Buying Advice Looking for my first tractor...is this BX what I need?

[lazyriver]

Hi. On the hunt for my first tractor. I started off looking at riding mowers and then quickly went to garden tractors and thanks to this site, been thinking a subcompact tractor is a good fit for my needs right now.

Hoping to buy used and have been searching local craigslist ads to see what's around. Ideal situation is something not too big that can handle mowing, grading and a loader. The primary use will be mowing the property and then maintaing a long shale driveway with a land plane (or box blade). A post hole digger will come in handy and I'm sure to find reasons to use a loader. There are a lot of rocks here. Being able to drag fallen trees would be a plus, but not necessary.

For mowing, I have rough and varied terrain with a bunch of hills, some flat spots, and rocks hiding all over the place. Planning on putting in a 1/4 acre orchard (on a hill) and it would be great if the tractor could mow that as well (trees will have 12 x 12 spacing). I also have 50+ acres of wooded trails to maintain, but have a walk behind DR brush mower, chainsaws and a UTV to do most of that work. I could imagine a loader being useful in the trails, but that's not why I need it right now.

I was looking to get attachements for my UTV but my research has led me to think the money is better spent towards a tractor. The Kubota BX series has caught my eye in terms of used price and capabilites but I also found a JD 2305 that is tempting. I'm leaning towards a Kubota BX2230 with 600hrs comes with a mower, loader, and snowblower for $11k (looks well-maintained). The JD 2305 has 900hrs and comes with loader and mower for around $8,750k. I also found a 2016 Kubota BX2370 at 300hrs with mower and loader for $12,500 but that is pushing the budget a bit since I definitely need to buy a land plane/box blade for any of these.

I like the small footprint of the BX but was wondering if it can handle grading the driveway and do some tilling/grading work in the garden/orchard. I have read that the B-series has a better 3-point hitch control and has more ground clearance. But, if necessary, I can always borrow a bigger tractor from a friend to do the tougher jobs. Another option I have considered is to buy a good riding mower, something like a John Deere x500 (found 52 for $3,850) or maybe even a used standing mower and wait on trying to score a deal on a tractor, like an older Kubota B-series (found B8200 with loader for $7,500).

Any advice on these machines, or if there are any other machines I should be looking at, will be incredibly helpful. Thanks!

 

[jeff9366]

On the hunt for my first tractor for fifty wooded acres.

Ideal situation is something that can handle mowing, grading and a loader. The primary use will be rough mowing the property with a Rotary Cutter. Secondary use will be maintaining a long shale driveway with a land plane (or box blade). A post hole digger will come in handy and I'm sure to find reasons to use a loader. There are a lot of rocks here. Being able to drag fallen trees would be a plus, but not necessary.

For mowing, I have rough and varied terrain with a bunch of hills, some flat spots, and rocks hiding all over the place. Planning on putting in a 1/4 acre orchard (on a hill) and it would be great if the tractor could mow that as well.

I like the small footprint of the BX but was wondering if it can handle grading the driveway and do some tilling/grading work in the garden/orchard?
I have read that the B-series has a better 3-point hitch control and has more ground clearance.

If necessary, I can borrow a bigger tractor from a friend to do the tougher jobs.

Are there other machines I should look at?

BX and other subcompact tractors are excellent FINISH MOWERS with the added ability to take on LIGHT landscaping tasks on a residential lot. For the tasks you have specified with hills you need a tractor with a bare tractor weight of at least 2,700 pounds; 3,500 pounds would be better.
With your specified tasks you could pound a 1,500 pound BX into a wreck in one year.

Five reasons owner/operators trade up from a Subcompact Tractor:
More tractor weight.
More FEL lift capacity.
More ground clearance
Three-range (3) HST (Lower LOW, Higher, HIGH) rather than two-range (2) HST.
Larger wheels and tires yield more tractive power pulling ground contact implements and logs, pushing a loader bucket into dirt and pushing snow. Larger wheels and tires permit heavier tractors to bridge holes, ruts and tree debris with less operator perturbation.

