Considering an addition to the family

[William1]

This is premature, a year or more out but I am thinking....
Time to retire my 23+ year old Craftsman garden tractor. While it runs fine, it is 23+ years old and will not always be the case. One more similar sized machine should last me to when I go to the 'old folks home'.
Looking at current Kubota machines, I see the GR2120 or a B as possibly working. 48" mower and I want a grass catcher. I want to keep it as small as possible, width and length and maneuverable. I also want real performance when it comes to sucking grass clippings and more importantly, leaves. The GR blower, hanging off the mower deck is a turn off, but a B does not appear to be 'that small' and will be long with the PTO blower between the machine and the bags.
The old Craftsman size is pretty good, just not real durable. Also, with a horizontal aircooled engine, the air blows down and tends to blow dried leaves off the the side (mostly to the right) making fall clean up a drag. I also am not wild about the fuel consumption at a bit over two gallons per acre.
I have a BX, but I do not really want to have to deal with removing the loader and BH when mowing and then back on when I need them. Lazy and spoiled I guess.
Experienced opinions?

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

$2,000 to $5,000 for a gas lawn tractor.
$11,500 for a diesel Kubota GR2120, starting price.
$14, 300 for a Kubota B Series, starting price.
HUGE difference.

Are you just mowing grass? Or do you just want a new Kubota?

A BX starts at about the same price as GR2120. But it's actually a real tractor.

 

[DustyRusty]

Get a puppy instead! Never love something that can't love you back.

 

[fried1765]

Get a puppy instead! Never love something that can't love you back.

Make that a Labrador puppy !

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: The old Craftsman size is pretty good, just not real durable.

really ?? dang you've got 23 YEARS of abuse out of it !! probably has another 10-15 with some TLC. EVERYTHING new is built with 'thin tin',so proper maintenance is important if you want to get 10 years of life out of today's offerings.

Even the Kubota dealer told me NOT to but a diesel grass cutter..too dang expensive then asks me if I wanted the MMM for my BX23S ! At $2500, I said ,no I bought a TLB for digging NOT lawn cutting, besides I can buy 3-4 riders for the MMM cost.
I'm always on the lokour for another Craftsmans/Huskvarna as I have a $2800 BERCOMAC snow blower for one ,collecting dust.
If leaves are a problem ,consider a tow behind or onboard 'vacuum' unit. Size matters though ,most are $2000 BUT great for 1/2-5 acre lawns.
Don't worry about gas consumption ! As soon as Mr. Trump gets elected , USA will become self reliant on gas and oil, back down to $1.75 a gallon !

 

[skeets]

Or a beagle,,, really if all you are doing is cutting grass then a small BX will do everything you want and you can up grade to a 54 or 60 inch deck, as far as a grass catcher a pul behind would he the cats azz

 

[DustyRusty]

When I purchased my BX22 I got a 60" mower deck and it was a pain to put it on and take it off. Cutting grass with the loader on the tractor also wasn't ideal and taking the loader off was a monumental task as compared to how the BX23S loader comes off. The BX23S was purchased used and didn't come with the mower deck, and I have yet to find a used one to purchase. I do have a Dixon (Husqvarna) 42" ZTR that I have been using for the past few years but I would like to have only one machine to maintain. I have found a few 54" mower decks, but if I am going to get one, I would prefer the 60" I will probably regret it as I get older and the mower deck gets heavier, but for now that is what I am looking for. I do have an older Cyclone Bagging System, and I could adapt that to the BX to be my "lawn vacuum".

 

[jimh406]

If you are handy, you might want to just do some minor updates to the Craftsman. It sounds like a want instead of need which is fine.

The biggest advantage of the BX is the loader. However, you might want to consider a B while you are at it if you plan to use the loader. If your land is smooth and flat, the zero turn should be faster from what I understand.

Fwiw, I'm going on my 7th year with my Poulon Pro 42" with 17 1/2 HP Briggs and Stratton. I don't have to mow thick grass that much though since it is dry here. I do have acres to grow though.d

 

[jyoutz]

re: The old Craftsman size is pretty good, just not real durable.

really ?? dang you've got 23 YEARS of abuse out of it !! probably has another 10-15 with some TLC. EVERYTHING new is built with 'thin tin',so proper maintenance is important if you want to get 10 years of life out of today's offerings.

Even the Kubota dealer told me NOT to but a diesel grass cutter..too dang expensive then asks me if I wanted the MMM for my BX23S ! At $2500, I said ,no I bought a TLB for digging NOT lawn cutting, besides I can buy 3-4 riders for the MMM cost.
I'm always on the lokour for another Craftsmans/Huskvarna as I have a $2800 BERCOMAC snow blower for one ,collecting dust.
If leaves are a problem ,consider a tow behind or onboard 'vacuum' unit. Size matters though ,most are $2000 BUT great for 1/2-5 acre lawns.
Don't worry about gas consumption ! As soon as Mr. Trump gets elected , USA will become self reliant on gas and oil, back down to $1.75 a gallon !

