Soon 2 buy first tractor; likely the BX1860 or BX2360

[Mr. Ace]

Greetings. First post - excellent forums here; I have learned a ton already. I will soon be buying a new Kubota tractor, my first ever tractor, and am hoping to mine some expertise from those who have been through the process. Until a few days ago, my knowledge of tractors was near zero.

I need a tractor for the nearly sole purpose of snow removal. I have a place in the snowbelt of northern MI with 1/2 mile of driveway/private road to clear. I believe a Kubota compact with the front blower attachment will suit my purposes, and the Kubota 0% financing offer is nice. I have it narrowed down to the BX1860 or BX2360, but will probably end up going with the 2360, as there is not a great price diff. If I can scrape up the coin, I would like to get the Curtis hard cab too, as the dealer will install for free.

My likely configuration for the 2360 (or 1860) is: bar tires, front snowblower (with hydraulic chute rotator & electric chute deflector), quick hitch sub frame, mid PTO. If I get the Curtis hard cab, I would get the usual options like heater, defrost, wipers, etc. I am also considering a rear blade.

I would be grateful for any suggestions/advice regarding my prospective purchase; such as; what "throw-ins" should I try for (service or otherwise), options, things I should look our for, etc. Also what percentage less than MSRP (retail) should I be able to negotiate in the Kubota world?

Thanks!

-Ace

 

[SeymourBota]

That would be a 50" blower, so you may be making 2 trips out and back to widen out the drive.

Other than that, excellent choice. I have a 2200 and 2660 with front blowers on each.

If you are not mowing, a hard cab is also great for winter use. Not something you would take on and off, though.

 

[LBrown59]

to widen out the drive.
choice. I have a 2200 and 2660 on each.

*If you are not mowing, a hard cab is also great for winter use. Not something you would take on and off, though.

I'd think when mowing a cab with air would be very nice.

 

[TheFlatlander]

I'd think when mowing a cab with air would be very nice.

Nobody said mowing- Just snow clearing. I would Definatly like a cab for that. Either tractor would be good for this. Personally I would like the tractor with the larger tires.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

I have the hydraulic rotation which is awesome. I didn't opt for the electric deflector because I never need to move it when clearing snow. I only occasionally set it before getting started based on the wind and snow consistency. Drift knives are nice to have but my blower doesn't have any factory holes for them.

 

[Evil the Weasel]

That rear blade option is a good one. It'll give you some ballast and come in real handy for those first heavy wet snows that clog up the blower chute.

 

[harpoonalt]

I have a BX2350 and a 1/2 mile road that I have plowed with a Back blade. It works fine but if mowing is not in the cards, I would step up to the "B" series to get the 3 range hydro, higher top speed, more ground clearance and bigger tires. With a front blower, I would add a nice back blade. You could run the blower and the back blade at the same time for an awesome combo. Not saying a BX won't do it because I have, but the "B" will do that job better. My .02.

 

[Mr. Ace]

Excellent suggestions, thanks. I think I will forgo the electric chute deflector on the blower; that will save me $500. My first thought about upgrading to the B series, was that it would surely be nice, but way out of my budget. But, I might be able to pull it off, if I nix the hard cab. If I get the B2320 without the hard cab, it would be less than the BX2360 equipped with the hard cab. I would still eventually add the cab in a year or two. I'm seriously going to consider that.

 

[Mr. Ace]

I have a BX2350 and a 1/2 mile road that I have plowed with a Back blade. It works fine but if mowing is not in the cards, I would step up to the "B" series to get the 3 range hydro, higher top speed, more ground clearance and bigger tires......

Correct, I won't be using it for mowing, at least not in the forseeable future. Nevertheless, you can still install a mower onto the "B" series tractors can't you?

 

[art]

Depending on the model of the B-series they will take a 60 or 72" deck.

 

[harpoonalt]

The right tractor first, the add ons later. Buy some insulated coveralls and the right hat along with some ski goggles for now. If I dress right I can spend hours out plowing and it's comfortable. You can add a mower to the "B" as well. For plowing that much road, the "B" will be much nicer and faster. A half mile gets longer after the thrill of the tractor wears off or you're in a hurry. I use the back blade on stuff up to 6" and go as fast as the tractor will go with good results. I used to plow backwards but found going forwards is faster and works great. The blade pulls up the snow packed down by the tires no problem. Get the tires loaded, add on a good light for backing up and you'll be happy. When you finally get the cab, it'll be like xmas all over agin

 

[dodge man]

As suggested, you will want some lights added. At least one facing forward and one backward, two front and 2 back would be better. If you get a Bx with the cab, put them on top of or on the top edge of the cab. The reason is that a snowblower will pretty much hide the factory head lights.

