What's best for hilly land? bx23s, LX2610 Or something different?

FlipediS

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Oct 13, 2021
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Prairie Grove Ar
So i have been looking at tractors and wanted something with a backhoe. But also want something I could use to cut down grass on hills and what not. And I have talked to a couple dealers and one tells me a bx23s would be better and the other tells me an LX2610 would be better. Also would a belly mount mower or a pull behind be better hills?
Thanks
 

Jchonline

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How steep?
Wheel spacers will help. However these standard tractors arent really great on hills. A backhoe makes it worse (more weight out back, higher center of gravity in the rear of the machine). If you want a hill King, look at a Ventrac. That said, there will hopefully be others with a BX or LX that mow on hills and can help out.
 
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85Hokie

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BX has lower CG - center of gravity....... but it will never do what a LX will.

You just need to be "smart" about approaching hill sides.

I too agree with Spacers ..... and loaded tires too - even WITH a HOE on the rear

If you have the funds ....... go with the LX - I love my BX , it is perfect for my needs but LX is a lot more tractor.
 

FlipediS

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So what I'm seeing on Kubota website with wheel spacers you can not chose a MMM. So would need to use a pull behind then?
Ideally i had planned to leave the backhoe attachment off if using a MMM.
 

Jchonline

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So what I'm seeing on Kubota website with wheel spacers you can not chose a MMM. So would need to use a pull behind then?
Ideally i had planned to leave the backhoe attachment off if using a MMM.
You can probably get a dealer to install them, but check first.

I prefer a rotary cutter or finish mower personally, but I dont mow on hills much.
 

Elliott in GA

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Part of the pasture I mow is a moderate hill, I have an LX2610SU (has the bigger tires - more traction and wider stance). The SU does not have a mid-PTO, but if you put the bigger tires on a regular LX I do not believe that you can use a mid-mount mower (I could be mistaken). I would choose bigger tires over wheel spacers for the added traction.

I mow with a rotary cutter and a finish mower both up and down and across the hill. I have fluid weighted tires, and I have never felt uncomfortable. Similarly, I have dressed my gravel drive (which is much steeper) without any anxiety (only going up and down, not across, with buckets full of crusher (carried very low) and box blade.

FWIW with a quick hitch, mounting a finish mower is quicker and easier (my opinion) than a MMM.
 

Drcollie

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BX Kubotas are tippy little things, the wheel stance is too narrow and they WILL go over on hills. I had a BX2000 with backhoe (you won't keep that on except when using it) and it got so bad that I put a tilt meter on the dash and knew to be careful on my hills. But even if in the range of the tiltmeter, if the downhill front tire hits a rut - you're going over. The solution is to get a bigger tractor with a wider stance. My new Kubota (waiting on the subframe backhoe part to be produced) is a B series which is somewhat wider. The other option if you want to stay with a BX is to go dual wheels, there are kits. Now you traverse most any reasonable hill with a much higher degree of confidence. It's no fun when they go over....

829653-BXWhatyacallit (Small).JPG


As for mowing, I hated mine on the BX, the deck was always scalping the yard at 60" wide. Maybe that's not important for you, but the cut was poor and you have to take the deck off to do loader and backhoe work 90% of the time. Now I simply keep a dedicated small John Deere X500 Garden Tractor as a mower and a good one costs the same as the new mowing deck on the Kubota BX. You get a better mower that way and don't have to deal with deck removal. Good luck
 
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Henro

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BX Kubotas are tippy little things, the wheel stance is too narrow and they WILL go over on hills.

(Snip)
This is actually not true in my experience. MY BX2200 with foam filled tires and the MMM on is VERY stable on side slopes, much, much better than my B2910 which also has four loaded tires.

Below is a link to a related thread, with a picture in post #1 showing where I start to feel uncomfortable, but reality is the tractor is still well under its actual tipping angle. Rock solid if I get off ( on the up hill side) and push on the ROPS as a test.

The MMM being so low adds a great amount of side slope stability to the BX.


I personally would not mow with the backhoe on if I had a backhoe on the BX. My backhoe goes on the larger tractor.

To the OP: How much property are we talking about, and what exactly are you intentions for the tractor you purchase?
 

Old_Paint

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As easy as a BH77 is to remove behind the LX, I can't imagine WHY anyone would mow with it on. A backhoe has one purpose. To sit still and dig. Ok, well, if it has a thumb, a few more. It ain't for off-roading or moving fast to do anything. Going fast with a backhoe on a tractor is a good way to break the backhoe, or the tractor, or worse yet, YOU.

To a point, I agree with the sentiments of getting a separate yard machine for mowing, if all you have to mow is grass, and only a couple acres of that. Obviously, if you have more, you can get a bigger mower. If you want something to dig with AND cut grass, the LX2610 or LX3310, particularly the SU (Special Utility) model is the cat's pajamas for dollar spent. If you want creature comforts (cab, cushy seat, cruise control, etc), then the SU is not for you. The SU, however, comes standard with larger wheels/tires, which do everything to mitigate the dangers of hill work, but is it enough? NO. NO. NO. That requires experience, and a generous application of safety.

