Looking to purchase

pumpercaptain

New member
May 30, 2024
4
1
3
Indiana
Hello Everyone.

I just joined the forum here, hopefully to get some advice and suggestions on purchasing.

We are looking at a new BX 2680 with a loader...

Have several questions if anyone feels inclined to offer an opinion lol.

First, I'm not sure this is too big of a machine for us or not. Currently using a JD GT 235 garden tractor to mostly mow and pull a small trailer around the place for gen maintenance etc. The JD has been a great machine, its over 30 years old. Still goin.

I've been interested in replacing the JD with a something a little bigger. Kubota does not make anything in the size a bit bigger than a GT. JD has a 700 series but its nearly as much as a SCT, so why not get the tractor with all the capabilities it offers. But I'm not sure if its too much for us. We have about a 2-3 acre home. Large front yard and smaller backyard. I can mow all this with the JD in about 2 hours. Backyard has quite a bit of stuff to navigate around. Front yard not so much.

Not sure how much I would use a bucket, but the forks I can see using quite a bit as a fork lift basically.

So,

I ask about getting turf tires on the front and the hybrid/treaded tires on the rear to keep from marring up when I turn tight. A guy at the dealership said you can't mix and match tires like that. Anyone know if that is true?

Being a first time buyer, anything else I should consider with the tractor or implement wise?

Already adding the 3rd function to the loader...

54" or 60" mower?

Considering the graple and a scraper blade...

Thanks very much everyone!!
 
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JimmyJazz

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Aug 8, 2020
1,219
739
113
Pittsburgh, Pa
The tires should match. I have a B2601 and I mow 2 acres weekly and maintain another 1/2 acre of woods. Lots of trees dying and being dealt with so the loader was a must. I recommend turf tires with the rears being loaded and the 60" cutting deck. I could have made due with the BX but I am 6'2" and 210 lbs and it felt cramped. I don't know how much more the B2601 costs but it is certainly more tractor than the BX. I love my B2601. There are lots of discounted low hour used BX models available for sale that might be worth considering. I think its kind of the entry level thing where the shine (for some) of tractor work and maintenance wears off before the payments do. Good luck!
 
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fc1

Active member

Equipment
L3940
Apr 17, 2024
50
104
33
Michigan
A guy at the dealership said you can't mix and match tires like that. Anyone know if that is true?
Truth. The gearing in the 4wd system depends on correctly matching wheel sizes front and rear. If you could find a set that had properly matched rolling circumference it would work but it seems the tires are not designed this way.
 
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SDT

Well-known member

Equipment
multiple and various
Apr 15, 2018
3,255
1,042
113
SE, IN
Hello Everyone.

I just joined the forum here, hopefully to get some advice and suggestions on purchasing.

We are looking at a new BX 2680 with a loader...

Have several questions if anyone feels inclined to offer an opinion lol.

First, I'm not sure this is too big of a machine for us or not. Currently using a JD GT 235 garden tractor to mostly mow and pull a small trailer around the place for gen maintenance etc. The JD has been a great machine, its over 30 years old. Still goin.

I've been interested in replacing the JD with a something a little bigger. Kubota does not make anything in the size a bit bigger than a GT. JD has a 700 series but its nearly as much as a SCT, so why not get the tractor with all the capabilities it offers. But I'm not sure if its too much for us. We have about a 2-3 acre home. Large front yard and smaller backyard. I can mow all this with the JD in about 2 hours. Backyard has quite a bit of stuff to navigate around. Front yard not so much.

Not sure how much I would use a bucket, but the forks I can see using quite a bit as a fork lift basically.

So,

I ask about getting turf tires on the front and the hybrid/treaded tires on the rear to keep from marring up when I turn tight. A guy at the dealership said you can't mix and match tires like that. Anyone know if that is true?

Being a first time buyer, anything else I should consider with the tractor or implement wise?

Already adding the 3rd function to the loader...

54" or 60" mower?

Considering the graple and a scraper blade...

Thanks very much everyone!!
If machine to be used mostly for mowing, get a ZTR.

Follow manufacturers recommendations regarding tires on FWA machines. Get 4 turf tires or R14Ts. Do not try to mix.

If I was going to purchase a SCUT, I would buy the deluxe JD competitor (1025R?) to the Kubota BX series in order to get position control. The Kubota BX series does not have position, and lack of position control is an absolute show stopper for me.
 
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PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,441
1,365
113
NZ
A BX is not too big. You will use a loader all the time, you don't know how good it is till you have it.
Get turf tires all round, there's no issues with that.
Get the 60 inch deck, no reason not to.
You don't need a BX2680, the BX2380 does everything the same unless you're driving a lot of PTO implements.
You can get the rear blade later, no need to buy it now. Grapple you'd only get if you have a definite need for it - but if you need it, then it'll be gold.

