Does this look right?

[hulaballoo]

Hi all,

Looking to buy my first tractor, and the Kubota bx23s is one of the finalists. I'm about to bid on an auction item, and would like a knowledgeable soul to chime in on a couple pics. Does all of this look right? It almost makes it look like a freeze plug is missing, but likely just how these machines are. Also, does that PTO shaft look about right? A little rusty, especially given it's a 2021 machine. Another tractor showed a u-joint and short shaft hanging there, but I imagine that would be problematic if someone were to engage the PTO with that hanging there. Looks like turf tires on the rear, with a more industrial tread on the front. Any reason why that might be an issue? Drivetrain biding due to different circumferences? Looks like the dent on the hood is cosmetic; any guesses what might have caused this? (the tractor does have a canopy, perhaps when the ROPS is folded it contacts there? The teeth have been removed from the backhoe bucket. Doesn't look like they're too expensive to replace. Any reason why this might not be a straightforward tooth replacement? I've never bought something (expensive) sight unseen before but there's more than 100 pictures and videos to put my mind at ease. Plus, the local market in Colorado is rough. Thanks for the advice!

 

[dirtydeed]

comment deleted

 

[kubotafreak]

Teeth are easy/bolt on. The tire situation makes the machine seem like a hodgepodge of dealer parts. The trans filter has never been changed. The pto stub shaft is fine, prob had a mid mount at one point in its life, otherwise it would have a cover over the shaft.

 

[PaulL]

I started writing that it looked heavily used - it had that feel what with new tires and the bucket edge looked quite worn. But there's a lot of paint still on the bucket, so it can't be all that used.

The fold in the hood looks a bit like they drove it too close to something - under a truck perhaps or something like that. Or rolled something backwards off the loader onto the hood, although the FEL arms should have protected the front of the hood - things normally land in the operators lap when you do that. Looking closely at the scratches they sort of look to me like they drove forwards into something - the scratches push backwards from an initial point of contact at the front.

The tires are kind of weird, but maybe they had turfs and wanted more traction on the front for some reason. Tires aren't super cheap to replace, but they may not need replacing - the main issue is if you're in 4wd and as you say different circumferences, but you should really only be in 4wd on loose surfaces anyway.

I bought my first Kubota sight unseen from an auction. Cosmetically it was awful, it had been beaten on quite a bit by whomever owned it. Ran without a hitch for 2-3 years, I sold it for more than I paid.

 

[fried1765]

Hi all,

Looking to buy my first tractor, and the Kubota bx23s is one of the finalists. I'm about to bid on an auction item, and would like a knowledgeable soul to chime in on a couple pics. Does all of this look right? It almost makes it look like a freeze plug is missing, but likely just how these machines are. Also, does that PTO shaft look about right? A little rusty, especially given it's a 2021 machine. Another tractor showed a u-joint and short shaft hanging there, but I imagine that would be problematic if someone were to engage the PTO with that hanging there. Looks like turf tires on the rear, with a more industrial tread on the front. Any reason why that might be an issue? Drivetrain biding due to different circumferences? Looks like the dent on the hood is cosmetic; any guesses what might have caused this? (the tractor does have a canopy, perhaps when the ROPS is folded it contacts there? The teeth have been removed from the backhoe bucket. Doesn't look like they're too expensive to replace. Any reason why this might not be a straightforward tooth replacement? I've never bought something (expensive) sight unseen before but there's more than 100 pictures and videos to put my mind at ease. Plus, the local market in Colorado is rough. Thanks for the advice!


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"Over 100 pictures".....and we are asked to offer an opinion from only 4 ?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

As I've had mine for 5 years......my comments...
mechanical thumb is a plus...
after that it goes negative..

turf tires on the back ain't original...will destroy the drivetrain as 'tired'
front left tire is on backwards. it's new though and the rim...
missing grille guard where did that go ?
missing HST fan guard WHY is this missing ?
missing bucket teeth maybe was doing 'smooth ' bucketing ?

supply/link more pictures and I can tell a LOT more about it
curious as to the # of hours on the tractor

as shown in those 4 pictures.... $15K USD. Yes it's a $30K CDN new but there are a LOT if unknowns
like any oil in the front axle ?
WHEN was the tire screwup done ?
hours on the machine
engine oil condition
arm rest caps still on it
air filter
overall under the hood condition
does everything work as it should
list of past owners
oh yeah, where's the teeth !

