B series: need advice asap

   / B series: need advice asap #1  

sw18x

Bronze Member
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Apr 24, 2011
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I'm days away from trading in my bx2370 for a B series and need to choose between the 2601 or the 2650. My biggest question is whether I'll be happy with the power and hydraulics of the 01. I think the 01 is the best fit for my property but 2 friends steered me towards the 2650 based on the backhoe, engine, and hydraulic pump specs on paper. Neither one owns a b series however, so I really need to hear from some 01 and 2650 owners.

My gut says the 01 is a better fit because this tractor will still be my primary finish mower, like the bx the 01 has a suspended deck, and I'm very concerned I won't like the contact deck of the 2650. A smaller tractor in this case works to my advantage. As for implements, I like the idea of more power, but in reality the backhoe work I have lined up is pretty light duty: boxing out a couple turn arounds for stone, digging out a couple small stumps in the yard, then eventually trail work in the woods. The loader will be moving 50 tons of crusher run over the course of this year and next for the turn arounds and freshening up an 800 foot gravel drive, after that the loader work will wind down to occasional chore work here and there. I also plan on matching a brush hog to the tractor, either 4 or 5 foot, for maintaining some pasture and cutting trails.

Standing next to the 2 tractors the 01 seems like it would be a nicer size for mowing and getting in the woods (we have pre existing trails that can get kind of tight). I dont want to go too big and since I have zero backhoe experience I don't know if the bigger hydro pump and better torque of the 2650, and the better specs of the bh77 (swing, reach, cylinders) would be worth it.

Thanks for your input. The last thing I want to do is go against advice, buy the 01 and feel like I'm underpowered. Nor do I want to put added strain on what needs to be a lifetime tractor by going with the smaller hydro pump on the 01. On the flip side, buying too big and regretting it every time I mow or get cornered in the woods would be no fun either.

If you're interested, here's my property specs:

- 1.5 acres of yard for weekly finish mowing (higher ground and relatively dry)
- another half to 3/4 acre of grass which is on lower ground and can get quite damp.
- an acre pasture which has started to grow over since we moved in a couple years ago.
- The finish mowing includes 6 or 8 apple trees I dodge around and an enclosed playground, not enough obstacles to slow me down too much but there are a couple tight spots.
- 30 acres of wood, about 1/3 mature with trails, the rest 2nd growth with light brush where I want to add trails.
- I have a plow truck for snow removal, the tractor helps out sometimes but even the bx was fine for what I use it for in the colder months.

Thanks!
 
   / B series: need advice asap #2  
If it was me, and I was in your debate, I'd step up to an "L" if I was really concerned about the power. Otherwise I'd probably be happy with the 2601, which is only slightly smaller and less able than the B2650....not including some of the "upgrades" that a 2650 has.
Cheers,
Mike
 
   / B series: need advice asap #3  
i would keep the bx and buy commercial grade ztr for the grass. a ztr mower cut grass much better and much faster than a tractor with with mower. moe than 3times faster and 100%better cut. blades run 9000 rpm ztr blade tip speed compared to tractor blade tip speed of around 3000.
 
   / B series: need advice asap #4  
I have the B2601 and like it a lot. I have never felt a need for more power. Most of the mowing I do is with 54" MMM keeping trails through the woods maintained and have just started using a flail mower to keep the roadside maintained. Just got a 50" ET grapple, so much easier now to move logs around. A lot of my 10 acres is on a side of a hill and never got comfortable with it (with loaded tires) until I got 2 1/2" spacers for the rear wheels, I went with the 2 1/2" spacers to keep the wheels inside the width of the mower.
 
   / B series: need advice asap #5  
I really like the B2650. I've not mowed with one and don't own one but like the all around machine. My mom has the
B 3030. It is a very popular tractor. The initial extra expense will be recouped when you ever sell it. ZTRs are nice and if mowing faster than a BX is your main objective then a ZTR is the way to go. If your getting it to make do mowing while having a tractor (which works fine!) I would get the B2650. You need to be aware of the difficulty in taking off the belly mower and putting it back on. If your young and healthy not so bad but if your old like me........yikes. I don't think it is something you would want to do every week to mow.I'm not al that sure what can be done on one WITH the belly mower attached. Sounds like you have a nice sized place, over 30 acres.......that says get the bigger tractor to me.
 
