Used BX23s on the market?

[VaGlock]

I am considering purchasing a used BX23s and have noticed that the BX tractors are plentiful on the used market. My question, is it because Kubota has sold so many of these units, people are unhappy with them, or trading up to a larger unit, done using them and no longer needed, dependability issues' etc. ?
If you own or have owned a BX23s how happy are you with the machine?
I would be using it mainly for handling fire wood, and maintaining my wooded lot, no mowing or snow removal.
Thanks
Kevin

 

[B737]

When i search for used BX in nearby areas on CL, probably 25 machines come up. Out of the 25, often only 1 or 2 (or none) are real and not scams.

 

[VaGlock]

When i search for used BX in nearby areas on CL, probably 25 machines come up. Out of the 25, often only 1 or 2 (or none) are real and not scams.

Wow, I have been looking but have not yet responded to any adds, I mainly watch FB marketplace. When you say scams, are they dealers trying to draw you in or people trying to get your info?

 

[B737]

not dealers, and not sure about FB (although ive never used FB MP). If you look on CL you'll be able to pick out the fake BXs pretty easily. Prices will be off (a little or a lot), language a little off, special characters used in the ad or title ect. I was only referring to CL. It seems side-by-side, tractors, JD Gators, are the ones heavily used to pull people in on CL.

 

[VaGlock]

I have had people respond to my Craigslist adds in the past wanting to buy my item, wanting me to ship to NYC, one buyer wanted me to ship my 63 ford pickup overseas, Facebook has some scammers also.

 

[Nicfin36]

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. I flag fake ads all the time on Craigslist. Often, the picture looks like it has been photocopied numerous times, resulting in the photo not looking as crisp. Sometimes the photo has their email on it, or the price, something the average person would not do. Language is often odd or has very bad grammar and the ad description reads like something someone would make up on an item they know little about, which is the case. Essentially, everything B737 said.

I considered buying a BX before I bought my L2501. BXs at any decent price, and tractors in general around here, tend to be hard to find. Which, is why I decided to buy knew rather than used.

 

[ravensview]

I have a 2019 bx23s and am really liking this little machine, it is really too small for what I ask of it, but it does it anyways, so far have really enjoyed and appreciated its abilities, I do wish it had a better three point control but I can live with the positional control, I have a little over a 100hrs on it since dec of 19, once you learn to work within its capabilities it is a great little machine, at least mine is too me. A tooth bar is a much needed addition for the bucket, that being said if you don’t need a backhoe I would look at the B series as there lift capacities, ground clearance, etc are higher,

 

[VaGlock]

I have a 2019 bx23s and am really liking this little machine, it is really too small for what I ask of it, but it does it anyways, so far have really enjoyed and appreciated its abilities, I do wish it had a better three point control but I can live with the positional control, I have a little over a 100hrs on it since dec of 19, once you learn to work within its capabilities it is a great little machine, at least mine is too me. A tooth bar is a much needed addition for the bucket, that being said if you don’t need a backhoe I would look at the B series as there lift capacities, ground clearance, etc are higher,

I have looked at the B's and really like them but I do need a backhoe, have read that the only backhoes for the B's is a 3 point hitch mount and that they work but can cause damage to the rear of tractor.

 

[PaulL]

I have looked at the B's and really like them but I do need a backhoe, have read that the only backhoes for the B's is a 3 point hitch mount and that they work but can cause damage to the rear of tractor.

That's not correct. The only cheap backhoes are 3ph ones. But there's a very good Kubota backhoe, it has quite a bit more capability than the BX. Also quite a bit more expensive, but it bolts to the subframe, and you get a reversible seat just like the BX23S. The BH70 is the model backhoe you're looking for.

 

[VaGlock]

That's not correct. The only cheap backhoes are 3ph ones. But there's a very good Kubota backhoe, it has quite a bit more capability than the BX. Also quite a bit more expensive, but it bolts to the subframe, and you get a reversible seat just like the BX23S. The BH70 is the model backhoe you're looking for.

Well that's good to know, I am new to Kubota's and tractors, between this site and you tube I have learned a lot in the last few weeks. Stopped at my dealer last week and they had no B's on the lot. They tried to talk me into a L but that is a little more tractor then I need. Have a neighbor that has a B2910 that I borrowed a few years ago and really liked the size. He said the other day that he was thinking of selling it but it has MMM and FEL but no backhoe. Has 900 hrs, and turf tires, said he sell it for $10,000 without MMM. So many choices!

 

[pjoh784350]

LOve my Kubota bx23s. It is a subcompact so keep that in mind. When you say handling firewood, are you thinking pallets? With pallet forks you can lift very small amounts only. Other than the limited pallet fork capacity which I knew about I am thrilled with mine

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I've only had my BX23S for 2 years and have about 340 hrs on it. It does what I need it to do, use it almost every day.While it's only lift about 400# with the loader, that's fine. I either take more trips or get the D-14 or forklift for the bigger hauls. Once you KNOW it's capabilities, you'll be happy. For hauling wood, can I assume you mean you'll remove the backhoe and pull a trailer ? Doing that you'll be able to carry 4-5X the wood. I didn't buy a MMM, already have a 'rider mower' for that job.

