Purchasing:BX24 or bigger, questions...

[Trigger]

First post, hello everyone.

I was wondering how well the BX24 loader and backhoe work.
With the loader can you push quite a bit of dirt or not (I know very subjective)? How deep can you dig in with bucket etc... The reason I am asking is my dad has a bx22 and 3430. I was playing with his BX and rear blade, it didnt seem to want to move much dirt. I lost traction before anything else though. However the BX24 with TLB should be heavier and be able to push more or not?

Also any advice on the backhoe? We have some hard soil here in CO (almost like sandstone) I am wondering how well the little guy will bust through it. It has to be better than shoveling anyway.

I will use the tractor for landscaping, planting trees, and mowing. My dad has also begun hiring out for landscaping. I may move into this also, this helps me convince the wife. Do I need bigger? I also love the B3030...

Thanks for your help guys. I have been reading posts for a couple weeks. I think I have new tractor fever. Its terminal.

 

[Jimbrown]

Hmm a litle confused as the BX 22 and 24 are almost the same so I don't think you will move more dirt with one than the other. The Bx22/24 will dig in some pretty hard stuff. we have lots of white clitche here in AZ it digs it but SSLLOWW. I usually have to add water. I have moved many tons of rock and sand with my FEL and dug probably 1000 ft of water line with my little hoe. The main question on the size is where are you going to use it. I would like to have a bigger machine but a bigger one would not fit in back yard or front courtyard or in my horse stalls. So I keep the small one and just except the fact that it takes longer.

 

[FamilyFarm]

For your stated purposes of landscaping, mowing, planting trees, the BX is perfect. Sure it takes a little longer with the small, light tractor and small backhoe. But for me, it's not only better than a shovel, most of what I do with my backhoe I would never do at all with a shovel. We have more rock than dirt here it would seem, so a shovel is practically useless. I bought a 5030 for bigger tasks and kept the BX22 for exactly the kind of things you say you are planning to do. It fits almost anywhere and does tons of work for it's size. The BX loader will not dig very well at all in rocky ground. A toothbar would help, but I'm not sure how much. It will dig a pretty good hole (within enough time) in softer, less rocky ground.
Terry

 

[Trigger]

Thx thats mostly what I wanted, some testimonials. I'll have to go try it out if I see one.
Oh my dads may be a 2200 or something without backhoe and loader. So the ones you guys have are alot heavier(backhoe and loader= 7-800lb?). Do you put fluid in rears also?

Thanks again...

 

[Jimbrown]

If it does not have a FEL and a backhoe it is not a BX22,23, or 24. I do not load my tires mainly because of the mesquite thorns I have to keep them full of slime to keep air in them. Fel weighs 430lbs don't know what the hoe weighs.

 

[Sully2]

Thats the reasons why I went with the "B" series over the smaller tractors. Had intended on the B2630..and my farmer buddies talked me into finally going got the B3030. It does a LOT more than the smaller tractors are capable of...expecially when it comes to pushing dead trees over and rooting their dead stumps out with the FEL.

 

[rbarker]

Oh my dads may be a 2200 or something without backhoe and loader.

Yeah, BX2200 sounds right. Those were sold without the loader and hoe. BX 24, as stated before, is pretty similar to the 2200 so if the 2200 is too small for you then the 24 won't be much better. Definately try before you buy!

 

[FamilyFarm]

I believe the BX22 backhoe weighs about 700 lbs, so the total TLB is about 2700 plus fuel, oil, fluids, driver - about 3,000 max in most cases I would think.
No doubt a larger, more powerful tractor will do more work, but when it comes to the ability of a tractor/loader to accomplish ground digging type work with the FEL, the weight of the tractor (for traction) and the soil type have more to do with it than just HP of tractor. The B3030 looks really large compared to the BX, it has more HP, but the tractor itself only weighs 300 lbs more than the BX. That wouldn't be enough to help much in the rocks we have here. Even my 5030 with a toothbar struggles with some of this stuff.
For your stated uses, I still say the BX TLB (22,23,24) will amaze you. If you decide FEL digging is important, you need a much larger and heavier tractor, unless your soil is the easy diggin' kind
Terry

 

[Trigger]

Yes I was looking at that two the weight diff is not as much as I thought between bx24 and b3030. However the backhoe seems quite a bit more powerful on the b3030. I need to try them out.

Maybe I expected too much, after watching my dad move all kinds of dirt with the L3430 (which is way heavier)
But even with that tractor some of the real hard stuff he hit with the tiller first.

 

[FamilyFarm]

I'm sure the backhoe on the B3030 would outperform the BX hoe. I suspect you'd still run into some of what I do with the BX. The backhoe will easily push the tractor around because the tractor is so light. In a sense, the backhoe is too powerful for the tractor. Of course, I am glad it is I just have to slow down and take smaller 'bites'.
Best wishes to you on figuring what you need!
Terry