First Tractor. Kabota BX23SLB

[Jon Meyer]

Hello all and thanks for all the useful information on here. I am looking at buying my first tractor and I think the BX23SLB would fit my needs. I will be maintaining a flat 1.5 acre horse property as well as 5 acres of raw land that ill just be clearing brush and digging footings and fence work. Im getting the front loader, rotary cutter, 12" auger, and a box scraper. Nothing has been finalized yet so I was just hoping to get any input here for attachment recommendations or concerns with that model tractor.
Thanks
Jon

 

[PaulL]

It's a great tractor. It's a little small for some things, but much better than a shovel.

If you're not space constrained, and can stretch a little more financially, the B2601 / B26 TLB is quite a significant upgrade for not a lot more money. On finished lawn a BX is plenty. With a bit of rough property, and getting up towards 5 acres, a B may be more what you need.

The big differences are:

• 3 range gearbox (more pull in low, quite a bit faster in H. Driving to the back of 5 acres is further than you think)
• Quite a bit larger tires. Better traction, more weight capacity, rides a bit softer
• Quite a bit more ground clearance. Very useful in any kind of rough terrain
• Position control on 3ph, very useful if you're doing dirt work
• About 30% more FEL lift, about 50% more 3ph lift. It's quite material

BX vs B01 vs B50

A table I had made for BX and B01 when I was looking. I've seen a few questions on differences, so thought I'd post the full table including the B50 series (and now L2501 as well), because lots of people ask about the differences. Really no question or point in the post beyond contributing...

www.orangetractortalks.com

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I agree with Paul, upgrade to the B2601 series ! I've had my BX23S for 5 years, 1111+ hrs on it , and neighbours LOVE it. It's moved mountains of dirt, compost, cleared brush,dug miles of trenches and ,ugh, pushed snow.... Great little tractor but , if I'd known neighbour was going to get his B2601, I'd have upgraded no questions asked as we could share his BH and BB. There are a lot of features that you WILL appreciate on the slightly bigger tractor. Some will say 'go much bigger' but from your post, I don't see a real need and bigger would mean DPF which could be a pain. Also large tractors aren't good in small ,tight spaces.

 

[mcfarmall]

Way too small.

 

[Jon Meyer]

Thanks for the input. That’s my biggest concern is needing a bit more tractor. I definitely want to avoid the DPF so I’ll see what the dealer can work up for a quote on the B2601.

 

[06B3030]

The BX would be fine for the 1.5 acres...but you'd be much happier with a B when working the 5 acres!!!!!

 

[CAPT Seabee]

If you're going for the 5 year no interest, crunch the numbers and you'll see how much more you'll be hit up monthly. You'll be surprised how little. The dealer will print you out all sorts of comparisons.

Re: Rotary Cutter (brush hog). Get the inline shaft clutch ($210). Kubota PTO drives tend to slam into action vs. controlled spin up like the JDs. The clutch will save you from doing shear bolts which are a pain to change out with the "unsafe" shroud. Even then, engage in idle, then bring the RPMs up.

Consider a Quick Hitch. Makes snagging the scraper, cutter, etc. easier. You do have to remove it to use the post hole digger. When I had one, I made a resting cradle out of 1 1/2 pallets. Big difference in having to store and wrestle it on. Resting height has you backing up to it and the boom pins in the top link location and the bottom pins right into the links.

If you have a loader, then forks will be used more than the bucket. Moving stuff around on pallets within weight limits is the way to go. Hauling wooden posts and fence fabric out? Yup. Fork frame will be where you attach the come along to tension the field fencing. BTW, if you have sandy soil and/or gravel road, keep a pile of 3/4B minus gravel on hand. Drop a line of posts in and come with a bucket of gravel to scoop/tamp. It sets up much more firmly than sand going back in the hole. I presume you'll have beet juice in your rear tires.

