Price Check 2005 Kubota BX1500, 520+/- Hours, $5k -- Good deal?

[JDL130]

Decided to up my search to smaller used tractors for mowing. I am going tonight to look at a 2005 Kubota BX1500 with 54" MMM for $5k at a local dealer. Does this seem like a decent price for a unit with 520ish hours?

Kubota dealer nearby offered me $700 in trade for the JD L130 I just put the transaxle in, towards a BX1850 with 200 hours for @ $8k, but I'm leery because of the reverse jump issue in the BX1850s -- which I noticed on this one just test-driving it in the parking lot.

 

[davesl708]

If in good shape and well maintained it sounds reasonable. May see if there is some negotiating room with the dealer. Can't hurt.

 

[JDL130]

Only other BX1500 I've seen lately has 900+ hours and another dealer wants $6995 for it, that's why I am curious where they range.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

That's probably a pretty good price (for you) for that BX1500. For that price, it clearly doesn't come with a FEL. If it did include a FEL, that would be a great price. The 520 hours wouldn't concern me unless the tractor looks like it was not treated well. See if they have any service records. And find out if they've serviced it since they took it in. Unless it has had a recent service, it should have a complete fluid and filter change (oil, hydro and front axle), fuel filters, air filter and coolant.

But if it's just for mowing, there are better mowers out there for $5,000, which get's you into the price range of gently used commercial ZTR mowers. I don't remember if there's a reason you need a small tractor for mowing instead of a ZTR, so if you do need a tractor you can ignore my last comment.

 

[JDL130]

I have a large yard area but it's spread out into smaller sub-sections (front, rear, sides) with lots of interruptions in between. A ZTR is almost too much, because of all the obstacles, etc. a tractor is just easier to maneuver for me.

The other thought behind the tractor was that I could also pull a small bush-hog and save the hours on my bigger FEL-equipped tractor for doing the hilly pasture area behind and beside the house.

I got frustrated by the generally poor quality of the transaxles in most of the gas mowers up to about the $3-4k price range so I started thinking perhaps a good used SC tractor for not much more wouldn't be a half bad idea.

Local dealer who sold me all of my other equipment actually has a BX1500 too with @ 900 hours which they are willing to deal on and will even give me trade towards the JD 130 with the new transaxle I put in it that covers my parts cost and labor, so I will take a look at that one when they bring it in from their other location.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Well, if that $5,000 BX1500 is in good shape, you couldn't lose much money on it. It you use it and don't like it, you should be able to sell it and get most or all of your money back. I don't recall ever seeing one for less than $5,000. Heck, even the John Deere X5** series garden tractors are that much or more.

It's just that the MMM is a pain in the arse to me. I bought a rear finish mower and I'm much happier with it.

 

[JDL130]

Well, if that $5,000 BX1500 is in good shape, you couldn't lose much money on it. It you use it and don't like it, you should be able to sell it and get most or all of your money back. I don't recall ever seeing one for less than $5,000. Heck, even the John Deere X5** series garden tractors are that much or more.

It's just that the MMM is a pain in the arse to me. I bought a rear finish mower and I'm much happier with it.

That's what I'm thinking -- the X5** series are way less tractor than one of these, for more money.

Does the MMM give a decent cut?

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

My MMM gives a very nice cut. I just hate removing it and reinstalling it. It's much easier to unhook and reattach the 3 point mounted finish mower.

And for me it's easier to remove and sharpen the blades on the RFM. I just raise it up, put jack stands under it, and then get under it and remove the blades with an impact wrench.

 

[jenkinsph]

The Kubota BX1500 is a nice SC one of the smallest that offers a diesel engine, two range hydro tranny, 540 pto and 3ph. I think the price is fair if it is in good shape. You can do a lot with a small machine like this working on a lawn.

The x500 is a lawn tractor with nice features and a good transmission. With a much more powerful engine it would be better and or faster for mowing.

I suspect I would go for the BX1500 in this case since it can handle a wide variety of different tasks.

 

[JDL130]

Well, they're picking up the Deere and dropping off the BX1500 today, so we'll see how it goes!