BCS 852 Two-Wheel Tractor, Honda GX390 Recoil Start

Description

BCS 852 Two-Wheel Tractor, Honda GX390 Recoil Start

The 852 is a larger, more fully equipped development of the 732, built for big mowing jobs some distance from the shed. Its four-speed gearbox has three working speeds plus a 9.2 mph transport gear, and on the 852 that transport gear works with front-mounted attachments, so the operator can ride the BCS mowing sulky out to the field instead of walking. This version has recoil start.

Riding Out to Work

BCS points to Christmas tree growers and hay makers as typical 852 owners: people who cover a distance before the day’s mowing starts. With a dual action sickle bar on the front and the sulky behind, fourth gear turns a long walk into a short ride, and third gear (3.0 mph) keeps the pace up once cutting begins. The 853 is identical except that its transport gear runs in the rear-mount direction instead.

Sized for the Big Mowers

A Honda GX390, a longer transmission and 22 inch tires let the 852 carry the 67 and 71 inch dual action sickle bars and the 35 inch flail mower with no extra kit, and the 32 inch brush mower with a quick hitch or PTO extension for balance. Individual wheel brakes help swing those wide tools round at the headland, and differential drive with a lockout lever adds traction for cross-slope work.

852 Recoil Ratings

• Engine: Honda GX390, recoil
• Gearbox: all gear, three working speeds each way plus transport
• Working speeds: 0.9, 2.0 and 3.0 mph
• Transport: 9.2 mph, front-mount direction
• Clutch: spring-loaded double cone
• Tires: 5x12x22″
• Weight: 342 lbs carrying a 30″ tiller

Clutch Lever Free Play

A spring-loaded double cone clutch is simple and long-lived, provided the cable is set correctly. Check the lever’s free play at the start of each season: too little and the clutch can slip under a heavy sickle bar, too much and it will not fully release, making gear changes grind. Adjust it to the figure in the manual. The transmission is covered for life on residential use and five years commercially, the tractor three years residential or one year commercial, and Honda covers the engine.

Finding the Right Professional Model

The electric-start 852 is the same machine with key starting and a recoil backup. Choose the 853 if the transport gear is wanted for towing the utility trailer rather than riding the sulky. The 749 PS shares the engine, tires and attachment chart but uses the oil-cooled PowerSafe clutch and has no transport gear.