 

[hulaballoo]

comment deleted

Not sure why you deleted your post, but I caught a glimpse be fore it was removed and I appreciate your analysis.

 

[hulaballoo]

Teeth are easy/bolt on. The tire situation makes the machine seem like a hodgepodge of dealer parts. The trans filter has never been changed. The pto stub shaft is fine, prob had a mid mount at one point in its life, otherwise it would have a cover over the shaft.

Thanks. It may have missed its 50 hour service then. It is still under 200 hours. The tire mismatch does seem a little weird. I don't see any stickers suggesting it's an ex-rental machine. The pics I show are the worst of it. To my eye, the rest of the machine is pretty clean.

 

[hulaballoo]

"Over 100 pictures".....and we are asked to offer an opinion from only 4 ?

I didn't figure you'd want me to flood the forum with dozens of pics. The ones I shared are of the stuff that I had questions about our that concerned me. The rest is either pretty clean or standard stuff.

 

[hulaballoo]

As I've had mine for 5 years......my comments...
mechanical thumb is a plus...
after that it goes negative..

turf tires on the back ain't original...will destroy the drivetrain as 'tired'
front left tire is on backwards. it's new though and the rim...
missing grille guard where did that go ?
missing HST fan guard WHY is this missing ?
missing bucket teeth maybe was doing 'smooth ' bucketing ?

supply/link more pictures and I can tell a LOT more about it
curious as to the # of hours on the tractor

as shown in those 4 pictures.... $15K USD. Yes it's a $30K CDN new but there are a LOT if unknowns
like any oil in the front axle ?
WHEN was the tire screwup done ?
hours on the machine
engine oil condition
arm rest caps still on it
air filter
overall under the hood condition
does everything work as it should
list of past owners
oh yeah, where's the teeth !

Thanks for your experienced analysis. And good eye on the tires. They may both be on backwards then... I'll include a few more pics, hopefully of the stuff that is important. Just under 200 hours, as you'll see in the pics. As for the price, the "buy it now" price is well under 15K. I put in a bid just under that, he has two days to take it or leave it. Of course I pay a 7% sales tax, auction fee and transportation after but am still confident that the tractor is a good deal. The videos looked and sounded good. Everything worked, but there was a note in the inspection report that the top link of the 3-point link was "missing". Forgot about that until now. Hopefully not to expensive to replace, should I ever need it.

 

[hulaballoo]

As I've had mine for 5 years......my comments...
mechanical thumb is a plus...
after that it goes negative..

turf tires on the back ain't original...will destroy the drivetrain as 'tired'
front left tire is on backwards. it's new though and the rim...
missing grille guard where did that go ?
missing HST fan guard WHY is this missing ?
missing bucket teeth maybe was doing 'smooth ' bucketing ?

supply/link more pictures and I can tell a LOT more about it
curious as to the # of hours on the tractor

as shown in those 4 pictures.... $15K USD. Yes it's a $30K CDN new but there are a LOT if unknowns
like any oil in the front axle ?
WHEN was the tire screwup done ?
hours on the machine
engine oil condition
arm rest caps still on it
air filter
overall under the hood condition
does everything work as it should
list of past owners
oh yeah, where's the teeth !

 

[kubotafreak]

The rest looks pretty decent. Biggest issue I see is the lack of r4 rear tires. If you service it, buy the shield, teeth, and three point you will have a pretty nice little machine. I assume the bucket was left to hold water. That is why it rusted so bad.

 

[fried1765]

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Missing 3pt top link is a non issue.
You can buy one at TSC for under $30.

Any idea as to the history?
Was it used as a rental?
Is it a REPO?