 

[VaGlock]

LOve my Kubota bx23s. It is a subcompact so keep that in mind. When you say handling firewood, are you thinking pallets? With pallet forks you can lift very small amounts only. Other than the limited pallet fork capacity which I knew about I am thrilled with mine

My firewood use would mainly be lifting the larger rounds (200-250 lbs.) onto trailer, or splitter and moving the splits over to the stacks. Would be digging up smaller stumps also.

 

[PaulL]

The B2601 lifts almost twice as much as the BX on the 3ph, it's about 30% better on every other measure. Refer here: https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/bx-vs-b01-vs-b50.36719/

Other than the general "more capable", big things people point to are:
- Position control on the 3ph. Not material to me, but many people have use for it
- 3 speed gearbox. That high ratio gets you places quite materially faster if you drive on the road at all
- A lot larger rear tyres. More traction, more tractor feel
- Quite a bit more ground clearance, if you do any work in the woods (that firewood?) it'll matter

To me for most people you should ask "why wouldn't I buy the B?" Good reasons are:
- money. Always a good reason
- size. It's a bit bigger, in some situations it might matter
- your neighbours might laugh at you (this was my problem for a long time - I don't have much land and a B is a large lawnmower)
- hills. The BX is quite a bit more stable on hills
- height. If you're less mobile then the B is quite a step up (but you can get a built in step if you want)
- I think the BX mows a bit better, although that's very subjective anyway

Is your splitter PTO powered, or hydraulic powered from the tractor, or standalone? If tractor powered you of course can't user the tractor to lift things onto it. When I helped the father in law last time we loaded all the rounds onto the trailer with the FEL, then towed it back home, then rolled them off the trailer onto the splitter. Felt we might wreck the splitter putting rounds on it with the FEL. If you're planning to lift rounds a lot a thumb of some sort, or grapple, may help a lot. I see a lot of guys lifting logs with their grapple, and cutting the rounds directly onto the trailer. We tried that but felt like we'd cut the trailer if we weren't super careful.

 

[VaGlock]

Wow, lots to think about. My splitter is gas standalone, ground clearance is important, stability is a concern was thinking of adding spacers to rear wheels (tires fluid added also), have trailers.

 

[PaulL]

Are you lawn mowing with it? If mowing, then often you want it light when mowing, heavy when doing other chores.

There is a divergence of opinion on fluid filled tyres. They are good for stability, less ideal as a FEL counterweight. A ballast box is very good for FEL counterweight, less good for stability. Spacers give stability without weight. My personal view is to have things that are removable or don't create permanent weight, so I lean towards wheel weights, ballast box, spacers. On stability, I also find that if I'm going sideways on a hill that needs that much stability, I probably should rethink what I'm doing, in particular whether I can go up and down instead of across.

I currently have a BX, and it sticks on slopes that I'm not comfortable driving on - so plenty of stability with no ballast when mowing. Although I sometimes suspect the mower is touching the ground and holding the machine up - I need to check that some time.

Stability, ground clearance, capacity and mowing sound like key points where B and BX would be different for your use. Stability probably being the one thing a BX has over a B. Spacers on the B would get you most of the way there, and plenty of people doing things on hills with a B.

The nice thing with filling wheels is you can use it without, and then if that isn't enough, get them filled. Emptying them after filling them is a bit harder, and depending on what you fill with you can rust out the rims. Some people also find dealing with punctures with filled tyres difficult - I don't have filled tyres, but have had a couple of punctures and wouldn't like to remove a filled tyre and take it into town to get fixed - specially if it was still leaking. I think it can also make the machine ride harder, as you lose a bit of flex (less space left in the tyre for air to compress over bumps)

 

[VaGlock]

Thanks for info/ opinion Paul, I would not be mowing with it, would rarely be on the lawn. I have a 6 acre lot with 5+ acres wooded 2 of which would be too steep for a tractor. I also occasionally do some tree work on the 65 acre farm across the street. If I didn't have the BH on the rear I would be running a rear ballast. Your comment on filled tires make sense, if I did fill tires I would go with winter washer fluid.

I am leaning towards the B, for overall weight, ground clearance and lift capacity. The BX video's I have watched did impress me with what they are capable of. That's why my original post asking why so many used BX's on the used market.

 

[leveraddict]

I love my BX23S! I bought mine because with all the projects I have to do it was cheeper to buy the tractor than to hire somebody to do the job! Maybe most buy them, finish their projects and then sell them? I found out I could have rented one for $500 a week rain or shine.....no thanks! Its at my becon call whenever I need it! When Im done with it I will keep it for snow removal hauling and anything else that may come up! So far I have used it for far more than originally thought! Its like the swiss army knife of tractors!

 

[bx tractorjoe]

I just traded my bx23s for a l2501..

The bx is a great little tractor.. my only complaint is the lift capacity..

The backhoe will surprise you.. I dug a 160 foot trench to run power to my shop and lots of holes to plant trees.. and even pulled a few 6 to 8 foot high palm trees right out of the ground with it..

I traded up because I was done with the backhoe jobs.. and needed something to lift stuff like a pallet of rocks, generators and other equipment I fix off the trailer or back of the truck, and will also be mowing with it, with a 60 inch finish mower and I want to level out my 2 acres a little better so I ordered a 72 inch box blade.

I put 125 hours on the bx since January 1st and got my new l2501 July 10th and have only put 2.5 hours on it just goofing off and getting use to it..

Knowing what I do now I would of bought a l2501 from the get go with the backhoe..

Sadly the l2501 wont lift my 2000 pound military generator but I'm not surprised.. just had to try