Am I crazy??

[sw18x]

Or just in love with Kubotas?

I'm a first time home owner, we just bought the house a month ago. We have about 3/4 of an acre to mow, including a few small rolling hills, and a 75 foot two car wide stone driveway. We also have an outdoor woodburner,which throws another card in the mix. I've hooked up with a local tree surgeon and they drop off loads occasionally, including some pretty big chunks that there's no way I can lift onto a log splitter alone. In fact, some chunks even a couple guys couldn't handle. However, they can dump right near the stove and the woodpile, so there's not too much hauling to do, except when the pile gets real big (it is) and then there's logs I'll have to carry 50 feet or so.

Does all this justify a BX1860? I crunched some numbers, and here's what I came up with: I've already ruled out a JD x series because for an x320 with a blower, I'm already approaching 6k for basically a lawn mower and a snow blower. If I'm going to spend that much, I want more capabilities, specifically a FEL to help lift wood. I've already done enough research to know the x300 tranny is a question mark, and for that kind of money, I can only justify it if it's a tractor for the life of the house. I'm not so sure the JD x series or the Kubota T series fits that bill, from what I've read on these forums. So scenario #1, I just go out and get a Sears or Husquavarna 48" or 54" cut for $1700 - 2200, and plan on replacing it at least once over the course of the 15 - 20 years we'll be in this house. Also, budget in $300 a year or so to pay somebody to plow the driveway, that works out to $4500 for snow removal (I realize there's another option - a walk behind snow blower for 1K or so, but call me lazy I'm ruling that out for now). So, 2 tractors and snow removal over the course of 15 years and we're up to around $8500. Scenario #2, a local dealer has a BX1860 with MMM and FEL for 13K/60 months 0%, with a used rear mount blower for $800. $13,800 - $8500 = $5300. So...when I sell the house and downsize 15 or 20 years from now, as long as I can sell the BX1860 for $5K or so, it's the same as buying 2 throw away mowers and paying someone else to remove snow, right? Except, in scenario #2 I don't have to wait for the plow guy to show up, and I leave a few extra disks in my back intact because I have a piece of equipment I can use to lift those chunks of wood onto a splitter for me. I'll be putting low hours on the BX and taking great care of it (we have a 4 car garage for storage so she'd always be inside), and so based on what I'm seeing late model Kubota diesels like the 1550 selling for, I'm confident the tractor will hold good value. Even if I only got $3500 or $4K back in the end on resale, the lost dollars in my mind are more than made up for by the conveniences of the tractor.

But you tell me, because I'd sure like to hear some opinions on this. My wife is far from convinced, and to be honest I'm not sure I'm seeing things straight because you can bet I'd love that nice orange toy to play with, even if the sandbox is on the small side. We don't have a lot of money to throw away, but our budget should be able to absorb the 235/month payment. Am I out to lunch or could this really be the way to go? Thanks for your input.

 

[sw18x]

By the way...our house was parceled out from a farm, so we're surrounded by a small working farm (goats, beefers, hay, etc.) and great neighbors...so of course there might be other opportunities to play with the BX and have some fun. Not to mention the neighbor has a nice Steiner I'd like to compete with. Didn't want anyone to think I'm considering buying this thing for a housing track!

Thanks again.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

You came to the wrong place to be talked out of buying a Kubota tractor. Your on the Kubota Buying forum where Kubota buyers hang out.
I don't have a single doubt that you should buy the Kubota BX. Your logic is very on the mark in my opinion.
I bought my first Kubota 7 or 8 years ago a BX2200 FEL MMM and I'll have to say it is one of the best and most used purchases of my life. I to bought it to be my lifetime mower with an expensive wheelbarrow on the front. It was so much more that it started a buying spree for me.
Since you can afford the monthly payment I actually think you'd be stupid not to buy it.
For your wife: The BX is a labor saving, back saving working machine that can get sooooo much work done in such a short period of time thus leaving more time to help with the house work!!!!!!!! It is also world renowned to inspire men to be better Lovers.:laughing:

 

[Grandad4]

You're probably about right that the BX will be similar in cost to buying and replacing cheaper mowers over a number of years. One factor you maybe didn't consider was that the diesel BX will use less fuel/hour than a gas mower. But numbers don't really tell the story.

The most important factor is you and your physical well-being. What are the odds of getting a hernia or ruptured disc from manhandling those logs for the next x years? And, what about shovelling snow? What do you figure the medical bills, lost wages, etc., would amount to if you got messed up (scientific medical term ) doing chores like that? Unless your wife considers you the hired help, those are some things to think about.

