BX25D -- cure for a headache? you bet!

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I'm in N La and pine beetles are a real problem, and I had several hundred trees that were just waiting their turn to die and I was fed up with taking them down myself. So after much debate and dreading the mess that would be left, I got a timber crew in to take them all down. Made a little money and bought a used Mitsubishi with FEL to help clean up. I was aware the FEL only had single acting lift cyls, but sadly disappointed with the performance. Struggled along til hot weather hit and I quit til it got cool again.

Well cool weather is finally here and I started researching a SCUT with FEL and BH. Pretty quickly settled on the Kubota in the BX25D configuration (seemed to be the ONLY choice) Brought it home couple weeks ago and put to work --- I am blown away!! I have got more done in these few days than I did in the couple months before.

I have a real mess, thousands of 'giblets' of broken limbs, whole limbs, some small trees and mixed in with it all is lots of dirt. It wont burn without pulling the pieces from the piles and separating them out in a burn pile. I quickly found that just because the bucket is full it'll still hold a LOT more behind the bucket laying on the arms...

Thats OK for the larger stuff but then I have to get the trashy stuff mixed with dirt loaded - here I got my trusty old Wheel Horse and yard trailer that will hold about 4-5 bucket loads and haul it 2-300 yards to a low place on the property.

Gotta love this thing!!

 

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Should get a mini grapple for that thing. wouldn't have to get off the tractor until you're done...
I wonder how small of a grapple they make...

 

[CountryBumkin]

Check out the LandPride 48" Grapple - made just for the BX. http://www.landpride.com/products/592/sgc05-series-claw-grapples

Sounds like the PTO driven Wood Chipper might be handy for you too.

 

[pacer]

I'm afraid that after the outlay of the cost of the tractor my bank account just would not stand the cost of a grapple. And, while I think it would be a help, I dont believe it would be a 'cure-all' The mess is like the kids game 'pick up sticks', it is at all angles in the piles. I did manage to get the thumb for the hoe and it has already been a big help, and I have 3" wheel spacers coming. I have a pretty good slope where I take some of this stuff and I get nervous on it.

The chain saw mount and the tool box mount I fabricated myself, from here on I'll have to make do with what I got.

 

[85Hokie]

Pacer,

make sure you are protecting the under side of your new tractor - that little stuff that you have to run over will play hell with the plastic fan under the tractor ! A 20 fan and several hundred big ones to get to it !

 

[skeets]

Congrads on your new little beasty,, and do what the man said WATCH THE BELLY OF HER,,, really spend a few bucks and get a skid plate and put it on you will never have to worry about spending about a grand to have the fan replaced by the dealer,, for the money a skid plate is your best bet of insurance doing what your doing... There have been more than a few that have found this out the hard way And welcome to the Orange

 

[Tooljunkie]

Lil branches,3/4" diameter and smaller is easier to mow into windrows and load bucket from there. I know for a fact a wood chipper will reduce those branches to 1/10 of what they are now. Two similar sized trees, one piled on truck, other one chipped. Seven truckloads of branches, not even pne truckload of chips.

 

[William1]

First think I installed on my BX was a skid plate. Next thing I did was bottom the little thing out in a gully, with mud up to the floor board.

Funny thing about the fan. I have a Craftsman lawn tractor with a HST fan driven from the drive belt, I broke the fan the first year I owned the garden tractor. Fortunately, it was cheap and easy to replace. A few months ago, I was mowing the lawn, there was a long stick on the ground, just as I was passing over it, I thought...'I hope that does not go and jam up into the trans....'' and lost forward motion. Turns out the stick jammed into the freewheel lock out. popped it out and continued.

All machines should have under belly protection. A 1/4" gap will allow a 1/4" object in. Murphys Law.