Go BottomKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
 | mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI 
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2007-10-19 147123
Hi, I'm new to this forum and Kubota's I actually was lead to them by a small engine repair guy who was repairing my John Deere and has a BX23.
I don't need all the toys he has but am wondering if I've equipped the BX2350 that I'm picking up next week properly.
What they are putting together is with a FEL and a 60" MMM for $12,100 plus tax.
I have 1.5 acres mostly grass and mostly flat with a few landscape islands.
1) I was thinking about getting the rear bagger option ($1600 additional) but the dealer said I should think about it since the bagger fills up very quickly. (Can anyone give me their insight on how useful they are for fall cleanups and normal grass cutting? Or, do you have to empty them so often it's too time consuming?)
2)I'm starting to question whether I should have the 60" deck now or whether that's too much for my size lot. The islands are spaced well enough that I don't have an issue there but for maneuverability and cut would anyone recommend I change to the 54" deck?
3) Also, I thought the FEL option was a great one for some landscaping and gardening I wanted to do but was really considering it to clear two 150' driveways I have. Then I read all the posts which said not to really consider the FEL a good snow removal tool for clearing regular snow off the driveway. So, should I be getting another implement with the tractor for the snow and if so what would you recommend?
4) What do you think about the add on forks (I've seen them but don't know if it's a Kubota option or an aftermarket item) for the FEL if this is just for my small property?
5) Also, I have just recently had neck surgery and am holding on back surgery. So I want the most comfortable seat I can find. Are there different seat options from Kubota? If not is there a good aftermarket seat anyone can recommend?
6) To that end I want to use this to move a boat ( I know talk about getting bounced around but you gotta live right?) out of my second garage in back of the lot. Is there a good kit that can be installed for a 2" ball hitch that won't mess up the FEL or whatever part of the tractor it gets attached too?
I'm really sold on the BX2350 although the BX1850 probably would do the job for me. I just want to make sure I'm equipping it right. Any advice there is most appreciated. I'm excited to be joining all the Kubota fans out there. Seems like they've earned a great following. Thanks.
Doug
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
 | candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota 
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2007-10-19 147124
Doug,
For the size of your property, I believe the BX2350 is just right for you. It's not too small, yet it's big enough to handle some of the bigger jobs that you'll surely have in mind for it in the future.
If your lawn is bumpy, or has a lot of rolling hills, I would suggest going with the narrower 54" deck. But since your lawn is nearly flat, I'd go with the 60" deck.
Wider decks don't leave a nice finish on hilly ground, due to the fact that they span over the dips, rather than fit nicely between the rolling hills, or bumps. You'll really like the 60" deck for your yard work.
Can't help you with the rear bagger question. I've never owned one. However, I don't believe you'd have to empty it too many times when mowing just over an acre of grass.
Snow removal is always a topic for debate. Light, fluffy snow, is easily removed with a blade, or a plow. Heavy, wet snow, is best removed with a properly sized snow blower. Being that you have neck and back problems.......sorry to hear that by the way...........you'll likely want to stay away from any of the rear mounted implements when clearing snow. They involve a lot of looking over the shoulder.
In your case, I'd go with a front mounted snow blower. They're easy to operate, and very efficient. You'll have to remove your loader when using the front-mounted blower, but it's well worth the trouble.
If not a front mounted blower, I would go with a rear-mounted pull-type blower. With either unit you'll not have to spend any time looking over your shoulder.
I do agree with those who say that using a loader is not the proper tool for removing snow.
As for moving the boat, you'll be able to do this with the proper attachment on your three-point hitch. There are two ways of going about it, but I prefer the safest method.
As you may know, your three-point hitch does not provide any downward pressure. You can lift a load with the 3-point hitch, but you won't be able to push anything down with it. This creates a dangerous condition when moving any trailer, but boats are even worse.
Should you go over a bump, it's possible that your boat trailer could pop up in the air at the hitch end. This would cause the stern to drop.......possibly damaging the transom, or even taking out the motor's lower unit. Therefore, you'll want an attachment that remains locked at certain height.
The safest way to transport any trailer with the 3-point hitch is to fasten a 3-point draw-bar to the tractor's lower, fixed draw-bar, using a short length of chain with a clevis on each end. There will still be some vertical play in the 3-point hitch, but nothing too drastic.
Here's where it's important not to go any smaller with your tractor. When moving a boat, you'll want to have some weight and muscle on the pulling end. The BX2350 might be at the very bottom of the scale for this job. Anything smaller than the BX2350 is not recommended for moving a trailer with a boat on it. And depending on the size of your boat, the BX2350 might be too small for this job as well.
Joel
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada 
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2007-10-19 147130
Two questions:
How much does the boat and trailer weigh?
Tell me more about your land..... smooth or rocky? Flat or hilly? ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI
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2007-10-19 147132
Thanks Joel this is very helpful. Just when I thought I had invested in everything the snow blower gets thrown in the mix. Oh, well that's what makes this tractor so fun, you can add almost anything on the fly.
Doug ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI
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2007-10-19 147133
The land is very flat except at the road where there are culverts which are about 8-12' wide and range from a 10 degree slope to about a 20-25 degree slope. Here I was thinking the 54" deck would be best but the dealer said as long as the slow wasn't too severe the 60" would be better since it has a torsion bar.