The SU model targets the market of folks that want backhoe capability without a second seat and don't need luxury. The BH77 comes in two flavors, one for the SU, and one for the other models. The one for the SU does not have a second seat pedestal. The SU is better suited for a backhoe because of the higher ground clearance (larger tires/wheels) which also improves departure angle (angle where the backhoe will drag going on or off a trailer or steep grade change).

The CAB models targets the creature comforts market for folks that are going to spend long hours on the machine. With a cab, however, the backhoe obviously has to have an extension for the seat mount, which makes the angle of departure even worse, and is further aggravated by the smaller tires (lower clearance). The large tires cannot be installed on the non-SU models unless you want to pay for a mid-PTO output that you cannot use because the tires will interfere with anything under the tractor. MMM's are the primary reason oversize tires are not recommended for the non-SU models.

If you're in an open field with plenty turning room, I would recommend a 3PH mounted mower. I'm currently shopping for a mower that's going to be able to handle some rough stuff, but will also be useful as what I cut becomes more grass than rough stuff. If it's pasture, i.e. something that doesn't need a 'golf-course finish' but you want to keep fairly short, I'd use a flail mower. If you're just keeping high weeds and underbrush at bay, a rotary cutter (bush-hog) is fine. If you're looking at a golf green finish, better get something that doesn't tote around a backhoe. I can't think of anything more contradictory than a backhoe rig with turf tires. Sorta like having a screen door on a submarine.

Hills and tractors with a high COG do not mix. It's OK to go up and down them, especially if the heavy equipment is on the 3PH fully lowered. But NEVER go across them. The OM will explain most of that to you and what the limits are. If you feel puckery doing it, you probably shouldn't be doing it. If you're not puckery doing something the first time, you should be.

I'll reiterate my favorite analogy. Tractors are dangerous. That's what makes them useful. Recognize the tractor's limits as well as your own, or, you become a statistic none of us likes to read about.
 
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Henro

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As easy as a BH77 is to remove behind the LX, I can't imagine WHY anyone would mow with it on. A backhoe has one purpose. To sit still and dig. Ok, well, if it has a thumb, a few more. It ain't for off-roading or moving fast to do anything. Going fast with a backhoe on a tractor is a good way to break the backhoe, or the tractor, or worse yet, YOU.

To a point, I agree with the sentiments of getting a separate yard machine for mowing, if all you have to mow is grass, and only a couple acres of that. Obviously, if you have more, you can get a bigger mower. If you want something to dig with AND cut grass, the LX2610 or LX3310, particularly the SU (Special Utility) model is the cat's pajamas for dollar spent. If you want creature comforts (cab, cushy seat, cruise control, etc), then the SU is not for you. The SU, however, comes standard with larger wheels/tires, which do everything to mitigate the dangers of hill work, but is it enough? NO. NO. NO. That requires experience, and a generous application of safety.

The SU model targets the market of folks that want backhoe capability without a second seat and don't need luxury. The BH77 comes in two flavors, one for the SU, and one for the other models. The one for the SU does not have a second seat pedestal. The SU is better suited for a backhoe because of the higher ground clearance (larger tires/wheels) which also improves departure angle (angle where the backhoe will drag going on or off a trailer or steep grade change).

The CAB models targets the creature comforts market for folks that are going to spend long hours on the machine. With a cab, however, the backhoe obviously has to have an extension for the seat mount, which makes the angle of departure even worse, and is further aggravated by the smaller tires (lower clearance). The large tires cannot be installed on the non-SU models unless you want to pay for a mid-PTO output that you cannot use because the tires will interfere with anything under the tractor. MMM's are the primary reason oversize tires are not recommended for the non-SU models.

If you're in an open field with plenty turning room, I would recommend a 3PH mounted mower. I'm currently shopping for a mower that's going to be able to handle some rough stuff, but will also be useful as what I cut becomes more grass than rough stuff. If it's pasture, i.e. something that doesn't need a 'golf-course finish' but you want to keep fairly short, I'd use a flail mower. If you're just keeping high weeds and underbrush at bay, a rotary cutter (bush-hog) is fine. If you're looking at a golf green finish, better get something that doesn't tote around a backhoe. I can't think of anything more contradictory than a backhoe rig with turf tires. Sorta like having a screen door on a submarine.

Hills and tractors with a high COG do not mix. It's OK to go up and down them, especially if the heavy equipment is on the 3PH fully lowered. But NEVER go across them. The OM will explain most of that to you and what the limits are. If you feel puckery doing it, you probably shouldn't be doing it. If you're not puckery doing something the first time, you should be.

I'll reiterate my favorite analogy. Tractors are dangerous. That's what makes them useful. Recognize the tractor's limits as well as your own, or, you become a statistic none of us likes to read about.
All true I think. BUT we need the OP to tell us more about what his situation actually is before we can give any meaningful advice...I think anyway...

