Just bought a repo BX23S on auction (title edited)

[ejb11235]

If the Kubota dealership is doing the pre-delivery setup as outlined by Kubota, you wouldn't have to do this. Unfortunately, most of the dealers are not doing set up as they should, and this is leading to customer complaints.

Oh! Interesting (and not good). I will definitely check this.

 

[DustyRusty]

Check everything on the tractor, including nuts bolts, fluid levels, antifreeze, etc. Since this is a repossession, you have no idea if the previous owner might have sabotaged the machine prior to it being recovered. Ask your dealer for a copy of a pre-delivery inspection list. If you get one, make a copy and send one to me. It is a good reference to give your tractor a yearly physical. Thanks

 

[ejb11235]

Check everything on the tractor, including nuts bolts, fluid levels, antifreeze, etc. Since this is a repossession, you have no idea if the previous owner might have sabotaged the machine prior to it being recovered. Ask your dealer for a copy of a pre-delivery inspection list. If you get one, make a copy and send one to me. It is a good reference to give your tractor a yearly physical. Thanks

I will call the dealership this week to see if I can get a pre-delivery inspection list. I made a point of introducing myself to the service manager prior to and during pick-up. In fact, he was the one who drove the tractor onto the trailer. So even though that dealership is out of my area, I'm hopeful that he'll be more inclined to be helpful.

I did find that the coolant level was quite low...only about an inch in the overflow tank. But the radiator itself was full. Not the ideal situation but I refuse to steal problems from the future, since there are several non-sky-is-falling explanations. I am going to contact my local dealer to see if they carry the Kubota coolant. I've been down the coolant rabbit hole before with my Toyota 4x4, and while it was interesting to learn about buffering agents and coolant chemistry, in the end it was easier just to buy the manufacturer's coolant and not worry about anything.

I have run and worked the tractor for several hours clearing snow off my driveway and it's working fine. Not a bad way to start learning how to run a front-end loader. While I would prefer a larger tractor for this specific task, this is not why I bought the BX23S, and I think I'm going to really appreciate the small size when I start working on garden tasks in the spring.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Since this was a repo. ealer may have given it a very quick 'once over'...and whoever did that may not be aware of the 'quirks' of a BX23S.
Be SURE to look at EVERY grease Zerk ! esp the BH ones !! If any have orange paint on them, they've never been greased !! Scrape away the paint,pump 5-1 shots in, 'exercise' the joint FULL motion several times, 1-3 more squirts. Hw many depends on the joint, you'll get the hang of it.

Looks like you're having fun !! Slow and steady....

 

[ejb11235]

Since this was a repo. ealer may have given it a very quick 'once over'...and whoever did that may not be aware of the 'quirks' of a BX23S.
Be SURE to look at EVERY grease Zerk ! esp the BH ones !! If any have orange paint on them, they've never been greased !! Scrape away the paint,pump 5-1 shots in, 'exercise' the joint FULL motion several times, 1-3 more squirts. Hw many depends on the joint, you'll get the hang of it.

Looks like you're having fun !! Slow and steady....

I haven't seen any orange paint on any of the zerks, and they look like they've been greased. I'm still planning on greasing everything. Next is the foreward/backward pedal pivot. Thanks for the technique suggestions...I like it!

The unit had a IronPlanet's "IronClad" guarantee, which I'm not sure is all that useful. I didn't realize until after the fact that any complaints on customer-transported units must be registered before you transport the unit. I was told by the dealer who was holding the tractor that the warranty is transferable and that it had been sold new early in 2021. I need to get to the dealership as soon as possible and get the transfer process started and learn about the warranty, even though I'm not expecting to need it.

FYI--I edited the name of this thread to match what it has become

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: fwd-rev pedal...
there's a 'lift up' section of the rubber mat by the pedal..you'll find the grease Zerk for the pedal under it.
it gets 'missed' during the dealer 'prep', same as the front axle ( yellow plug, left side of axle...)

 

[DustyRusty]

I haven't seen any orange paint on any of the zerks, and they look like they've been greased. I'm still planning on greasing everything. Next is the foreward/backward pedal pivot. Thanks for the technique suggestions...I like it!

The unit had a IronPlanet's "IronClad" guarantee, which I'm not sure is all that useful. I didn't realize until after the fact that any complaints on customer-transported units must be registered before you transport the unit. I was told by the dealer who was holding the tractor that the warranty is transferable and that it had been sold new early in 2021. I need to get to the dealership as soon as possible and get the transfer process started and learn about the warranty, even though I'm not expecting to need it.

FYI--I edited the name of this thread to match what it has become

I don't believe that there is any formal transfer process other than proof of ownership. If the dealer where you picked it up from was the selling dealer, you can request that they get you a Certificate of Origin for your tractor, even though it will never be registered for the road. It is the best way of proving ownership when you sell it.

