ATV to BX1850

[Hammy]

Every man needs a tractor and an ATV. No justifcation required.

AGREED!

 

[LBrown59]

I'm seriously considering dealing the BX on a atv.
I use the factory Kubota front blade on my b3030 and it does an excellent job .
Did you have a rear blade on your ATV? I think not so why do you have one on your 1850? Get a blade for the front.
You should keep the tractor just make it work for you.

No way would I do that because the tractor can do dozzens of things that an atv can't do.
Mine on my BX1500 works great too. There is a big difference between a front and back blade.
That is a puzzler to me t00.
I think he's making the judgment call way too soon.

 

[LBrown59]

*The front blade is out of the question as the BX does not have the optional front control value.
**The front control value is not a dealer installed option, but a factory install.

I think you're mistaken about this.
*The front control valve is an accessory of the front blade not the tractor.
**I just recently bought a used 2003 BX1500.
It did not have a front blade on it so I had the dealer order a new 60'' hyd angle and lift front blade and the optional blade front control valve.
The dealer installed both the blade and control valve and delivered the tractor to me on 11/8/7.
Why did you order the tractor with a back blade instead of a front blade?
== L B ==.

 

[LBrown59]

I find the front end very light, and I loose the ability to steer with the blade up. I am seaching for front suitcase weights and front steer axle chains are
out of the question due to the clearance between the tire & tire rod ends.
Is there a rear blade available that does not extend so far out back, that it changes the tractors center of gravity.

My 40 year old Bolens 2 wheel drive garden tractor will plow snow a lot better than what you describe with your new BX1850.
That shouldn't be as the BX tractors are a whole lot more tractor than my Bolens garden tractor so there has to be something wrong somewhere.
I just recently plowed snow off my driveway with my Kubota BX1500 which is a little smaller than your BX1850.
I was very impressed with it and didn't have any of the issues you're complaining about with your BX1850.
There is something wrong in your case and I think I know what it is.
You don't have your BX1850 set up correctly for snow removal.
This coupled with your lack of experience and familiarity with the BX1850 explains your frustrations.
My BX1500 plowed the snow like it wasn't even there.
No spinning no front end sliding all while moving along at a pretty fast clip.

Here Is My Set Up Compared To Yours.
AG tires instead of turf tires.
Front blade instead of rear blade.
Tiller on rear for rear ballast.

You don't have enough weight on the front.
You need weight on the rear for traction and weight on the front for steering control.
Set yours up like mine and I think it will knock your socks off plowing snow.
I'd like to leave you with this thought.
Ask yourself this question.
If ATVs work better than tractors then why do all the farmers have tractors instead of ATVs?
== L B ==

 

[David Cockey]

The BX2314 Front Control Valve is listed in the January 1, 2007 price list with a list price of $577. It appears to be a dealer installable option. Whether a dealer would want to install one rather than sell a new tractor with the valve factory installed is a different question.

 

[LBrown59]

The BX2314 Front Control Valve is listed in the January 1, 2007 price list with a list price of $577. It appears to be a dealer installable option.
* Whether a dealer would want to install one rather than sell a new tractor with the valve factory installed is a different question.

* I don't think they sell new tractors with just the valve.
At least I've not seen one.
It's my understanding that the valve is an attachment part rather than a tractor part.
I just went through all this when I bought a new front blade for my BX1500.
The dealer installed the blade front valve and quick attach for me.
Any dealer wanting to sell a front attachment would do the same.
I don't see any reason why jadd couldn't go to any dealer and have a front blade installed on his BX1850.

 

[ovrszd]

I have both. A front, hydraulic angle/lift blade on my JD455 and a winch lift, mechanical angle blade on my 700 ATV. I don't use the ATV anymore. Too much hassle getting off to angle the blade. In a long straight push the ATV is faster, but by the time you add in the down time angling by hand the tractor is faster. So the ATV blade just sits.

For the average driveway and parking area I think the BX or JD455 is a perfect size. It's a lot more manuevarable than my ATV.

Not a ping here,,, but I believe pushing snow with a rear blade is old school. They work. But they don't work nearly as effective as a front blade.

 

[LBrown59]

For the average driveway and parking area I think the BX or JD455 is a perfect size.
It's a lot more manuevarable than my ATV.

.

I liked using my BX1500 with a front blade better than using my BX23 with a fell to plow snow.
The BX1500 is about a foot and a half shorter than the BX23 and sets a little lower than the BX23 so it was a bit more maneuverable than the BX23 .

 

[Jadd]

A lot of good information has been shared here. Thanks.
Well I ordered the rear blade as I thought it would be sufficient to remove snow as most tractors have rear mount, not front mounted blades for moving snow. I have now found out this set up doesn't work on a bx. I contacted my selling dealer expressing my fustration with this set up and inquiring on a front blade. The dealer told me a front control value was a factory not dealer installed option. Since reading LBrown59 & David Cockery's post I contacted a
different dealer than my selling dealer and he said it could be installed as a dealer installed option. So now I can change my configuration for snow removal. I have a limited budget as I broke the bank to get this BX. My next move now is to spec out the right equipment at a price point I can afford. The whole front blade set up is not cheap once you get the quick hitch, control value, blade & angle cylinder. Is the 54" blade available w/ the angle accessory? Is there a cheaper option than this? For just a few hundred dollars more I can get a FEL instead of a blade. I read that the FEL is not suitable for snow removal. What is a man to do on a limited budget?

