I am looking to purchase a subcompact tractor with a 60 inch mower and front end loader. I have a 3 plus acre yard on a small farm, half of it is flat and half is sloped. I was wondering what your opinion is on the quality and suitability of the BX2380 or 2680 for my needs? Thanks!
BX2380/2680 Question
- Thread starter AJared
- Start date
I just picked up a 2680. I have the 54 inch deck, it works great. Only issues I have is I"m coastal, so the tractors leaves deep marks in my always moist yard, and the 4wd leaves a bit to be desired out in my pasture after a bit of rain. Other than that, I have enjoyed not using a shovel to spread 8 tons of gravel.
i7win7
Well-known member
Equipment
BX2370, B2650 grapple, tree puller, trailer mover, 3 point hoist, mower, tiller
BX2380 17.7hp @ PTO
BX2680 19.5hp@ PTO
Have a BX2370 - 5/6 years old happy with it, sometimes use 4' tiller. The 26hp engine generates more PTO horsepower - will run a 5' tiller better than the small one. I think that's the only major difference. 23hp seems to be all that's required for the fully loaded backhoe version.
BX2680 19.5hp@ PTO
Have a BX2370 - 5/6 years old happy with it, sometimes use 4' tiller. The 26hp engine generates more PTO horsepower - will run a 5' tiller better than the small one. I think that's the only major difference. 23hp seems to be all that's required for the fully loaded backhoe version.
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GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
this...
if you are thinking of buying a BX... just get a B
from the guy who only owns a BX2350 ...
hmmmmm...
seems it's good enough....
if you are thinking of buying a BX... just get a B
from the guy who only owns a BX2350 ...
hmmmmm...
seems it's good enough....
RCW
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
I just posted on the “What have you done...” section....
Love my BX, but within a year or two I wished I had gotten a B.
Had the BX 7 years and love it. Use it 12 months a year.
Not as much for HP, but more for added weight, traction, and FEL capacity.
The guys that have been around OTT a while have seen this picture 100 times.....34” in ~12 hours.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Love my BX, but within a year or two I wished I had gotten a B.
Had the BX 7 years and love it. Use it 12 months a year.
Not as much for HP, but more for added weight, traction, and FEL capacity.
The guys that have been around OTT a while have seen this picture 100 times.....34” in ~12 hours.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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There's plenty of HP there for your needs. But it also depends on all the different tasks you have planned for the tractor, too. Will it be just mowing? Will you be using ground engaging equipment on your slopes? Towing heavy loads in a trailer? There's all kinds of duties on a small farm. I used a 20HP Compact JD750 for 30+ yrs on my 18 acres. The HP was adequate but a subcompact would've been inadequate for some of the duties due to its smaller size and weight. Everybody's situation is different and you'll just have to decide what works best for you in your setup.
RCW, we need to fabricate a light weight, removeable cab for your winter duties. That looks like our typical North Dakota weather!!I just posted on the “What have you done...” section....
Love my BX, but within a year or two I wished I had gotten a B.
Had the BX 7 years and love it. Use it 12 months a year.
Not as much for HP, but more for added weight, traction, and FEL capacity.
The guys that have been around OTT a while have seen this picture 100 times.....34” in ~12 hours.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
looking at the HP difference....
2 HP
time to go back 3 generations and see what 2 REAL Horse Power did !!!
2 HP
time to go back 3 generations and see what 2 REAL Horse Power did !!!
100% agreement with Dave.
Once I read "farm", that's B.
Sure a BX is fine for a small residential property, but when you get the tractor your scope of ideas, projects will naturally grow. Plus the hobby farm. The B is far more capable in every way than a BX. Dual hydro pumps, weight, ground clearance, capacity, the list goes on.
Once I read "farm", that's B.
Sure a BX is fine for a small residential property, but when you get the tractor your scope of ideas, projects will naturally grow. Plus the hobby farm. The B is far more capable in every way than a BX. Dual hydro pumps, weight, ground clearance, capacity, the list goes on.
i7win7
Well-known member
Equipment
BX2370, B2650 grapple, tree puller, trailer mover, 3 point hoist, mower, tiller
I mow about 3 acres each week with a BX. If a tiller is a future purchase the 2680 has more pto power. I use my BX to mow, till, roll lawn and haul stuff in bucket (beats using wheelbarrow). I also have a B2650 with weighted tires. I can use the BX early spring before the ground can handle the B or a larger Ford. I seldom use the Ford now that I have the B, smaller, lighter, more versatile.