   / B series: need advice asap
  • Thread Starter
#6  
My plan would be to run the b like my bx: leave the deck on as much as possible. The loader goes back on every time I'm done mowing, the deck always stays on unless it has to come off. In the case of the B, I'd hope to leave it on unless I'm in the woods, using the flail mower, or running the backhoe. I guess I still don't fully understand how the contact deck works with the b2650. Assuming the backhoe is off (most of the time it will be), can't I just lift the belly mower up out of the way with the hydraulics and leave it up there while running the loader? I know the 60" mmm on my BX is kind of a pain to take on and off, is the contact deck on the 2650 any worse? Thanks.
 
   / B series: need advice asap #7  
I am not in tune with the current Kubota models... I have a 30 HP B2910 and a BX2200.

The only advice I can give is bigger is almost always better.

As far as mower decks go, I think it depends on how smooth your ground is. I have come to the conclusion that a deck that rides on the ground is better for ground that has a lot of ups and downs, and that a suspended deck may be better for a surface that is pretty flat. I have ground that is not flat and a suspended mower deck on my BX2200. I think I would be happier with a deck that had wheels that would ride on the surface of the ground...

Bill
 
   / B series: need advice asap
  • Thread Starter
#8  
The area I finish mow has some gentle slopes to it, but is rather bumpy. I'm imagining that a contact deck would really rattle and shake over those bumps and divets compared to my suspension deck on the bx. To give you an idea, I drive the bx fairly slow because the bumps rattle the tractor too. It's even worse in the grassy area below, because that's where the former owners kept horses and their hooves really dug up the ground. That would be the worst spot for the contact deck because it can also get wet near the bottom where the property rolls down into a marsh.
 
   / B series: need advice asap #9  
i would keep the bx and buy commercial grade ztr for the grass. a ztr mower cut grass much better and much faster than a tractor with with mower. moe than 3times faster and 100%better cut. blades run 9000 rpm ztr blade tip speed compared to tractor blade tip speed of around 3000.

Are you sure about those figures? My Landpride FDR1672 has a blade tip speed of 18,130FPM, which is very close to many ZT's. I have a difficult time picturing a zero turn would mow my 3-1/2 acres in less than 1/2 hour (that would be 3X faster than with my RFM). Here's the spec sheet for my RFM:

http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/310-366m.pdf
 
   / B series: need advice asap #10  
Are you sure about those figures? My Landpride FDR1672 has a blade tip speed of 18,130FPM, which is very close to many ZT's. I have a difficult time picturing a zero turn would mow my 3-1/2 acres in less than 1/2 hour (that would be 3X faster than with my RFM). Here's the spec sheet for my RFM:

http://www.landpride.com/ari/attach/lp/public/manuals/310-366m.pdf

I've owned/own F and ZD mowers as well as almost all sizes of BXs and Bs and one L. I used to hear how much faster a Z was than an F, before I bought the two Zs I own now. I looked at Kubotas Corp site and the F has actual faster top ground speed than the Z. :) But that means nothing except the times your racing across a paved parking lot. The speed one can go on a mower/tractor is based on the smoothness of the ground. I can't do top speed on any of mine on the ground I own so top speed in brochures doesn't matter. The Z does faster in tight quarters because it has a slight closer turning radius than the F but the F beats the Z on the open semi rough field because of the steering wheel vs the constant correcting of the Z levers at high speed on rough ground and the ride even though both have the same suspension seat. Fs longer and heavier than the Z so much more stable/controllable at high speed on other than pavement which I don't mow.
I've had the smallest BX1500 and up to the L3240 Grand with almost all the in between Bs and BXs. Bigger isn't better, it's just bigger. I did recently choose the B2650 over the others (B2601) with encouragement from Barlows owner plus the suspension seat on the B2650. I also wanted to have the higher output to see how the tractor will work the front SSQA fixed backhoe that I kept from my skid steer short mistaken venture.:confused3:
 

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