you're carrying that extra weight. It's easy enough to buy without filled tires, try it out. If you don't like the mowing, that's when you buy a mower, and then you can fill the tires.

2. Weight. Yes a B is heavier than a ZT, but the tires are heaps bigger. Your ground pressure will be lower. I worked this out one time for a BX v's a B, and despite the extra weight, the B has quite a bit less ground pressure - the wheels are much larger. Again, no harm in trying it to see, if it doesn't mow how you like, then you invest in a ride on.

3. Have a beer. My BX has a cup holder, on a hot day it's been known to carry a beer. Driving your tractor to mow the lawn will always be more satisfying than driving a crappy ride on....

 

[RCW]

3. Have a beer. My BX has a cup holder, on a hot day it's been known to carry a beer. Driving your tractor to mow the lawn will always be more satisfying than driving a crappy ride on....

Paul -
All great points again for Clover, especially the compression calculation for tires.
I however, like #3 the most!
Does a B have a cup holder?
Cheers!
[emoji482]




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[Clover13]

I've mostly said my piece, but a couple of points I picked up in your last comment:

1. Filling tires. I probably wouldn't for the property you describe - it doesn't sound like you have a hills problem. There are many ways to ballast a tractor, the advantage of filled tires is that the weight is low. But that's mainly a stability question. When you have a rear blade on you'll probably have plenty of weight, and when you're doing loader work you could use a ballast box. The downside of filled tires is they're always filled - so mowing you're carrying that extra weight. It's easy enough to buy without filled tires, try it out. If you don't like the mowing, that's when you buy a mower, and then you can fill the tires.

2. Weight. Yes a B is heavier than a ZT, but the tires are heaps bigger. Your ground pressure will be lower. I worked this out one time for a BX v's a B, and despite the extra weight, the B has quite a bit less ground pressure - the wheels are much larger. Again, no harm in trying it to see, if it doesn't mow how you like, then you invest in a ride on.

3. Have a beer. My BX has a cup holder, on a hot day it's been known to carry a beer. Driving your tractor to mow the lawn will always be more satisfying than driving a crappy ride on....

All good points! Definitely worth trying to go without filled tires to start and add weight if it's needed. Glad you went through the #2 BX vs B weight to ground pressure! No doubt it's worth trying that before going with a riding mower.

 

[Clover13]

Paul -
All great points again for Clover, especially the compression calculation for tires.
I however, like #3 the most!
Does a B have a cup holder?
Cheers!
[emoji482]




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B better have a cup holder or I'm making one!

 

[PaulL]

https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/default-source/brochure-sheets/b50rops.pdf?sfvrsn=a30d900_6

Page 5, picture from above in the centre, labelled B: cup holder, just to the rear of the range selector (L/M/H). On the other side is the cigarette lighter that will charge your phone so you can have some sounds as well.

BTW, I haven't driven a B2650, but I'd expect that LCD screen to be crap, and that they'll go back to analogue next model as they did on the BX. Not that it really matters, I never look at the instruments.

 

[Clover13]

OK, so I managed to get out to the local dealer yesterday and talked pretty extensively with the dealer about the BX and B series. Forgive me if something is off, as it was a lot of info, so I might mess something up.

One thing I learned is that in the BX series, you have to decide on whether to go with a BH or without from the beginning if you want a genuine Kubota mount because there is no way to add it later to the BX2380 or BX2680. It seems the frame of the BX23S has the mounting hardware built/welded in?There are aftermarket options however for the BX2380 and BX2680. Conversely, the B series you can add a BH later.

Another thing was about the mowers, there are "ride over" options and "conventional" options. The dealer seemed to prefer/recommend the conventional option.

The BX23S requires physically removing the 3 point hitch in order to use the BH, and vice versa, whereas the B series you can leave both on and operate with either.

To cut to the chase, after seeing the tractors in person, it really boiled down to the BX23S or the B2650, and my gut certainly leans towards the B2650, so that is what I'm working towards buying. The dealer gave me an initial quote, but we had to discuss a few more things and I'm waiting on an updated quote.

Really, what I need to do is to finalize my build and figure out what options are "must haves" versus what are some "nice to haves". With that said, I have a few outstanding questions based on what I've read online and here:

1) Which mower to go with for mowing flat ground, the 72 or the 60? It's less than 1 acre, so either will be pretty quick, I guess this really comes down to other considerations like #2 below? Dealer really didn't lean in a direction, but he started with the 60" probably to keep the price down. Any strong reasoning to go with the convention vs the ride over version of either?

2) I noticed some have gone with the B3350 tires on the B2650 for the added width (better for weight distribution on the lawn in my case). Good idea? Or problematic with the MMM at 72 or 60? Also read it could be problematic with HD chains (I probably would only use chains if I had to for snow, but I'm on flat land, so may not be needed and I'd use thin chains anyway).

3) I read from a user here where he had a 60" bucket on the B2650 and found it would bog down a bit with heavier loads, so he favored the 54". I do see they label the 60" as "Light Duty", but has anyone else had trouble with the 60" moving dirt or gravel or even firewood (all my main uses)?

4) Should I buy a ballast box from Kubota to help with loader work since I won't have a BH?

4) I'm confused on the valve options, especially in the rear. I am going to add the front valve for a grapple attachment later, but am not sure what's best for the rear. Spoke with the dealer about running a box blade, and I could get 2 valves and then the lift/tilt kit to control the tilt and side-to-side of the box OR I could get the RATCHETING LIFT ROD KIT to make lift a little easier if I do the adjustments manual instead. I've just been reading the manual adjustments can become a PITA if you are constantly needing to do it due to terrain or changes in the surface. If I go with valves, I have no idea what DETENT VALVE (NON-SELF-CANCELING) vs FLOAT DETENT VALVE is, nor which would better suit my purposes (box blade, planer, rake, maybe a brush hog).