The U.S. is currently producing more oil than when Mr. trump was in office.

 

[DustyRusty]

The U.S. is currently producing more oil than when Mr. trump was in office.

It isn't the production of the crude oil that we need, we need additional refining capacity. There hasn't been a new refinery built in the US in more than 50 years. That is the reason that diesel fuel is so expensive, we export the crude oil to South America and it is refined into diesel and then sent back to the US. Most of the additional costs are in transportation. If this administration or any of the previous administrations were serious about global warming they would understand that transporting crude oil to South America and back is wasting a lot of diesel fuel and adding carbon to the atmosphere. We are lining the South American dictator's pockets with US dollars under the present system of getting our critically needed diesel and home heating oil.

 

[jyoutz]

It isn't the production of the crude oil that we need, we need additional refining capacity. There hasn't been a new refinery built in the US in more than 50 years. That is the reason that diesel fuel is so expensive, we export the crude oil to South America and it is refined into diesel and then sent back to the US. Most of the additional costs are in transportation. If this administration or any of the previous administrations were serious about global warming they would understand that transporting crude oil to South America and back is wasting a lot of diesel fuel and adding carbon to the atmosphere. We are lining the South American dictator's pockets with US dollars under the present system of getting our critically needed diesel and home heating oil.

The refineries in my state produce both gas and diesel from local oil. The huge Gulf Coast refineries are designed and focused on using heavy crude and producing mostly gasoline and other petroleum products. Yes, they need to use our abundant Permian Basin light crude instead of exporting this oil, but it’s more profitable for export. The US industry has known for 20 years that refining capacity is inadequate in the U.S. yet this has remained the case since the HW Bush administration. No matter who is president, the petroleum industry reports to shareholders, not politicians.

 

[OntheRidge]

And yet another thread goes completely off track...Sigh, happens way too much.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

This is premature, a year or more out but I am thinking....
Time to retire my 23+ year old Craftsman garden tractor. While it runs fine, it is 23+ years old and will not always be the case. One more similar sized machine should last me to when I go to the 'old folks home'.
Looking at current Kubota machines, I see the GR2120 or a B as possibly working. 48" mower and I want a grass catcher. I want to keep it as small as possible, width and length and maneuverable. I also want real performance when it comes to sucking grass clippings and more importantly, leaves. The GR blower, hanging off the mower deck is a turn off, but a B does not appear to be 'that small' and will be long with the PTO blower between the machine and the bags.
The old Craftsman size is pretty good, just not real durable. Also, with a horizontal aircooled engine, the air blows down and tends to blow dried leaves off the the side (mostly to the right) making fall clean up a drag. I also am not wild about the fuel consumption at a bit over two gallons per acre.
I have a BX, but I do not really want to have to deal with removing the loader and BH when mowing and then back on when I need them. Lazy and spoiled I guess.
Experienced opinions?

Good day. To me the GR and B are fairly different machines. How much are you mowing? Do you have other land doing anything with? Do you have some idea of other task you like to do with the machine? Everyone has a different situation, but IMO it should be illegal to sell/buy a BX or B size machine without the loader. EDIT…That was a joke…it’s fine to not buy the loader…however It makes the machine so much more useful IMO if you do any sort of land care / maintenance or even just to lift stuff in / out of the bed of a truck. That being said it sort of depends on your planned uses. I think a BX has a less ground clearance and maybe a little more stable than the B, but you get a little more machine with the B. If space not a constraint where you can operate it around your place I’d buy as much as you can. I’ve had a BX and B and both great machines. If I knew I was going to have a MX, I would not have gotten the B and just kept the BX. (My uses and acreage changed significantly and so did my lineup of machines…it changed again just last week). I do really like the B and it suits me better than the BX did. Really I should have bought the B to begin with but that is the way it goes. Maybe another consideration is if you plan to have any implements? That might nudge you one way or another too. Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[DustyRusty]

Good day. To me the GR and B are fairly different machines. How much are you mowing? Do you have other land doing anything with? Do you have some idea of other task you like to do with the machine? Everyone has a different situation, but IMO it should be illegal to sell/buy a BX or B size machine without the loader. It makes the machine so much more useful IMO if you do any sort of land care / maintenance or even just to lift stuff in / out of the bed of a truck. That being said it sort of depends on your planned uses. I think a BX has a less ground clearance and maybe a little more stable than the B, but you get a little more machine with the B. If space not a constraint where you can operate it around your place I’d buy as much as you can. I’ve had a BX and B and both great machines. If I knew I was going to have a MX, I would not have gotten the B and just kept the BX. (My uses and acreage changed significantly and so did my lineup of machines…it changed again just last week). I do really like the B and it suits me better than the BX did. Really I should have bought the B to begin with but that is the way it goes. Maybe another consideration is if you plan to have any implements? That might nudge you one way or another too. Good luck. Keep us posted.

