BX25 vs Natural Spring

[savaytse66]

For the last four years, I have been using the BX25 around my 1-acre property for pretty light-duty work. It's been mostly grass cutting with the 54" deck with lots of FEL work. I've also got my money's worth out of the backhoe. Earlier this year, I picked up a Land Pride box blade, and so far, it's served it's purpose.

Recently, I decided to put the BX25 to work. We are newer owners of an 8.5 acre property that is mostly pasture. We are still not to familiar with the property since we don't live there, and so far, we pretty much just collect the rent. The pastures have become quite overgrown, so I ordered a 48" Everything Attachments brush hog and a set of R1s from my local Kubota dealer. I filled them myself with washer fluid since my local dealer wanted to screw me over with Rim Guard ($250, really?).

I drove the tractor over to the pastures earlier this week and started cutting. The EA brush hog works great, I think. I never used a brush hog before, but it seems to be cutting everything down like it should. Considering the brush was 5 feet tall in most places, I couldn't ask for much more. About an acre into my hogging, I came to a sudden stop:



As it turns out, there is a natural spring on the property. After trying unsuccessfully in the waning minutes of daylight to maneuver it out of the mud, I packed up for the night and returned the next day. I hooked it up to my 2002 Silverado, and pulled it out without too much effort.

I was worried about mud getting caught up in any moving parts on the underside of the tractor, but all seems to be running well. I've got a BXPanded skid plate underneath, so that probably helps some. I drove it up to the barn to let the mud dry, and then came back the next day and cut about 2 more acres.

I have had a few puckering moments while brush hogging the property for the 1st time. Low and slow has been the rule. There are definitely some hills to deal with, and they seem much steeper while working on the tractor. Considering the brush is over my head in many places, and that I have not navigated the terrain until now, for a 1st run, I think it is going well. Driving the tractor pretty much blind has me on high alert much of the time, but it's been a learning experience.

I was trying to decide a month ago whether I should consider a larger machine for this property. I'm still unsure. The BX25 can definitely handle the work, but it's slow. Then again, I'm running at barely over half-speed because of my uncertainty of the terrain. I would expect things to go quicker next time since I do not plan on letting the brush get quite so tall. On the other hand, I can definitely see the benefits of a larger tractor. A couple more feet per swath would make things go a lot faster. And looking down the road, if I ever get into more serious needs like tilling or harrowinging, I'm not sure the BX25 will cut it. But for now, I'm going to make do. Maybe I'll just keep my eye out for a good deal on a used L-series. An L and the BX could make a good little team.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I have had a few puckering moments while brush hogging the property for the 1st time. Low and slow has been the rule. There are definitely some hills to deal with, and they seem much steeper while working on the tractor.

The higher the butt off the ground the steeper the terrain.:shocked: or so it seems, especially when one tire goes down into a hole or one tire goes over a log/tree/rock.
I started tractor life with a BX2200 FEL MMM 11 or 12 years ago on a rocky, treed. gullied hillside and it was so awesome that after one year traded it to a B7800 FEL and a BX1500 MMM (for hillside mowing). After 3 years of much work with back blade, bucket teeth, boxblade, Landscape rake, tiller, Rear Finish Mower, Pat's quick hitch, Ebay quick hitches, Ferguson overseeder, funnel broadcast speader, RatchetRake, bucket attach forks, single bottom plow, 4' rotary mower and can't remember the rest. I traded the B7800 FEL to a Grand L3240HST+ FEL. The L scared the brown out of me on hillsides and shortly after buying it I traded it to a B3200 FEL.
I currently have a B2620 HST FEL BH for tractor work and 2 Kubota Fs for mowing and RTV for assisting tractor and fun with Grands and overall workhorse.
Had BX25 my all time favorite Kubota workhorse tractor with the B7800 being my most used (3 years) Kubota tractor.
Trading as needs change is acceptable and not as expensive as some seem to believe as long as original purchase price is good and trade in prices are good and next purchase price is good.
No one tractor is the do all be all but the BX25 is close and if ground clearance is a problem then the B models with FEL and BH are the be almost be all do all, in my opinion based on my experience owning 16 different Kubotas (17 total).
I often think I should have added the RTV much sooner than I did.
Assuming having a FEL and BH then the best implements for me were/are the RatchetRake first off and then the tiller, boxblade, bucket forks, quick hitches (cheap ebay ones), Ferguson overseeder (used more by my brother than me) and loved rear finish mowers before getting Kubota Fs.
Landscape rake was OK, back blade and bucket teeth were not much for me. I used the 4' rotary mower for a one time job and then used Fs to keep it mowed thereafter and would use a rear finish mower if I didn't have the Kubota 4wd F with 6' decks.
Over the years I've gladly paid a man $65 an hour to come in and do work with his track loader on my steep hillside and occasionally had track dozer work done. They do work safely and can do in one hour what would take me days or danger to do. Know when to holdem and know when to foldem. :thumbsup: Tractors aren't excavators or major earth movers.
Good luck with your projects and consider a B if you need ground clearance and steep land. Ls are great on more level ground. A BX25 and a semi used L would be an awesome combination or for one machine a B maybe. Still miss the BX25 I had.

