BX25D - new owner Q's

[NetMagi]

Just bought a brand new 2014 BX25D. This is my first "real" machine.

We moved out of a property with a small backyard into 2.6 acres November of 2013 with a loooooooooong driveway, and I had purchased a Husqvarna GT52XLS with a front-mount snowblower hastily to avoid shoveling, but I under-bought.

I have a hilly property, and I'd regularly get stuck with the blower in the winter, and had to disable the seat safeties to mow my slopes with my butt on a fender instead of the seat (to maintain traction).

I'll be licking my wounds on what I'll lose selling the GT52XLS at only a year old for a while, but at least I have the right machine now (I hope!!).

In addition to mowing and snowblowing, we have some landscaping to do, and plan to make regular use of the FEL and enough occasional use of the BH (I guess only time will tell if the BH was really warranted).

I think I did pretty good on the tractor since it was the end of the year, but would like to hear what others think. I paid $21,965 (out the door) and got:

*BX25D
*12" BH bucket
*54" MMM
*front-mount snowblower
*required quick-mount and PTO driveline kit for the front-mount snowblower
*3-pt hitch kit

Now, a few questions:

1) I never previously measured my slopes, but this morning using a tilt gauge and a 2x4, I roughly measured up to ~25 degrees at the steepest, with the majority of it ~18-22 degrees. My Husqvarna would go straight up the slopes with dry grass, but the rear wheels would break traction going down and start to slide. I ended up mowing across it since it's a long slope anyway, and I'd like to keep mowing across it. On the Husqvarna I'd have to get completely off the seat and hover/sit over the fender to keep both wheels moving (no locking diff and only 2WD). It's winter, and I don't have the MMM on, but what can I expect stability wise from the BX25D? Should I get some spacers? Since I have the 54" MMM, it looks like if I go with spacers, 1.5" is the absolute max.

2) Like many dealers do I guess, my BX was stored outside until I bought it. There is a little light rust on the frame and ROP at the welds in a handful of places, and the front plastic under the hood looks very lightly faded. I guess this is par for the course, since keeping an entire inventory of tractors indoor just isn't feasible for dealers. What things should I touch-up, lube, etc, knowing that this tractor was stored outside?

3) The ROP is too tall!!!! It's 4" too tall to clear my garage door opening. Realistically, I'd need 4.5" shorter to clear with a little comfort. It *LOOKS* like I could potentially move the holes up to ~4.5" lower on the lower part of the 2-piece ROP and get away with it. I'd measure the center point down 4.5" for each, drill new holes, and then lop 4.5" off the top of the lower risers. Has anyone else done this or considered it? Obviously I can fold the ROP, but I can 100% guarantee that either my wife or myself will eventually forget and drive right into the door opening with the ROP up.

4) After it was delivered, I immediately parked it in front of a stone/dirt pile and went to get my gopro to capture the inaugural scraping of the paint off my FEL and BH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeOzQadlX8

I have never owned or operated a FEL or BH, so my skills are non-existent. I feel like I had a good grasp of the FEL within minutes, but the BH is hard!

How long did it take you other new owners to gain any kind of functional skill with the BH?

5) With the keyswitch, as soon as I turn mine to the first position to the right, it starts clicking maniacally. . I'm guessing that's the fuel pump? The next position appears to be for the glow plugs, but it doesn't "stop" there. I take it you hold it in the glow plugs position against the spring for the desired number of seconds (based on ambient temp) before turning further against the spring to engage the starter?

6) Is it normal to want to go dig holes and move dirt around in my yard now for no particular reason?

Thanks for reading this far.

-Rich H.

 

[cerlawson]

Hope all goes well, but a few comments from a BX owner, and no back hoe. You will get a lot of comments to not modify the ROP. If you are a good welder, you probably can fix that (my experience with a larger blue tractor). As to operating on slopes, take a look at where the center of gravity is. I suspect keeping the BH on will raise it. If you can, do some safe experimenting as to what slopes puts you at risk. 25 degrees is pretty steep just for control. Risky situations usually will be noted by losing traction on the uphill wheel. I do these checks by attaching a stout rope from a stable vehicle up hill as I take the "test" with the tractor being checked out.