Doing stuff like that the hard way is neither manly nor frugal; it's asking for trouble. I can't tell you how many guys I've known over the years that did everything on the cheap (often that's all they could afford) and had the debilitating injuries to show for it.

If you are going to do serious work, get a serious tool.

 

[Carl Bert]

By the way...our house was parceled out from a farm, so we're surrounded by a small working farm (goats, beefers, hay, etc.) and great neighbors...so of course there might be other opportunities to play with the BX and have some fun. Not to mention the neighbor has a nice Steiner I'd like to compete with. Didn't want anyone to think I'm considering buying this thing for a housing track!

Thanks again.

If you are looking for someone here to talk you out of it, your fishing up the wrong stream. My personal opinion would be to go for it, but not the BX1860. If I were you, I would go for the BX25 with the loader and backhoe. This is a great all around tractor for a homeowner. I realize its more money, but if your like me and you don't get it, you will always be wishing you had. Or even worse, you will wind up trading up for one. The best seat time you will ever have is on the backhoe. Yes, when you break the news to the wife, you will have to get creative when thinking up projects to justify the extra cost. One of mine was, a back staircase to the basement, she really liked that. And you can throw in flower gardens, they always help. Remember, you are actually going to have to do at least one of the promised projects, so make sure there isn't too much physical labor involved.

Seriously though, the BX is a beautiful machine, and like you said, it will still have good resale value when and if you decide to sell the house. Take a look at bxpanded.com, they have a long list of accessories for the BX. Whatever you decide, do yourself a favor and stay away from the low end BB store crap. Your other option is to look at used. I saw some great deals for near new BX's on ebay. Ok good luck, and remember to post some pics

 

[texasjohn]

The point about a tractor assisting in your health program is extremely valid....takes the extremely heavy stuff and makes it possible, hopefully keeping you out of the hospital, and keeping the back in better shape. further, since you get stuff done easier, you are encouraged to go out and do more...reasonably light work, but more time working = more total exercise...and all without the expense of a gym membership.

So, you see, the purchase actually saves you money:thumbsup:

I'm not kidding.

 

[TripleR]

Like others, I think your assessment of your needs and conclusion are dead on. I went through several riding mowers before deciding to go with a BX and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I am on my second and my wife loves "her" BX2660.

One of the really great things is that if you are gone or injured, the BX will allow your wife to maintain the property on her own. I rarely even get on our BX anymore and can concentrate on work needing a much larger tractor.

Any of the BX models will fit your needs quite well and only you can decide the right one. Good luck.

 

[k0ua]

Spot on Bro.. I did all that thinking and calculating, and bought an L3400HST!:laughing: Several people have told me I dont need a tractor.. what do they know, I have done a ton of work around here with the tractor, fortunately my wife likes it too!

James K0UA

 

[radioman]

all the guys replys are spot on. It really doesnt matter if you downsize or not, the BX still fits the bill on a smaller lot . You won't have to deal with steel cheap axles or badly made parts that costs arm and leg to replace on throwaways tractors. the BX parts and tractor as whole just lasts and lasts. you can upgrade and downgrade implements as you see fit.

There is no better feeling then getting things done yourself in a more timely matter. The only concern I have is the lifting of the huge pieces of wood with BX FEL. I am confident you can lift large pieces and its designed to lift things, but you may run into a few pieces you can't lift so dragging/rolling them may be your last retort. The B series can lift bit more. Using a boom pole with logging tongs can lift more weight on BX safer then FEL. You won't know until you have tractor in your hands and try. I am only going by most of my experience. It seems like the landscapers cut down humongous trees that is dangerous for someone and usually its too big for anything unless you have ways to reduce them to handling size in a larger outdoor stoves like yours.

 

[architect]

any BX or B would be good, they are with FEL an expensive wheelbarrow, but every time I grab the wheelbarrow the tire is flat, now that I am nearing 60 those rocks and wood are getting too heavy.
Gravel drives and blowers don't mix well, rocks are picked up and thrown and or jamb the auger, at least my gravely blower did, front bucket works well if you have a place to push it, front blade is better, but always get the FEL.
I have a pile of mulch and topsoil that I got last year at this time, only half the mulch has been moved and none of the topsoil, when my Kubota B2920 arrives it will be moved in 15 minutes.
0% for 60 months helps, I will only mow 1/2 acre, but have 450 feet of concrete driveway (used to be gravel when I had the gravely blower, which was sold to get a B1750). Had a L3010 which was too big, now back to B2920, also it turns out my wife just said that I will be mowing my mother-in-laws yard, 3 acres and we are looking at a 4 acre investment property, all which could be handled by any BX or B.

