Kubota BX or B

[Buckmark]

Thinking of adding a BX25 or a B series to my toy box and was wondering if anyone had experience with either, good or bad
Have a line on a BX25 with loader, rototiller, Backhoe and bucket forks with only 4hrs on it for a good price, or a B2320 with loader and midmount 60 inch mower. I would add a midmount mower for the BX.
Use would be on my small acreage here which is mowing (lawn) some tree clearing, landscaping in the trees and landscape rock. Then also using it east at my place moving dirt, trees, old stumps, grading, moving various loads of gravel etc.

[HardCorpsHuntr]

I have a BX23 and love it (bucket and backhoe).  I've had the tractor for about 10 years now and couldn't imagine going through country life without one.  I added the mower a couple of years ago and it takes mowing to another level.  I take the bucket and backhoe off during the mowing season, but will mount them back on as needed, and dismount/mount/store them using BXpanded's backhoe dolly and their bucket dolly (highly recommend).  I currently only have the bucket on for snow removable. 

Oh, if you buy one don't let anyone know as you will become everyones best friend

Kubota 

[Happy Gilmore]

My L2800 extra power hst is too small for moving dirt and digging stump. I've used it extensively for both and probably moved about 200+ yards or rock and made two three man rock walls with it. It's a great machine. Up to 700 hours and only a bend tie rod. I do a lot of heavy canary grass mowing on side slopes and tricky terrain. It's a bit underpowered for taller grass. I run a 5' brush hog. It still gets it done and is very sure footed and tough to get stuck. I've used a new Holland with a tiny backhoe before. It was just, ok. Better than a shovel. I rent excavators when needed for earth moving. It's worth saving the extra damage to a backyard tractor in one bent tie rod.

[Shrimper]

Compact Kubota TLB's are the best machine built today in my opinion.  I Bought a B21 new in 2004 and it is the best machine I have ever purchased I've had no issues and still has the original battery.

The bucket forks are the accessory I have used most.  The only thing I would say is if you have an option to upgrade to a larger model go for it you wont be disappointed. 

[Fishstiq]

Thinking of adding a BX25 or a B series to my toy box and was wondering if anyone had experience with either, good or bad
Have a line on a BX25 with loader, rototiller, Backhoe and bucket forks with only 4hrs on it for a good price, or a B2320 with loader and midmount 60 inch mower. I would add a midmount mower for the BX.
Use would be on my small acreage here which is mowing (lawn) some tree clearing, landscaping in the trees and landscape rock. Then also using it east at my place moving dirt, trees, old stumps, grading, moving various loads of gravel etc.

I have a BX25, and a very good friend of mine has a B series.  I've used both machines plenty, so here's my input FWIW.  I don't really look at the two machines themselves, because they are both very capable.  I look more at the attachments for each tractor, since they do all the work, and how they compare to one another. 

1.  Mid Mount Mower.  The BX is easily the winner here, and here's why.  The MMM is made for cutting grass and lawns, not pastures. ( If you want to cut pasture, get a brush hog.)  Now imagine the tires and the weight of a B series, and what they would do to a lawn mowing once a week all spring and summer....  It's gonna look like a giant pig rut by the end of the season.  I use my BX and the 60 MMM in my yard, and i still have to be aware to mow in different directions every week to avoid ruts and holes forming.  With a B series, your yard wouldn't have a prayer.

2.  Rototiller.  Assuming it is the correct size for the tractor it is mounted to, this is a wash.  If you are tilling a large backyard garden, I would say the BX is going to be the better choice.  Again, the BX will have less impact to and from your garden area, and will also be much more maneuverable in most "backyard" areas (around fences and trees and such).  If you are tilling a bigger area, like a huge garden or pasture sized area, the B series would be a better choice.  Bigger machine, wider tiller, get the job done more efficiently.  Also, a taller machine with more weight and more aggressive tires is less likely to have problems getting stuck in a larger "farm" type area.

3.  Front end loader.  Almost no difference here.  Their rated lift capacity is only 27lbs difference. 
  3A.  Bucket forks.  I have them, so please, learn from my experience here!  They are good for moving a few hay bales or a couple empty pallets, and that's about it.  You loose lift capacity exponentially the further forward of the bucket you go.  Also, whatever you are lifting gains leverage on you big time.  Lift a little too high, put a tire in a small hole, and over you go before you know it.  If you really want pallet forks, get (or build  ) some that fit your 3 point.  They are cheap, stable, quick and easy to attach, and just stupid strong.  I'll try to attach some pictures of mine. *Edit- couldn't get pictures to post here, sorry  .