While I don't consider the BX much of a tractor for earth grading and the like, due to its small size, you may find it suitable. That Three point control is quite crude and takes some time to get used to. Consider a rear blade as quite essential for leveling, but other means for loosening may work better first.

 

[85Hokie]

Now, a few questions:

1) I never previously measured my slopes, but this morning using a tilt gauge and a 2x4, I roughly measured up to ~25 degrees at the steepest, with the majority of it ~18-22 degrees. My Husqvarna would go straight up the slopes with dry grass, but the rear wheels would break traction going down and start to slide. I ended up mowing across it since it's a long slope anyway, and I'd like to keep mowing across it. On the Husqvarna I'd have to get completely off the seat and hover/sit over the fender to keep both wheels moving (no locking diff and only 2WD). It's winter, and I don't have the MMM on, but what can I expect stability wise from the BX25D? Should I get some spacers? Since I have the 54" MMM, it looks like if I go with spacers, 1.5" is the absolute max.


RICH,

1ST - WELCOME TO ORANGE COUNTRY - HELLVA PLACE TO GET INFO!

STABILITY WISE - GET SPACERS.....EVEN THE 1.5 WILL MAKE IT FEEL ALMOST WIDER! I HAVE THE 60" MMM AND 2.5 SPACERS, GREAT DEAL OF DIFFERENCE. ALWAYS GO DOWN THE HILL IN 4WD - THE BRAKES IN THE HYDRAULICS ARE FAR BETTER THAN THE BRAKES OF THE REAR WHEELS!!!!! BY ALLOWING THE HYDRAULICS TO SLOW YOU DOWN GOING DOWN THE HILL THE BRAKES ARE NEVER NEEDED!! I HAVE A B7100 THAT I TAKE UP THE 24 DEGREE HILL, BUT HAVE NOT TAKEN THE 25D UP IT , HOE IS RATHER HEAVY !

2) Like many dealers do I guess, my BX was stored outside until I bought it. There is a little light rust on the frame and ROP at the welds in a handful of places, and the front plastic under the hood looks very lightly faded. I guess this is par for the course, since keeping an entire inventory of tractors indoor just isn't feasible for dealers. What things should I touch-up, lube, etc, knowing that this tractor was stored outside?

CLEAN HER UP WITH A LITTLE - IF THE HOOD IS FADED - HAVE DEALER "FIX" THAT ! CHECK ALL ZERKS - SOMETIMES A FEW ARE MISSED - THE ONE IN THE FLOOR MAT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO GET TOO. HIT THEM ALL ABOUT EVERY TEN HOURS.

3) The ROP is too tall!!!! It's 4" too tall to clear my garage door opening. Realistically, I'd need 4.5" shorter to clear with a little comfort. It *LOOKS* like I could potentially move the holes up to ~4.5" lower on the lower part of the 2-piece ROP and get away with it. I'd measure the center point down 4.5" for each, drill new holes, and then lop 4.5" off the top of the lower risers. Has anyone else done this or considered it? Obviously I can fold the ROP, but I can 100% guarantee that either my wife or myself will eventually forget and drive right into the door opening with the ROP up.

WELCOME TO THE GARAGE DOOR IS TOO DAMN SHORT SYNDROME !!! YOU WILL NEED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE ROPS AS YOU ENTER - LEAVE IT DOWN INSIDE AND YOU WILL ALWAYS WANTS TO RAISE AND LOCK IT AFTER GOING OUT, DONT LEAVE IT DOWN!

4) After it was delivered, I immediately parked it in front of a stone/dirt pile and went to get my gopro to capture the inaugural scraping of the paint off my FEL and BH

I HAVE LITTLE ORANGE PAINT LEFT ON THE BOTTOM OR FRONT EDGE - IT WILL NOT RUST - UNLESS LEFT SITTING !!!!

