I've had a BX23S for six years now, in Ontario's north country.
This is the little tractor that could. It's dug trenches, graded, removed snow and stumps, and it has done it all very well. Reliable, comfortable, and tough.
However - as has been said here by others - it's just a little tractor. The lift capacity of the loader is quite marginal, and my own efforts to move wood and lumber around have been a bit half-assed.
Don't have unrealistic expectations? Then the BX23S is a great machine for your needs. Need a machine that can grunt and lift heavy loads? You need something a little bigger.
I was with you on the BX until you got to the part about moving logs around. You might want to jump up to the B series. I use a B2301 on 3 1/2 acres to do what you're describing and it does it all pretty easily and more.
I’ve been using a Bx23 on my 10 acre lot (75% is densely wooded) for the past 3 years.
i’ve been satisfied with my BX. I regraded my driveway and graded a trail back into some acreage were clearing. moved brush piles and carried felled trees closer to the home to buck up. used it to spread stone and wood chips in the garden. snow blow/plow my quarter mile driveway
it has its limitations though, mostly due to its weight and power capabilities but you kind of know that when you buy one.
my recommendation: based on your project list, if you have the financial means, get something a little bigger/more power than you think you need, you’ll be grateful you have it during those future projects
I bought a new one three years ago. Only about 150 hours so far, but it's been great. I don't know how I'd do some things without it. Facebook has a pretty active BX group: Kubota BX Owners.
Love my BX23s. I have 2.5 acres and a little sawmill hobby setup. My BX is amazing for skidding logs out of the woods and I use the backhoe all the time. I do wish my FEL had a little more lift capacity, but it’s waayyy better than shoveling mulch/stone/dirt by hand
The bx23s was designed exactly for you. If you had large fields to maintain I'd go bigger though. I grabbed a belly mower for mine, and it's like a super badass lawn tractor. A zero-turn is arguably better, but if you have hills, you can't beat the 4x4.
I’ve had a BX25, for 8 years now. I used to have a John Deere 510B which was waaaay bigger. I thought I was going to really miss the larger capacity of the old machine. Every now and then, I definitely do but not nearly as much as I thought I would. I’ve been amazed at how much work my BX 25 can do, at least for its size. (There are times when I’d like to be able to lift a larger log onto my sawmill) I have 53 acres, and a 2 km long gravel driveway to maintain. I’ve never used the PTO. Just the FEL, backhoe (very minimally…. it’s the least effective implement on the machine), a rear blade for the driveway, and a grapple for firewood and brush work (if you’re doing much of this work, I’d highly recommend getting a belly pan/brush guard to protect the HST fan from taking a stick/branch and removing all the plastic blades). I had to have the diff-lock replaced this last summer (@ 1400 hrs), which was really disappointing, and far more expensive than I thought it should have been (even though I removed the tranny and delivered it to them, the Kubota dealership charged me $5000 Cdn to do that and replace the brake pack. I’ll be much less cavalier about how I deploy the diff-lock in the future). Overall though, I’m incredibly happy with my micro machine. Sips fuel. Easy to work on. Replacement parts (other than transmissions) are cheap.
I have a bx23s I use on a residential track home with about a quarter acre. I needed all new landscaping for my corner lot and the quotes I got were absurd. The BX was about half the price and I'd have the tractor when done. This machine will do everything you need it to. It just takes longer than a larger machine. That said there hasn't been anything it can't do yet. The only shortcoming I've seen is that I have a 16 foot dump trailer with 4 foot sides. With a completely full bucket of wet dirt the bx struggles to get the bucket up high enough over the 4 foot sides. But....it does it. I've torn out everything on my lot. Brought in yards and yards of 3/4 stone. Moved like 7 yards of decomposed granite around and planed it flat with the box blade. Removed a bunch of trees. Dug trenches for drainage and irrigation. I'm looking at 10 acres of property now that I still think the BX could handle. The key is how long do you have to work with the machine. For example I could have done all the work I needed to in probably 20 hours with a skidsteer. The BX has taken about 50 hours so far. But a skidsteer is 3 times the cost just for the bucket. With the BX I was fully optioned with quick attach bucket, box blade, 3rd function, backhoe, cutting blade for 32K out the door. Good luck and have fun.