 

[retiredmgn]

In my younger years, an old guy once said to me, "If you think of it, do it". He was just trying to get the point across, 'what you're thinking now you'll be thinking later'.
Get the machine you want now. It's not fruit, not going to go bad. You can always sell it if you need to. What you'll have is satisfaction every time you complete a task that came to mind. Sounds like you already have a few lined up.
And of course the 'honey-do' list. A few objections up front perhaps but you will win her over when she says, "Wouldn't it be nice if", and you're back a few hours later with a, "How's that"?

 

[Volfandt]

Try as one may, one cannot predict the future. Go w/your "want to" and buy a machine capable to do all the tasks you've spelled out.
Don't let $$$'s override need.

re. cost justification. It's hard to cost justify a big ticket item but, ROI is a different story all together

The cost justification of going w/a diesel powered SCUT over a gas powered LT/GT is near nil. The diesel will be more powerful @ lower rpm while being more fuel efficient and durable but, w/diesel fuel costing so much more than gas the efficency seems to cancel out.
But throw in ROI and it's an entirely different story. The diesel will require less maintenance, last longer and hold it's value better hense, it's the better ROI.

Similar implements will run about the same for a gas powered LT/GT as the diesel powered SCUT but the SCUT will have a larger selection and be used on larger tractors, ROI is better for the SCUT.

Lets break the implements down further. The SCUT add's the additional benefit of an FEL and perhaps even a BH (backhoe). You say you need additional manpower inorder to handle the larger pieces of wood you process. How do you compensate these helpers?
A SCUT w/an FEL and chain hooks will do away w/the need of having to depend upon additional manpower. You are now doing these tasks at your convenience. How benefitial is that?
You can add bolt on bucket forks and lift longer logs and deposit them where needed (not to mention other larger objects that needs moved such as large sofa's, washers/dryers, frig's etc).
Add a backhoe w/a thumb and you can then lift and precisely place large heavy objects where you need them. All the while your back remains pain & trouble free. How benefitial is that?
How fast do you want to mow the grass?
The BX1860 will handle upto a 54" MMM.
The larger BX2360 (or BX25 w/FEL & BH) will handle the 60" MMM. Larger MMM = faster mowing times.
You can get an FEL w/the BX1860 but not an OEM BH.
You cannot get an OEM BH w/the BX2360 either.
So if I may, I suugest that your looking at ROI and not cost justification. So which BX is best for you?
BX1860 w/FEL & 48" or 54" MMM, front blade or blower. Will do what you want plus do your heavy lifting.
BX2360 w/FEL & 54" or 60" MMM, front blade or blower. Will do what you want alittle bit faster.
BX25 w/FEL, BH, 54" 0r 60" MMM, front blade or blower. Same benefits as the BX2360 PLUS the ability to dig and cherrypick heavy objects.
Simple ain't it
Enjoy
Dave

 

[sw18x]

Thanks for all the replies. I just read the thread to my wife - I think she's finally breaking down, she asked me to go over our budget again and lay out some numbers for her.

Unfortunately, used isn't an option for us. We have a little money set aside but we want to keep that for emergencies. So while I've seen some used BX's under 10K, the financing is a real selling point for me. Does anyone have expereince with how their financing process works? I hope it's not like getting a mortgage, my memory of all those hoops is a little too fresh.

Also, can someone explain the Kubota insurance deal for financing? I saw it mentioned on a couple threads. I guess I just thought my homeowner's insurance would automatically cover anything on the property.

What about 18 versus 23? Leaning towards the bigger motor, guessing it will hold resale value pretty well.

Snow removal - very debatable topic, as I've seen from threads on this forum. I'd like to keep the FEL on at all costs because we've been told our driveway tends to drift real bad. Plus, adding the cost of a front blower when my wife is this close to nodding her head might be a bad strategy. Maybe I'll try it with a cheap backblade for one year, am I right in thinking that a blower for the rear pto should be relatively easy to pick up if it turns out I need one?

Thanks again and feel free to continue sharing opinions!

 

[architect]

Kubota financing, fill out form you can print out from their web site, dealer submits, my approval took minutes, I have financed two other tractors.
Kubota insurance, $1 / $1000 borrowed, full coverage, $250 deductable, prrotects their value of ammount owed, roll it over and your covered, falls off trailer, your covered, improperly attach pto shaft and destroy things , covered.