 

[Cherokee140]

We also have a spring on our land as well. We know the family we bought from, they sold off their farm in sections after they found out he had Parkinson's....so we knew about the old spring and stayed away....but not far enough. I have gotten several things stuck, 2010 JD 70....that sucked getting unstuck, the 8n, but never the bx or the 850.....guess I learned my lesson. So far all the other tractors have gone except the 70 (want to restore that) the 8n field mower, 850 and bx, I am thinking about selling the 850 but I still seem to use it, and we have been using it and the bx at the same time, so I am thinking I should keep it now.

My two bits is use the machine you already own, then if it does not do what you need it to do start looking, but you might find out you will still have a need for a little machine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

If you have a TLB, hold on to it as you always need a backhoe from time to time and if you need a bigger tractor, go for a used (or NEW) B series in Kubota or similar size in alternate brands. Nothing beats having more than one tractor.

 

[J_J]

Do you guys not walk the land with a walking stick and test the ground.

Then just mark it with a pole with flag.

I did not do it one time and my mower sucked a lot of fence wire, not to mentioned the pieces I cut into little spears. I used a metal detector to round up most of the pieces.

I also got stuck down by my creek and had to remove the bush hog. Then used a come-a long and chains to separate the tractor and bush hog just so I could use the come-along on the tractor to pull it out.

Just to many trees to get my truck down in there.

Probably one of my worst days.

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

Doesn't always work but since you have A FEL you can put bucket edge in ground close as you can to front of tractor step on diff lock then back up and curl bucket to help push tractor out. I have gotten out a few times doing this if it doesn't work you need assistance to get out

 

[savaytse66]

Do you guys not walk the land with a walking stick and test the ground.

Then just mark it with a pole with flag.

It was wet when we first walked the property, but it was the middle of winter, so we expected wet area. We just didn't realize it was a spring. No big deal, as it's a small area anyway, but now we know to avoid it.

Doesn't always work but since you have A FEL you can put bucket edge in ground close as you can to front of tractor step on diff lock then back up and curl bucket to help push tractor out. I have gotten out a few times doing this if it doesn't work you need assistance to get out

That was the first thing I tried, but it got too deep, too fast. If I had the backhoe on, it would have been easier I think.

 

[Ken45101]

It's really best to walk the property before the first cutting so as to find holes, concrete blocks, abandon rebar or old farm machinery. I had to rescue a greenhorn neighbor who dropped the front end of his tractor into a steep gulley that he didn't know about.

If you have a FEL, at least keep it low so that it will find some of the hidden treasures for you.

 

[PeterK]

I've had mine stuck like that, maybe deeper but I didn't have the FEL installed when it happened. So to get out, I jacked up the front axle and slid plywood under the wheels. Pulled off the brush cutter by hand and dragged it away a bit. Then stuck evergreen limbs under the front of the rears so they would slip under as the wheels turned. After a couple of hours of work, back and forth to the house for heavy supplies, I got it unstuck. It's happened to me twice but at different parts of the field. Last time was because a neighbor dumped their pool which made soup of the clay soil.

Anyway I have a question for you. Did you try to pull your way out with the FEL? Next time I cut, I thought that I'd try with the FEL installed. Think it would have helped or would I be wasting my time?

 

[k0ua]

Hey at least the BX is small and light enough you could easily pull it out with the truck. My much larger tractor has much more ground clearance, but If there was no bottom to the mud that just means the wheels would have been much deeper and not as easily pulled out with a pickup truck. But hey, you found the spring, and now you know it is there.