Prize Fighter

In 2013 Tom Dickson found that despite its featherweight size, the Kubota BX25D tractor can pack the biggest punch

Kubota BX25D

Engine Liquid cooled, three-cylinder diesel Model Kubota D902 Power 23hp (17kW) PTO (HP) 17.7cc 898 Trans type Hydrostatic Gears Infinite (2-range) forward and reverse

Mechanical chassis

4x4 MFWD

4WD diff lock

Rear standard

Steering Hydrostatic power Brakes Wet disc ROPS Two-post foldable Hydraulics Open centre Capacity 11.7 litres Pump flow 23.5L/m PTO rear Independent 540rpm @ 3,068 engine rpm MID Independent 2,500rpm @ 3,125 engine rpm Fuel cap 25 litres Wheelbase 139cm Weight 719kg Front tyres 18x8.5-10 Rear tyres 26x12-12 I’m feeling a bit like a kid in a toy shop picking up the Kubota BX25D tractor/loader/backhoe from the sales team at Warrnambool dealership Agrimac. If this little BX25D can do everything that Kubota claims it can, I may never need to pick up a shovel again. This well-equipped tractor features a three-cylinder diesel engine, two-speed hydrostatic transmission, simple mechanical four-wheel drive engagement and a hydraulic system that lifts and lowers the mower deck from the driver seat. Two power take-off (PTO) drives provide power to either a mid-mount mower or implements on the rear. A lever on the left-hand side of the driver allows for three settings. The options are rear only, mid only or both simultaneously. Turning the key fired the liquid-cooled 23hp (17kW) engine into life. A slight puff of black smoke and a powerful engine note from the muffler indicates the Kubota D902 motor is a powerful little diesel. A quick run through of the machine’s loader and backhoe attachments, with Kubota salesman Damien Etheredge, covers all the major functions, the rest he says I should be able to work out on my own. “Just take your time and you’ll be fine,” he says. Enough mucking around in the yard, I am keen to get home and start playing to see whether it’s actually as good as I hope it is. Having a length and width of only 2,425mm and 1,145mm respectively means the Kubota BX25D fits neatly into my 5 foot x 9 foot (152cm x 274cm) trailer, but we have to take off the 1,524mm mower deck and drop it in the ute because it’s about 100mm too wide to fit in the trailer. It’s around lunch time so I pull into the Woolsthorpe shop to grab a pie and drink on the way out to the farm. I’m amazed how much attention the shiny little machine is getting and I haven’t even taken it off the trailer yet. A local yells out from across the street: “You’ll have some fun with that. She’s a beauty; I wish I had a photo of it.” I can’t wait to call in one day with a picture for him. The first thing I want to do is strip off the front end loader and backhoe. This will give me a good look at the tractor itself, but more importantly I can time how long it takes. I am confident the front end loader will be easy because Kubota uses the same mounting system as most other tractors. I drop the stand and lower the LA 240 loader down until the feet of the stand are about to touch the ground. Crowding the bucket down releases the pressure on the rear mounting pins, allowing me to easily pull them out. Crowd the bucket back up and the loader rocks forward away from the tractor. Disconnect the hydraulic hoses and the loader is off in about 1.5 minutes. I figure that if I take the same approach with the BT601 backhoe, the result should be similar. Lower the stabiliser legs then extend the boom and lower it to the ground. This takes the pressure off the top pins on the mount and allows for their easy removal. Now, by lifting the boom the mount rolls forward and pops out of the tractor mounts. By the time I have disconnected its hydraulic hoses, I’d say it’s taken about two minutes. Not bad for the first go. Now with the loader and backhoe removed I get an unobstructed look at the tractor itself. I am really impressed with the gauge of steel that Kubota have used to construct the full length chassis and beefy rear-end mounting assembly. Both front and rear axle and steering components rival most in this size market. I’m convinced now the Kubota BX25D is a genuine tractor opposed to an oversized lawn mower with attachments.