The fundamental importance of TRACTOR WEIGHT eludes many tractor shoppers. Heavier tractor weight is more important for most tractor applications than increased tractor horsepower. Bare tractor weight is a tractor specification easily found in sales brochures and web sites, readily comparable across tractor brands and tractor models, new and used.

Selling a used tractor is easy. Selling multiple light implements in order to buy heavier, wider implements for a new, heavier tractor requires a lot of time. Depreciation on implements is generally greater than depreciation on a tractor.

VIDEOS: Kubota B-Series vs Standard L1 Series - YouTube

Kubota Standard L Series VS. Grand L Series - YouTube

 

[jeff9366]

Here is a developed thread opened by an OP in your situation:

LINK: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/412177-closing-16-acres-help-tractor.html

 

[jcri]

You mention having over 50 acres overall, how many acres will actually be mowing?

I may have a very similar situation as you. About 5 years ago I bought a house and pole building on 31 acres. Of that 31, about 6-7 is mowing and the rest is hilly, wooded and full of trails. I’m on my 3rd mower and 2nd tractor. I initially bought a John Deere 2305, with FEL, 62” belly mower with rear blade and box blade. It was a “so-so” mower. A little on the heavy side for mowing and very very slow. It did a fair job at driveway maintenance as well. I always struggled with Tractor duties with the 2305. Tractor and blade seemed too light weight for most chores, FEL always seemed to struggle lifting big stone and trees without feeling tippy and I always seemed to struggle never seeming to have enough rear ballast. I think a BX would have similar limitations. Long story short, I was always left feeling that I could do much better as far as both a mower and a tractor. I ended adding a x495 dedicated mower which was a big improvement for the mowing duties. Then ultimately ditched the x495 mower for a z930m 60” 7 Iron deck zero turn rider and FINALLY! The task of mowing could not get any better for me. Hands down, the zero turn is absolutely a game changer for mowing!Quality of cut is amazing and mowing time was cut in half. Then I got rid of the 2305 for a bigger / heavier tractor. I set out looking for a used 3 Family Deere or larger B or L series Kubota. I ended up finding a low hour nice used L4310 with loader and feel like I have the best of both worlds now. Summary, in my opinion, the sub compact tractor is like a Swiss Army knife. It will do a lot, but generally I think you will be better served with a compact tractor over a sub-compact AND a dedicated mowing machine.

 

[dalola]

Sounds like your budget is around $10K. I would shop for a used commercial ZTR for mowing & a used larger size CUT for the tractor work.

Both should be within reach, but you'll likely need to look for machines with more hours, which is fine if they've been maintained and not abused.

Good luck!

 

[lazyriver]

You mention having over 50 acres overall, how many acres will actually be mowing?

I may have a very similar situation as you. About 5 years ago I bought a house and pole building on 31 acres. Of that 31, about 6-7 is mowing and the rest is hilly, wooded and full of trails. I’m on my 3rd mower and 2nd tractor. I initially bought a John Deere 2305, with FEL, 62” belly mower with rear blade and box blade. It was a “so-so” mower. A little on the heavy side for mowing and very very slow. It did a fair job at driveway maintenance as well. I always struggled with Tractor duties with the 2305. Tractor and blade seemed too light weight for most chores, FEL always seemed to struggle lifting big stone and trees without feeling tippy and I always seemed to struggle never seeming to have enough rear ballast. I think a BX would have similar limitations. Long story short, I was always left feeling that I could do much better as far as both a mower and a tractor. I ended adding a x495 dedicated mower which was a big improvement for the mowing duties. Then ultimately ditched the x495 mower for a z930m 60” 7 Iron deck zero turn rider and FINALLY! The task of mowing could not get any better for me. Hands down, the zero turn is absolutely a game changer for mowing!Quality of cut is amazing and mowing time was cut in half. Then I got rid of the 2305 for a bigger / heavier tractor. I set out looking for a used 3 Family Deere or larger B or L series Kubota. I ended up finding a low hour nice used L4310 with loader and feel like I have the best of both worlds now. Summary, in my opinion, the sub compact tractor is like a Swiss Army knife. It will do a lot, but generally I think you will be better served with a compact tractor over a sub-compact AND a dedicated mowing machine.