Really, you believe that a government should be telling a citizen what they should and shouldn't purchase? In my opinion, our government (United States) is already overstepping its boundaries by attempting to force electric vehicles on the motoring public in the name of saving the planet. All of those politicians think that the electricity that is going to be required to charge those vehicles is going to magically appear out of nowhere! Now you want them making decisions on what type of tractors we should purchase! Unbelievable, what ever happened to the idea that we have a G_d-given right to make our own decisions for ourselves?

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Really, you believe that a government should be telling a citizen what they should and shouldn't purchase? In my opinion, our government (United States) is already overstepping its boundaries by attempting to force electric vehicles on the motoring public in the name of saving the planet. All of those politicians think that the electricity that is going to be required to charge those vehicles is going to magically appear out of nowhere! Now you want them making decisions on what type of tractors we should purchase! Unbelievable, what ever happened to the idea that we have a G_d-given right to make our own decisions for ourselves?

Oh my…have some more egg nog. That was really a just a joke / snarky comment from me. I edited it so it doesn’t get the best of anyone else emotions. If it’s hard to see my response as anything other than trying to help up above have yet some more egg nog…maybe put some dulcolax in it. Merry Christmas.

 

[fried1765]

If you are handy, you might want to just do some minor updates to the Craftsman. It sounds like a want instead of need which is fine.

The biggest advantage of the BX is the loader. However, you might want to consider a B while you are at it if you plan to use the loader. If your land is smooth and flat, the zero turn should be faster from what I understand.

Fwiw, I'm going on my 7th year with my Poulon Pro 42" with 17 1/2 HP Briggs and Stratton. I don't have to mow thick grass that much though since it is dry here. I do have acres to grow though.d

I replaced my (dad's) 50 year old Craftsman with a John Deere rider, and then 6 years later with a SCAG ZT.
I would never own anything BUT a ZT for grass mowing again.

 

[William1]

I have a BX25D and will keep it. so I have a loader and a BH.
Sure, I can continue to repair the old Craftsman but it has a fatal flaw when doing fall leaf cleaning, particularly blowing leaves to the right due to the air cooling of the engine and possibly the lack of sucking, depending entirely on the blades.
I can afford a new machine, I've worked hard prior to retirement to ensure I can do what I want. I am frugal, as shown by having and keeping running a 23 YO garden tractor. I wear clothes until the holes are large enough for a fist to fit through.
I have a bunch of neighbors with zero turns. They tend to be rough on the ground making tight turns in the same place over and over. So they are a no-go.
I will keep the Craftsman and it will be used to tow about a garden cart until it fails and either parts are not available or too expensive.
I WANT a small, very maneuverable Garden tractor of top quality dedicated as a mower and leaf sucker. As I said in my first post, I like the GR except for the blower hanging off of one side, making that potentially get in the way. A B seems nice except it might be just too large. I have a lot of garden beds and tight curves, even the old Craftsman is bulky at times and come areas, I have to stop, back, turn slightly to 'make it.'
My hand mower, I bought in 1982 and still starts with one pull, though the deck has been rust patched over rust patches....
Maybe a Cub Cadet...

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

@William1, with respect: From your posts, you know a lot about lawn tractors.

You own a BX already, and you want to replace your lawn mower-slash-garden tractor.

If money isn't an issue, get a 4wd BX with a mower and loader and store the loader in the shed. When you decide to sell it, the loader will double it's worth.

 

[DustyRusty]

Oh my…have some more egg nog. That was really a just a joke / snarky comment from me. I edited it so it doesn’t get the best of anyone else emotions. If it’s hard to see my response as anything other than trying to help up above have yet some more egg nog…maybe put some dulcolax in it. Merry Christmas.

You sound just like all the rest of the liberals that I know. When you get called out on something, then you just delete it and then claim it was just a joke. I would tell you what you could do with your egg nog and Dulcolax (this is the correct spelling) however, if I did, then I would be putting myself in jeopardy of being banned. You and your "joke" comments are just not worth it.

 

[PaulL]

Ignoring the politics.

If you're not entirely tight for funds, I'd recommend upgrading the BX to a B26 TLB, then buy a standalone BX for mowing. Go the BX2680, plenty of HP to run a bagger. Or get a tow behind as people have said.

Meets all your needs. Makes no sense to me to have a BX TLB, then a B for mowing. Also no sense to have two BXs.

You could stretch to an LX or L for your TLB, if you're going bigger may as well go properly bigger.

Yes, I just spent a lot of your money. But imagine how happy you'll be.

Or, if you're serious about mowing, get an F (perhaps a second hand one - they're bullet proof and lots of them used in council or commercial operations and get turned over well before they're used up). You can get a bagger for them. No idea how good it is, but an F is the happiest way I can imagine to mow a lawn.