New BX2230 is here

[WilliamWallace]

OK, actually is was delivered a few months back but my pictures are here and ready to post!

Does anybody else find themselves visiting the tractor at night? Rarely does a product exceed my expectations but this little tractor has far exceeded them.

I'll post some pictures and provide commentary on the first few months of ownership.

This first picture is on delivery day. Unfortunately the delivery man did not provide much advice other than to start the tractor in neutral.

 

[WilliamWallace]

I had the dealer weld chain hooks to the bucket and they did a great job. You can see how they welded them on with this shot. I use these hooks so often I wonder why they are not standard. Other than moving dirt or wood chips I use a chain attached to the bucket.

 

[WilliamWallace]

his next picture is an action shot my wife captured. I you look carefully you can see my rear tire just starting to leave the turf. **** was I happy to be wearing underwear right about now!

In the next second I reached up and dropped the bucket. Thanks to this forum I avoid my first accident. I heard many horror stories about tipping tractors.

This leads me to my second complaint about my dealer. How could they ship one of these tractors without the correct ballast. In this post I only had filled rear tires, no rear 3 PT hitch ballast. Com'on!

I'm carrying a large stump in the bucket. I don't know how much it weighed but heading down this slope the weight shifter and the whole tractor started tipping. Fortunately I quickly dropped the bucket using the float and avoided a potential disaster!

 

[WilliamWallace]

Here was my solution, 250 lbs. of ballast. This did the trick and the whole tractor is stable when using the bucket with heavy loads. Of course they sold me suitcase weights for the front of a tractor. I found if I put a threaded rod through the center (not shown) and a 2x4 piece of wood through the handles with the drawbar, the weights are well balanced back there, take up very little room, and provide the stability I needed.

 

[WilliamWallace]

Look at the size of this rock! I can't believe the power of this machine. I could lift this rock up just high enough to get it off the ground and move it. Larger rocks I wrap a chain around and lift with the 3 PT hitch and drag them as they bounce and skip from the back.

 

[WilliamWallace]

My only disappointment with the tractor is the mower height adjustment knob. It was calibrated so 3 inches was really 4.5 inches. When I went through the calibration to get the 3 on the knob to mean 3 inches mowing height, I was unable to use the top position. When the mowing deck was fully up I could not rotate the mowing height knob to the "Top" position. I've settled for 3.5 on the knob means a 3 inch mowing height.

The other problem with the knob is sometimes it does not easily rotate. The mowing deck was in one of these middle heights when I tried to rotate the knob and resulted in splitting the knob where it attaches. I used vice-grips for a while but finally just put a metal hose clamp on the base of the knob, tightened it up, and it now is working again. I think it is a better than new.

Small complaint for such a great tractor. My only other complaint is waiting so long to get this tractor.

Thanks for all of the posts here and helping me figure out the sub-cut tractors.

 

[Egon]

Glad you are enjoying the tractor. If you need some more rocks to work with come out to " The Farm ". We have plenty. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

E#gon

 

[ericbx1500]

WilliamWallace I had the same problem with mine. I could not rotate the knob to the top position. I have found my solution maybe it will work for you. When you raise your 3pt hitch with the lever it will automatically stop when it hits the top. I have found moving the lever back again will bump it up higher and now you can rotate the knob to the top position. Try it.

 

[ericbx1500]

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The other problem with the knob is sometimes it does not easily rotate. The mowing deck was in one of these middle heights when I tried to rotate the knob and resulted in splitting the knob where it attaches. )</font>

Did you raise the deck before you tried to turn the knob?

 

[megotatractor]

Funny, the JD 2210 has the same issues with the cutting height knob not reading correct inches. and with sticking. like a poster said it sometimes needs the rear hitch to be "bumped" to the top position to loosen the knob from the locked position. I gave up on the inches thing and just lived with it. trying to "calibrate" this only screwed up the raised lock position as you describe. Whatever the color of the machine, for the money they should have separate mid lift hydraulics standard!