BACKHOE

Putting the loader back on is just as easy as taking it off, however the backhoe takes a little more time to get everything lined up and inserting the mounting pins requires a light tap with a hammer. This still only took about three or four minutes though and I imagine it would get easier with practice. Driving across the paddock to get to the site where I am

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digging a trench to lay new water pipe proves to be a fairly rough trip. This is not the fault of the vehicle, it’s just a fact that the smaller wheels on these types of machine are going to exaggerate the roughness of the surface compared to their larger counterparts. Kubota runs an industrial tyre tread pattern on the BX25D; it’s about half way between a turf and lug style tyre. The tyres are giving really good traction in the wet area around the trough where I’m about to start digging but I don’t think they will be too chunky to damage turf and garden surfaces while mowing. Lowering the two rear stabiliser legs and front-end loader bucket creates a really stable base to operate the backhoe from. A simple flick of a lever allows the seat to swing around 180 degrees and face the rear, ready for boarding. The first five minutes are not pretty and probably resemble the movements of a drunken dinosaur swaying around not sure if it wants to eat from the tree tops or the ground. I’m just glad no one is watching. After 10 minutes I’m starting to get the hang of it. The left-hand lever controls sideways movement and the first section of the boom, while the right lever takes care of the second section of the boom and bucket. Within half an hour, I have dug a fairly straight 8m trench to a depth of about 40cm between the tank and trough. I’m finding about 2,500rpm is a good comfortable speed with which to operate because any faster makes movement too jerky and hard to control, for a novice like me. Trying to drive out over the trench, after I had dug myself into a corner, proves to be impossible. Both back wheels are wedged firmly in the trench and even switching to 4WD isn’t helping to get me out. However from the driving position I can reach the controls and use the powerful little backhoe to lift the tractor up and push itself out of the trench. I wish there was someone watching to see that.

FRONT-END LOADER

Again it only takes a couple of minutes to remove the backhoe. I think the key to ensure easy removal is making sure it’s done on a smooth solid base. The cement floor in the workshop is perfect. I’m certainly not going to get a speeding fine while driving up the road to test out the loader’s ability at cleaning out years of dirt and muck in the cattle yards. However I’m sure a maximum speed of 13km/h will be more than adequate for mowing. While working in the cattle yards the nimble little BX25D excels during cleaning duties. It fits easily through all the gateways and is capable of squeezing through a minimum 1,145mm opening and a tiny

1. The manoeuvrable little loader is comfortable working in any environment 2. The Kubota BX25D turned a lot of heads during the review 3. High/low range, 4WD and linkage controls conveniently located for easy operation

Pluses

Built around a solid chassis Well finished Extremely easy to operate Manoeuvrable Fuel efficient Simple hitching of loader and backhoe

Minuses

Mower PTO connection

2 3

1. The BX25D is quickly transformed into a powerful mower 2. A Kubota 23hp, liquid cooled threecylinder diesel engine packs a huge punch 3. Kubota has made its name as a manufacturer of quality products 2.3m turning circle allows me to manoeuvre around within the yards with ease. With the bucket on the front end loader tilted forward, I can effortlessly scrape the thick layer of dirt and cow manure backwards into the centre of each yard. Getting right up against the fence is a breeze because the bucket is 75mm wider than the total width of the tractor. The industrial tread tyres are providing fantastic traction with not a hint of wheel slippage. Operating the loader and bucket via the joystick controller makes filling the bucket an absolute breeze. Having a maximum lift height of 1,810mm means I could easily load a ute or trailer. To be completely honest I’m finding it very hard to fault this little workhorse.

MOWER

Before I make a final judgement on the overall performance of the BX25D I’m taking it to the Caramut Football Club to get the opinion of the long-time groundsmen Graeme and Alan on its mowing ability. In wet conditions I feel it might be tough to impress these experienced turf experts. Engaging the PTO at low speed allows for a very smooth transition into drive, then I increase revs to a comfortable speed of about 2,500rpm. It takes just about an hour to cut the 2.5 hectare oval, making the Kubota tractor and mower quicker than any of the footy club mowers. At no stage did the wet grass build up under the mower or show any sign of blocking. Meanwhile the three blade cutter deck left a perfect 2-inch (5cm) cover of grass. When I ask the two judges what they think, Graeme eagerly responds: “Bloody beautiful.” Alan says that “the footy club should buy one, then everyone would want to mow”. A third onlooker, who appears some time during the demonstration, adds: “I might buy one and go mowing for a living.” During the whole trial I have clocked up 14 hours and only had to tip in 20 litres of diesel to restore the 25-litre tank to full.

SUMMARY

As I said before, I’m finding it very hard to find any serious faults. I’m tempted to give the Kubota BX25D a perfect 10 out of 10 but I’m going to deduct one point because I found the PTO shaft on the mower deck a little awkward to get on and off. So, I’m giving it a good solid nine out of 10.