GET YOU ARE TOOTH BAR- IT WILL BE THE BEST MONEY SPENT I PROMISE YOU !!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeOzQadlX8

I have never owned or operated a FEL or BH, so my skills are non-existent. I feel like I had a good grasp of the FEL within minutes, but the BH is hard!

How long did it take you other new owners to gain any kind of functional skill with the BH?

BACKHOE DID TAKE A LITTLE TIME, HAVING TO DIG A STUMP WAS A FIRST TEST FOR ME, AFTER ABOUT 10 HOURS YOU WILL FEEL LIKE IT IS SECOND NATURE......WHEN USING THE FRONT BUCKET - KEEP IT LOW LOADED, EVEN A LITTLE HIGH CREATES A HIGH CENTER OF GRAVITY, LOW IS THE WAY TO GO

5) With the keyswitch, as soon as I turn mine to the first position to the right, it starts clicking maniacally. . I'm guessing that's the fuel pump? The next position appears to be for the glow plugs, but it doesn't "stop" there. I take it you hold it in the glow plugs position against the spring for the desired number of seconds (based on ambient temp) before turning further against the spring to engage the starter?

YES - YOU GOT IT - I ALWAYS GIVE IT A 5 SEC PREHEAT EVEN IN SUMMER AND 20-30 IN WINTER. IT ALWAYS FIRES RIGHT AWAY TOO.

6) Is it normal to want to go dig holes and move dirt around in my yard now for no particular reason?

WAIT TILL YOU MOVE TO SOMEPLACE ELSE! THE HOLES GET BIGGER AND BETTER!!!

Thanks for reading this far.

-Rich H.

read above in red !

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Let me be the first to say DO NOT ALTER THE ROPS, PERIOD!
Way too many bad things can come of it, it also will make the resale of the tractor a huge liability!

I personally wouldn't side slope, way too many risks, if you can't maintain traction going up and down what says your going to maintain traction side slopping.

It's always better to loose traction going strait up or strait down.
widening the stance will help, along with ballasting the tires, but it's not going to overcome the top weight if you tilt it too much, then the unaltered ROPS will save your backside!

Everything attached like loader and backhoe will make it even more unstable so be mindful of that.

And yes it's perfectly normal to want and go out and dig holes, so what's stopping you, go dig holes?

 

[ipz2222]

"go dig holes".. Why is it wrong for my dog to dig holes but ok for me????
Why does my head yank sidways from the color orange or '73 mustang in my piriphial vision?? Why is my paycheck never enough to buy all the toys I want.(not need)? Why o why????

 

[NetMagi]

Thank you all for your replies.

I just ordered some 1.5" spacers from motorsport-tech.com. HOPEFULLY, they clear the 54" MMM ok.

I definitely plan on removing the FEL and BH for mowing. I plan on having the tractor in the following (3) configurations:

Mowing: tractor, MMM

Winter: tractor, front-mount snowblower

Earth Moving: tractor, MMM (if in mowing season), FEL, BH

Is there any reason I can't plan on leaving the MMM on during mowing season if I pop the FEL and BH on to do something? (when I don't expect clearance to be an issue)

RE: the ROPS . . I know, I know, don't modify it. . and yes, surely I can have it folded down in the garage and not put it up until I exit the garage. My concern is re-entering the garage. I'm certain it's only a matter of time until myself or my wife (she mows the backyard, I mow the front) forgets to put it down, and slams right into the garage door header.

Granted, I'm not an engineer, but I modify lots of stuff, and looking at it, and comparing with other models, I don't see a significant detriment in removing 4.5" from the bottom risers. I guess I should make a separate thread for this one since it's such a big issue.

-Rich H.

 

[skeets]

Welcome to another Keystoner,,
Ok bubba here's the skinny,, hang some orange or yellow ribbons off the bottom of the garage door so they hang and flutter in the wind when the door is open and you or your lovely bride wont clean the door off the tracks..
KISS remember that!