5) Is the TELESCOPIC LOWER LINK KIT worthwhile? Looks like a nice feature for getting implements in place but maybe unnecessary?


Here's what I have via the Kubota Build website for the "all inclusive" build:

ABR8742*&*ABR8744*TURF*TIRES
FRONT***24x8.50*14*R3*Titan*Multi*Trac
REAR***13.6*16*R3*Titan*Multi*Trac
B2650HSD*Base*Price: $16,650.00
(1)*72"*MID*MOUNT*MOWER
RC72*30B*72"*MID*MOUNT*MOWER
$3,593.00
(1)*FRONT*LOADER*PACKAGE
LA534A*FRONT*LOADER*PACKAGE
$3,208.00
(1)*TWO*SPOOL*BANKING*KIT
BL7343*TWO*SPOOL*BANKING*KIT
$50.00
(1)*1ST*POSITION*DOUBLE*ACTING*VALVE*KIT
B7309C*1ST*POSITION*DOUBLE*ACTING*VALVE*KIT
$795.00
(1)*FLOAT*DETENT*VALVE
BL7393*FLOAT*DETENT*VALVE
$330.00
(1)*MECH*2*LVR*QUICK*COUPLER
B2366*MECH*2*LVR*QUICK*COUPLER
$432.00
(1)*60"*LIGHT*MATERIAL*QUICK*ATTACH*BUCKET
B2356*60"*LIGHT*MATERIAL*QUICK*ATTACH*BUCKET
$559.00
(1)*3RD*FUNCTION*VALVE*KIT*FOR*ROPS
B7308A*3RD*FUNCTION*VALVE*KIT*FOR*ROPS
$799.00
(1)*BALLAST*BOX
B8160*BALLAST*BOX
$245.00
(1)*TELESCOPIC*LOWER*LINK*KIT
B2677*TELESCOPIC*LOWER*LINK*KIT
$208.00
Suggested*List*Price*w/*Options: $26,869.00
*

Think that's all I have for now, any additional feedback would be great!

 

[PaulL]

Some excellent questions in there, and I think you are making the right choice. You might also be interested in this new thread where I posted a comparison I did for my own purposes between the BX and the small B. The large B is a bit bigger still, so you could assume some of the metrics would be bigger (or go look them up in the brochure).

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?p=295084&posted=1#post295084

Which mower to go with for mowing flat ground, the 72 or the 60?

I'd always go with the biggest, because I enjoy mowing quickly. Not because I need to, but because I can. The competing considerations are that the larger mower covers more ground per pass, and sticks out a bit further so you can push in closer to obstacles, and turn closer around obstacles. Conversely, you have risk of scalping. I have a feeling that the B2650 has a ground contact mower, so it rides on its own wheels rather than being suspended, I feel like that'd reduce the chance of scalping. Ultimately, depends on how flat your lawn is / whether you're prepared to make it flat.

Any strong reasoning to go with the convention vs the ride over version of either?

Neil from Messicks has some youtube videos where he mentions this. The dealer wisdom seems to be that drive over decks are excellent when they work. In particular you don't have to reach under to attach the drive shaft. But apparently over time they can go out of alignment, and then instead of saving 5 minutes, you get to spend an hour trying to sort it. I have no actual experience with the drive over - on the B series they look much better than the BX, as you don't get the stupid little ramps (I assumed this was because B series tires were big enough to run up and over). And it sounds superficially attractive - taking a conventional deck on and off isn't exactly hard, but driving over sounds even easier. But it's money, and if it's not going to stay easy attach forever, then no, I wouldn't get it.

I noticed some have gone with the B3350 tires on the B2650 for the added width

Sounds like a good idea to me. I've seen some say that it limits which mower you can put on, but I've also seen suggestion that the mower goes on just fine, Kubota don't sell them that way because the clearance is a bit tight and they don't want a warranty claim if it touches.

I read from a user here where he had a 60" bucket on the B2650 and found it would bog down a bit with heavier loads, so he favored the 54". I do see they label the 60" as "Light Duty", but has anyone else had trouble with the 60" moving dirt or gravel or even firewood (all my main uses)?

Probably also depends on how good you are at filling that bucket. My FEL skills aren't brilliant, I get about a 70% bucket most of the time. And ultimately, the FEL will still lift the same weight - if you have a 60" bucket and part fill it it's still lifting the same volume of material as the 54" bucket when it's full. I don't really see a downside to the bigger bucket, unless it's thinner steel.

Should I buy a ballast box from Kubota to help with loader work since I won't have a BH?

Are you getting a box blade or a rear blade? One of them is just fine for ballast. A ballast box is handy because it sits in closer to the tractor, but it's not essential.

I'm confused on the valve options, especially in the rear.

I think your dealer is upselling you. Seems to me that you're levelling a long driveway, no reason you'd adjust constantly. And it's a small tractor, the implements aren't that big/heavy that it's impossible to adjust by hand.

Is the TELESCOPIC LOWER LINK KIT worthwhile?

For $200 I think I'd get it. I spend a lot of time kicking my implements back and forth because the tractor isn't quite lined up right. It's again a small tractor, so the implements are usually small enough to muscle around, but it's a bit of a pain in the backside. $200 well spent I reckon. Does it move the lift point much (i.e. shift your implements back a bit)? If so, might impact driveshaft lengths, and ultimate lift capacity.

One other thing to think about adding is some chain hooks - something like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6050fTGcUY. Makes lifting things with chains much safer, and saves you marking up the paint on your bucket when using chains.