 

[ejb11235]

I don't believe that there is any formal transfer process other than proof of ownership. If the dealer where you picked it up from was the selling dealer, you can request that they get you a Certificate of Origin for your tractor, even though it will never be registered for the road. It is the best way of proving ownership when you sell it.

Excellent. I need to call them anyway and find out exactly when the tractor was originally sold. Thanks!

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Oh BTW, welcome aboard!

Since you got the cart before the horse and bought the tractor without the board's critique, how about telling us what your intended uses are? So we can spend 10 pages telling you what you should have bought .

 

[ejb11235]

Oh BTW, welcome aboard!

Since you got the cart before the horse and bought the tractor without the board's critique, how about telling us what your intended uses are? So we can spend 10 pages telling you what you should have bought .

I love it. I have a cabin on 1.3 acres. My main use is to help me build my garden. I already have 50 rhododendrons planted and am planning a flower garden and hydrangea forest and possibly a stand of pink dogwoods. I have been propagating hydrangeas for two summers and have a couple of hundred starts, and I have 60 pink dogwood saplings. And holes for planting hedges. The soil has a lot of rocks and digging by hand is extremely slow-going. And then there's moving wood chips, mulch, dirt, firewood, etc. The bucket on the BX is pretty small, so firewood moving isn't going to be very efficient. I'll try using the BX23S to remove small stumps but plan on bringing in an excavator for anything big. And then there's trenching for electrical and watering. If finances are good this year I'd like to buy a front-mounted snowblower.

Having a backhoe and 4WD were must-haves. I thought about buying a B-series but the BX came up and cost was an issue anyway. So far I am extremely happy with the BX and think it will be perfect for my needs. A more powerful backhoe might be nice but the lack of it just adjusts the point at which I have to rent something bigger for specific tasks. The biggest thing I want to see is how big a rock I can push around, but I'll have to wait for the snow to melt.

 

[Henro]

I love it. I have a cabin on 1.3 acres. My main use is to help me build my garden. I already have 50 rhododendrons planted and am planning a flower garden and hydrangea forest and possibly a stand of pink dogwoods. I have been propagating hydrangeas for two summers and have a couple of hundred starts, and I have 60 pink dogwood saplings. And holes for planting hedges. The soil has a lot of rocks and digging by hand is extremely slow-going. And then there's moving wood chips, mulch, dirt, firewood, etc. The bucket on the BX is pretty small, so firewood moving isn't going to be very efficient. I'll try using the BX23S to remove small stumps but plan on bringing in an excavator for anything big. And then there's trenching for electrical and watering. If finances are good this year I'd like to buy a front-mounted snowblower.

Having a backhoe and 4WD were must-haves. I thought about buying a B-series but the BX came up and cost was an issue anyway. So far I am extremely happy with the BX and think it will be perfect for my needs. A more powerful backhoe might be nice but the lack of it just adjusts the point at which I have to rent something bigger for specific tasks. The biggest thing I want to see is how big a rock I can push around, but I'll have to wait for the snow to melt.

Just a thought, but if you are not going to be using a mid mounted mower, you may want to consider adding wheel spacers to increase side slope stability.

There are relatively cheap ones on Ebay, Amazon and so on, that are sold for use on a Jeep but work perfectly on a BX. I have them, and my son in law has 2" thick spacers of the same type on his BX23S.

At the time they were less than $50 for a set. Bit more now I would guess, but not much probably.

You can probably find details with a search here at OTT. If I had the details I would post them, but after a year things fade quickly when you get older...LOL...BUT true!

 

[ejb11235]

Just a thought, but if you are not going to be using a mid mounted mower, you may want to consider adding wheel spacers to increase side slope stability.

Funny you should mention that. Last night I was looking at wheel spacers online, and saw a posting somewhere about using the Jeep spacers. There is only one place on my property where I might need some extra stability, but even a couple of days ago I was removing snow from a neighbor's driveway and had a front tire lift off the ground. I noped the heck out of that particular side area.

 

[whitetiger]

Check everything on the tractor, including nuts bolts, fluid levels, antifreeze, etc. Since this is a repossession, you have no idea if the previous owner might have sabotaged the machine prior to it being recovered. Ask your dealer for a copy of a pre-delivery inspection list. If you get one, make a copy and send one to me. It is a good reference to give your tractor a yearly physical. Thanks

The PDI form will look kinda like this.

 

[John T]

I thought that too but then decided that it was more likely the 3 point hitch they were referring to. I don't have the terminology down yet, but I would call the backhoe hydraulics a "circuit" rather than a "remote" because it's not controlled by anything.

I thought the mid mount remotes or controls were for lifting the mid mount mower....

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You talked about the downloaded operators manual you have not matching the tractor?
This could be because you might have downloaded a BX23 manual and not a BX23S manual.
While the Operators manual is good, the WSM (aka service manual) is much better to have around.

