In the Hunt for a BX

[RET]

Gentleman, I'm the newest kid on the TBN block. Thanks for all the in-depth info on the discussion boards.
After 2 yrs of begging/pleading, my boss just gave me a green light to get myself a 'Bota. She even told me not to go cheap - get what you want now, 'cause the generosity may not be there in the future. The testosterone says get a big tractor - but common sense says get something sensible that fits the expected uses - a BX2200, 60"mmm, FEL and a couple other small trinkets (brush guard, scraper box, etc...)
I've been visiting local dealerships (South Louisiana) to get a feel for price and was very surprised to find that they didn't seem to care whether I purchased from them or the competitor. I wonder if this attitude is because profit margins are so low and reliability high that it's not worth the delaers effort to go out of his way to make the sale?
I was so disappointed in the attitude of my two local dealers that I have requested a quote from Steve Carver. If Mr Steve's quote looks good, I may very well just order from him and say to heck with the local folks. Are there any negatives from ordering a tractor out of NC rather than local (other than figuring out logistics of getting tractor to my door)?
Last question - should I go ahead and opt for the upgraded alternator? The 15A standard alternator sounds awfully weak - about like what I have on my JD LX277 lawntractor. If I remember right, the list price for the upgraded alt. is ~$150.
I will be adding additional lights since I often do chores 'til after dark.

 

[TresCrows]

RET, as self appointed BX cult leader until someone offers to take the mantle from me, let me be the first to welcome you to TBN. I cannot make a recommendation and no one else can either until you tell us what you plan to do with it. While I love the BX the offer to not go "cheap" (not that the BX is cheap or such) is certainly an enticing offer--- soooooo--what you plan to do with your tractor?
J

 

[RET]

What do I plan to do with the tractor?
The truly honest answer is that I want to play. My green lawntractor is boring. I have an OLD IH Cub Lo-Boy, but it doesn't have a cat1 3PH and it's weak as heck (4 cyl. gas - ~10 hp at best). Good for collectors only.
Also, I'm jealous of my farmer neighbors (mostly sugar cane farms with lots of big, green equipment)who have all this cool lawn stuff to play with (bought using the farm account)!
I have ~3.5 acres of finish mowing (10 months out of the year - South Louisiana). The yard has approx. 50 trees (pecan and oak). The previous owner, who built the house and 400ft concrete driveway, obviously liked to do work during wet weather. The entire 3+ acres is brutily rough and he did nothing post-construction to repair the ruts. Also, there are a lot of low spots in the yard that hold water for days after a rain (remember - this area is as flat as a kitchen table down here - land must be "hump backed" for good drainage). On one side of the property there is an overgrown fence row (700 ft or so) that I want to clear out. Over the next year or so I want to bring in lots of fill dirt (Mississippi River silt is popular for that purpose) to slope the yard properly and smooth it out and I want to get that fence row cleared. I figure I can recoup most of my money on the FEL and grader box in the dirt work alone vs. hiring a contractor to do it (at least that's what I tell the boss!). I also want to completely redo the landscaping around the house.
Since I do not have huge tracts of land like most of you guys and I need plenty of manueverability and low clearance, I can't find a way to justify moving up to a B series. And, the majority of the engine hours will be spent mowing from Feb - Nov. Are there any good arguments for me moving up to say, a B7500, other than "it's more macho 'cause it looks a little more like a 'real' tractor"?
Since I have an open checkbook for this short period of time, can you think of any more implements I might want to get other than or instead of the FEL and box?

