BCS 718 Two-Wheel Tractor, Honda GX200 Recoil Start

Description

BCS 718 Two-Wheel Tractor with Honda GX200 Recoil Engine

The 718 keeps the compact frame and all-gear transmission of the 710 and changes two things that matter to the person walking behind it: a Honda GX200 commercial engine, and a far more adjustable handlebar. It suits a homestead or small orchard where the tractor is mowing banks and working under branches as often as it is tilling a bed, and where operator comfort over a long session decides how much gets done.

Twenty-One Handlebar Positions

The handlebar system is the reason to pick a 718. A lever sets seven vertical heights, and three horizontal offsets combine with them for 21 positions, front or rear. Rubber anti-vibration buffers at the base of the steering column cut the buzz that reaches the operator’s hands, and the control rods stay in a fixed position as the bars move, so speed selection and PTO engagement feel the same in every setting. On a slope, the bars go down when climbing, up when descending, and offset when mowing across the face so the operator can walk upright on the downhill side.

Attachments on the 718

The 718’s chart matches the 710’s: the 18 and 20 inch tillers, hiller/furrower, 30 and 40 inch sickle bar mowers, 22 inch lawn mower, 24 inch snow thrower, 30 inch sweeper, both pumps, Buddy Cart, ridger and V-cultivator. One addition sets it apart, the log splitter, mounted with the small curved coupler and the Power Cradle. The brush mower and single belt hay rake need the 5×10 wheel upgrade, and the 20 inch tiller works best with a Bumper Weight Kit.

718 at a Glance

• Engine: Honda GX200, recoil start
• Transmission: all gear drive with shuttle forward and reverse
• Clutch: double cone, spring-loaded
• Working speeds: 0.6 and 1.4 mph each way
• Transport speed: 6.8 mph, rear-mount only
• Standard tires: 4x8x16″; 4x10x18″ and 5x10x19.5″ offered
• Weight: 220 lbs (18″ tiller) or 242 lbs (20″ tiller)

Setting the Bars Before the Job

Most fatigue on a walk-behind comes from bars set for the last job. Before mowing a bank, set the offset first so the tractor tracks uphill of your feet, then adjust height for the direction of travel, and recheck after turning at the row end. Coverage runs three years residential and one year commercial, with the transmission covered for life at home and five years commercially; Honda warrants the engine separately.

718 Against Its Neighbours

The 710 costs less and runs the same core tools on a Kohler engine and a simpler handlebar, so it is the better buy where slopes are rare. The 722 adds a Honda GX240, 4x10x18 tires as standard and a far longer attachment list, including the 26 inch tiller, chipper/shredder and utility trailer. The 718 sits between them as the light tractor built for uneven ground.