Since one dealer suggested a tractor larger than a BX may work for him, I imagine he has more than a half acre to deal with, but who knows?

The OP certainly does, so hopefully he will report back with more details.
 

Rdrcr

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I wouldn’t recommend…or even comprehend mowing steep hills with a backhoe attached.

That said, my B2601 w/ 60” MMM, 2” spacers and ballast/fluid filled tires mowed well on my steep hills (loader removed).
It’s not the best setup, but it got the job done.

Mike
 

Old_Paint

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All true I think. BUT we need the OP to tell us more about what his situation actually is before we can give any meaningful advice...I think anyway...

Since one dealer suggested a tractor larger than a BX may work for him, I imagine he has more than a half acre to deal with, but who knows?

The OP certainly does, so hopefully he will report back with more details.
Pretty much why I said what I did. If he's got a lotta grass, he'll benefit more from the larger tractor, certainly. If he's got a little grass and a lotta brush, he'll still benefit from the bigger machine. If his primary purpose is to mow the yard with a little side digging for froggy ponds or ditch cleaning, then yeah, the BX23X might do what he needs.

But, you're EXACTLY right, he's said he has hills, but not really how steep they are nor how many acres to tend of what kind of vegetation or why he feels he needs a backhoe. I wanted one, too, but talked myself out of a $9K investment in an attachment that would one day run itself out of a job. I'll do the best I can with my $120 sub soiler and $250 stump bucket and $600 box blade on my little 3 acre lot, but I got enough tractor to get some pretty stubborn stumps out given the right technique.
 

FlipediS

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Oct 13, 2021
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Prairie Grove Ar
I have 11 acres. Though only about an acre of grass. I want to be able to maintain my driveway and clear out some of the brush in some of my lower section that you can see off to the right of the driveway. And other areas not shown.

Also went to my local dealer and they didn't even up having the lx but they do have an l2501.
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DustyRusty

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I would suggest a pair of goats. They will keep the grass cut closely, and when they get fat enough, you can have them for dinner. Today, you can even rent goats by day, week, month, etc..
 
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PaulL

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Goats are hard to keep on your property. Unless I guess you chain them, that's common in NZ but I feel like it's kind of cruel.

Photos are always deceptive, but I don't see anything in those photos that I wouldn't drive my B2601 on, or that I wouldn't have driven my old BX on. Definitely looks fine up and down, and most of what I see probably fine side to side as well.

This photo, for example, doesn't look that steep, but is about 15 degrees. I mow that every few weeks. It feels uncomfortable, but the tractor is pretty stable. I wouldn't do it fast, because if you hit a bump you might go over. But slowly, it's fine. And up and down that slope would be no drama at all.

TractorOnBank.jpg
 
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Freeheeler

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Photos can be deceiving, but I didn't see anything there that I'd feel unsafe riding around with my BH on. So with no BH, mowing shouldn't be a problem if done properly. In that situation, I would go for the LX. With 11 acres you'll benefit from the bigger tractor more than you might think.
As a side note, I always keep my BH on the tractor unless I'm needing the box blade. It is great ballast for loader work, can be used for getting yourself out of a sticky spot, and I use the bucket to carry tools, chains, and various beverages to you know, keep hydrated ;) If I mowed with my tractor, I would certainly take off the BH and probably the loader too.
 

PaulL

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This photo, for example, doesn't look that steep, but is about 15 degrees. I mow that every few weeks. It feels uncomfortable, but the tractor is pretty stable. I wouldn't do it fast, because if you hit a bump you might go over. But slowly, it's fine. And up and down that slope would be no drama at all.
I mowed this again today. And thought I'd stop and measure. Phone claims it's 30 degrees, which matches the seat of the pants feel better. Steep, I wouldn't go much steeper, but the tractor seems stable when I get off and rock it.

I have a new photo too:
IMG_9443.jpg
 

FlipediS

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Prairie Grove Ar
Thanks all... I went with the l2501, had them fill the rear tires and also placed an order for 3 inch rear spacers as well.
Won't get it for about another week though as they need to install the backhoe and third function and all.
 
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Rdrcr

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^^^^
The L2501 is a fantastic tractor. Mine has been great. It’ll serve you well.
What are you planning for your mowing duties?

Mike
 

Henro

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Thanks all... I went with the l2501, had them fill the rear tires and also placed an order for 3 inch rear spacers as well.
Won't get it for about another week though as they need to install the backhoe and third function and all.
For what you want to do and 11 acres it sounds like the L 2501 may be the perfect fit. 3 inch wheel spacers will help a lot for stability as well as loaded tires.

Still, keep in mind that unexpected obstacles like a groundhog hole or something on the high side that causes your tractor to bounce could be detrimental.

I considered upgrading to a backhoe on a L 2501 in place of the B 2910 with backhoe I have now. But decided to buy used mini excavator instead.

I think you made a good choice.