 

[LBrown59]

Both are good nice / tractors.
I have a BX1500 and a BX23 which compare to the cuerent BX1860 and {BX 2360 with a BH}

Excellent suggestions, thanks. I think I will forgo the electric chute deflector on the blower; that will save me $500. My first thought about upgrading to the B series, was that it would surely be nice, but way out of my budget. But, I might be able to pull it off, if I nix the hard cab. If I get the B2320 without the hard cab, it would be less than the BX2360 equipped with the hard cab. I would still eventually add the cab in a year or two. I'm seriously going to consider that.

 

[Mr. Ace]

I checked the specs on the B2320. In addition to the nice 3 speed hydro, with the B2320 I would get 12" of ground clearance vs. 8.7" on the BX2360, and a better top speed of 11.7 MPH vs. 8.4. I'll just have to decide if I want to pay an extra $2k (or $3K if I get the "high capacity" snow blower, which is offered on the B2320, and not on the BX2360.)

 

[radioman]

noting that you are from MI, state of snow, I am guessing a B is better for more power, etc. However blowing snow is no fun without a cab. A BX will do everything, but a bit longer. If I was in your shoes, and getting a front blower is a must, then get whatever you can afford with a cab. When winter comes, you will be thankful without wind blown snow in your face.

 

[LBrown59]

I checked the specs on the B2320. In addition to the nice 3 speed hydro, with the B2320
1*I would get 12" of ground clearance vs. 8.7" on the BX2360
2*top speed of 11.7 MPH vs. 8.4 .)

1* The higher the GC the the higher the CG which equals a higher risk of RO.
2*I never operate my BX 23 or Bx 1500s AT 8.7 so why would I need a 11.7 speed???

 

[Mr. Ace]

Yeah, I would love to have a cab right off the bat, but due to budget constraints, I may have to forgo it, at least for the first winter. Price I was quoted for the Curtis hard cab on the BX2360 was nearly $5k. I assume that it would be about the same for the B2320. Cut about $1k if you go with the soft doors.

 

[Mr. Ace]

1* The higher the GC the the higher the CG which equals a higher risk of RO.
2*I never operate my BX 23 or Bx 1500s AT 8.7 so why would I need a 11.7 speed???

Yes, the higher CG tradeoff is certainly a consideration with higher ground clearance. Not much need for a higher travel speed unless you take your tractor off your property, or you have a pretty big property. For me, I would probably want to pick up a couple of snow clearing jobs nearby, so I wouldn't mind a higher travel speed.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have a B3200 and a BX2660. BX guys don't want to hear it but there's more than paper specs between the B and BX. Try both and you'll see. It's not just "more power" because some BX's have more HP than some B's. I know LB, you wouldn't have a tractor if you had to have a B. Tell us again how you have 3 BX's and how they'll do any and every thing.

 

[harpoonalt]

Ace, you're about to spend some serious money. Give us some more info on what you plan to do with this tractor. Is it a paved road? Is it 2 cars wide? Hills? How about other stuff you plan to do. I have a BX2350 with a loader,60" MMM, and back blade for snow. I live at the end of a 1/2 mile 2 lane dirt road so our snow removal is somewhat similar. The blade does well up to about 6" of snow but the angled 5' blade takes 3 passes up and back to do the job. The higher top speed of the "B" would make a big difference to me. With a half mile road, I'm always doing something like mowing the roadsides, hauling out trees or towing my trailer to pick up brush or do projects. Do you plan on a FEL? They are the thing on a tractor that, in my mind, makes the tractor so valuable. When you finally have one you won't ever want to be without one.
Many of us buy a tractor, use it for awhile and realize what we really need after using what we have. Some people get lucky, but a lot of us trade up, or wish we could. If I could go back, I'd have a ZTR for mowing and a "B" for everything else. If I was just doing snow on my road, and since I already have a truck, I'd put a plow on it for under 5 grand and have a radio, cupholders, a heated cab and the ability to do the job in 1/4 the time. That's what a cab costs. My road is easily plowed, yours may not be. Just something to think about. And do give us more info so we can help you spend your money