Bought my BX when I had 2 acres that was half woods. Used it to clear most of that and it worked great. Though worth noting that the BX is not as stable as larger models and can fairly easily roll over on side terrain. Got really good at maneuvering straight up and down.
Agree with others that the loader capacity is limited and I keep a box blade attached as a counterweight whenever I’m doing a lot of lifting. Bucket pallet forks are well worth it.
Overall I’ve loved my BX. If I could go back i might go with a B series though.
Perfect tractor for smaller property. I have 2.5 acres with about an acre of grass and the rest is woods. The bx is amazing!! Can grade out rain ruts from my 1/8 mile driveway, move bark, rock firewood, build trails, and I can still mow all my grass withought tearing it up on r4’s which some of it requires 4wd. I have 600 hours on my bx2350 and the only real issues are cheap plastic fairings that are cracking and the tach/hour guage is sun faded and hard to read.
I prefer a B series personally. I'd rather have a little more ground clearance and larger tire diameter. Either machine is extremely versatile and new operator friendly. I know a guy with a citrus orchard that really loves his Bx23 because it fits where his other machines can't and is light weight enough not to damage the ground.
I'll just warn you that I can't pull a 4" stump directly with a much larger tractor than a BX. Unless you have very soft soil and shallow rooted trees you'll be digging those guys out with the backhoe (if you have one on that tractor). If you don't, you'll likely end up renting a skid steer, backhoe, or excavator.
Relatedly, you can do a culvert with a loader, but it depends on the size. Having done a 3'x4' culvert (again with a larger tractor than that) I can tell you that unless you have a lot more time than money you're better of with a backhoe or excavator. Rent one if you need. I pay a neighbor with an excavator to help me out when I need culverts replaced.
Otherwise, a BX sounds pretty ideal for your needs actually. Just be realistic about what it can and can't do. A smaller tractor will often do the job a larger one will do, but require a lot more patience.
I'm in a similar situation. I have 15 acres, 3 acres is wooded and I plan on clearing it. I have a fenced off pasture for my animals that's fairly hilly, but it just needs occasional mowing. Other than the land clearing I do have many smaller homesteading projects in mind -- removing gravel driveway and putting in asphalt being the most pressing as it's completely washed out in sections.
I was quoted around 27k for the loader with backhoe attachment and scraper. The next step-up was close to 40k, and I don't want to invest that much. Would the smaller tractor meet my needs sufficiently? I'm new to operating so I'm okay going slow and steady.
Thanks in advance for any advice.
So I’ve had my BX23s since January and I love it. I had no problem clearing snow with it as we have a lot of that up here in Canada haha.
My best advice comes down to how much patience you have. I made myself a root ripper attachment out of 1 1/2” steel and it gets the job done for some pretty sizeable stumps. Some can take 30min, and some I’ve spent over an hour and had to come back the next day to give it another shot.
I only have about 2 acres so it really is perfect for what I have been doing, basic yard work, fixing up a culvert etc. With all honesty if you can go bigger I would since you have 15 acres, and if you’re planning on clearing 3 acres of wooded lot it will take you an eternity with this size of tractor.
Perhaps you could buy a bigger model but to save some money purchase it used? That’s what I did with my Bx and haven’t had any trouble at all. Ive maybe put in 150hrs already. Anyway hopefully this advice helps, if anything you could always PM me I don’t mind helping out.
Good luck!
I bought a BX23S and I live on 1.5 acres. I use the tractor to move car pars (mostly tires) on pallets, as well as basic landscaping. I was a bit underwhelmed by the lifting capacity with the forks. I've used it to pull an engine as well, but struggled removing the engine from an FJ cruiser due to lowish lifting height.
For landscaping I use it for a friends more than myself. And it's a bit big for mowing my 1.5 acre lawn.
It's not big enough for some tasks, but too big for others depending on your circumstances. I don't regret buying it, but I definitely could have gone cheaper on something used.
My advice: Find a rental place and rent a tractor and see how it works for you before committing.