I wont go into modifying the ROPS but trust me, in my former life I investigated a bunch of fatal's where a ROPS had been modified,, and God forbid, something happen and you mucked up the ROPS.unless of course your a PE and will certify it, your insurance company will most likely just politely back away and tell you that your on your own!!

Also do not cut across the hill this will cause an extreme case of sphincter pucker, and never run with the bucket any higher than it needs to be to clear the ground!!!!!


And having the MMM on while you are moving dirt,, well think about it, its hanging out there while your trying to move about, ,, not a good idea, you will clip enough stuff with just the MMM, mowing,, and not having to worry about moving dirt and maybe tearing it off or at least twisting it up.

Just my .02 cents worth, where are you in Pa anyway?

 

[coachgeo]

....
RE: the ROPS . . I know, I know, don't modify it. . and yes, surely I can have it folded down in the garage and not put it up until I exit the garage. My concern is re-entering the garage. I'm certain it's only a matter of time until myself or my wife (she mows the backyard, I mow the front) forgets to put it down, and slams right into the garage door header.

Granted, I'm not an engineer, but I modify lots of stuff, and looking at it, and comparing with other models, I don't see a significant detriment in removing 4.5" from the bottom risers. I guess I should make a separate thread for this one since it's such a big issue.

-Rich H.

Put a 2x4 from top of ROP to front of tractor hood. sit on tractor. Does your head it 2x4? Now Duct tape or have friend hold that 2x4 4"-5" lower than top of ROPS. Now lower the front at end at hood cause that will crush a good 3"-6"?

That 2x4 is the ground when you roll upside down. How much your head is above that 2x4 is how much you or your wifes spine is crushed downward

BUTTTT.... Im no Kubota engineer. The design may not be about "upside down". The ROP may not actually be designed to protect head in a roll "upside" down" but to actually prevent tractor from going past a 90 degree flop in the first place This is a crucial element in height of ROP. Lower height ROP can let it much easier keep rolling.

 

[coachgeo]

....
RE: the ROPS . . I know, I know, don't modify it. . and yes, surely I can have it folded down in the garage and not put it up until I exit the garage. My concern is re-entering the garage. I'm certain it's only a matter of time until myself or my wife (she mows the backyard, I mow the front) forgets to put it down, and slams right into the garage door header.

Granted, I'm not an engineer, but I modify lots of stuff, and looking at it, and comparing with other models, I don't see a significant detriment in removing 4.5" from the bottom risers. I guess I should make a separate thread for this one since it's such a big issue.

-Rich H.

Put a 2x4 from top of ROP to front of tractor hood. sit on tractor. Does your head it 2x4? Now Duct tape or have friend hold that 2x4 4"-5" lower than top of ROPS. Now lower the front at end at hood cause that will crush a good 3"-6"?

That 2x4 is the ground when you roll upside down. How much your head is above that 2x4 is how much you or your wifes spine is crushed downward

BUTTTT.... Im no Kubota engineer. The design may not be about "upside down". The ROP may not actually be designed to protect head in a roll or flip "upside" down" but to actually prevent tractor from going past a 90 degree flop or reverse flip in the first place This is a crucial element in height of ROP. Lower height ROP can let it much easier keep rolling or flipping.

 

[tcrote5516]

Welcome to the orange side!!! You got a great deal, that's a lot of machine for $21k.

I took delivery of mine 2 years ago and promptly drove it into the fully manicured and grassed backyard and started digging a hole. Why? Because I was finally that 10 year old kid with his real tonka truck in his own 3 acre sandbox.

Quick question, in the video your HST sounds even louder than normal (yes they are ALL loud) are you sure you were in low gear? I know when I first got mine I was so excited I forgot to put it in low once when climbing a bit of a hill. When you are pushing into the pile it sure sounds like its in high to me.

Congrats again and while you may not have bought right the first time you can rest assured you bought a machine that will serve you well for as many years as you need it.