I'll send you a link to download a copy:

 

[MapleLeafFarmer]

I will call the dealership this week to see if I can get a pre-delivery inspection list. I made a point of introducing myself to the service manager prior to and during pick-up. In fact, he was the one who drove the tractor onto the trailer. So even though that dealership is out of my area, I'm hopeful that he'll be more inclined to be helpful.

I did find that the coolant level was quite low...only about an inch in the overflow tank. But the radiator itself was full. Not the ideal situation but I refuse to steal problems from the future, since there are several non-sky-is-falling explanations. I am going to contact my local dealer to see if they carry the Kubota coolant. I've been down the coolant rabbit hole before with my Toyota 4x4, and while it was interesting to learn about buffering agents and coolant chemistry, in the end it was easier just to buy the manufacturer's coolant and not worry about anything.

I have run and worked the tractor for several hours clearing snow off my driveway and it's working fine. Not a bad way to start learning how to run a front-end loader. While I would prefer a larger tractor for this specific task, this is not why I bought the BX23S, and I think I'm going to really appreciate the small size when I start working on garden tasks in the spring.

View attachment 73870

just in case you haven't found the operator manual you can get rep. here.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi-qIGX29D1AhVDkYkEHTNYBB8QFnoECAIQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkubota.ca%2Fgetmedia%2F8309effd-d57d-4a8c-ac0d-11608042f6ca%2FBX23S%2C-LA340%2C-BT603-OPS-EN-K289271213%3Fext%3D.pdf&usg=AOvVaw1emUw0NcyVT2qv2ezPsZm4

dealer pre delivery rep. checklist here.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjQjdbv3ND1AhVbjYkEHdsPCyQQFnoECAMQAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.streackertractor.com%2Fassets%2Fdevin%2FKUBOTAPDI%2FPDI-Form-Tractor-B-BX-Series-062016.pdf&usg=AOvVaw2UvQ6c1DHlJv6bnsVzurlP

cheers

 

[OrangeKrush]

I will call the dealership this week to see if I can get a pre-delivery inspection list. I made a point of introducing myself to the service manager prior to and during pick-up. In fact, he was the one who drove the tractor onto the trailer. So even though that dealership is out of my area, I'm hopeful that he'll be more inclined to be helpful.

I did find that the coolant level was quite low...only about an inch in the overflow tank. But the radiator itself was full. Not the ideal situation but I refuse to steal problems from the future, since there are several non-sky-is-falling explanations. I am going to contact my local dealer to see if they carry the Kubota coolant. I've been down the coolant rabbit hole before with my Toyota 4x4, and while it was interesting to learn about buffering agents and coolant chemistry, in the end it was easier just to buy the manufacturer's coolant and not worry about anything.

I have run and worked the tractor for several hours clearing snow off my driveway and it's working fine. Not a bad way to start learning how to run a front-end loader. While I would prefer a larger tractor for this specific task, this is not why I bought the BX23S, and I think I'm going to really appreciate the small size when I start working on garden tasks in the spring.

View attachment 73870

I know what you mean about the coolant.. mine was low also and I made sure I got it from the dealer. Not like it use to be in the good ol days where most of it was green.

Another thing more important than wheel spacers for you might be the underbelly guard to protect the hydraulic cooling fan. Money well spent after hearing how much of a hassle it is to replace the fan after a twig gets to it and takes out some or all the fins. Looking at your snow piles with large clumps could even do it. I think mine is the Bxpanded.

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[ejb11235]

I know what you mean about the coolant.. mine was low also and I made sure I got it from the dealer. Not like it use to be in the good ol days where most of it was green.

Another thing more important than wheel spacers for you might be the underbelly guard to protect the hydraulic cooling fan. Money well spent after hearing how much of a hassle it is to replace the fan after a twig gets to it and takes out some or all the fins. Looking at your snow piles with large clumps could even do it. I think mine is the Bxpanded.
Welcome to the Forum!

thanks so much for the info. I haven't had a chance yet to crawl under the tractor, so I have no idea what's down there just waiting to get damaged. I will definitely get an underbelly guard. I don't intend to abuse my tractor, but I don't intend to baby it either.

I checked out the Bxpanded belly guard. For $160 that's cheap insurance. You've just introduced me to the the world of the aftermarket. How cool is that!

 

[ejb11235]

You talked about the downloaded operators manual you have not matching the tractor?
This could be because you might have downloaded a BX23 manual and not a BX23S manual.
While the Operators manual is good, the WSM (aka service manual) is much better to have around.

I'll send you a link to download a copy:

Thanks for the download link. On the Operators Manual ... it was for the BX23S ... I don't remember what I said ... that was a couple of days ago, when I was so much younger and more naive.

 

[ejb11235]

I thought the mid mount remotes or controls were for lifting the mid mount mower....

Well, as I understand it now, the rear remotes control the 3 point hitch, which is also used to mechanically control the mid mount mower height. It's the same mechanism.