First tractor, questions new bx23s

[wubbey]

Hey. Got a BX23S, Landpride 3rd function, bucket, grapple, pallet forks, 3 point kit. My first tractor, but really my first real piece of hydraulic equipment as well. I've got a few acres I want to better maintain. Some trails (~1.5 miles), a driveway (0.5 miles), lots of forest and some food plots. I am excited to move from shoveling gravel into a wheelbarrow to something that is a lot better use of my time, especially now that I have kids. I have a 6x4 gators with a dump bucket, should really make life easier.

Only played around with it for an hour, but I have some questions or seeking wisdom.

1. I would like some more keys in case I loose the only one. Are they all keyed alike? Or do I need to get them cut? I suppose I could get more from the dealer but I've already paid them enough.
2. I've got some pretty rough trails around my property to travel. I'm going slow, but I am REALLY bouncing around in the chair. I can feel and hear the tractor transmission loading and unloading as it rocks around. At one point I bounced so much the seatbelt locked up. How much do I worry about this and baby it? For now I'm going as slow as is practical, but it would also be nice to just let it rip and go full speed for traveling to a site. A box blade is in my future next year to smooth this out.
3. I've got a dangling hydraulic hose the dealer "forgot to zip tie up". Dealer said the Land Pride 3rd function has two hoses in the kit, one just barely long enough and one way too long, and the correct action is to zip tie it up. I suppose that works, but there is a LOT of extra hose. Does this make sense to other people? I guess it does to me, bummer they didn't do a complete job. Pic attached, seeking wisdom.
4. Does the 2022 bx23s need a brush guard for the HST cooling fan? Again pretty rough trails, possibility of sticks poking up. Not sure if Kubota addressed this in a model year or if theyre all the same.
5. Do people have experience mounting a fire extinguisher to their bx tractor? Googling I see a ROPS bolt on bracket as well as options for putting it on a fender. Looking for wisdom here, I don't want something that is brittle plastic that is going to be smashed off and do more damage.
6. Should the mid mount PTO have some sort of cover on it? I ask as the rear PTO has a cover

Below is pic of dangling hose. Not sure how the dealership missed this... Of course I found it immediately after their delivery guy left, not in their parking lot during the walk around.

 

[lynnmor]

#1 Buy keys anywhere.

#3 The third function kit likely has hoses for a tractor that doesn't have a backhoe, have new hoses made that fit.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

#1 Yes they are all cut the same, eBay!
#2 It can take quite a bit, but smoother is better.
#3 Yes zip tie it up out of harms way!
#4 Yes several make them.
#5 If you worried about the tractor catching it's self or other things on fire, diesels don't have that issue.
But yes you can buy metal clamping and mounting brackets.
#6 No they didn't put a cover on that model.

 

[Ping]

#5 Magnets. 1/8" x 1 1/4" plate bolted to plastic mount attached with Neo magnets.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

re 1 , if bought from dealer, they come with TWO keys. All are 'keyed alike'...

2, go in 'low' gear and slow down. after you grade your trails,it gets smoother.

3,how the 'heck' could a dealer 'forget' to tie that up ? even I can see that without the bifocals on.

4,should have the cooling fan guard, my 2018 did,assume it's 'standard equipment', parts page will show.

5, brackets are for the SMV sign. I used a ubolt to put in on the BH,as BH has never been off in 5 years

6,no cover ,but spray with 'rustcheck' or oil ,once in awhile


7..... check/add oil to the front axle !!!!! yellow plug, top left side of axle. Most(all ?) never get topped up at dealer...... !!!!!!

8.... tie rap or tape starter solenoid wire to prevent it falling off.BTDT after I was on a 'bouncy trail'.

9... there's a grease fitting under the rubber floor mat by pedal. START there when greasing,so you don't forget it....

10...scrape off any orange paint on the Zerks BEFORE you pump grease in....

 

[DustyRusty]

I have the LandPride 3rd function hose on my tractor, and if it were routed properly, the hose wouldn't be sagging, not to mention that all the hoses from LandPride were the exact correct length. If the hose was too long, then the dealer should have had the hose cut to the correct length and a new end installed to complete the job in a good workmanship way. I would suggest that you send the picture of your tractor to the service manager at the dealership to show him the type of work that the tech that worked on your tractor is sending out.
That hose is supposed to go between the frame rail and the floor pan. Here is a link to the PDF color instructions for installing the LandPride 3rd function valve. https://messicks.com/uploads/assets/380-289A_color_copy.pdf

To address your other concerns about the cooling fan and damage to the undercarriage of the tractor, I strongly recommend that you purchase the BXpanded Under Armor unit. The cost will be small compared to the cost of repair should you damage either the filters or the fan blades that presently are not protected properly. Watch this video.

bxpanded under armor installation - Google Search

 

[ctfjr]

Good advice from previous posters. I'm a little surprised no one recommended checking your tire pressure. I'm no expert on what it 'should be' - I run about 20psi all around. I'm a little paranoid about coming up against a rock in the woods and popping a bead.
Lower pressure will give you a softer ride.