 

[tcrote5516]

Put a 2x4 from top of ROP to front of tractor hood. sit on tractor. Does your head it 2x4? Now Duct tape or have friend hold that 2x4 4"-5" lower than top of ROPS. Now lower the front at end at hood cause that will crush a good 3"-6"?

That 2x4 is the ground when you roll upside down. How much your head is above that 2x4 is how much you or your wifes spine is crushed downward

BUTTTT.... Im no Kubota engineer. The design may not be about "upside down". The ROP may not actually be designed to protect head in a roll or flip "upside" down" but to actually prevent tractor from going past a 90 degree flop or reverse flip in the first place This is a crucial element in height of ROP. Lower height ROP can let it much easier keep rolling or flipping.

You got it right, its not designed to be a "roll cage" its Roll Over Protection. The sole purpose is to prevent a full 180 deg roll. Kinda like the guy that takes Viagra before bed. It won't support his full weight but it works as a kickstand to keep him from rolling out of bed

 

[Paulemar]

1) I never previously measured my slopes, but this morning using a tilt gauge and a 2x4, I roughly measured up to ~25 degrees at the steepest, with the majority of it ~18-22 degrees. My Husqvarna would go straight up the slopes with dry grass, but the rear wheels would break traction going down and start to slide. I ended up mowing across it since it's a long slope anyway, and I'd like to keep mowing across it. On the Husqvarna I'd have to get completely off the seat and hover/sit over the fender to keep both wheels moving (no locking diff and only 2WD). It's winter, and I don't have the MMM on, but what can I expect stability wise from the BX25D? Should I get some spacers? Since I have the 54" MMM, it looks like if I go with spacers, 1.5" is the absolute max.

I have 60" mower and 2" spacers. They make a difference, but I was OK without them after some practice.

2) Like many dealers do I guess, my BX was stored outside until I bought it. There is a little light rust on the frame and ROP at the welds in a handful of places, and the front plastic under the hood looks very lightly faded. I guess this is par for the course, since keeping an entire inventory of tractors indoor just isn't feasible for dealers. What things should I touch-up, lube, etc, knowing that this tractor was stored outside?

It's not like a car. A little rust you can take care of whenever you get a chance. After a couple of years you will take care of that rust less frequently. I still do it but not as often.

3) The ROP is too tall!!!! It's 4" too tall to clear my garage door opening. Realistically, I'd need 4.5" shorter to clear with a little comfort. It *LOOKS* like I could potentially move the holes up to ~4.5" lower on the lower part of the 2-piece ROP and get away with it. I'd measure the center point down 4.5" for each, drill new holes, and then lop 4.5" off the top of the lower risers. Has anyone else done this or considered it? Obviously I can fold the ROP, but I can 100% guarantee that either my wife or myself will eventually forget and drive right into the door opening with the ROP up.

Hang a tennis ball at face level so that it smacks you in the face as you enter the garage. It will be a constant reminder to lower the ROPS. Never ever allow it to go away even for a short time and you will never forget.

4) After it was delivered, I immediately parked it in front of a stone/dirt pile and went to get my gopro to capture the inaugural scraping of the paint off my FEL and BH

Mine's still pretty good after 3 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIeOzQadlX8

I have never owned or operated a FEL or BH, so my skills are non-existent. I feel like I had a good grasp of the FEL within minutes, but the BH is hard!

How long did it take you other new owners to gain any kind of functional skill with the BH?

Fel is easy and you will use it constantly. It's like automatic after a short time. BH is used less frequently and my case is still not auto. Not bad though.

5) With the keyswitch, as soon as I turn mine to the first position to the right, it starts clicking maniacally. . I'm guessing that's the fuel pump? The next position appears to be for the glow plugs, but it doesn't "stop" there. I take it you hold it in the glow plugs position against the spring for the desired number of seconds (based on ambient temp) before turning further against the spring to engage the starter?

Yep!

6) Is it normal to want to go dig holes and move dirt around in my yard now for no particular reason?