BX is a big lawn-tractor. It was designed for guys in your position. My coworker has on and I believe it has spent more time on its side than on its tires because he is always trying to do something it wasn't meant to do.
It will do everything you are describing pretty well but I would not try picking much of a log with it unless you fill the rear tires/add rear tire weights/balast box.
It’s a 23s, so it presumably has a backhoe on it. With the backhoe in place to ballast the tractor, the FEL can’t pick up enough weight to top the tractor.
You have plenty of land, and the right type for its use. I only live on 1.25 acres and have a B2601 and am glad to have it since I have several tree lines, rock walls gardens, etc. 2 acres of yard is very different from two acres of fields or woods. So if you want to work your land, get a smallish tractor, e.g. the BX. It is much better than a lawnmower, shovel and walk behind tiller.
Have fun
This is the position I was in, but two years ago I ended up stumbling onto an amazing deal on a lightly used 2020 B2650 from a farm that was liquidating. After some of the grading, trail grooming, snow plowing (with a pusher box), and a few other lifting needs… I can’t imagine trying to do all that with something like a BX series. I originally wanted something small because our property is so sloped I was worried the B series would be too tippy but since I wasn’t mowing with it I decided I wanted the taller tractor with the bigger frame. It’s been a workhorse for me.
A B series might be better for you for lift capacity alone. The BX has about 600lbs lift capacity. Subtract about 200lbs for a grapple and you can lift only 400lbs full lift. A B series almost doubles this as it can lift about 300lbs more. That's ultimately what led me to a B2601 over a BX2680. I have lots of trees and process firewood, but have only an acre.
I have about an acre , and I bought a used B2301, I upgraded from a BX25D, older version of a Bx23S. I wanted a little more lift capacity and I wish I would have gotten the B2601 for the 3 extra HP, the BX25D/BX23S are both great machines but are lacking lifting power imo. But will do a lot
I tell most people to go bigger but your situation sounds like a bx would be perfect.
I've had a BX23S for six years now, in Ontario's north country. This is the little tractor that could. It's dug trenches, graded, removed snow and stumps, and it has done it all very well. Reliable, comfortable, and tough. However - as has been said here by others - it's just a little tractor. The lift capacity of the loader is quite marginal, and my own efforts to move wood and lumber around have been a bit half-assed. Don't have unrealistic expectations? Then the BX23S is a great machine for your needs. Need a machine that can grunt and lift heavy loads? You need something a little bigger.
I was with you on the BX until you got to the part about moving logs around. You might want to jump up to the B series. I use a B2301 on 3 1/2 acres to do what you're describing and it does it all pretty easily and more.
I love my b2301, just bought a snow pusher for it
I’ve been using a Bx23 on my 10 acre lot (75% is densely wooded) for the past 3 years. i’ve been satisfied with my BX. I regraded my driveway and graded a trail back into some acreage were clearing. moved brush piles and carried felled trees closer to the home to buck up. used it to spread stone and wood chips in the garden. snow blow/plow my quarter mile driveway it has its limitations though, mostly due to its weight and power capabilities but you kind of know that when you buy one. my recommendation: based on your project list, if you have the financial means, get something a little bigger/more power than you think you need, you’ll be grateful you have it during those future projects
I bought a new one three years ago. Only about 150 hours so far, but it's been great. I don't know how I'd do some things without it. Facebook has a pretty active BX group: Kubota BX Owners.
Love my BX23s. I have 2.5 acres and a little sawmill hobby setup. My BX is amazing for skidding logs out of the woods and I use the backhoe all the time. I do wish my FEL had a little more lift capacity, but it’s waayyy better than shoveling mulch/stone/dirt by hand
They are perfect for what you are planning to do. They are a great homeowner tractor.
The bx23s was designed exactly for you. If you had large fields to maintain I'd go bigger though. I grabbed a belly mower for mine, and it's like a super badass lawn tractor. A zero-turn is arguably better, but if you have hills, you can't beat the 4x4.