Re: Box Scraper. If for gravel roads, consider a grader/scraper. That way you aren't having to redistribute what the box collects. Also, box scrapers don't do a good job knocking down pothole walls, where a scraper/grader does, especially one with scrags (ripping teeth that lower). That said, don't go too wide on a scraper/grader. They need more HP to work well.

I moved up from a JD 1025R with backhoe and loader. PTO driven post hole diggers were getting hard on me as well (back problems). Freezing in -10 while blowing snow wasn't fun either on the aging body. So while the B26 will give you great service, don't consider that the ultimate endpoint. Things like cab, third function, grapple, quick mount hydraulic auger, etc. will creep into your dreams at some point. Tractors are a journey and addicting. Welcome to the family.

 

[PaulL]

There are four sizes of Kubota you can get without DPF:
- BX2x80
- B2x01
- LX2610
- L2502

These are all good machines. Basically the logic is:

• BX if you want to tell your significant other that it's really just a big lawn mower. It's an excellent tractor, but it is a bit compromised because it's deliberately made to be low to the ground - it makes the 3ph geometry poor, which is why it doesn't lift a lot on the 3ph. Ground clearance is also an issue. Great on a manicured lawn, less good in the rough
• B if you don't need a big machine, but you want something that's more of a tractor - bigger wheels, faster, more lift
• LX if you want a cab, or want a bigger machine that can still take a MMM or front snowblower. These are still OK to trailer, OK on the lawn, but they're a good size machine
• L if you don't need a mid-PTO, don't need a cab, and don't care much about weight. This is the most metal you'll get for your money, and the most capable for real tractor duties - it's heavier, stronger, bigger. It's also a little under powered for some tasks (running big PTO implements, pulling heavy loads uphill etc)

Any of these 4 would be OK choices for you. I'd lean a little to the L given you're not mowing, but if you want a cab then the LX is a better choice. B is also fine, it's a little at the small end (I personally own a B, have owned a BX).

I should also say that a Grand L is a magnificent machine if you don't need to mow and aren't short of money . But jumping 4 size categories from a BX is probably a stretch.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re: 12" auger for 'fence work'. Might look at either renting a post hole digger or subbing the holey work out instead of buying a PHD. Check the prices,it might be cheaper to rent or sub depending on how many holes, where they are, soil type etc. Have no idea the cost of PHD, but if you can get a guy to drill holes for $20, 'do the 'math' ! While he's drilling the holes, YOU could be plant poles in them pretty fast, fence is almost done....
options, always consider options.....

re: pallet forks. YES, a GREAT investment, mine are on 1/2 the time..400+ hrs in 5 years. Double skid stuff and it's EASY to move here,there, everywhere.. a place for this and that. Also great at pushing brush into piles and carrying it( lot cheaper than a grapple ).

 

[mikester]

I would never buy a Kabota because it's a cheap Chinese knock off and you will never find parts for it

 

[DustyRusty]

I would never buy a Kabota because it's a cheap Chinese knock off and you will never find parts for it

I get all my spare parts from Shandong Brother Industries LTD in China. Easy to deal with, and prompt shipping.

 

[Espicier]

You are most likely joking. But I will make sure everybody knows that I have been waiting for over 5 months for skidsteer attachments that have been paid for from Shandong Brother Trading International.
I don't like others falling down the same hole I have.

 

[DustyRusty]

You show up on the forums and start complaining about Shandong Brother Trading International and you are headed to post #25 all about the same thing. The seller, Shandong Brother Trading International has called you out as a liar multiple times, but you never defend your position, just keep complaining. Time to post some pictures showing proof of your claims. If I were asked to take a side, I am more inclined to believe Shandong Brother Trading International than you. As Judge Judy would say, "Liar, liar, pants on fire". You have painted yourself into a corner and it is up to you to prove your case or go away.

