Skid plate recommendations

[PA452]

I just bought a used BX23 and I'm interested in protecting the underside. Someone on the forum recommended BXpanded's skid plate. I talked to a service guy at a local dealer today and he mentioned that name also, but said there are quite a few companies out there that make skid plates for these tractors.

Does anyone have any other recommendations that I should be looking at?

Thanks

 

[SLIMSHADIE]

Bro-tek, not using my Bx to mow so little more permanent and a little more pricey!

 

[skeets]

OH WOW skid plates,,, well if you do a search in here you will find a bunch of ideas that folks have done to cover up the fan and some pretty good builds... Mine came for an old street sign I found laying along side the road a few years back. I bent it to fit using the work bench a couple C clamps and a BFH. When I have the mower on it comes off, when the deck comes off it goes back on. And the reason is that I made no previsions for the PTO shaft for the mower. But I figure if Im under there I can check things out so its not a big deal

 

[PA452]

I may end up making my own in the end, but I figure I'll see what options there are out there first.

Thanks for the Bro-tek tip, I hadn't heard of that one.

 

[85Hokie]

I may end up making my own in the end, but I figure I'll see what options there are out there first.

Thanks for the Bro-tek tip, I hadn't heard of that one.

Making one is not a bad thing - time and energy seem to be my worse two enemies !

Like Skeets said - an old street side bent and fabricated to fit is a cheap excellent fix - but I will tell you - spending a $150 + for a full length plate that has all the air flow holes and mounts slicker than eel shyte - is, well the shyTe.

I have learned that time is money - and if you got lots of time, then you save money - and if you have a little money and no time ( or no drive) then the money is well spent.

I have the Bx underarmor and it is a nice piece of machining. I have Bro-tek wheel spacers and they too are awesome. Each piece adds to the longevity of the tractor.....and the owner!

 

[PA452]

Having the right air flow holes is one reason I may lean toward buying. That's something I'm not necessarily going to know for sure, and a company who has been cranking these out will have already learned those lessons.

How strong is that BXpanded skid plate? Does it have flex to it or is it really rigid?

 

[85Hokie]

Having the right air flow holes is one reason I may lean toward buying. That's something I'm not necessarily going to know for sure, and a company who has been cranking these out will have already learned those lessons.

How strong is that BXpanded skid plate? Does it have flex to it or is it really rigid?

FLex? naw ....it aint gonna flex much - now if you slid over a huge boulder or something - it will bend, flex or make one hellva racket!

I found how they mounted it to be genius - using the original lift makes it stay still nicely!

I would say that the thickness is around .125, then again it might be a hair thicker. For the cost and what it "insures" it is money well spent!

 

[William1]

The Bro-Tek seems like the most robust (I have not seen one 'in person') What turned me off was it was bolted on and that meant unbolting it. I have enough machines with skid plates that have to be unbolted for a oil change.

I have the BX-Expanded. Install consisted of two bolts with spacers. The spacers were junk and I replaced them with more robust ones. The skid plate 'hooks' onto the spacered bolts and the other end, attached to MMM hangers. To install, you 'lower the mower', hook the front of the plate on and clip in the back. Raise the 'mower', set the grass height to 'Top' (to keep it from lowering accidently). Once installed, it takes one minute to remove, one minute to put back on, no more effort than checking the oil.

While I imagine the Bro-Tek would fair much better than the BX-Expanded if I slammed into a rock, to do that I'd have to be pretty careless. A tractor is not a dirt bike or rock crawling Jeep. I have already high sided my tractor in dirt/mud, the skid plate showed no evidence other than a little dirt on the inside. It was a 'real world' test and performed as desired.

 

[PA452]

So Bro-tek has a rear plate for $180 and a front plate for $100. Which one would you guys say has better coverage?

 

[85Hokie]

So Bro-tek has a rear plate for $180 and a front plate for $100. Which one would you guys say has better coverage?

well here is the bxpanded version..... is it long enough ?

 

[bearskinner]

I have the BXpanded skid plate, and the coverage is great

 

[forceten]

I have the broteks front and rear, mainly because I have a front snowblower and they had a plate that could be taken off for the pto. They are very heavy duty.

Once on - they both come off within 10 mins (just did a trans fluid change so needed them off)


Got their rear wheel spacers also - top quality stuff!

 

[PA452]

After a bunch of reading I decided to go with the Bro-teks. I like that I can leave the rear plate on with the MMM, and it just strikes me as being a little more robust in the pictures.

 

[Harvey9]

So Bro-tek has a rear plate for $180 and a front plate for $100. Which one would you guys say has better coverage?

I bought the rear plate, it is very robust and an easy install. I have the MMM attached at the same time, and plan to attach the front mount snow blower soon. My main reason in buying this plate was to protect the plastic fan, big problems if you bust this. Good luck.

 

[forceten]

For brotek, if I remember the install right - you HAVE to have the rear to have the front.

The front has two bolts that go on the tractor but the other two bolts attach directlly to the rear plate.


If it wasnt that way - the rear IMHO is still more important. Protects that fan. The front not being that much more money is just a bonus, and comes on and off fast (4 bolts) to mount a MMM