I have about 2-3 acres to mow. Half of that is hills. My initial plan was to buy a commercial stander ZTR (like the Toro Grandstand or Scag V-Ride) and look for an older tractor. When I found out about the BX, I figured it would be a great fit but now I'm realizing the limitations of a tractor that tries to do it all. Don't want to get myself into a situation where I have sacrificed too much on both ends. Would much rather have a dedicated mower and a tractor that can easily grade the driveway and trails, pick up heavy rocks and soil, and dig fence posts.

I just did some searching and found an L2850 and L2830, both with a ton of hours, within my price range. How many hours is too many hours on these machines?

Thanks for the helpful advice everyone!

 

[jeff9366]

Kubota L2850

1985 - 1990 L Series
Compact Utility tractor

Manufacturer: Kubota

Kubota L2850 Engine:
Kubota 1.7L 4-cyl diesel
Engine (gross): 34.0 hp [25.4 kW]
PTO (claimed): 27 hp [20.1 kW]
Drawbar (tested): 23.16 hp [17.3 kW]
PTO (tested): 27.51 hp [20.5 kW]

Capacity:
Fuel: 7.7 gal [29.1 L]
Hydraulic system: 8.2 gal [31.0 L]

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: I
Three Point Hitch Control: position and draft control
Rear lift (at ends): 2,425 lbs [1099 kg]
Rear lift (at 24"/610mm): 1,980 lbs [898 kg]

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear PTO: continuous
live (optional)
Rear RPM: 540/1000
Mid PTO: optional
Mid RPM: 1080/2000

Dimensions
Ground clearance: 14.0 inches [35 cm] (2WD)
13.6 inches [34 cm] (4WD)
Wheelbase: 68.3 inches [173 cm]
Weight: 2480 to 2800 pounds
Front tire: 5.00-15
Rear tire: 12.4-24


Kubota L2850 attachments:
mowing deck
front-end loader
backhoe


L2850 Serial Numbers:
Location: On tractor's clutch housing, left side
1985: 50005
1986: 51786
1987: 53807
1988: 55931
1989: 57212
1990: 58326
1991: 58771
1992: 59193

Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x2 2WD
4x4 MFWD 4WD
Differential lock: rear standard
Steering: manual
power*
Brakes: differential wet disc
Cab: Two-post ROPS. Optional sunshade.

Hydraulics:
Type: open center
Capacity: 8.2 gal [31.0 L]
Pressure: 2275 psi [156.9 bar]
Valves: 1 to 3
Pump flow: 7.8 gpm [29.5 lpm]
Steering flow: 2.8 gpm [10.6 lpm]


Page information:
Last update: April 13, 2018
Copyright: Copyright 2018 TractorData LLC
Contact: Peter@TractorData.com

I just did some searching and found an L2850 and L2830, both with a ton of hours, within my price range. How many hours is too many hours on these machines?

VIDEO: How To Evaluate A Used Tractor - YouTube

Priorities:

One owner in residential use. Maintenance records.
No commercial use with ever changing, inexperienced operators.

Inside stored. Outside stored too much chance rodents chewed wiring.

FEL

Four Wheel Drive

Power Steering.

"Live" PTO, not continuous.



Mechanic time at my Kubota dealer in rural North Florida is $75 per hour.
Possibly $100 per hour in New York. Parts are very expensive for all tractor brands.

 

[dragoneggs]

It is really nice to have a dedicated mower and a tractor. A Z turn and a CUT sounds ideal for your situation. Of course easy to spend so much money and your budget will be tough to swing both. A tractor with a belly mower will not be fun in the woods. I love my BX but I have only 1.5 acres. If I had more acreage and didn't have the very tight spaces around my house, I would go to a CUT vs. my SCUT.

That said my BX and Z turn are doing the job.
Do I wish I had more FEL lift... yes. Do I wish I had more traction from a heavier tractor... yes. But I also drive my BX on my nice front lawn and I can go completely around my house where a bigger tractor could not go.

 

[nards444]

My take is this. As for mowing if your going to spend the money for belly or three point mower probably better off getting a dedicated zero turn, unless it really comes down to maintaining one machine vs both.

