Buying Advice Branson 2400h or Kioti cs2510

Drewintoledo · Sep 24, 2017

Hello all.

About to purchase a machine for light duty work on 3 acres of flat land. Looking for feedback and input.

I'm down to these two although I'm considering a Kubota l2501 but I'm creeping out of my price range with this unit. No convincing that the Kubota is superior and established as I already believe this.

Branson: 2400h with FEL, box blade and a tandem axel trailer for $16,000 delivered. This would be financed with 0%.

Kioti: cs2510 HST with FEL and box blade. $13,800 + tax ($14,386 at 4.25 tax). Using a 0% interest credit card would bring the total to $14,818 after paying a fee for using a credit card.

The Kioti dealer is within an hour drive. Branson is considerably further away.

Any constructive feedback is appreciated. I'm being told Branson is a stronger unit but that comes with dealer bias.

coherent · Sep 24, 2017

I've never owned a Kubota so can't compare the two fairly. I did look at many of the small models before making my purchase on a new one. The Branson just seemed a bit larger and heavy duty so I went with the 2400H. I've got about 40 hrs on mine and owned it for 3 months. So far I'm pleased with the tractor and have no regrets. Purchased a 3pt chipper chipper from Titan and cleared part of my property and moved, spread over 40 tons of ab & gravel so far. Moved more boulder and rocks than I can count (Arizona). It's handled everything well considering it's a small tractor. Only other thoughts are that I didn't want to fill the tires and deal with the extra weight on my trailer, so bought a ballast box which was a must for moving heavy buckets loads of rock and keeping good traction and all 4 wheels firmly on the ground.

ericm979 · Sep 24, 2017

Do you really need the trailer? Trailer rental is pretty cheap and you don't have to store or maintain it. It makes sense to have a trailer if you're going to be hauling the tractor to work sites frequently. If it's only to take it to the dealer it's probably not worth owning. Especially if you're going to do your own scheduled maintenance.

The package deal box blades are usually the lightest cheapest models. Box blades need weight to cut into soil. If you're going to be moving dirt with it or have rocks in your soil you might want a heavier one.

Texasmark · Sep 25, 2017

I bought a Branson 2400 last year. While the dealer was getting me a quote, I noticed a TYM sitting beside it. I checked it out. Dealer came back out with my quote and when questioned admitted that Branson was the better unit which was my opinion. The little A1100 Cummins licensed engine is tough. Seldom do I need full power. 1800# weight (not counting loader) helps too.

I did spend a lot of money getting a soft ride but that would have happened to any small tractors I'd suppose. They seem to be setup for adding a backhoe which would make things just right on weight vs tire size/ply, but without it, very rough ride....course I just had my 76th birthday too and I can't take the bouncing around like I did when I was 30.

mike69440 · Sep 25, 2017

Texasmark said:
I bought a Branson 2400 last year. While the dealer was getting me a quote, I noticed a TYM sitting beside it. I checked it out. Dealer came back out with my quote and when questioned admitted that Branson was the better unit which was my opinion. The little A1100 Cummins licensed engine is tough. Seldom do I need full power. 1800# weight (not counting loader) helps too.

I did spend a lot of money getting a soft ride but that would have happened to any small tractors I'd suppose. They seem to be setup for adding a backhoe which would make things just right on weight vs tire size/ply, but without it, very rough ride....course I just had my 76th birthday too and I can't take the bouncing around like I did when I was 30.

2510 has some weight to it. 3x2 Gear shift is crude however. If considering a shuttle shift, the MAX28 and 1526 (3 speed HST or Shuttle on the 1526) are worth a look also. Sweet shifting. I'm no fan of 2 speed HST. B2650 is nice too. Also look at Masey?

oldnslo · Sep 25, 2017

I have just under 400 hrs on my 2400H and like all CUT's it does not have enough weight to effectively use the horse power for ground engagement type work. I went with the 1200X loader due to the 00 loader at that time being weak in my opinion. I believe the current loader has specs very similar to the 1200X with 1,100 lbs lift capacity and 54" wide bucket. I also have flat ground and use a 5' box blade since it covers the tire tracks better and I have no areas where width is a concern.

Bigger question is: Which dealer do you feel more comfortable with? That can sway a decision for me more than the brand name.

Drewintoledo · Sep 25, 2017

Thanks for the input. This is certainly helpful and I've changed my opinion a bit. Kioti is no longer in the running, so it's between the Branson 2400h and the l2501. The L2501 has about 1000# over the branson, a wider 66" quick disconnect bucket and good service in my area. The Branson would be trucked in from about 1000 miles away. Having said that, I'm not sure how important a dealer specific repair shop is but I am more comfortable with something near.

I don't need the trailer, but it sure would be nice to have if I needed it in a pinch, but not necessary.

I'd rather not consider the shuttle shift, and I haven't looked at Massey and have not entertained the B series. You have me asking if the price of a comparable Massey equal to the L2501? I'll poke around however I feel that I've already crept out of my budget comfort level. At this point, I'm swaying towards the l2501. It's about $2700 more than the Branson but I feel it's in a class above the Branson. The L2501 does not have the mid PTO but I'm really not interested in a mid PTO. I otherwise don't see or hear about complaints of this unit.

"and like all CUT's it does not have enough weight to effectively use the horse power for ground engagement type work" - this statement makes me lean again towards the l2501 as I'll mostly be on flat land moving materials around, sand, aggregate, soil and such.

Keep the input coming...

EDIT: I just received a call back from the Massey dealer with a quotation. A comparable 1726E would cost $20,889 before tax. OUCH!

iptman · Sep 25, 2017

Why did you drop the Kioti from the running? If you're looking at the L2501 why not compare it to the Kioti CK2510 or CK2610? The CS2510 and L2501 aren't really int he same class of tractor.

southernAL · Sep 25, 2017

Yea, personally I would look hard at the CK2610

Drewintoledo · Sep 25, 2017

That's a good question. The Kioti dealer doesn't have 0% financing and would charge me a large percentage for using my 0% card.

I have studied the differences and I really appreciate the steering of the Kioti along with the stronger lift capacity.

I called the Kioti dealer again in attempt to negotiate further. I was blunt and provided the price I am offered for the Kubota ($16,950) and he immediately responded with, "boy that does sound like a great buy". He asked to hash it over and get back to me in the morning.