People will say get a ZTR. But if you can only have one machine, get a BX. It does 100 things a ZTR doesn't do. Once you have it you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. A tractor with a bucket is sooooooo much better than a wheelbarrow and a shovel.
 
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pumpercaptain

New member
May 30, 2024
4
1
3
Indiana
If machine to be used mostly for mowing, get a ZTR.

Follow manufacturers recommendations regarding tires on FWA machines. Get 4 turf tires or R14Ts. Do not try to mix.

If I was going to purchase a SCUT, I would buy the deluxe JD competitor (1025R?) to the Kubota BX series in order to get position control. The Kubota BX series does not have position, and lack of position control is an absolute show stopper for me.

If machine to be used mostly for mowing, get a ZTR.

Follow manufacturers recommendations regarding tires on FWA machines. Get 4 turf tires or R14Ts. Do not try to mix.

If I was going to purchase a SCUT, I would buy the deluxe JD competitor (1025R?) to the Kubota BX series in order to get position control. The Kubota BX series does not have position, and lack of position control is an absolute show stopper for me.
thanks very much. I’ve looked at the JDs…. Have had success with my JD for 30 years. My dad just bought a new JD and has had trouble with it. Back and forth to the shop for weeks at a time, the service and attitudes were terrible. it’s stil not Right. He wrote a letter to the president of JD, he responded but was pretty much sorry my man... so, that and the fact the JD subs are all plastic, and my hood fell apart years ago... my brother has had a kubota for 20 years and loves it. Oh well. What is “position control” you are talking about?
 

pumpercaptain

New member
May 30, 2024
4
1
3
Indiana
A BX is not too big. You will use a loader all the time, you don't know how good it is till you have it.
Get turf tires all round, there's no issues with that.
Get the 60 inch deck, no reason not to.
You don't need a BX2680, the BX2380 does everything the same unless you're driving a lot of PTO implements.
You can get the rear blade later, no need to buy it now. Grapple you'd only get if you have a definite need for it - but if you need it, then it'll be gold.

People will say get a ZTR. But if you can only have one machine, get a BX. It does 100 things a ZTR doesn't do. Once you have it you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. A tractor with a bucket is sooooooo much better than a wheelbarrow and a shovel.
thanks Paul. I like the tractors. I think I can use what I mentioned from time to time. I’m about 80 % there. The dealer out the road is going to let me bring one home and make sure I can get it in where I wanna keep it and get around the yard etc. JD Deaters didn’t even offer to start one for me. Lol. Oh well. JD makes good stuff I think. But the issue with my dad’s and the service and the plastic Leads me to try the orange I think.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,441
1,365
113
NZ
What is “position control” you are talking about?
Position control on the 3ph. The BX has an up/down lever. Push it up the 3ph starts going up. Let the lever go, it stops going up. Otherwise called "quarter inching".

The B2601 and larger have a position control. The 3ph lever you set to position 3, then the 3ph height is at position 3. Set it to 4, the height goes to 4. If you're doing a lot of dirt work (particularly grading) it makes it easy to lift the 3ph then return it to the same position again so you get a consistent outcome.

People who do a lot of dirt work insist on it. I had a BX without it and did dirt work, you can do it just fine. I have position control on the B2601 and it doesn't make that much difference to me. But to be fair, most of what I do with my 3ph is all the way up or all the way down - I use it to carry the chipper, the sprayer, the fertiliser spreader, the weight box. I do dirt very occasionally. If you're doing driveway maintenance, worth considering.

But I wouldn't get a JD in order to get position control. I'd get a B2601. It also has a 3 speed gearbox, which the JD doesn't.
 
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MOOTS

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
MX6000
Jun 27, 2019
1,924
2,209
113
Canton, Georgia
thanks Paul. I like the tractors. I think I can use what I mentioned from time to time. I’m about 80 % there. The dealer out the road is going to let me bring one home and make sure I can get it in where I wanna keep it and get around the yard etc. JD Deaters didn’t even offer to start one for me. Lol. Oh well. JD makes good stuff I think. But the issue with my dad’s and the service and the plastic Leads me to try the orange I think.
That’s a smart Kubota dealer. You’ll be hooked and sold in no time.
 

Rdrcr

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L2501 w/ S2T Turbo Kit = 35 PTO HP (Current), B2601 (Sold)
May 7, 2021
671
738
93
WA
The BX certainly isn’t too big. I’d recommend looking at both the BX and B series tractors. Definitely get the 60” mower.

Mike
 
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