Quick Attach Loaders for 18-23 BX?

eastvt

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BX1880
Sep 13, 2021
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Having had a deal fall apart on an older B1800, I’ve decided what I really want is a tractor with Quick Attach loader and probably belly mower. So, looking at used tractors on Craigslist, BX series, and nobody is mentioning this in the ads. So I get the model of the loader from the photo and go down the search engine rabbit hole to try to find if it’s quick attach. Is there a simple list somewhere? Any other compact or sub compact Kubotas besides the BX that use QA? If I bought new (not that the dealer has inventory), I’m sure I could get clarity on the purchase, but it seems so tricky in the used market.

I want to mow my couple of acres (mow the lawn every week or two, the meadow in bits every time I mow the lawn). And then I’ll have bursts where I want to use the bucket. It seems clear to me that mowing (especially the lawn) will be MUCH better without the bucket attached. Not sure if the mower would be better to come off when using the bucket, but surely in the winter it would be better to ditch the belly mower. (While I’m fine using my walk behind Honda snowblower for my short driveway, there are ice chunks that slide off my metal roof sometimes that a bucket might help with)
 

xrocketengineer

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The only BX's that come with the SSQA as an option is the 80 series. The model numbering system is roughly the amount of load in Kilograms the loader can lift at the pivot point at the maximum height.
The LA344 is the pin on version of the loader and the LA344S is the SSQA version for the BX80 series. However, the load capacity is less for the SSQA version as you can see from the PDF.
The SSQA should fit the earlier BX models as seen in the video.
 

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B737

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LX3310
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Alternatively, you can buy a SSQA quick attach adapter that will replace the pin on style. You would have to buy a new bucket for about $300. I did this on my BX2350 and noticed no difference in loader capacity. The adapter arrived in 3 days.
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
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When you say quick attach, Kubota use that term in two ways.

One is the ability to switch the attachment on your loader - and is usually an skid steer quick attach. That would let you take your bucket off when mowing, and let you put forks or a grapple on. As noted, on the BX the 80 series has it, but you can generally buy an SSQA adaptor for most moderately recent Kubota models if it doesn't come with it.

The other is the ability to remove the entire loader, which Kubota call Quick-Tach. There are a few flavours of this, but even the oldest BX models you can take the loader off very easily. I personally prefer this to removing the bucket when mowing, it makes the tractor a lot nicer to mow with. The front wheels on a BX are reasonably small, a loader puts a lot of weight on. I found my old BX pitched a lot when going fast (i.e. mowing) with the loader on. With the loader off it feels like a race car by comparison. Well, a very slow diesel race car. But still.

On my old BX the mower came off reasonably easily. I had an old BX2350, and the wheels on the mower didn't turn, and I didn't have a large enough shed to scoot the mower out sideways in the shed. What I usually did was drop the mower, then use the loader to lift the front wheels off the ground. Then scoot the mower forwards out under the front wheels, drop the front wheels again. Massively easier than dragging the thing out sideways.

On my B2601 I find the mower a lot easier to take on and off, for two reasons. Firstly, it's just that much taller that I can attach the drive shaft to the mower without lying on the ground - I can kneel down and do it. Sounds minor, but it's a big deal to me. Secondly, it has a proper drive over deck - basically the deck is just strong enough you can drive over it. Really easy - drop the deck, put tractor in 4wd and low ratio, drive backwards over it. All the plates on top of it are steel. So easy.

Finally, on my B I've just purchased a pin-on quick attach. I've been swapping the bucket for forks by banging the pins out, then reinserting them on the forks. I'm getting reasonably good at it - 15 minutes end to end to swap a bucket for forks. It really annoys me though. The pin on quick-attach does most of what the SSQA does, but it weighs less, and doesn't require you to modify your bucket. So if you buy a B class machine with pin-on bucket, you could buy the pin-on quick attach. Mine was under $500 from Messicks.

So, from all that, I'd recommend you get a B rather than a BX if you can, they're better. But I did really like my BX, and I think you'll find that any loader on a BX comes off, the bucket may not. As for SSQA, I'd only get that if you want to put forks or a grapple on your machine. If you don't, you don't need it.
 
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eastvt

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BX1880
Sep 13, 2021
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Thank you everyone! This is all very helpful. I’ve had an old Kubota diesel (GF 1800) for about 20 years, but nothing to attach besides the front mower deck, which I keep on. This has been pretty confusing, and you all are shedding a lot of light.
 

eastvt

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So if “A B is better than a BX” what do you think of a B1800 with 1000 + hours with mower and loader for $7500? That’s the tractor that I was going to buy, and I have another shot at it. Well maintained.
 

DustyRusty

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BX23S
Nov 8, 2015
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You better buy it before someone else grabs it. Used tractors are in demand, and are short on supply. If it was well maintained, that tractor has a lot of life left in it. If you don't buy it, let me know, and I will buy it!
 

eastvt

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BX1880
Sep 13, 2021
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I’m half thinking of keeping my GF1800 and using it just for mowing, buy and use the B1800 mostly for the bucket. Maybe crazy to store, maintain, and own two old tractors. I guess I’ll see what I buy and what I can do about a bucket quick-ish attach.
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
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B1800 or BX1800? Looks to me like it'd be a BX1800. That's an old machine, but it looks like it has the LA211 loader, which looks to be removable. It also takes a 54 or 60 inch mower deck.

It has a loader on it already? If so, yeah, buy it. It's reasonably likely you'll be able to find a mower for it later (may take a bit of time) if you want to replace the GF1800.
 

eastvt

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Sep 13, 2021
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B1800 or BX1800? Looks to me like it'd be a BX1800. That's an old machine, but it looks like it has the LA211 loader, which looks to be removable. It also takes a 54 or 60 inch mower deck.

It has a loader on it already? If so, yeah, buy it. It's reasonably likely you'll be able to find a mower for it later (may take a bit of time) if you want to replace the GF1800.
Man I thought it was named as a B1800, but after watching some “differences between Kubota Tractors” videos on YouTube I see that the Bs are kind of bigger and beefier than the BX.

I know that he can remove the loader, but he told me he gets his neighbor to help with that. And it does have a mower on it! It’s a 54.” He also gets his neighbor to help him with that. That made me wonder if it’s too hard to do by oneself.

It has done some real work, because he uses it for snow work (not professionally) here in Vermont as well as summer landscaping.

I think I will try to buy it, and I think what I’ll do is take the mower off of it for a while to do a bunch of bucket work into next summer, while using the GF1800 to mow, and then eventually put the mower back on and sell the GF1800. The GF1800 is a really nice mowing monster, with a bigger deck and great maneuvering around my curvy and complicated lawn. Considering that other used tractors I’m seeing are generally over $10k, I can have both of these orange ones. Only trouble is storage, but I think I’ve got enough cover for them both.
 

PaulL

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B2601
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If the mower remove is the same as other BXs it's reasonably doable. But you have to lie on the ground and/or bend over a lot, and drag it out sideways. If your neighbour is older he might find that difficult.
 

GreensvilleJay

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re: Maybe crazy to store, maintain, and own two old tractors.
Not really. Up until 4 years ago I had 4 D-14s, 3 'garden tractors', 1 dedicated mower, another for snowblowing and a Gleaner A. That was all for 1 acre, yes..one.. acre. Since all machines 'shared the load', none ever broke down, and with the D-14s ,all the implements interchange with ZERO adjustments.