 

[Espicier]

What are you talking about? Go back to original thread and you will see that the supplier has admitted doing the wrong thing by me and has starting to apologise. I still dont know if I will get my goods or not but I am playing it cool and will see. If I feel I am 100% scammed then it will be a different story. It actually seems more strange that you are showing up all over the place and promoting a company that has clearly not done the right thing by a couple of members. Thats a bit weird???

 

[Jon Meyer]

There are four sizes of Kubota you can get without DPF:
- BX2x80
- B2x01
- LX2610
- L2502

These are all good machines. Basically the logic is:

• BX if you want to tell your significant other that it's really just a big lawn mower. It's an excellent tractor, but it is a bit compromised because it's deliberately made to be low to the ground - it makes the 3ph geometry poor, which is why it doesn't lift a lot on the 3ph. Ground clearance is also an issue. Great on a manicured lawn, less good in the rough
• B if you don't need a big machine, but you want something that's more of a tractor - bigger wheels, faster, more lift
• LX if you want a cab, or want a bigger machine that can still take a MMM or front snowblower. These are still OK to trailer, OK on the lawn, but they're a good size machine
• L if you don't need a mid-PTO, don't need a cab, and don't care much about weight. This is the most metal you'll get for your money, and the most capable for real tractor duties - it's heavier, stronger, bigger. It's also a little under powered for some tasks (running big PTO implements, pulling heavy loads uphill etc)

Any of these 4 would be OK choices for you. I'd lean a little to the L given you're not mowing, but if you want a cab then the LX is a better choice. B is also fine, it's a little at the small end (I personally own a B, have owned a BX).

I should also say that a Grand L is a magnificent machine if you don't need to mow and aren't short of money . But jumping 4 size categories from a BX is probably a stretch.

Thanks Paul, The dealers got an L2505 that seems like it would fit my needs pretty well.

 

[hagrid]

BX is never the answer unless you need to wedge into Hobbit's house down at the shire.

 

[Jon Meyer]

Thanks very much for all the good advice. Im giving up the backhoe just because its such a huge added expense and it will be cheaper to just rent an excavator when i need it. I feel great about the deal I'm getting on a L2501 that's the last one on the lot with all the attachments I'll need as well as the trim and tilt.

 

[PaulL]

I'm sure you'll be very happy.

Things to watch out for:

• The L2502 is released. The changes are relatively minor, the one that always stands out for me is that they moved the split brakes to the left, so you can use them on the HST model. I actually never use my split brakes on my B, but I like that I could if I wanted to. It's pretty hard to use split brakes that are on the same side as the HST pedal. The other main change, the floor mat, you can option. There was also a PTO change - to a PTO switch on the dash I think? Not sure that's super important on the HST model
• Keep an eye on whether it's enough HP for your tasks. Usually these smaller tractors are traction limited not HP limited - so for pulling an implement up your driveway you probably won't miss the HP. But if you're pulling heavy loads uphill or running a big mower you may find it bogging down more than you want. It's a largish tractor with only 26hp. It's a torquey motor, so it works fine, but some people find it to be less than they want
• If you do find that you're low on power, a member is selling a turbo kit for the L2501. It doesn't look hard to install, it'd void your warranty, but you'd have a lot more power. So if it turns out later you've made a wrong decision, then there's a way to fix it.

 

[Henro]

Im giving up the backhoe just because...

People often say this but my guess is that they don't rent excavators much afterwards. You need a "project" to make renting make sense.

There is great convenience in having the tool available to do many of the small things that will come up, which you WILL NOT do if the tool is not handy.

Not questioning the decision really, money is money, and all that. Just saying that for 20 years I never regretted buying a backhoe with my tractor...but a couple years ago did buy and old mini ex and find it is even better. Yep don't need either as I could rent when needed. But then I would never rent, because it is not worth it for the little things I do, or the time I have available to do them.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Renting has become a bit of a 'scam'. 'Daily' price is based on you having it 24 hrs, BUT only 8 hours on the machine. At least that's how Home depot Canada do it.