i like my tractor....... but (bx2350)

[ad356]

i think BX2350 has a great powertrain. i love the engine, and the capabilities of this tractor. however i strongly dislike it's build quality. the plastic panels are garbage. the fit and finish sucks. my fender cracked so i had to remove it and take it to a collision shop. he epoxied and repaired with fiberglass, cost me $150. i had to buy the support structure, another $150. i took the floor off, sandblasted and painted it. the way things fit together...... come apart and go back together could have been done better. this thing is kind of a pain to work on. i dont like the way things fit together on this unit. the handles suck with the threaded inserts that now started spinning inside the plastic as i put it back together, i will maybe have to replace the handles if i take this thing apart again. my previous tractor was a farmall cub, the BX2350 is far more capable then a cub. 3pt hitch, 540 PTO, and an excellent usable loader. the cub had a loader available (if you can find one) but it was only a 1 arm and could only lift 400 lbs. the BX is far more capable of different tasks but old vintage iron was made so much better from a build quality standpoint. my cub was a 1948 it was well over 60 years old when i owned it. it was durable enough to outlast a war, a tough old tractor. the sheet metal was rusted, 20 minutes with a D.A. sander and the metal looked new again. owning such a machine was a good educational experience, we used to make things better. why couldnt the BX2350 have been made out of similar materials. will my current tractor last 70+ years, i dont think so.

how did the BX2350 compare to other machines sold by other companies at the time. i think the plastic is inexcusable. i know this machine isnt new anymore, but kubota still has to live with the fact they they produced it and there are still quite a few of them running, and it still represents their quality standards which on this machine is less then great.

how is the fit/finish on the BX2380? any better. they could have done a much better job with the 50 series.

 

[Henro]

My BX2200 is all metal. I remember reading some BXs where produced with plastic panels/body parts. Too bad you got one...

I think the current models are again all metal...

 

[B737]

It's a tiny garden tractor, so its build is commensurate with its class. Metal or plastic they each have their advantages / disadvantages, neither are deal breakers. My dad has a BX1800 the thing is 19 years old, still chugging away with no drama. "Fit and finish" (using the term loosely) are equivalent to my 2350. I would expect the same across them all, until you get into the more capable, more expensive, larger tractors.

I've found the BX very easy, and forgiving to work with, and work on. Sure it's got some annoying things, it's not perfect, but anything that has so much crammed into such a tiny platform is bound to.

PS: when the hardware seizes up in the handles just buy new handles, they are only $30.00, and coat the hardware with anti size when you install.

 

[ad356]

Dealer quoted me $50 per handle, $100 for the pair. Do you have a cheaper source for them.

The other annoying thing I'm dealing with is the radiator screen. The original had tabs broken off so I went to my dealer. The replacement piece doesn't have tabs that are long enough....... fits terrible. I think they have me the wrong part.... annoyed. I even took.the tractor down to the dealer.... hey this doesn't fit properly... they said im missing a trim piece on the bottom that bolts to the floor..... I ordered what they said I was missing and that doesnt fit my tractor either.

This is NOT a new machine but I want things to be correct. This piece of equipment cost me a significant amount of money, no it's not new but that wasn't in my budget. Im Annoyed and dont know if its kubota's fault or my dealer. Tractor has around 450 hours, it should last decades. I want it right.

 

[ad356]

I'm talking the screen that wraps around under the instrument cluster.

 

[ad356]

Tractor didnt have a FEL, I recently added one. I'm happy with its capabilities... but yeah I've got money into it lol

 

[B737]

The intake screen under the instrument panel has been superseded, I’ll post more details about the replacement. It was a process for me to work though too.
Messicks for the handles.
will get you some more details tonight when I’m back home

 

[B737]

Sorry was pressed for time earlier, looking closer,
Yes the side handles are $50 each, not $30. To me, still totally reasonable. It's not like they are $300 easy to swap out (even when frozen), and with the right care the new hardware wont seize in them. K2581-55214 & K2581-55224

As for the intake screen. Keep your existing screen by removing it from its frame. Then install it on the new frame and the added ribs. The new assembly no longer uses crappy side tabs.