 

[pjoh784350]

All good points. I agree on the BXpanded under armor as well, they also have other great products. I too bought the 3PH, however like many BX23 owners on here I am trying to sell it, still in the bob brand new. I've only had the BH off a few times for maintenance on the machine. That being said if you are going go for the box blade or a tiller etc, you will find it handy for sure. One KEY point if you are a new tractor and hydraulic unit owner. When prepping to attach anything to the rear PTO (or mid for that matter), spend several hours researching PTO safety and follow all safety protocols to a tee. The internet search will bring you to many horror stories. You mention kids, a good safety talk to them about staying well away from your work area is in order. And lastly, when using the backhoe make sure that nobody is in your swing area..ever. Good luck and enjoy your machine!

 

[skeets]

Looks like you have gotten some very good answers to your questions,, However and I cant stress this enough,, ther are 2 things you must always remember,,,,
1. Never and mean NEVER let your better half ,play with it,,, the tractor ya perv!
2 Never never lend it out.. Aint nobody gona take care of yoru toys like you!
And welcome to this very large and dysfunctional orange family

 

[wubbey]

Thanks for the wisdom everyone.
Safety around this thing is going to be my priority, I'm a dope and don't want to roll it, burn my place down, or injure anyone. Talking to the kids is a good idea.
I've ordered the BXpanded under armor kit, install looks like a breeze. The front brush guard looks like there are a LOT of options, not sure which ones fit. Going to go take some measurements of that and better measure the rops for fire extinguisher, the magnets are a cool idea.
At the end of the season I'll pull the hydraulic hose, I didn't know getting a shorter one made was easy. Zip ties for now!

 

[wubbey]

Looks like you have gotten some very good answers to your questions,, However and I cant stress this enough,, ther are 2 things you must always remember,,,,
1. Never and mean NEVER let your better half ,play with it,,, the tractor ya perv!
2 Never never lend it out.. Aint nobody gona take care of yoru toys like you!
And welcome to this very large and dysfunctional orange family

lol thanks. the brother in law already asked to borrow it. NOPE.

 

[Nate77]

Here is a picture after my tractor was delivered. First problem crap install, second problem I specifically requested the Kubota 3rd function kit not Land Pride. Dealer took the tractor back, and installed the Kubota 3rd function, I was happy as a clam.
Few of my favorite upgrades, Bxpanded under armor, filled rear tires, 2” rear wheel spacers, Bxpanded backhoe dolly, and Bxpanded tool box.

 

[DustyRusty]

I opted for the LandPride 3rd function rather than the Kubota since the Kubota kit is more a diverter valve and the Landpride is a true 3rd function. We all have our own reasons for what we prefer, and there is no right or wrong decision.
I will say that by the end of the "season," you might have already ripped that hanging hose off the tractor and it will cost you a lot more than just replacing a torn hose if it damages the valve that it is attached to. I would insist that the dealer take proper remediation of the poor quality installation, but that is just the way I am. When I am paying for something I never accept excuses for poor workmanship.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Nate's picture, 2 up, clearly shows the factory installed fan guard. When changing the filter, I remove the 2 front bolts/nut, lighly loosen the rears, then swing the guard down to do the filter. Much easier than trying to get rear bolts up and in...Agile youngsters with 20/20 probably don't have the problems us 'older folks' do.....

 

[mikester]

Here is a picture after my tractor was delivered. First problem crap install, second problem I specifically requested the Kubota 3rd function kit not Land Pride. Dealer took the tractor back, and installed the Kubota 3rd function, I was happy as a clam.
Few of my favorite upgrades, Bxpanded under armor, filled rear tires, 2” rear wheel spacers, Bxpanded backhoe dolly, and Bxpanded tool box.
View attachment 104780

If you only drive on golf course quality lawns this setup is great. If you go off trail and deal with roots and underbrush you will have a nasty surprise one day.

I would try to re-route dangling hoses and wires within the frame and securely tie down at multiple points. I try to use wide UV rated zip ties and wrap them at least a couple of times where possible.

 

[Nate77]

Here is where they zip tied my hose, this may have interfered with my Bxpanded skid plate. Lol.

 

[ve9aa]

Slow Down !

(with no suspensions, tractors are not UTV's)

 

[DustyRusty]

Here is where they zip tied my hose, this may have interfered with my Bxpanded skid plate. Lol.
View attachment 104797

Your dealer's service department needs to have a rude awakening that isn't the way it should be done. At this point, I would just fix it properly and only use that dealer for buying things that I have to have immediately and shop elsewhere for major purchases where service is a factor.

 

[leveraddict]

Here is a picture after my tractor was delivered. First problem crap install, second problem I specifically requested the Kubota 3rd function kit not Land Pride. Dealer took the tractor back, and installed the Kubota 3rd function, I was happy as a clam.
Few of my favorite upgrades, Bxpanded under armor, filled rear tires, 2” rear wheel spacers, Bxpanded backhoe dolly, and Bxpanded tool box.
View attachment 104780

I would imagine you have a MMM since you have the linkage, but how do they expect you to use it while its holding the hoses?

 

[Nate77]

I don’t have a mmm, all BX’s have the linkage, but my Bxpanded skid plate does mount using the linkage.

All problems disappeared when they swapped out the Land Pride 3rd function for the Kubota 3rd function like I originally requested.

Also, the dealer is no more, just my luck they dropped Kubota, and went 100% Bobcat about two weeks after I bought my tractor.