BX1500 purchase options - help needed

[kwolfe]

I am looking to purchase a BX1500 to replace my old one. My previous 1500 had a 54" deck and turf tires. My question for all you bx owners out there,

1) Is the 1500 better suited to drive the 48", or should I not notice the difference between 48" and 54",
2) does anyone pull a KK 3pt finish mower with there BX? Does is cut as well as the MMM?
3) the eternal question of bar or turf tires

I would say that at least 60% of my time will be mowing. The other 40% will be FEL, BB, snow plowing, maybe tilling one day. I don't think that they make R4s for this little machine or that would be my first choice probably.

 

[LBrown59]

1*I am looking to purchase a BX1500 to replace my old one. My previous 1500 had a 54" deck and turf tires. My question for all you bx owners out there,

2*Is the 1500 better suited to drive the 48", or should I not notice the difference between 48" and 54",
3* does anyone pull a KK 3pt finish mower with there BX? Does is cut as well as the MMM?
4*the eternal question of bar or turf tires
5*I don't think that they make R4s for this little machine or
that would be my first choice probably.
I would say that at least 60% of my time will be mowing. The other 40% will be FEL, BB, snow plowing, maybe tilling one day.

1*Why are you having to replace a BX1500?
2*I'd go with the 54'' MMM if I was even going to go with a mower.
3*Why a pull mower over a MMM?
4*AG tires No question.
5*Ya mean worst choice don't ya !!!

Here is the way I would purchase a BX1500:
Front Blade
Rear Tiller
BAR Tires
No Mower at all.
I do about 80% of my mowing with the 60'' MMM on my BX23. The other 20% I mow with my new CC GT2554 with the 54'' mowing deck.If I wan't to get my place mowed in a hurry my wife and i mow together at the same time.
The 9.5 foot wide swath of the BX23 and CC 2554 combind makes short work out of mowing our 2.33 acres.

 

[kwolfe]

LBrown,
Why am I replacing: I found out that the 1500 I purchased used was originally stolen. After having spoken to the police, it turned out that I was probably the fourth or fifth guy to have it. Trust me, that is a phone call you never want to get.

The only reason I would consider pulling a 3pt moweris because it is cheaper. Also wonder if you get a better cut from it.

I would love to have a tiller, but that will have to wait to a later when I have money again (can't recoup what I originally paid, )

 

[bxowner]

kwolfe -

A couple of years ago I bought a beautiful little B6100 - circa 1980. It was beyond mint - looked quite literally brand new - as it had been stored in a garage and barely used. I paid $4500 for it with snowblower and rear 48" Woods mower.

I got rid of the rear finish mower a week later, as it scalped the lawn something awful - I lived on a very slopy piece of property. The ridges of the hills got chopped down to soil - the concave lower sections of the slopes never got cut because it would ride up the slope before the blades could contact the grass - the anti-scalp wheels/bars cut into the ground on every turn.

If you live on a flat area - with, say a broad field to cut, then I think the rear finish mower is a viable option. If you have any terrain that has obstacles, slopes or imperfections, then the MMM is absolutely the way to go.

I sold the a few months later, as I could not find a FEL or a belly mower, which were the attachments that made sense for me. I have both on my new BX1500 and couldn't be happier! Sorry to hear of your financial loss - hope you have fun making your decisions, though, as this really ought to be a happy experience for you.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Kevin, I have the 54" deck, as well as bar tires sized for the BX1800 on my 1500. I would do both again. I would not reccommend R4s even if available. AGs give superior grab and sustained push in spin conditions on everything softer than hardpack, and on a little tractor are quite easy on turf unless they spin. That should be seldom to never in mowing. The engine is a little underpowered for the 54" deck but I like the way it sticks out further to the sides so you can get closer to overhanging bushes. It also decreases the effective turning radius of mowing. The slight underpower is only bothersome when you are mowing large areas and want to go faster.
Larry

 

[kwolfe]

I have heard that the bar tires are easier to puncher than the turf tire (due to the fact that the turfs have thicker rubber overall. Is this true?