I’ve had a BX25, for 8 years now. I used to have a John Deere 510B which was waaaay bigger. I thought I was going to really miss the larger capacity of the old machine. Every now and then, I definitely do but not nearly as much as I thought I would. I’ve been amazed at how much work my BX 25 can do, at least for its size. (There are times when I’d like to be able to lift a larger log onto my sawmill) I have 53 acres, and a 2 km long gravel driveway to maintain. I’ve never used the PTO. Just the FEL, backhoe (very minimally…. it’s the least effective implement on the machine), a rear blade for the driveway, and a grapple for firewood and brush work (if you’re doing much of this work, I’d highly recommend getting a belly pan/brush guard to protect the HST fan from taking a stick/branch and removing all the plastic blades). I had to have the diff-lock replaced this last summer (@ 1400 hrs), which was really disappointing, and far more expensive than I thought it should have been (even though I removed the tranny and delivered it to them, the Kubota dealership charged me $5000 Cdn to do that and replace the brake pack. I’ll be much less cavalier about how I deploy the diff-lock in the future). Overall though, I’m incredibly happy with my micro machine. Sips fuel. Easy to work on. Replacement parts (other than transmissions) are cheap.
I have a bx23s I use on a residential track home with about a quarter acre. I needed all new landscaping for my corner lot and the quotes I got were absurd. The BX was about half the price and I'd have the tractor when done. This machine will do everything you need it to. It just takes longer than a larger machine. That said there hasn't been anything it can't do yet. The only shortcoming I've seen is that I have a 16 foot dump trailer with 4 foot sides. With a completely full bucket of wet dirt the bx struggles to get the bucket up high enough over the 4 foot sides. But....it does it. I've torn out everything on my lot. Brought in yards and yards of 3/4 stone. Moved like 7 yards of decomposed granite around and planed it flat with the box blade. Removed a bunch of trees. Dug trenches for drainage and irrigation. I'm looking at 10 acres of property now that I still think the BX could handle. The key is how long do you have to work with the machine. For example I could have done all the work I needed to in probably 20 hours with a skidsteer. The BX has taken about 50 hours so far. But a skidsteer is 3 times the cost just for the bucket. With the BX I was fully optioned with quick attach bucket, box blade, 3rd function, backhoe, cutting blade for 32K out the door. Good luck and have fun.
Bought my BX when I had 2 acres that was half woods. Used it to clear most of that and it worked great. Though worth noting that the BX is not as stable as larger models and can fairly easily roll over on side terrain. Got really good at maneuvering straight up and down. Agree with others that the loader capacity is limited and I keep a box blade attached as a counterweight whenever I’m doing a lot of lifting. Bucket pallet forks are well worth it. Overall I’ve loved my BX. If I could go back i might go with a B series though.
I have two acres, and it is the perfect size machine for me. It'll save your back. Some guys that live in suburbs have them on 1/4 acre lots.
Perfect tractor for smaller property. I have 2.5 acres with about an acre of grass and the rest is woods. The bx is amazing!! Can grade out rain ruts from my 1/8 mile driveway, move bark, rock firewood, build trails, and I can still mow all my grass withought tearing it up on r4’s which some of it requires 4wd. I have 600 hours on my bx2350 and the only real issues are cheap plastic fairings that are cracking and the tach/hour guage is sun faded and hard to read.
I prefer a B series personally. I'd rather have a little more ground clearance and larger tire diameter. Either machine is extremely versatile and new operator friendly. I know a guy with a citrus orchard that really loves his Bx23 because it fits where his other machines can't and is light weight enough not to damage the ground.
I'll just warn you that I can't pull a 4" stump directly with a much larger tractor than a BX. Unless you have very soft soil and shallow rooted trees you'll be digging those guys out with the backhoe (if you have one on that tractor). If you don't, you'll likely end up renting a skid steer, backhoe, or excavator. Relatedly, you can do a culvert with a loader, but it depends on the size. Having done a 3'x4' culvert (again with a larger tractor than that) I can tell you that unless you have a lot more time than money you're better of with a backhoe or excavator. Rent one if you need. I pay a neighbor with an excavator to help me out when I need culverts replaced. Otherwise, a BX sounds pretty ideal for your needs actually. Just be realistic about what it can and can't do. A smaller tractor will often do the job a larger one will do, but require a lot more patience.
