New BX2200 Questions

[Charliebrn]

First, a big "Thank you" to the group for the invaluable info you've unknowingly given me as I lurked.

Last week i took delivery on a new BX-2200 with 60" belly mower, the 211 FEL, and a Woods Box rake. Everything is working fine, but i've come across a couple things i'm not so sure about.
First of all, with the Box on the back, i can't get the mower to lock up all the way. I can get it set at 4" or so, but the lock lever won't rotate to the TOP position no matter what i do. With the box off, the mower locks at top just fine. I wonder if there is an adjustment to fix this. This is going to be a pain to remove the mower every time I want to use the Box.

The other thing is that with the Box on, i can't get the mower to go low enough to do the job, as the box hits dirt first. I realize, i may have to just take the box off, and that's fine, i guess...just looking for any insight you might have. As an aside, have any of you tried the Freedom Hitch on this model? Anything similar that would make it a quicker hookup?

Other questions... What can i do about a tach? I'm new to the diesel game, and haven't learned that touch yet. I'd like to weld a couple hooks to the FEL bucket to do minor lifting of equipment and wonder where the best points to do that would be for strength, toward the center near the cylinder or farther out toward the supports?

I've noticed a couple wires loose under the seat...anyone know what these are for? I'd like to wire up a spotlight for night work that could be swiveled front or back.

Has anyone come up with a good way/place to mount a toolbox?

I'm considering a Howard Rotavator HR3 tiller (42")..anyone tried it? Any thoughts on whether i'll have enough power for it?

All that said and done, so far i love the machine and can't wait to dig in. I did some fairly heavy ice/snow work with the FEL and it worked great, so i'm hoping it won't disappoint this spring.

Thanks, everyone! I hope i'll be able to add to the group as I become more familiar with everything...

 

[bpence]

Congratulations on your new toy. Sounds like you got a dandy little rig.

I can suggest a couple of things. First, about the wires under the seat. They're probably for rear lights of some type. Your owners manual should have a wiring schematic that will enable you to figure out if they are switched or unswitched with the headlights. I used the unswitched wire on my B7100 for the rear light and put a toggle switch in to turn it on & off.

Second, as far as a tool box goes, as you've already noticed space is tight on these compacts. On my B7100 I use a tool bag that hangs on a J-bolt clamped to the ROPS. It cost about $25 or so at Home Depot. Seems to work fine, holds a good variety of tools, is out of the way, and so far is unaffected by the snow. I posted a picture a while ago in the Photo Forum, I think. Might take a look.

As far as the mower hook-up, you might want to give the dealer a call and explain the difficulty you're having. It sounds like the linkage that attaches to the rear 3 point to lift the mower might need a bit of adjustment.

Good luck with the new tractor and welcome.

Bob Pence

 

[Roy]

Congratulations! This week celebrates one year since my own 2200 was delivered, and have enjoyed every minute. (Or, I should say every 6,300 minutes on it).

The only one of your queries which I can comment on is the position lock. The dial does not allow the mower to lock into the top setting, unless the deck is currently raised to top. So, I theorize that when the box blade is on, it is preventing the lift from achieving maximum height (causing the 3-pt to reach the maximum before the mid-lift does).

Behind the upper part of one of the rear tires (don't remember exactly which one, and I am, unfortunately, in the office today) there is a threaded rod with adjustable nuts. This rod controls the maximum lift point for the 3-pt hitch. You may be able to resolve by adjusting. (Be careful if you set it on the max…. some of us discovered that it can raise an implement too high, and will dent the tractor body).

 

[DaveNH]

You'll find three wires behind/under the seat.
1) Heavy gauge is hot all the time with +12v DC
2) Next smaller gauge is a switch to hot by the ignition key.
3) The third wire (smallest gauge) is a ground.
Guess some switched work lights could be wired in.

You also find a single white wire under the hood, which is
also switch to hot with the key, guess you connect a horn!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Good luck with your new tractor!