For what I need a subcompact would probably get the job done but would severely limit me in any future growth. The Scuts such as the BX and other models are fine machines, but really are just over glorified lawn tractors, not saying that in a terrible way. I just think they are designed to fit the homeowner that has a half acre plot in the city and wants to mow some lawn maybe and move a few wood chips around.

 

[lazyriver]

My take is this. As for mowing if your going to spend the money for belly or three point mower probably better off getting a dedicated zero turn, unless it really comes down to maintaining one machine vs both.

Yeah, after thinking about it and writing down all the jobs I would "like" for the tractor to do, there is no question that I am going to buy a dedicated mower and a CUT that can handle the heavy workload I imagine going down. I am just torn researching whether a ZTR or 4x4 garden tractor will be better suited for my hilly and uneven terrain. Not too many open fields here at all, but a ton of obstacles. I'm finding positives and negatives for each one. Going to see if I can try out each one on my property somehow.

Thanks for all the helpful info and support!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Yeah, after thinking about it and writing down all the jobs I would "like" for the tractor to do, there is no question that I am going to buy a dedicated mower and a CUT that can handle the heavy workload I imagine going down. I am just torn researching whether a ZTR or 4x4 garden tractor will be better suited for my hilly and uneven terrain. Not too many open fields here at all, but a ton of obstacles. I'm finding positives and negatives for each one. Going to see if I can try out each one on my property somehow.

Thanks for all the helpful info and support!

You have made a good decision. A good commercial grade zero turn can mow most hills with ease. I mow my pond dam with my Ferris IS700Z up to the point of tires sliding sideways (about 45 degrees) and have no trouble traveling in a straight line, at least till the tires start sliding. I also have a Craftsman 6000 series Z- turn and it will start turning down hill on a 15 degree slope . It all has to do with the transmission and most importantly the weight. The Craftsman might weigh 350 pounds (two guy picked it up and put it on a trailer when I bought it). The Ferris has the same size deck and same HP engine but weighs 850 pounds and has larger and wider tires. It holds slope well, plus it mows at almost 10 MPH which is about 4 MPH faster than the residential Craftsman.
The Craftsman cost me $2500 (on sale) but the Ferris was $6500 so you do only get what you pay for. A good professional/industrial grade machine with around 900 hours would be a good buy for $4000 more or less and would still be running when a residential mower has rusted away.
I would look for a good used commercial grade Z-turn to mow with and something in the B or L size Kubota. 1500 hours on a tractor is just broken in good if it is well maintained and stored under a shed. Most are designed for a 10,000 hour lifecycle before engine may need an overhaul. Outside storage will certainly make the tractor less presentable but perhaps not be detrimental to the operation as long as it is services on correct intervals. A new paint job and a new seat will make a new tractor out of one that looks like a wreck as long as the engine and transmission is ok. Tires suffer also and can be over $1000 to replace so take that into consideration when shopping.

 

[tractorshopper]

Not disagreeing that with 50+ acres, I'd probably recommend a different machine, but wanted to clarify that the BX type tractors are not over-glorified lawn mowers (although my BX is by far the best lawn mower I've ever used). They are real tractors and do real work. Generally loaders lift over 700 lbs, 3PH's lift over 1,200 lbs, they have every attachment imaginable and they all do good work.

I have owned a CUT L3800 and 2 BX's. Yes, the CUT can lift more and handle larger implements and what-not, but the BX's are very capable smaller tractors.

I'd probably recommend a MX5100 size tractor for that property personally, but a lot can be accomplished with SCUTs as well. I maintain our gravel road with a 5' box blade behind my BX with no issues at all even pulling a full box up hill. Before that, I used my L3800 with a 6' box blade. It was faster and easier with twice the weight and twice the HP, but the little BX can do a lot of tasks.

I till a lot of food plots and my garden every year with my BX. I used to do the same with my L3800. It takes a little longer with the BX, but then again, I till some small plots with the BX that I never would have got the L into. My brother and I just planted some soy bean plots with a no till drill this past weekend behind his BX. Amazing what these small tractors can do.