 

[PAGUY]

Go with the fel and check out posts on this site about adding a homemade blade or a used regular snowplow to the bucket. You will have the best of two worlds - a plow and a bucket to pile snow.

 

[hockeyhead]

Then I'd stay with the rear blade, adding rear chains, suitcase weights and experience will get you through the balance of this winter. Then I would be looking for a used 3pt snowblower. Finally adding a fel with quick-attach, when funds are available. The fel will add a lot more options if you so choose.

 

[LBrown59]

*The whole front blade set up is not cheap once you get the quick hitch, control value, blade & angle cylinder.
** Is the 54" blade available w/ the angle accessory?
***What is a man to do on a limited budget?

*No it's not/Mine was $1900 for the 60'' blade but I got lucky and got it for $1500.oo.
**It wasn't for my BX1500 is why I had to go with the 60'' one.
The 54'' manual angle blade was $1400.
***Get a FEL and it will have the control valve.
Later you can add a front blade without having to buy the valve as you can use the one on the FEL.
Another option: See if you can find a good used FEL and or front blade.
Either one should have the front valve with it.
Check on ebay and machine finders.
Do some leg work shopping around.
You might get lucky and get a FEL and a front blade both for about the price of one or the other new.

 

[Berniep]

A lot of people move snow with the fel only. I have a neighbor that does the driveway of everyone in the neighborhood with his fel and he does a pretty good job at it too. Or he did until I got my tractor anyway.

 

[LBrown59]

A lot of people move snow with the fel only. I have a neighbor that does the driveway of everyone in the neighborhood with his fel and he does a pretty good job at it too. Or he did until I got my tractor anyway.

How did your getting a tractor change things for him?

 

[DesertRose]

I plow snow out of the driveways for 4 or 5 neighbors regularly and a few more who ask after each heavy snow storm. Most winters I can get by plowing the driveways with the ATV blade. We usually get a snow storm and then it might be several weeks until the next snow storm. In the meantime the sun melts the snow. But this year we have had snow storms every few days since Thanksgiving. I ran out of room pushing snow with a blade several weeks ago.

I use the ATV plow to push the snow and then use the tractor to pick up the snow piles and clear the driveways. I have piles of snow 6 or 7 feet high at the end or on the sides of the driveways I am taking care of. Most of these people have gravel driveways and the ATV blade is much more forgiving on the gravel. It doesn't dig into the gravel since the blade is light weight and has no down pressure other than gravity.

This winter if I had only the ATV to plow snow I would have been able to at least make the driveways passable, but with the ATV and the FEL of the tractor I can clear the entire driveway.

Blades are great for plowing snow whether on a tractor or an ATV but when you need to move the snow piles blades are useless. Snow blowers are great but would be useless for me since I need to remove the snow from my horse paddocks and I'm not about to buy a snow blower just to do freebies for my neighbors.

Tom

 

[LBrown59]

I use the ATV plow to push the snow and then use the tractor to pick up the snow piles and clear the driveways.

The only thing is jadd doesn't have a FEL for his BX1850 and he sold his ATV.

 

[Berniep]

How did your getting a tractor change things for him?

There are now at least two driveways that he doesn't do because I do them.
Maybe more if I can beat him to them.

 

[DesertRose]

The only thing is jadd doesn't have a FEL for his BX1850 and he sold his ATV.

I realize jadd doesn't have a FEL and sold his ATV. He asked for suggestions. I just mentioned my experiences with snow removal. I'm not sure how much he uses the tractor for tasks other than snow removal. He is the one who has to decide if snow removal is the most important task he needs a tractor for.

I have mentioned before that if I had to chose between the ATV and the tractor for snow removal only, I would take the ATV. But snow removal is not the reason I bought the tractor. It wasn't even considered when I bought the tractor. But this winter we have had more snow than we have had for many years. The FEL has allowed me to lift the snow over fences or just pick it up and move it away.

But winter will end. And then I will use the tractor for the reasons I bought it.
The ATV will not dig trenches, pull and power the brush cutter or dig 12" post holes. If you asked me in the summer if I had to chose between the ATV and the tractor, I would chose the tractor.

If I needed a tractor to do the things an ATV can't do and I could only have one, I think I'd learn to live with the rear blade on the tractor. If my main use was snow removal I'd stick with the ATV.

Tom

 

[LBrown59]

.
But winter will end. And then I will use the tractor for the reasons I bought it.
The ATV will not dig trenches, pull and power the brush cutter or dig 12" post holes. If you asked me in the summer if I had to chose between the ATV and the tractor, I would chose the tractor.
Tom

I bought my BX1500 with a front blade and a rear tiller for doing summer time dirt work .
I just happen to have it for winter snow plowing if needed in addition to the BX23 with a FEL.
If I was Jadd I'd set the BX1850 up like so.

Add a FEL to go with the rear blade he already has.
or get a FEL and a front blade.
The advantage of the rear blade over the front blade is you don't have to keep switching the FEL and a front blade back and forth.

 

[LBrown59]

There are now at least two driveways that he doesn't do because I do them.
Maybe more if I can beat him to them.

Ah So~now he has competition!