 

[LarryG]

Congratulations on your BX. I took delivery of mine in June 2000. I might have a few answers for you. I can't help you on your mower deck height as I don't have the mower deck. As for the Tach, I too asked the same question on a post on 8/30/2000 under other Kubota. If you check it out you will see that a tach will probably be a challenge. Listen to the engine and you can tell when it will take more or less power for what you are doing at the time. The wires under the seat, they are for a rear worklight if you so desire to mount one. I did. The wires are not hooked up to the headlight swicth but they only have power when the key is turned on. On a tiller, I bought a Ferguson 42" for my BX and have had no problems at all with having enough power to run it. I also have a 48" box scraper as well. I use my truck to plow my driveway but I also use the front loader to move the piles of snow when they get too high in the yard. I also bought a Curtis Cab for it for the winter and it is great. You also might want to check with your dealer on the recall for the fuel leak. I never had the leak but still got the recall and had the recall work done. If you just got your BX you might not have this problem but check anyway. There was a problem with the 3 point hitch linkage causing problems. I asked my dealer about it and he told me that if you had problems and asked for it they would replace it. Again, I didn't have any trouble with mine but had it replaced anyway. Kubota was willing to do it and it didn't cost anything. Can't beat the price. I have around 35 hours on mine so far with no problems. Sorry for the long post but hope that this will help you out.

 

[watersjj]

I believe you will have to remove the box blade to mow unless you disconnect the lift arms on the 3 point hitch and pin them to the eyes welded to the frame on each side of rear frame. About the only way you can do this is to block your box blade up while you undo the pins from the lift arms.
The lift mechanism works the lift arms for the rear 3 point and the mower lift arms at the same time. The adjustment nut on the lift mechanism under the right rear fender is pretty sensitive but it will not allow the mower to go all the way down if set too high. On the mower deck lift problem, I have found that I have to manually hold the lift lever in the upward position to get the mower to left high enough to "pin it" with the dial knob under the seat. If you can get the mower deck pinned in the up position, the 3 point hitch will work without effecting the mower deck. Hope this will help and is not too confusing.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I do have a toolbox attached to the bar just behind the seat where the lift link gets parked when not used. I used 4 washers and 2 u-bolts and shortened them to just go through the bottom of the box. It’s a small inexpensive plastic box but works great for the thinks you want to pack. It works fine for me, but your 3-point lift arm may nudge it a little in the top position. It hasn’t been a problem for me though. A magnetic mount may be another consideration. Good luck, I really appreciate my BX2200.

A tac would be great, but I don’t think it’s an add on. I’ve adapted to throttle position and engine sound.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I've seen the Howard Rotavator tiller mentioned in different posts as being the most bullet proof of units out there by the "old timers" like having them 20 years or more. I think they have a web site to check HP ratings. Good luck.

 

[WALT]

CHARLIBRN: I HOPE THAT YOU ARE ENJOYING YOUR NEW TRACTOR. I HAVE THE SAME, PURCHASED IN MAY 2000, WITH 80 HRS OF USE. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS THAT I HAVE USED:
1. MOWING W/ BOX SCRAPER ON: AS THE ONE CONTROL OPERATES THE MID AND REAR LIFT POINTS, LOCKING THE REAR UP ALSO LOCKS THE MOWER UP. ANYWAYS,YOU WILL FIND THE BOXSCRAPER LIMITS YOUR MANUVERABILTY WHILE MOWING, AND WILL AFFECT THE TRACTORS CENTER OF GRAVITY.
2.BX 2200 TACH: NONE WAS AVAILIBLE WHEN I BOUGHT MY TRACTOR. THROTTLE POSITION, ENGINE SOUND AND ENGINE "BOG DOWN" WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD IDEA OF RPM'S NEEDED FOR THE JOB YOU'RE DOING.
3.FEL BUCKET HOOKS: ON THE 211, WITH A CENTER DUMP PISTON, THE STRENGTH IS THE CENTER OF THE BUCKET.
I WELDED 2-3/8" GRAB HOOKS TO THE OUTSIDE TOP CENTER BUCKET REINFORCEMENTS, AND A 4" D-RING TO THE INSIDE TOP CENTER OF THE BUCKET. THIS HAS WORKED WELL FOR ME, AS THE FORCE IS EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE BUCKET AND LOADER ARMS. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE 460 LB LIMITATION OF THIS SMALL LOADER.
4.WORK LIGHT: I BOUGHT A 4"X6" 55 WATT SWITCHED FLOODLIGHT AND MOUNTED IT'S BRACKET TO THE LEFT UNDERSIDE OF THE ROPS, WITH A 5/16" LAG SCREW & LOCTITE.(DRILLING INTO THE ROPS IS MY CHOICE, NOT KUBOTA RECCOMENDED) I RAN THE WIRING INTO 3/8" LOOM SECURED TO THE ROPS W/ CABLE TIES TO THE ACCESSORY WIRING UNDER THE SEAT. I SPLICED IN A BLADE FUSE
HOLDER AT THIS POINT. THE LIGHT PIVOTS SNUGGLY FRONT TO BACK. I MAY AT SOME POINT MOUNT A LIGHT ON THE FRONT LOADER CROSS PIECE.
5. TOOL BOX: I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A GOOD MOUNTING POINT, OUT OF THE WAY OF OTHER TRACTOR OPS.