 

[JimmyJazz]

Hi all,

Looking to buy my first tractor, and the Kubota bx23s is one of the finalists. I'm about to bid on an auction item, and would like a knowledgeable soul to chime in on a couple pics. Does all of this look right? It almost makes it look like a freeze plug is missing, but likely just how these machines are. Also, does that PTO shaft look about right? A little rusty, especially given it's a 2021 machine. Another tractor showed a u-joint and short shaft hanging there, but I imagine that would be problematic if someone were to engage the PTO with that hanging there. Looks like turf tires on the rear, with a more industrial tread on the front. Any reason why that might be an issue? Drivetrain biding due to different circumferences? Looks like the dent on the hood is cosmetic; any guesses what might have caused this? (the tractor does have a canopy, perhaps when the ROPS is folded it contacts there? The teeth have been removed from the backhoe bucket. Doesn't look like they're too expensive to replace. Any reason why this might not be a straightforward tooth replacement? I've never bought something (expensive) sight unseen before but there's more than 100 pictures and videos to put my mind at ease. Plus, the local market in Colorado is rough. Thanks for the advice!


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Go to auctiontime.com and look for the sold prices for that model to gain an idea of what a fair price might be. Good luck.

 

[dirtydeed]

Not sure why you deleted your post, but I caught a glimpse be fore it was removed and I appreciate your analysis.

Sorry about that. I was unsure about the "hole" on the right side of the HST case and was trying to find a decent schematic to see what it was.

The rest of the stuff you mentioned isn't a big deal at all...other than the mismatched tires. That could create an issue in 4x4 mode.

and I commented that I thought that the dent in the hood was likely due to someone running into a dumpster or dump body trying to dump a load from the bucket.

Edit: I had an earlier version BX23 (purchased new in 2006). Tough machine and I used it hard for a part time landscaping business. Made very good $ with it. New, it was 15-16K in 2006, I traded it in for my B2650 in 2018. They gave me 10K for the trade.

The day the dealer picked it up...

Best of luck to you.

 

[hulaballoo]

Thanks again guys. No idea as to the history. It does have a Ritchie Bros. sticker on it, so may have been part of an earlier auction. A lot of these machines went for a smokin’ good deal out of the Northeast Maryland RB auction a short while back. Someone may have gotten what they needed out of it and are now selling it for a profit. As far as prices go, I’ve been tracking them on Ritchie Bros. and a couple others. My bid was $1500 less than the “buy it now” price, and I just got outbid. Seriously considering just buying it outright. My research says it’s worth at least 15K, and I’d be paying well under that.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

OK, it's got the orange grille guard...mine is gray and says BX on it.. so +
it does have the HST fan guard ( better picture shows it ) ++
has the optional bucket HD edge bolted on it +++
only 200 hrs and nicely greased ++++
has a canopy (be careful it's TALL ) +++++
'buy it NOW' , tonight, before someone else does +++++++++++++
just swap front wheels left to right, right to left and get proper, matching ones for the rears
And..
most important, get a 'cold coffee mason jar strainer' and insert in the fuel inlet !
and...
pictures of it at it's new home !

 

[hulaballoo]

OK, it's got the orange grille guard...mine is gray and says BX on it.. so +
it does have the HST fan guard ( better picture shows it ) ++
has the optional bucket HD edge bolted on it +++
only 200 hrs and nicely greased ++++
has a canopy (be careful it's TALL ) +++++
'buy it NOW' , tonight, before someone else does +++++++++++++
just swap front wheels left to right, right to left and get proper, matching ones for the rears
And..
most important, get a 'cold coffee mason jar strainer' and insert in the fuel inlet !
and...
pictures of it at it's new home !

Well...I posted here, brushed the kid's teeth and someone had bid full price for it before I could. Bummer. I'll keep looking...

 

[bird dogger]

Well...I posted here, brushed the kid's teeth and someone had bid full price for it before I could. Bummer. I'll keep looking...

That's a real BUMMER!!

 

[DustyRusty]

It might have been a Home Depot rental machine. Difficult to tell, but there is no shortage of used ones on the market. It is just that most of the sellers think that they are worth new prices even though they are used.