I wouldn't dig a pond with a BX, but if someone were determined and had a lot of time, they could. Someone on here dug their entire basement with one.

You couldn't do those tasks with a lawn mower. Make no mistake; SCUTs are tractors. Just little ones with smaller capabilities than larger ones.

 

[dragoneggs]

Not disagreeing that with 50+ acres, I'd probably recommend a different machine, but wanted to clarify that the BX type tractors are not over-glorified lawn mowers (although my BX is by far the best lawn mower I've ever used). They are real tractors and do real work. Generally loaders lift over 700 lbs, 3PH's lift over 1,200 lbs, they have every attachment imaginable and they all do good work.

I have owned a CUT L3800 and 2 BX's. Yes, the CUT can lift more and handle larger implements and what-not, but the BX's are very capable smaller tractors.

I'd probably recommend a MX5100 size tractor for that property personally, but a lot can be accomplished with SCUTs as well. I maintain our gravel road with a 5' box blade behind my BX with no issues at all even pulling a full box up hill. Before that, I used my L3800 with a 6' box blade. It was faster and easier with twice the weight and twice the HP, but the little BX can do a lot of tasks.

I till a lot of food plots and my garden every year with my BX. I used to do the same with my L3800. It takes a little longer with the BX, but then again, I till some small plots with the BX that I never would have got the L into. My brother and I just planted some soy bean plots with a no till drill this past weekend behind his BX. Amazing what these small tractors can do.

I wouldn't dig a pond with a BX, but if someone were determined and had a lot of time, they could. Someone on here dug their entire basement with one.

You couldn't do those tasks with a lawn mower. Make no mistake; SCUTs are tractors. Just little ones with smaller capabilities than larger ones.

Totally agree. I have done a heck of lot of earth moving with my BX for its size. And I don’t mow with it.

 

[oldballs]

In short, I'd go for a dedicated mower and at least a "B" size tractor.......be they new or used. Overall you'll probably spend more time mowing than any other single task on the tractor. But a tractor big enough to do your chores adequately will make you happy.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[lazyriver]

Thanks for the all the advice and encouragement. I went to a local farm today knowing they had one of each series (B, L, M). I'm liking the size and capabilities of the L series. Think I might need to expand my budget though since I definitely need a box blade and some other toys to go with it. I have a lot of trees to drag and a ton of brush to move so power and weight is now more important for my plans than I previously thought.

On the mower front I'm having some indecision between a ZTR and riding mower. I don't have any clean flat spots, it's all rough and bumpy and rocky and hilly. Think that the speed difference might not mean that much to me but 4x4 sounds really nice for what I'm looking to mow. The JD x500 or x700 look good and I'm tempted with a GF1800 and ZD326, both around $5k. But I don't know. At this point I would really like to keep it under $5k for a mower. A front mounted mower is also looking attractive since I will have an orchard and want to get under those trees easy.

I did just find a nice looking '07 L3830 GST for $15k with loader and 1,600 miles on it. Not sure if that is a good price or not. I'm learning a lot by reading through posts here. Starting to really see the benefits of an L series.

 

[jeff9366]

I went to a local farm today knowing they had one of each series (B, L, M). I like the size and capabilities of the L series.

I have trees to drag and brush to move so power and weight are more important than I previously realized.

L Series is a broad category: 25-horsepower/2,700 pound L2501 through 62-horsepower/4,000 pound L6060.

Neither moving brush with pallet forks (PHOTO #1) or debris forks (PHOTO #2, #3) nor dragging trees on the ground requires a bare tractor weight heavier than 2,700 pounds, however that would be minimum weight with your hills. Most would use 1/4" Grade 70 chain + Grade 70 chain slip hooks (PHOTO #6) in conjunction with some form of cross-drawbar (PHOTO #4, #7, #8) to safely drag tree trunks (PHOTO #5) moderately elevated at the tractor end to reduce log to ground friction and log dirt loading.
WEIGHT = STABILITY UNDER LOAD.

TBN ARCHIVE: https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...ctor-drawbars-cross-drawbars-illuminated.html