4.  Backhoe.  The B wins here, no question.  Where the BX's backhoe sometimes bogs a little or strains to lift/rip, the B powers through without missing a beat.  I have done a lot of trenching with my BX, and it does a great job for me.  I dug 270 feet of trench 2 1/2-3 feet deep in a day and a half with my bx, and that was in some terrible ground full of tree roots and rock.  With the B series though, that job would have been done in a day.  This is one area where they really feel like 2 completely different machines.

As for the jobs you mentioned...  Grading, BX wins.  It's just a lower impact machine, so it doesn't tear stuff up as much while you are trying to get a level grade and remove holes/ruts and so forth.  Tree clearing, either tractor is capable, you're going to have to cut the trees to manageable size lengths either way.  Landscaping, BX wins all day long.  Moving dirt/gravel, again, the front end loaders are the same size and have a 27 pound difference in lift capacity, so no difference there.  Removing old stumps, B series.  Bigger and heavier, more aggressive tires, more horsepower, so it will drag those stumps better than a BX will for sure.

Overall it really depends on what you'll be doing most of over the life of the machine.  If there's a few big jobs to do, but over time it will be mostly maintenance (mowing, grading, filling holes, moving gravel...) then the lighter tractor fits the bill better.  If you'll be tilling a field and haying 4X every summer and stuff like that, the bigger tractor will handle it better.

So, there's my long winded two cents worth  .  Just for your own reference, here's the complete specs on the B2320...
http://www.kubota.com/product/B2320/pdf/b_series_spec.pdf
...and the BX25...
http://www.tractordata.com/backhoe-loader/000/0/8/89-kubota-bx25-attachments.html

[Buckmark]

Thanks for the info

Going with the BX25D 

[Fishstiq]

You couldn't go wrong either way, I'm sure you'll love it!  Oh, and pictures please!

[Special T]

I want to expand on one point fishstiq touched on. Pallet forks. My father has a JD4010 that is a small tractor. The clamp on bucket forks are worthless. You can pick and move 200lbs ish. For the same kind of $ spent you can easily male a set theater replaces the bucket. Most have some kind of quick disconnect. On the ones we made the forks were adjustable, removable, had a headache rack and all made out of square tubing. We also installed a trailer ball on it. You wouldn't belive how valuable that is moving around empty trailers, a lift point etc.
We don't have one but I'd go for  3point forks if I was moving something heavy over distance like a pallet of brick pavers or something.
Now that your country living with a tractor subscribe to the "farm show" magazine. All kinds of great redneck engineering in that thing.

[Fishstiq]

I want to expand on one point fishstiq touched on. Pallet forks. My father has a JD4010 that is a small tractor. The clamp on bucket forks are worthless. You can pick and move 200lbs ish. For the same kind of $ spent you can easily male a set theater replaces the bucket. Most have some kind of quick disconnect. On the ones we made the forks were adjustable, removable, had a headache rack and all made out of square tubing. We also installed a trailer ball on it. You wouldn't belive how valuable that is moving around empty trailers, a lift point etc.
We don't have one but I'd go for  3point forks if I was moving something heavy over distance like a pallet of brick pavers or something.
Now that your country living with a tractor subscribe to the "farm show" magazine. All kinds of great redneck engineering in that thing.

I couldn't agree more.  I have pictures of what the max the bucket forks would lift is vs the 3 point forks, and its absurd.  3 point is the only way to go.

[Special T]

Additionally if you have a welder the custom front fork brackets can be customized to many needs. I can't tell you how many times a flat work station has helped off in the brush for projects at the Archery club or elsewhere.

[Happy Gilmore]

I bought cheapo clamp on forks. I have a 50 gallon diesel tank on a pallet I put in my truck to get off road juice. I've moved pallets of concrete bags, hay, feed and logs for firewood cutting. They were $150 and work fine.

[Fishstiq]

Not to beat a dead horse, but now that I can post pictures more easily (thanks Tapatalk 👍), a quick comparison between bucket forks and 3 point forks.

With the clamp on bucket forks, this is how much the bx25 will lift, and it would not lift this any higher than you see in the picture.



The three point forks?  These are some firewood riks I made, and it will lift them all the way and tote them around no worries.



Not saying the bucket mount forks don't have their uses; I like them for a lot of stuff.  But lift capacity and safety for heavy loads?  There's no comparison.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Happy Gilmore]

I leave the brush hog on all the time. Also have a heavier tractor withcalcium in tires L2900 extra power. Not a lot bigger but, big enough.

[Special T]

I prefer a cement block with a trailer ball attached to it. More useful that way.

[Happy Gilmore]

I prefer a cement block with a trailer ball attached to it. More useful that way.

I do too but way to lazy to take them on and off 😊