New frame design K2581-57136
then you add: K2651-57930 metal support 1 & K2651-57920 metal support 2
(optional hardware if you dont have your own) 02751-50060 x7 Nut & 01754-50614 x7 Bolt
The above, may be contained in "k2581-95780 lower panel kit" for about $50 but I'm not 100% sure if that kit includes everything, I ordered the parts separately when i did mine.

 

[ad356]

Where would I find instructions or maybe pictures of these pieces. I have a new frame assembly and a flat curved piece of steel with 4 holes in it.

 

[ad356]

I already installed the screen in the new housing

 

[B737]

There should be two of those ribs. If you pull up parts diagram on messicks you’ll see them

 

[ad356]

I've got one of the ribs. I'll order the other. How does this fit together?

 

[B737]

the upper and lower ribs get fastened to the grill frame. The whole thing becomes more rigid and is held in place with the thumb screw. I was skeptical too but it works perfect.

Check out the picture in Post #14 in this thread, that's how it will look.

Replacement hood for BX2350

Has anyone with a BX2350, BX23, BX24, etc replaced their plastic hood with a metal hood from the BX25, BX2660? I was in at my local dealer (Middlefield Farm and Garden) and they had the 2660 inside and the 2350 sitting out in the field. I took a good look and a few measurements and it sure as...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[ad356]

i think i figured that out, it only makes the piece more rigid, it's not longer using any type of tab to lock it into the tower.

are the replacement handles improved over the originals or are they exactly the same?

it seems like there were somethings about the BX2350 that werent very good fit/finish wise but kubota corrected those things. my tractor didnt have any of these updates done when it bought it.

 

[B737]

Replacement fender handles are exactly the same, but your installing with anti seize so the hardware won’t get frozen in the handle again.

Yes for the grille that’s correct. It just makes the whole thing one rigid piece, no more flimsy tabs.

 

[ad356]

if the hardware is stuck in the handles how to i remove them? cut the bolt from the bottom? or cut through the handle on the top of the fender?

 

[B737]

Since you are getting new handles... I used a cut off wheel and cut the handle off from the stand-offs above the fender and it allowed me to mangle the thing out completely.

 

[armylifer]

My neighbor has a BX2350 and had the same issues that you are having. His fender had a crack on the left side that was about 6 inches and the right fender about 4 inches. He used epoxy and fiberglass mesh to fix the cracks. It does not look professional but it is holding very well. As for the issue with the screen, he just used screws to hold it in place. That seems to work also but should not have been necessary.

I own a BX1860 and it has metal fenders but plastic on the engine cover. The plastic tabs that hold the cover in place are broken on both sides. The right headlight housing is broken and the headlight rattles in the hood. These parts did not break through misuse or carelessness, they broke because of vibration during normal use.

The point that I am making is the same as yours; Kubota should never have used plastic on a machine that is designed to work hard. Although the positives about the tractor outweigh the negatives, there really is no excuse for using plastic for the body parts.

 

[lugbolt]

they tried to compete with deere (use a bunch of plastic)

they (kubota) realized that they messed up, the 80 series are all metal.

now people gripe about denting the fenders and hood. You can't win.

I wonder if the BX80 hood fender and floor will fit the BX50 series? I ain't tried.

BTW Deere still uses a lot of plastic. I remember well even in the 1990's, the 4300's, 4400, etc plastic hoods with no real latch. When you pull the hood down, it broke when it was cold outside, and "cold" being subjective....here that's 30 degrees above zero farenheight. You canucks and yanks? No way a deere hood would hold up. They (deere) bought a lot of hoods and fenders for a couple years. Might still, dunno. I got out of deere in 2002 (I think it was) but they're calling me about once a month wanting me to work for 'em again. If the money's right, vacation's right, and insurance, I might consider it, but I'll also be more interested in something other than working ON them. I'm tired, my body's worn out, hurt all the time from climing around on hard concrete underneath stuff....did a bx transmission today, lift is too big to get the big lawn mower on it, so had to do it on the floor. Yay.

 

[Ollie1650]

None of the "Tin work" from a bx2380 will work on a 50, 60, or 70 series.

All of the parts from a BX2360, early serial numbers, will fit on a BX2350.
You must buy the new hinge bracket for the hood.