BESIDES MINOR ADJUSTMENTS, I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS. NOW I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NORTHERN CT. SNOW.

WALT

 

[Bird]

Hey, Walt, welcome to the group; glad you're able to start contributing right off the bat./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

But please turn off the Caps Lock key; it's easier to read, at least for some of us with old eyes./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif


Bird

 

[Charliebrn]

Thank you, everybody on the comments. As soon as it either dries up or freezes, I'll put some of these issues to bed.

Any comments on whether the BX with Turf tires are kinder on grass in two wheel drive or 4 wheel drive? I've seen arguments on either side depending on the model of tractor and hate to find out the hard way, as I'm just now getting to the point where my ground is starting to grow grass. This darn clay has a hard time cooperating...

One other question, Where is the safest place on this tractor to tie down to for transportation in the back? On the front of the tractor, I put a log chain through the front of the frame, but not sure about using the 3 pt for this...afraid of bending or breaking something, and i sure don't want my baby doing somersaults down the road! (I've SEEN this!!! It's an amazing thing to watch a 2000 lb tractor tumbling end-for-end!)

Thanks again!

-CB

 

[Roy]

CB;

I have never transported the BX myself, but I have observed how my dealer trailers them. They pin a straight clevis hitch on the back, and then run the tie-down through it.

I use turf tires, and have never damaged my lawn while mowing - 2WD, except for one small incline, which requires 4WD. Only time I have chewed up ground is while digging-in when using the FEL

 

[bpence]

Generally, 2wd will be "kinder" to the lawn/yard. What happens when turning in 4wd is the front tires are pulling while the back wheels are pushing. This means if you turn sharply, the front tires will try and "pull" you through the turn. This can result in a bit of scuffing to the grass. Usually not much, but sometimes noticeable. I always mow flat or mostly flat stuff in 2wd. Just don't need the 4wd unless I get into some sizeable hills. I do some mowing for my 93 year old neighbor and use 4wd going up and down some steep hills, and that's mostly to ensure I don't get rear wheel slippage.

Most folks I know that trailer their tractors use the rear draw bar with a large clevis as the rear chain point. Some use one long chain with a binder, others use two chains with two binders.

Bob Pence

 

[Anonymous Poster]

For hauling my 1710 I welded HD chain links, those ones that you go together with a big nut so the chain can't come off no matter what, when you want to unhook you just back off the nuts. I welded one to each loader arm and on each side of the rear backhoe frame. I also always tied the chain binder lever down, they have a hole in them to wire them down. They aren't supposed to come undone, but sometimes...

My Kubota came to the dealer with a chain through the loader cross brace, nice ugly gouges on a new tractor. True it won't be in a show but any gouge that's put in it should be from work and not carelessness. If I was just hauling something now and then I'd attach the chain at least to a section of cargo strap rather then gouge up the tractor.