Backhoe Adding a New Kubota Factory Backhoe to a 2-Year-Old B2920

[Howard92]

I bought a new B2920 w/FEL about 2 years ago. At the time I planned on getting it with the Kubota backhoe, but got talked out of it. I have regretted that decision ever since.

What would it take for me to add the Kubota backhoe at this point? I understand a sub-frame is required. Is this something that a Kubota dealer needs to install? Or can an average amateur wrench turner install the sub-frame, hydraulics, etc? I would rate my mechanicing skills at the ability to replace a truck transmission/clutch or set up a set of ring and pinion gears in a Dana 44 axle.

Any suggestions on where to buy the backhoe? Love the B2920 by the way.

Thanks for any help,
Howard

 

[nybirdman]

Woods will make a BH to fit your rig.Shouldn't be too difficult.It may be cheaper than the Kubota factory BH.

 

[jeff9366]

The Backhoe will come with its mating sub-frame as a unit. You are going to pay a lot more for a Kubota Backhoe now, as an add-on, then you would have as part of your new tractor purchase. But that is life.

The question I cannot answer is how much hydraulic paraphernalia will be required for the Backhoe.

A Woods will probably be cheaper now, but when you sell, eventually, a Kubota with a Woods Backhoe will have a much lower resale than an all-Kubota unit.

You should at least consider selling your B2920 as configured today; placing the proceeds toward a new
T-L-B. You may (or may not) find this is your low-cost solution given how little Kubotas depreciate the first few years.

Spring is the best time to sell.

 

[calman93611]

Well I am looking at my factory Kubota sub-frame mounting instructions and can say that it is very clear, with diagrams, etc. You should not have any problems doing the work yourself. I added my backhoe many years after I bought my tractor w/FEL. I do now know if this is actually a Kubota made hoe or if it was made by someone else for Kubota but I can say that it is a fantastic hoe. Do not settle for another hoe unless it is sub-frame. It becomes a problem with the smaller tractors if your hoe is 3 pt. I already have problems going into and out of dips, gulleys, etc. because of the hoe "following" behind the rear tires. Depending on the kit, my hoe has a PTO driven pump so no hydraulic hoses or plumbing to mess with. "Usually" the manufacturer will match the pump to the PTO horsepower. One thing you may consider are the quick mount hoes. I got so tired of taking my hoe on/off that I bought a 2nd tractor.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

The Backhoe will come with its mating sub-frame as a unit. You are going to pay a lot more for a Kubota Backhoe now, as an add-on, then you would have as part of your new tractor purchase. But that is life.

The question I cannot answer is how much hydraulic paraphernalia will be required for the Backhoe.

A Woods will probably be cheaper now, but when you sell, eventually, a Kubota with a Woods Backhoe will have a much lower resale than an all-Kubota unit.

You should at least consider selling your B2920 as configured today; placing the proceeds toward a new
T-L-B. You may (or may not) find this is your low-cost solution given how little Kubotas depreciate the first few years.

Spring is the best time to sell.

There are only 2 reasons the BH will be more now, inflation and if the dealer isn't giving you a package deal credit. Otherwise it's the same kit.

A bit overkill to sell/trade in the current tractor the OP loves just cause it's not a TLB. There are many people, including me, that the BH use is not the primary function of the machine and are much better suited to a subframe mount BH on a tractor. I've yet to see a true TLB with folding ROPS for example.



Howard,
If you can change trans & clutch and setup R&P gears, you have plenty of skill to install the BH and subframe. It's just a bunch of big bolts, nothing fancy. As to the hydraulic component you will currently have a line going from the loader valve to the 3pt valve. This line gets replaced with a longer one with a set of quick disconnects in the middle. This is what is referred to as the "power beyond circuit" When you want to mount the BH, you shut off the machine, unhook these QDs and plug the BH into them. When removing the BH, these simply get reconnected to complete the circuit. In reality, it shouldn't take more than a few hrs total to have it installed and operational.

