New B7610

[DanR67]

Hotwheels -

Here's a link to my first post at TBN - where I outlined my "needs" of a tractor - and some of the comparisons / decisions I made:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33820

That being said - Bob Young made some excellent points - here's a couple further thoughts:

I checked the specifications and noticed the larger displacement, higher ground clearance, and more width of the 7610. The brochures show the BX24 is heavier than the 7610.

I'd consider the BX a "subCUT" - at least with regards to frame size - while the B-series are CUTs. The weight difference I think is a "complete" BX24 (incl. FEL & BH) - whereas the B7610 is "naked" (tractor only) - add the FEL and a BH and I'd guess a B7610 would be @ 1000 lbs heavier than a BX24.

There are numerous rocks protruding that will have to be removed or worked around before I can mow. The ground clearance with or without the MMM is an issue because of the rocks, but I thought we could work around that by going slow and using a box scraper and the BH to move as much as possible

How "big" are the rocks on your land? This was really the key decision for me going with a B7610 - I ultimately came to the conclusion that the B7610 offered me the "best" (IMO) combination of "FEL power to price" ratio - which I knew I would need on occasion to move some of the rocks on my property. Here's some pics of some of the larger rocks I've moved with my B7610 to date:
http://www.linknot.net/home-garden/Tractor/FEL_Rocks.htm

In my case - I knew I'd also be venturing into the woods occasionally - and wanted the extra ground clearance (tree stumps / rocks) that the B7610 / CUT afforded over a subCUT.

My wife is set on the BH

Bless her heart! If only you could bottle this sentiment...

...so I thought the best price option would be the BX24

From what I've seen posted on TBN - the BX24 package is less than a B7610 + FEL + BH...

but...

If I am interpreting conventional wisdom correctly, the idea is that you can do just about anything with a BX24 that can be done with a tractor such as the 7610, it will just take longer because of smaller loads, etc....

While this is generally true as it applies to moving dirt / gravel etc. (ie FEL work) - I have come to the realization through renting a larger TLB - that even if I had a BH (still dreaming.. - but honestly cannot justify it) - some of the tasks I completed with the rental TLB would simply have been too much even for my B7610. I dug out a huge maple stump that I could barely move with a 40+ hp tractor! Here's a link to my website of a stone wall that I built largely from massive rocks moved with the rental JD TLB:
http://www.linknot.net/home-garden/Tractor/Big Machine Work.htm

The rough ground, slope, and the need to do a reasonable amount of box scraping and rake work makes me think I need to revisit the 7610 ONE more time before we buy. In the end, even with a 7610 we may have to use a pull behind rough/finish mower becuase of terrain -- unless a MMM is a better option on rough terrain?

....I also have rough ground and it is on a slope......

....One friend suggested the BX might be a better option because of its lower center of gravity than the B7610. I am taking some pictures to the dealer to see which one they recommend given a slope and rough terrain.

I guess we'd also like to get a better feel of how much slope you have? My property if fairly flat - but there a few spots where I go fairly slow because my "pucker sensor" starts to give me warning signals.

I agree with your friend - a subCUT (ie BX24) - with it's lower center of gravity - should have an advantage IMO on "steeper" slopes.

The owners' manual and conventional wisdom say not to mow *across* a slope - so I can't say if a MMM or RFM would be a better fit - it may be better (ie safer) to mow backwards up really steep portions with a RFM.

*******************

Another consideration is for the 3PH capacities of the BX24: for example I don't see a post hole digger listed as an attachment (not that you specifically need one) on the Kubota website - which others have posted (on subCUTs) as being limited by the 3PH lift height. In other words - I think there is a wider array of attachment possibilities with a larger CUT (B-series).

I actually mulled over the idea of trading in my B7610 for a BX24 a few months back - as I feel I've completed nearly all my "big" landscaping tasks. But the lower lift capacities (both FEL & 3PH) of the BX24 could not offset having it's BH for the odd times that I might need one, and specifically the BX24's lower 3PH lift capacity meant that I wouldn't be able to move my existing wood pellet stacks for winter heating - as I'm close to the limit as it is with my B7610.

Hope I haven't caused you to ask more questions than I've answered ... but take your time and evaluate your current / short-term and future / long-term - needs carefully so that you make the right buying decision the first time!

Hope that helps,

Dan

 

[Hotwheels]

Thanks to Dan and Tchixarro for the comments about the BX and 7610. I don't want to hijack the thread, but let me make some last comments and observations about decision points for one machine or another.

There isn't much of my propery that is not on a slope. Probably 75-80% can be accessed with a tractor, but slope, rocky and uneven ground characterizes the rest. Stability and manuverability in tight spaces are key points. Finish mowing grass is not on my list of needs for a tractor!! There are some other long dicussions on TBN about slopes, weight, and wheelbase that did not offer me a definitive answer, but point to what are the important variables.

Kubota's web site lists the BX24 as weighing 1542 in the "specifications" tab and in their "competitive comparison" tab with the Massey GC2310 they list the weight as 2245, which I guess is the weight with BH and FEL. The naked B7610 specification for weight is 1367. Does not seem right, but those are the numbers listed.

The BH is just a non-negotiable item. We are getting one no matter what: this is one of those things I am not going to fight.

There are some amazing pictures of BX24 owners moving rocks about as big as I would want to move. Homebrew2 retrofitted his BX with a thumb and his pics show rocks that look like some on my property.

I think the BX24 would probably work fine for me. The B7610 builds in some capacity for what I cannot anticipate in the future and it seems everyone who buys a tractor finds new uses once they have them. And, reading a bunch of threads about the subsut/cut decision issues, the majority of folks seem to go with the larger tractor to build in future capacity. That is my decision point ... A tractor larger than the B7610 or 7800 is too big physically for my space. It would seem a BX24 would be big enough, but a B7610 would be insurance for extra capacity.

Island Tractor has some thoughtful posts about fitting the tractor to the need and not buying the biggest you can afford. That is where I am in my thougt process now: what fits best given ny needs for:stability on slopes, manuverability, a backhoe, and ease of use.

Driving tractors is the next step. It has just been hot enough that my spouse is not willing to sit in the heat and drive a tractor. So, when a dealer gets in a B7610 and we can get there early enough in the day, then we will see if driving one helps us to sort out what to buy.

Thanks again, sorry to divert the conversation about the B7610.