 

[LBrown59]

I have heard that the bar tires are easier to puncher than the turf tire (due to the fact that the turfs have thicker rubber overall. Is this true?

I've never had that problem with the Lug tires on my BX23 in over 2 years and more than 775 hours.
My CC with a 54'' deck will run away with me mowing up a long steep hill.
Plenty of power there.

 

[LBrown59]

Kevin, I have the 54" deck, as well as bar tires sized for the BX1800 on my 1500. I would do both again. I would not reccommend R4s even if available. AGs give superior grab and sustained push in spin conditions on everything softer than hardpack, and on a little tractor are quite easy on turf unless they spin. That should be seldom to never in mowing. The engine is a little underpowered for the 54" deck but
1*I like the way it sticks out further to the sides so you can get closer to overhanging bushes. It also decreases the effective turning radius of mowing. The slight underpower is only bothersome when you are mowing large areas and want to go faster.
Larry

1*Actually I can mower closer along ditches with my CC with the 54'' deck than I can with the BX23 with a 60'' MMM.

 

[KeithInSpace]

A little off the subject, but I must ask. Why have a subcompact tractor if you don't use it for mowing? Given the inherent limitations and small price difference I would have been more than happy getting a B7610 have much more "tractor" and less "mower".

Generally speaking, I think BX owners don't normally go into it planning on ALSO having a lawn tractor to maintain and replace. As for tight spots, that's why God invented the trusty push mower.

 

[LBrown59]