The terrain is basically lush (almost too at times as it got squirrely at times with my little 2WD JD 175) grass with some landscaped island that span from 10' diameter to 20-30' long.
There are a few stand alone trees (4 to be exact) but most are contained in islands. So my 'obstacles' are mostly these islands, the property line which is either woods just 'his grass and my grass', the house perimeter, driveways and the road on the other side of the culvert.
With the exception of possibly the stand alone trees there really isn't anything that's appears to rule out the 60" when talking with the dealer. In the case of the trees the 54" will have the same challenges and I can get a good pass at the trees at all angles with either 60" or 54".
Boat and trailer weigh 3,000 lbs with tongue weight of about 250-275.
I was intrigued by an add on that I saw where it attached a 2" receiver to the front loader. But it only had one bolt holding into the lip of the loader so it seemed a little too Disney (Mickey Mouse and gang) for the application. At minimum it seemed it would start a nice little rust spot if not a bend in the bucket from all that centralize pressure if I hit a bump.
The movement of the boat is pretty easy too. It's straight out of the garage, over a gravel drive for 15', onto the lawn for about 15' and then up onto the asphalt drive with a 90' turn to hook up to my truck. The only 'hill' would be any ruts in the lawn during wet season and the 4" lip going up onto the asphalt.
Thanks for your opinions. It's nice to know there are people who will give me history lessons to keep me from repeating some potentially costly assumptions. ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2007-10-19 147134
I had a BX and it will tow your boat over flat land with ease.
I asked about the soil conditions because with those tiny tires it can have a harsh ride over rocky soil. But I also see that you already have a small tractor with small wheels so you probably have a handle on that.
You can mount a receiver hitch on the BX bucket but you will need to use some spacers to get above the bucket lip. In case it might help I will post pix of my bucket mount tow point.
As far as towing from the rear three point, there are two ways to address the problem of the boat trailer slamming the hitch upward when you stop:
1) Buy a BAD RIVER HITCH from one of our contributors, Yooperpete, and use the safety chain he provides with the hitch. This is a top notch product and he backs it without question.
2) Buy the same hitch and add significant weight to it. You are going to need rear ballast if you are going to use the FEL anyway.
Check out pix 4,5,6,7
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Link: http://www.badriverinc.com/prod02.htm
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 | nosteiner4me
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 113 ohio
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2007-10-19 147147
mupparpa...anyway to mount a hitch between the 3pt. I don't have a kubota but thought my neighbors kubota had a plate to bolt on a ball. My deere has an extendable ball mounting plate between the 3pt hitch. Think you would really want a fixed ball hitch that stays on all the time, rather than having to put one on and off, on and off the 3pt hitch. You can always have one made by a good welder in your area. ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2007-10-20 147169
I like having the hitch on at the same time as the rear ballast for towing stuff......
But I live on a fairly steep hillside and the extra weight is necessary to keep the trailer from overpowering the tractor going downhill. ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI
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2007-11-01 147662
Thanks for the input. Sorry for the delayed response...moving into another house. We did take delivery of our BX2350. O.K. so it's not 'really' necessary to use the front loader to pick up leaves but man was that fun! ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI
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2007-11-01 147663
Thanks, as always good advice I appreciate it. The last think I want to do is turn my tractor into a submarine. Sorry for the delayed reply we just moved. The BX2350 arrived last week and with 20 hours already I'm a very happy camper. ....
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 | murphyg
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 49 Hopkinton, MA
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2007-11-25 148718
I am not sure if you got your question answered about the bagger, but I find it very useful. I have about 3/4 of an acre with lots of oak trees. It sure beats raking. The mower and bagger chop of the leaves pretty good. It might take 3-4 stops in the fall, but sure beats raking.
The new bagger is supposed to be much easier to get on and off than the unit that was made for the 2230.
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| mupparpa
Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 13 Oxford, MI
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2007-11-25 148720
Thanks. I ended up getting the bagger after realizing with all the 'decorative' islands in the yard there wasn't a chance of blowing it all into the woods.
The first time I tried it I clogged it several times and thought it was a waste of $. But then I realized I needed to take the rpm up to around 3,000 and then it just made mincemeat out of everything. You're right I couldn't do without it.
Also, I don't know how yours is to take off but I would guess they did improve it because I took it off last weekend and it took me all of 10 minutes to take it off and push it on the skids back into the corner of the garage. The three bags of course went into a plastic crate so they didn't become parts of mice nests over the winter.
Thanks for your input. Kubota really hit a home run here. Doug ....
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Add PhotoKubota BX2350 Trying to make up my mind
| candoarms
Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1932 North Dakota
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2007-11-25 148731
Mupparpa,
I'm curious to know how many times you have to empty your bagger when mowing your lawn.
In an earlier letter, you mentioned that you had some concerns about the amount of clippings it would hold before filling up.
Does it hold more than you thought, or do you empty more often than you thought you'd have to?
Thanks.
Joel ....
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| chaindragger
Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 2 pennsylvania U S A
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2011-06-18 179070
I have a BX2350 Kubota with a bagger and yes it needs emptied often but sure beats the old rake. ....
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