Bx1860/BX2360/JD2305?

Hello Virginian,
Any of the tractors you mentioned will do a great job for you. I think I would opt for either the BX 2360 or JD 2305 just to have a little more power. Having said that the BX 1860 will amaze you at what it can do too. I would go look at each and test drive to see which one "fits" you the best. Also see how the dealers seem to you as there are few things worse than a bad dealer in my opinion. If all else is the same then I would look at the deal they make with you and go from there. I know these tractors are great for mowing and many other jobs, but if you have a lot of woods be careful because their tranny filters can get a hole in them or the fan get broken if you are not careful where you take them. Enjoy the process and don't get in too big of a hurry. By the way you may want to bury some lines and hook the downspouts into them and carry the water farther away from your house area. Good luck and let us know what you decide on and of course send a picture too. Take care-TPS

KHodges said:

How large /heavy is your bass boat, and how steep is the ramp? I think in the long run, you'll be happier with the higher hp of the BX2360 or the JD2305, and you'll want some weight for pulling the boat out, a wet, slick ramp doesn't do much for traction.

Gross hp is flywheel hp, and both the drivetrain and pto will deliver less. The pto hp on the 1860 is what you need to look at, which is only 13.7, that's what will be doing the work for you.

I'm all for the 2305 myself, but then I bleed green when cut. I can't fault the Kubota, so who gives you the best deal may be where you want to go.

Click to expand...

Thank you for for everyone’s responses so far.

18.5' Ranger, not exactly a large boat by any means but the ramp is very steep. Makes me a little nervouse loading & unloading with my truck. I have built a storage dock with a lift so the boat will only be coming out in the winter and for service and cleaning in general.


I would love the BX2360 or the JD2305, problem is cash flow is real short building our retirement home. Yes, I know the 0% is a killer deal but I'm a cash and carry kind of guy. Making payments on anything tends to erode my ownership experience.

I too have read that the 1860 gags when using a posthole digger. The posthole digging isn't a deal breaker for me, just a "wish" at this point.

Eric

Nice boat. I always wondered why bass boats have to be so fast. Can a smallmouth swim 60 mph?:biglaugh:

I understand completely about cash flow and hating payments. But I also have experienced laying out a tidy sum for something and then not be happy with it, kicking myself that I didn't go just the extra little it would have taken.

I bought a graymarket Yanmar once, had 13.5 pto hp, and it was a dog on a hill with a rear mower. I had to go into granny low to keep the engine turning fast enough for the deck to cut. The dealer let me exchange for one with 18 pto, and it was literally night and day difference, just that little bit extra. The cost difference was about $2K, but I never regretted it.

I can't say it would be the same for you, but if you planned to pay cash for the smaller one, pay that much down on the bigger one and finance the rest, once the cash flow gets going again, pay it off. I'm doing the same on my 748, and just knowing I have what I need makes the "payment pain" go away.

What worries me is pulling the boat out with it. You'd be working with a machine that weighs considerably less than the boat and trailer, and while I'm sure you'd have enough power, like I said earlier, traction is the key, even with 4WD. I'd hate to read about some guy pulling a boat up a ramp with his CUT, only to slide backards into the lake with the whole thing:Stop: I had a 21' Cuddy cabin drag my 4WD pickup all the way back to the water on a wet steep ramp once, the mental images going through my mind weren't pretty.

Look kind of like this, only reversed:

Virginian, I can't give you an opinion on pulling the boat but I can tell you my BX1860 runs that 3PH Powerhorse splitter just fine. I have used mine to split about a half cord of wood - maple, birch and red oak - since getting it this Spring. I have split birch rounds up to 16". The wedge did get stuck a few times and I used a sledge hammer to dislodge it, then finish the split from the opposite side. I get good performance and cycle times at at about 2400 RPMs. It will run faster at higher RPMs but you will have to deal with a louder engine. By the way, the BX1860 hydraulics spec the same as the BX2350 so performance would be the same for this splitter.

Now, just so you know, you will need to plug the splitter into your FEL remotes (and loose one of the FEL circuits) or, as I did, add rear remotes. I bought and installed this Kubota dual rear remote kit for about $320.

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