 

[Carl Bert]

Thanks for all the replies. I just read the thread to my wife - I think she's finally breaking down, she asked me to go over our budget again and lay out some numbers for her.

Unfortunately, used isn't an option for us. We have a little money set aside but we want to keep that for emergencies. So while I've seen some used BX's under 10K, the financing is a real selling point for me. Does anyone have expereince with how their financing process works? I hope it's not like getting a mortgage, my memory of all those hoops is a little too fresh.

Also, can someone explain the Kubota insurance deal for financing? I saw it mentioned on a couple threads. I guess I just thought my homeowner's insurance would automatically cover anything on the property.

What about 18 versus 23? Leaning towards the bigger motor, guessing it will hold resale value pretty well.

Snow removal - very debatable topic, as I've seen from threads on this forum. I'd like to keep the FEL on at all costs because we've been told our driveway tends to drift real bad. Plus, adding the cost of a front blower when my wife is this close to nodding her head might be a bad strategy. Maybe I'll try it with a cheap backblade for one year, am I right in thinking that a blower for the rear pto should be relatively easy to pick up if it turns out I need one?

Thanks again and feel free to continue sharing opinions!

Ok the Kubota insurance is not a must have if you finance, as some people think. I partially financed my B26 and took the insurance, and it cost me $25 a month for full coverage, on or off my property. You can drop it at any time. It IS a must have, if you cannot provide proof that your homeowners insurance covers the tractor. I do a lot of transporting so it was well worth the money to me.

Good luck and don't forget the pictures.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

As far a s financing it is the easiest financing I have ever done, all 13 times. I go into Steve Barlows office, tell him which tractor and how to dress it, he tells me the monthly payment, hits a few keys on his computer and the little printer beside me spits out the forms. I hand them to him, he highlights where he wants me to sign which I do while giving him a voided check on the account I want the payments to come out of and he delivers the tractor in a day or two.
The 18 will do about as much as the 23 if the dollar difference is a stumbling block.
Check Barlows for best price.

 

[crazyal]

Yes, you are crazy. Pure and simple. If you think asking us here if buying a Kubota is a wise idea and expect anything but a "that's a good idea" would make you crazy. But then you may have known this and since you showed it to your wife you may even knew we would support you on buying a Kubota. So yes, you are crazy, crazy like a Fox.

P.S. Don't like your wife read this post. :laughing:

 

[santa2u]

Short answer; Go for it! I guarantee, you'll find many more uses for the machine than you ever dreamed possible.

Also, one mistake many folks (including me) make is buying a small machine, then finding that you need a bigger one. I bought a B7510, and a few months ago, I traded it in for an L3400. What a difference a few horsepower makes.

Heck, you can always do what I did and start hiring out for acreage mowing and light dirt work. That way, the tractor pays for itself. I occasionally place an ad in the local paper and usually get a few jobs, and from those often a repeat customer. I did two of my repeat jobs in about three hours this morning and made $140, and I'll do it again every two or three weeks for the rest of the summer.

 

[Stargazer]

Hi: My $.02 for $800 I would get the blower now. Even with gravel think you could keep couple inches off drive and remove 85% or more. Bet if down road you do want a blower they will be like hens teeth and ++++$$$$. Moving drifts with FEL can be a pain. If bucks are that tight maybe make a wood blade to attach to FEL for light snow/remainder snow. Or a used rear blade for couple $100. Heck if you were close would trade you $$ for blower.

Pat R

 

[sw18x]

Thanks guys...just when the yes's had it, my best buddy stopped over last night and told me I didn't need it. In the meantime I bought a sears pushmower and over the course of three days mowed almost the whole lawn. It was a strategic move on my part limping around the yard (stepped on a nail last Saturday) in plain view of the wife but it didn't get me as much sympathy as I hoped. Still going back and forth, it sure is a BEAUTIFUL piece of equipment but will I get the work out of it? Wish I had 2 more acres to fully justify it, but now I'm between a rock and a hard place - how could I ever step on a little Sears or Husquavarna again after being this close to the real thing??

By the way, we have a stone driveway (much more dirt than stone right now), very uneven at the end with some big potholes. Dumb question but what would I need to fix that? It's hard as a rock down there and the FEL isn't really a digging tool, right? Because I'm thinking I'd need to break it all up somehow before regrading it. For re-grading I'd get a backblade (?) Or could I accomplish most of that work with the bucket? (Just trying to add to the list of possible jobs for the big orange machine here).

Maybe I'll go test drive one today at the local dealer - THAT should seal the deal!