I am looking to augment my equipment inventory to handle things the others cant. Will be looking at some BX level tractors with the belly mower, and most likely one with a front loader. looking at used units. What is considered a lot of hours? Two farm equipment outlets have some ranging from 37 hours to 1800. How many hours do the mower units last? any pointers on what to look for on inspection are appreciated. When i get one- any hacks or mods i might want to try? Also for certain needs i would like a mower for the three point system, but if course would like a narrower unit. Anything work for you?
I had a 2000 BX 2200-the first year they were made. I traded it with 1250 hours on the clock. The mower was used for at least 2/3 of that. Had no problems with mower deck, replaced the belt once. The tractor had no major problems. I replaced all the power steering hoses and one loader hose. I would consider any BX that looks good and has than 1500 hours, based on my experince.
Hours are a small part of the equation. Maintenance and type of use mean more. Did it mow a lot, that could mean hours spent driving around with the rpms up or it could be a loader started way more frequently, not always up to temp, a lot of forward and reverse. Asking about mowers is like asking how long is a piece of string. From the manicured lawn to the person who uses it to find rocks and stumps and then drops it in the weeds on the ground to store it. Smell the dipsticks, look at the oil, look in the radiator. Was it left outside, means more than faded paint. Been greased or? Thats my 2 cents, maybe consider looking at the hours after initially looking over the machine. Best of luck!! Pic's when you get something.
Uncle has A BX since 1991; 2,000 hours. It’s like an infomercial it mows, it blows, it tills and it carries in Loader. Agree maintenance matters more than hours
Yeah, not sure either way on that (hard to keep track)...but he still has some experience with them and knows a lot more than I do about them.
Pulling the deck is a little bit of a PITA (BX2380) due to drive shaft and persnickity connection hangers for the deck. HST has a little 'coast' to it that takes some getting used to compared to other hydro stuff I've used. Brushguard has tendency to wiggle loose from it's holders (they pivot for hood clearance when opened). That'd be the 'negatives' that come to mind. You can hang a 4' bush hog without front weights. (weights would be better) It's kinda a long thing if you use the loader for ballast while hoggin. Deck will put down a decent looking cut if that matters to you. Seems to have plenty of power. Mounting/unmounting loader is done completely from the operator station...fairly slick. Have not seen much in the way of failures a couple years on. It should easily live to 1500 hours. One thing I've come to learn about small Kubota diesels....keep the fuel filters serviced and fuel as clean as possible. Kubota's don't like even a little bit of dirt in their systems.
I am biased, but I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a used Kubota with unknown maintenance standards. They are built to withstand being treated like a borrowed mule. The L3240 at work is an example of a poorly maintained and treated unit that still functions as it should. I used it this morning and was amazed at how crisp the hydrostatic functions. It has over 3000 hrs on it and has never spent a day protected from the elements. The seat looks like chit.