If you need to "work the farm" and mow the JD 3 series may be what you need.
Attachments
Extra HP is cheap IMO buy it , my B2601 was like $800.00 more than B2301
I am able to say B2601 runs a 60 MMM great
I have a 48" tiller from Betstco tractor has plenty of power to run.
I am able to say B2601 runs a 60 MMM great
I have a 48" tiller from Betstco tractor has plenty of power to run.
We all have our opinions. I have a bx2350 on a smaller property than you describe - I'm about 1 acre, plus I mow some nearby areas as part of community contribution. I'm working towards a B2601. Land size isn't really what tells you what machine you need, it comes down to what tasks you want to do. In general a BX will be fine for what you describe, although you might occasionally wish you had a bigger machine.
Questions I have:
- 3 acre yard as part of a farm. Is the farm yours, or only the 3 acres?
- if the farm is yours, do you have larger machines on the farm already, or will the BX be your only machine?
- what do you want to do with the BX? Just mow and a bit of fetch and carry, or more?
- snow blow, tiller, any other PTO driven implements needed?
- forks or grapple needed?
If you have other machines on the farm that you'd use for anything big, then a BX is a great complement. The only thing I'd watch out for is if you may sometimes want the "house tractor" out on the farm when you need multiple machines - a small B would much more easily do double duty. If you're not using a lot of PTO horsepower (hence the questions on snow blower, tiller etc) then there's no benefit in the 26 vs 23 - the hydraulics are the same, and the BX can't put all that power on the ground usually (the wheels spin), so the only way to use 26HP is if you have a power hungry implement on the PTO.
If this is your only machine (my assumption), and if you have 3 acres of yard, but actually a larger farm that you just didn't consider using this machine on, then I'd go a bit bigger. A B is about the same length and width as a BX, but it's not downsized so as to be friendly in a residential setting - it's taller and more capable. To my mind it's what the BX would be if they didn't need to cater to the people who are really only comfortable with a lawn tractor sized machine. Key elements for me are:
- A lot more ground clearance, so if you go out in the fields at all, you'll appreciate that
- Bigger wheels. It only weighs a little more, so actually if you let a bit of pressure out of the tyres it has way less ground pressure. And quite a bit more traction
- Three speed gear box, gives you a lower gear for pulling stuff, and a higher gear for getting from place to place. 3 acres (plus a bit if you've actually got a larger property beyond the house yard) is far enough you'll appreciate the extra speed
- A lot more 3ph capacity. I carry a lot on the rear of my BX using rear pallet forks, but it runs out of lift pretty quickly if I move pavers or anything like that. A B lifts double as much on the rear, 30% additional on the FEL
- More FEL lift height, which is more useful than you assume. I've run out of height on the BX a few times. I can work around it, but a bit more would be nice
If you're buying new then a B2601 doesn't cost much more, but is quite a bit more capable machine. You're legitimately in a farm setting, so you don't need to worry about it looking a bit big for what you're doing.
So, I'll revise my recommendations.
If you will sometimes use the house tractor on the farm - pull a trailer for the M to load onto or something, then a B.
If you can use the M for lift and carry, then get a zero turn. 3 acres will mow much faster with a zero turn.
If (as it sounds like) you just need a small tractor around the house, and you want an FEL to do the gardening and messing around without chewing up the lawn, then yes, the BX is exactly the right machine. I wouldn't go with the 26HP unless you're going to run a tiller on it (and with an M, why would you?)
If you will sometimes use the house tractor on the farm - pull a trailer for the M to load onto or something, then a B.
If you can use the M for lift and carry, then get a zero turn. 3 acres will mow much faster with a zero turn.
If (as it sounds like) you just need a small tractor around the house, and you want an FEL to do the gardening and messing around without chewing up the lawn, then yes, the BX is exactly the right machine. I wouldn't go with the 26HP unless you're going to run a tiller on it (and with an M, why would you?)