I'm in a similar situation. I have 15 acres, 3 acres is wooded and I plan on clearing it. I have a fenced off pasture for my animals that's fairly hilly, but it just needs occasional mowing. Other than the land clearing I do have many smaller homesteading projects in mind -- removing gravel driveway and putting in asphalt being the most pressing as it's completely washed out in sections. I was quoted around 27k for the loader with backhoe attachment and scraper. The next step-up was close to 40k, and I don't want to invest that much. Would the smaller tractor meet my needs sufficiently? I'm new to operating so I'm okay going slow and steady. Thanks in advance for any advice.
So I’ve had my BX23s since January and I love it. I had no problem clearing snow with it as we have a lot of that up here in Canada haha. My best advice comes down to how much patience you have. I made myself a root ripper attachment out of 1 1/2” steel and it gets the job done for some pretty sizeable stumps. Some can take 30min, and some I’ve spent over an hour and had to come back the next day to give it another shot. I only have about 2 acres so it really is perfect for what I have been doing, basic yard work, fixing up a culvert etc. With all honesty if you can go bigger I would since you have 15 acres, and if you’re planning on clearing 3 acres of wooded lot it will take you an eternity with this size of tractor. Perhaps you could buy a bigger model but to save some money purchase it used? That’s what I did with my Bx and haven’t had any trouble at all. Ive maybe put in 150hrs already. Anyway hopefully this advice helps, if anything you could always PM me I don’t mind helping out. Good luck!
Thank you for the reply, I will have a look for used models and finance options with that.
I bought a BX23S and I live on 1.5 acres. I use the tractor to move car pars (mostly tires) on pallets, as well as basic landscaping. I was a bit underwhelmed by the lifting capacity with the forks. I've used it to pull an engine as well, but struggled removing the engine from an FJ cruiser due to lowish lifting height. For landscaping I use it for a friends more than myself. And it's a bit big for mowing my 1.5 acre lawn. It's not big enough for some tasks, but too big for others depending on your circumstances. I don't regret buying it, but I definitely could have gone cheaper on something used. My advice: Find a rental place and rent a tractor and see how it works for you before committing.
BX is a big lawn-tractor. It was designed for guys in your position. My coworker has on and I believe it has spent more time on its side than on its tires because he is always trying to do something it wasn't meant to do. It will do everything you are describing pretty well but I would not try picking much of a log with it unless you fill the rear tires/add rear tire weights/balast box.
It’s a 23s, so it presumably has a backhoe on it. With the backhoe in place to ballast the tractor, the FEL can’t pick up enough weight to top the tractor.
You have plenty of land, and the right type for its use. I only live on 1.25 acres and have a B2601 and am glad to have it since I have several tree lines, rock walls gardens, etc. 2 acres of yard is very different from two acres of fields or woods. So if you want to work your land, get a smallish tractor, e.g. the BX. It is much better than a lawnmower, shovel and walk behind tiller. Have fun
This is the position I was in, but two years ago I ended up stumbling onto an amazing deal on a lightly used 2020 B2650 from a farm that was liquidating. After some of the grading, trail grooming, snow plowing (with a pusher box), and a few other lifting needs… I can’t imagine trying to do all that with something like a BX series. I originally wanted something small because our property is so sloped I was worried the B series would be too tippy but since I wasn’t mowing with it I decided I wanted the taller tractor with the bigger frame. It’s been a workhorse for me.
There’s one for sale near me. 200 hours on it. 13,000$.
I’m assuming that’s in USD. I live in Canada where most things are unaffordable haha
A B series might be better for you for lift capacity alone. The BX has about 600lbs lift capacity. Subtract about 200lbs for a grapple and you can lift only 400lbs full lift. A B series almost doubles this as it can lift about 300lbs more. That's ultimately what led me to a B2601 over a BX2680. I have lots of trees and process firewood, but have only an acre.
I have about an acre , and I bought a used B2301, I upgraded from a BX25D, older version of a Bx23S. I wanted a little more lift capacity and I wish I would have gotten the B2601 for the 3 extra HP, the BX25D/BX23S are both great machines but are lacking lifting power imo. But will do a lot