I'd consider the Woods or the Wallenstein as well as the Kubota. Yes initially the Kubota will have a higher resale but that depends on the initial cost. The biggest thing I think is to make sure you order it in orange so it matches :thumbsup:

PS, I'd seriously considered the B2920 with BH before I settled on my B3300SU with BH

 

[jeff9366]

There are only 2 reasons the BH will be more now, inflation and if the dealer isn't giving you a package deal credit. Otherwise it's the same kit.

Backhoe additions have been explored here pretty thoroughly over the years.

You are right that it is the same kit but Kubota charges the dealer more for the Backhoe as an add-on than as an integral part of new tractor purchase, when Kubota wants to entice you into The Brand. Also, Kubota credit term is 30 days on separate Backhoe, rather than two years on dealer "planned purchase" of tractors, however configured.

Even so, Wood's Backhoe (good quality) is not much less than Kubota Backhoe. (At least in the USA.) Perhaps this is why higher add-on pricing "works" for Kubota and Kubota competitors.

(Or, perhaps, add-on price is 'normal', but Kubota is willing reduce its profit margin to entice customers into purchase of a Kubota tractor package.)

You need to be careful about your assumptions before pounding the dealers.

 

[GPintheMitten]

You can do it yourself. I did and I wouldn't dare attempt transmission or gear swap s.

I bought a BH65 as an add on to my B2620. Bolt on the subframe. Follow the instructions for plumbing the hydraulics. It's just as mentioned earlier. You don't need a separate pump.

I was lucky enough to find a used BH. You can go kubota or woods. Either will come with instructions.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

.

You need to be careful about your assumptions before pounding the dealers.

I wasn't pounding any dealers. If I were in the shoes of the OP, I would expect that if I went back to the same dealer I bought my tractor from, that with the exception of inflation, I would pay exactly the same now as 2 yrs ago. If the BH was $8k as part of the package 2 yrs ago, in my mind, it should still be $8k (plus inflation) as an additional purchase. If it wasn't, I'd be talking with a different dealer. As far as I'm concerned, the dealer and manufacturer have just as much work to do to KEEP a customer as they do to get them in the first place.

 

[newbury]

I bought a new B2920 w/FEL about 2 years ago. At the time I planned on getting it with the Kubota backhoe, but got talked out of it. I have regretted that decision ever since.

What would it take for me to add the Kubota backhoe at this point? I understand a sub-frame is required. Is this something that a Kubota dealer needs to install? Or can an average amateur wrench turner install the sub-frame, hydraulics, etc? I would rate my mechanicing skills at the ability to replace a truck transmission/clutch or set up a set of ring and pinion gears in a Dana 44 axle.

Any suggestions on where to buy the backhoe? Love the B2920 by the way.

Thanks for any help,
Howard

Try searching the older threads, within about a year after I bought my BH70-X (about 2009?) someone posted a thread where they got them from an equipment dealer in the upper midWest. If you can turn big nuts you should be able to install a sub-frame. As far as hydraulics I think all you need are rear remotes, and I think Everything Attachments has a video on installing them.

Carefully look at the specs for Kubota versus Wood. When I bought mine the only Kubota BH they would install was the BH65, the Woods BH70-X is bigger.

If you can wait a while use a Craigs list robot and look around, I see about 1 or two a year showing up in my "area", basically the I81 corridor.

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

As far as hydraulics I think all you need are rear remotes, and I think Everything Attachments has a video on installing them.

The Kubota rear remote kit is a horribly designed after-thought that hangs off the outside of the ROPS. I installed a 4 spool valve with my own brackets on the inside of my ROPS for half the price of ONE Kubota valve. It does certainly make connecting and disconnecting easier with the rear remote compared to the factory Power Beyond loop. The rear remote kit will tie into the same line that feeds from the loader valve to the 3pt hitch but it is not required, just a bonus if you already have them