LBrown,
Why am I replacing:
1*I found out that the 1500 I purchased used was originally stolen.
2*The only reason I would consider pulling a 3pt mower is because it is cheaper.
3* Also wonder if you get a better cut from it.
4**I would love to have a tiller, but that will have to wait to a later when I have money again
5*(can't recoup what I originally paid, )

~~~~~~~~
1*Oh that's so sad. What a bummer. I really feel for you.
2*You just might get a rider to mow with for even less.
3*I couldn't ask for a better cut than I get with the CC or the BX23.
4*One of the reasons I switched from wanting a BX1500 to going with the CC GL2554.
5*I don't blame you >I'd be too.
I was wanting a BX1500 like so.
Tractor 5700
Front blade 1300
Rear tiller 1500
-------------------
Total 8500
Wasn't going to get any mower for it because I was mowing with a MTD power craft with a 46'' deck.
Before I could make a deal on it the power craft blew up so then I needed a mower.
New figures on the bx1500 then became
Tractor 5700
Front blade 1300
Rear tiller 1500
MMM 1500
----------------
Total 10000
10000 was a bit more than I wanted to put into another tractor so I changed my game plan and came up with the following.
New left over 2005 CC GT2554 with bar/lug tires.
Tractor 2600
Front blade 650
Rear tiller 800
54'' mower deck 1000
------------------
Total 5050 or half the cost of the BX1500.
__________________
I'm thinking about buying another CC and putting my 54'' deck on it so that I can leave the blade and tiller on the CC I already have.
Even after doing that I'd still have thousands less than 10000 in the whole works and have two tractors rather than just one in the deal.

 

[LBrown59]

A little off the subject, but I must ask.
1*Why have a subcompact tractor if you don't use it for mowing?
Given the inherent limitations and small price difference I would have been more than happy getting a B7610 have much more "tractor" and less "mower".
2*Generally speaking, I think BX owners don't normally go into it planning on ALSO having a lawn tractor to maintain and replace.
3*As for tight spots, that's why God invented the trusty push mower.

1*Perhaps to do the dozens of other things you can do with them besides mowing?
2*Having the CC allows me to do more than one task at a time. I can focus on doing the task instead of constantly playing miscall attachments.
3*Why spend hours with a push mower when the CC takes care of it in minutes?
__________________

 

[Stargazer]

Hi I think I would stick with the bar/ag tires you mention snow removal and with my deck on no way to put chains on. Think the only time you would have problems is if you were in 4 wheel on a wet yard and turned sharp and might burn some sod but why mow wet grass? That being said I just bought a set of turfs/rims for the bx-23 on e-bay for about $300 mostly if I would get a flat somewhere. I also like the wider deck to get under trees/ close to phone poles. Sorry about yours being "hot", guess one thing to think about buying used/private. Actually have a 1993 MTD with 46" deck and its twin with a front snow blower that never comes off and 2 push mowers

Pat R

 

[LBrown59]

Hi I think I would stick with the bar/ag tires you mention snow removal and with my deck on no way to put chains on.
1*Think the only time you would have problems is if you were in 4 wheel on a wet yard and turned sharp and might burn some sod but
2* why mow wet grass?
That being said I just bought a set of turfs/rims for the bx-23 on e-bay for about $300
3*
4*mostly if I would get a flat somewhere.
I also like the wider deck to get under trees/ close to phone poles.
Sorry about yours being "hot", guess one thing to think about buying used/private.
5**Actually have a 1993 MTD with 46" deck and its twin with a front snow

Pat R

1* That happens so seldom with my BX23 I don't even consider it an issue.
2*Can't think of any decent reason.
3*
4*Wouldn't mind having a spare front and rear wheel and tire for my bx23.
5*I've used my 1995 MTD to smooth out tire marks in the yard made by the BX23.
Just drive the MTD wheels over the tire marks and it rolls them out.

 

[LBrown59]

LBrown,
Why am I replacing:
1*I found out that the 1500 I purchased used was originally stolen. After having spoken to the police, it turned out that I was probably the fourth or fifth guy to have it. Trust me, that is a phone call you never want to get.

The only reason I would consider pulling a 3pt moweris because it is cheaper. Also wonder if you get a better cut from it.

I would love to have a tiller, but that will have to wait to a later when I have money again (can't recoup what I originally paid, )

1*What happened to it after you found out it was stolen?
Where is it now?
May be you could have bought it from the rightful owner cheaper than you could replace it with another one.

 

[kwolfe]

Brown,
The tractor is gone now. The original dealer collected the insurance and the insurance company picked it up to take to an auction which is dealer only.

Question. I have the opportunity to get a 48" deck. Is it built the same as the 54" only smaller. I don't mind the size difference, I just don't want to sacrifice quality.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[LBrown59]

Brown,
The tractor is gone now. The original dealer collected the insurance and the insurance company picked it up to take to an auction which is dealer only.

Question. I have the opportunity to get a 48" deck. *Is it built the same as the 54" only smaller. I don't mind the size difference, I just don't want to sacrifice quality.

Thanks for all the help.

Have you looked at the 48?
The hot 1500 had the 54 rite?
*Looking at the 48 compared to the 54 ought to give you the answer.

Is there a dealer near where you could check this out.

 

[kwolfe]

I don't have one near me to look at. By looking at the pictures on line, it appears the the wheels are different on the 48". The front ones look like they can be adjusted for height, however cannot be turned sideways to help when removing the deck. Also, it looks like the rear wheels are in a locked position. Is this true?

The kubota lists both of them as being made from 10 guage steel. I am assuming that the bearings, belts, etc. are all the same only with shorter blades.

 

[LBrown59]

Kevin, I have the 54" deck, as well as bar tires sized for the BX1800 on my 1500. I would do both again.
I would not reccommend R4s even if available. AGs give superior grab and sustained push in spin conditions on everything softer than hardpack.

1*AGs on a little tractor are quite easy on turf unless they spin. That should be seldom to never in mowing.
2*The engine is a little underpowered for the 54".deck.
3*but I like the way it sticks out further to the sides so you can get closer to overhanging bushes.

It also decreases the effective turning radius of mowing. The slight underpower is only bothersome when you are mowing large areas and want to go faster.
Larry

1*My opinion is those concerned with AGs damaging turf is a non issue debate on small tractors the size of B series or smaller.
2* I settled for the 48 mmm due to hearing about this.
3*Also like you I like the 54'' mmm then too I like the fact you can mow closer to ditches and banks with it VS the 48''mm.
I haven't received the BX1500 yet so if you were in my shoes would you change the order to the 54'' mmm or go ahead and take the 48'' mmm as originally ordered.