 

[TresCrows]

Let me add a few things then RET. I am from Louisiana. My family still owns acerage scattered amongst the hills of Ouachita and Union parish, some of it in my family since before Louisiana was sold to the Yanks. Though Anglo, my family left the Continent and came to rest near Nachitoches La while it was still under Spanish rule via France. They were scallywags, dirt farmers and riverman (and some of'em still are). Just for historical sake, I have lived in many sunbelt states as far west as Arizona. The point being a long about way of saying I appreciate your circumstance there.
Well, the BX can handle your situation but the clearing of the brush and moving of the silt to correct drainage is a large undertaking. I am also concerend that you may be expecting to much with the boxblade--with any of the BX or B series they simply lack the power to pull that box with tines down through heavy soil especially if it is filled with roots from that brush. You need an L series to do that.
However, patience and a chainsaw and a BX could probably handle it. The mowing says BX, the low clearence says BX, the box work in that brush row says maybe 7500. You know what--heck--just get the BX, if she has an open check book get a 2410. With the BX get the Kubota 4 foot boxblade and the 60 inch MMM and the FEL and a 4 foot tiller and a 4 foot rotary cutter. With the 2410 get a 60 inch MMM, a Woods brand 4 foot boxblade--stick with 4 foot for penetration on those roots but it is heavier than the Kubota and therefore will cut deeper. Get a 5 foot rotary cutter and a 50 inch tiller and the LA352 loader. Another suggestion--get the new BX22--that is right, BX22TLB, it has a backhoe which I am certain will yank those roots out and still you can work a box and have the increadible mowing performance of the BX2200. So there ya have it--BX22TLB /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif .
There are many threads along this line for you to research. You might should post this question without the BX inserted because some of these guys will not want to answer in fear of awakening the 3Crows--just kidding /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif , sorta. Take care, good luck, you sure you want that ol'mucky silt?
J

 

[Bird]

RET, sometimes we just have some tough choices. I have 10 acres, had an overgrown fence row to clean out, an old stock tank (pond) to fill in, etc. when I bought my place. I bought a B7100 and it certainly got a lot of work done, but then after 4 years, I traded up to B2710 (much, much better). For the mowing, the BX will be the best choice, but for everything else you mentioned . . ., well, you can do it with a BX, sure will be slow. For those chores, you'd be happier (and work a lot faster) with a B2410/2710/2910. Any of those tractors will be "good"; it's just a matter of how fast you want to get the job done. And of course, if most of it is mowing, then yep, the BX should be great.

 

[Egon]

RET:
About the overgrown fence line. You may just be able to clear it out using the bucket. I've done this on some bush patches with chokecherry, alder and grey birch up to 5 Inches in dia. I first cut everything down to about 1 ft. with a chain saw and then got a start at digging under and rolling over a section with the roots in it. I'd break this loose and pile it. After I'd spread the piles till all the dirt and roots were separated and then level it. On some areas where the roots were smaller I'd use the tiller. This was done with a B7100.
Perhaps this information will help in your purchase decision.
Egon

 

[Anonymous Poster]

we just love to serve you...
send us you email address_> steve@carverequipment.com

Happy New Year !

 

[RET]

Thanks for all the info. The problem I'm running up against is the fact that after I complete all the honey-do's I've described above over the next couple of years, then the need for a larger tractor goes away. Longterm, I may regret having a larger tractor when 90% of its chores become lawn mowing.
Also, I'm trying to hold back a little on total expenditure 'cause there's other toys I want - like a new shop (I've outgrown the old one).
Help me out a little bit on this one: what am I actually getting by moving up one step to the B7500 other than a little more ground clearance, little more hydraulic capacity, only about 300# more weight, etc? Can it actually do more work quicker?
I'm afraid going any larger than a 7500 would definitely get out of my self-imposed spending limit.

 

[Boner]

RET, Man do I know where your coming from. A few months back, I too was shopping for a BX in S. LA and realized the same thing - Nobody was interested in selling Kubotas. If you'd like, I'll share with you what I've learned about our local dealers.

-Ben

 

[Egon]

RET:
Did you not say there are lots of larger tractors in the area in which you live. It may be advisable to approach one of these owners to do some of the big tractor jobs. One tractor does all is not always true. Consider buying for what most of the work will entail. Example- a 15# sledge is pretty well useless if your driving finishing nails, conversly; a 12 ounce hammer is pretty usless for driving fence posts.
Egon