Oh Yeah! The loader will be your best friend forever. BH not so much but still useful. You will do things with the loader constantly. I sometimes even have it on with the mower, but prefer to have it off while mowing. Taking the loader and BH off and on is pretty easy on very flat surfaces. More difficult on sloping areas.

 

[bearskinner]

I use the backhoe on my BX way more than I thought. Not just digging stumps, but you can dig some pretty serious holes, trench for conduits and pipe etc. It's great for setting poles for buildings too. Just play with it, you have to get the feel for it. Now you are an addict too!

 

[uglyboy]

I have a BX24 with the 54" MMM. I'd be real surprised if you've got clearance for the 1.5" spacers...
My BX lives in a small barn out 200 feet behind the house... except in winter when the snowblower goes on, then the BX lives in the attached garage, and the Mazda Miata spends the winter in the barn.
And yes, I've run the ROPS into the garage door header at least once a year.
I have never left the MMM on when using the FEL/BH. The more practice you get installing/removing the MMM, the easier/quicker it goes. For me, it's about the same as the FEL or BH... 10 minutes or less each to remove or install.

And the nicest thing about owning a BX... take care of it and you certainly won't take a depreciation hit if you need to sell it.

Enjoy !

Pete

 

[merl08181980]

Rich, You and I are in the same boat. I took delivery of mine in late Aug (Happy Birthday to me). First thing I did was mow my lawn which was neglected for about 1 month while I hemmed and hawed over the big purchase. After that, HOLES. Found some unsightly stumps and destroyed them. That is a good place to get familiar with your back hoe since stumps can be tricky and require finesse. Some of the pines here have a main root that goes straight down 4 feet and secondary roots that are 18in thick and spread out horizontal. Took some work, but got it. Can't answer to much on the hills since we have none here in SE Georgia, but knowing a whole lot about dynamic rollovers, cross cutting is bad idea. You are already have the pivot point (downhill wheel), rolling motion can be initiated by a simple bump, and you really don't want to investigate what the critical angle is. As far as the ROPS go, as recent as 1 hr ago, I have hit the brick around my garage with them. Usually I am good about it, but there was a bad storm and I rushed. Needless to say, ROPS are fine (few scratches) Brick are fine and ego is just slightly bruised. The clicking you hear is similar to what we call a IBIT or Initial Built In Test. Then the mid way is glow plug followed by ignition. All in all, its an awesome machine. I just began using mine to clear out another 1/4 acre for some goats. I use a chain and log choker and am able to pull out some 6-8 inch trees with ease (Just did 5 at once). Have a blast with your new "toy"

 

[uglyboy]

snip... The clicking you hear is similar to what we call a IBIT or Initial Built In Test.... snip

you learn something new everyday... I always thought the clicking noise was the electric fuel pump.

Pete

 

[RIDETOEAT]

I tore my garage door completely out of the garage the first night I owned a brand new Massey 1250 4x4 in 1994 ish. My Rops actually cleared the door height but the opener disengage pull rope that hung down got wedged in the rops hinge joint and the pull of it buckled it enough to pull it completely down out of the tracks and drape it across the loader. Only tractor accident ever and forever I hope !!

 

[bxray]

I too just got my bx25D last September.

Dug 12+ stumps, made some ditches, moved rocks and finally filled a big hole in ( my orange "bucket list") and I dug a big hole in the back 5 just to see what it would do.

Can't wait till spring to start back on my orange "bucket list".
For now I am waiting for that three feet of lake effect snow in ne Ohio.

My barn door is to low so when I pull it out and put up the rops I put cones in the doorway to remind me to take it down.

After putting it down I put the cones in the fel and pull in.

This spring I will put up a pvc pipe on chains like they have at the drive through.
So I will hit it first and maybe add some bells or a flag.

Ray

 

[tcrote5516]

Hey what about using one of those garage parking assist mounted to the outside of the garage at the top of the door? They have a red and green light and an audible alarm made for when you're getting your car too close to the end of the garage. I think most of them R ultrasonic so the ROPS should get picked up by it this way you don't have to get on and off the tractor 50 times.