Mahindra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

[Atchuuu]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

I had always felt I didn't give Kubota a fair shot when I bought my tractor. I found myself stranded in Texas because of that storm that closed down the NYC area airports. As I had some time to kill I figured I'd finally drop in to a Kubota dealer to really get a good look at the Kubota product. I'm still convinced my Mahindra 1526 is a better choice than the L2501. My Mahindra 1526 feels sturdier the loader ties back to the rear axle. Also the step and floor had a lot of flex on the Kubota. The Mahindra has a nice floor mat, the Kubota is just painted steal, which would shortly be rusted steal. No option for a Mid-PTO on the L. The Kubota has some advantages as well. As one user noted above the Kubota has a better loader valve, it does. I felt I was able to more precisely move the loader on the Kubota where my Mahindra I have to be more careful with the lever to move slowly and precisely. It also seems the Kubota has 10 higher lift to the bucket although Kubota for some reason does not list this valuable spec. on their competitive comparison document. All in all I'd say either is an excellent choice for its class buy from the dealer you like best. Comparing the two models My Mahindra definitely has more loader lift and a shorter roll bar. Loader lift was my number one priority and the shorter roll bar means I can actually leave it up. These two features tip the scales for my use. Knowing what I know now if I were to do it over, I very well might get a Kubota, but it would be a L4701 or preferably a L4060. I'm maxing out the lift on mine and I feel I could use a heaver tractor. A L4701 or an L4060 of course are dramatically more expensive. Then If I were up in that price range I'd start thinking about a cab, the next thing you know you have a mortgage payment. Mine does everything I need and I'm not likely to upgrade any time soon. Still very happy with my Mahindra 1526.

Agree with you. Tested the 1526, 2538, L2501, L3301 and the L3901 on multiple occasions. They all have pros and cons. In my case, I feel the 2538 is the best value if all things, including dealer support, are the same. The price of the 2538 and 3901 are only $1,500 apart so that is not the deciding factor. So far the Mahindra dealer seems to be much more interested in my business and the specs on the 2538 look better, units is cheaper and dealer seems more interested.

 

[s219]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

I had always felt I didn't give Kubota a fair shot when I bought my tractor. I found myself stranded in Texas because of that storm that closed down the NYC area airports. As I had some time to kill I figured I'd finally drop in to a Kubota dealer to really get a good look at the Kubota product. I'm still convinced my Mahindra 1526 is a better choice than the L2501. My Mahindra 1526 feels sturdier the loader ties back to the rear axle. Also the step and floor had a lot of flex on the Kubota. The Mahindra has a nice floor mat, the Kubota is just painted steal, which would shortly be rusted steal. No option for a Mid-PTO on the L. The Kubota has some advantages as well. As one user noted above the Kubota has a better loader valve, it does. I felt I was able to more precisely move the loader on the Kubota where my Mahindra I have to be more careful with the lever to move slowly and precisely. It also seems the Kubota has 10 higher lift to the bucket although Kubota for some reason does not list this valuable spec. on their competitive comparison document. All in all I'd say either is an excellent choice for its class buy from the dealer you like best. Comparing the two models My Mahindra definitely has more loader lift and a shorter roll bar. Loader lift was my number one priority and the shorter roll bar means I can actually leave it up. These two features tip the scales for my use. Knowing what I know now if I were to do it over, I very well might get a Kubota, but it would be a L4701 or preferably a L4060. I'm maxing out the lift on mine and I feel I could use a heaver tractor. A L4701 or an L4060 of course are dramatically more expensive. Then If I were up in that price range I'd start thinking about a cab, the next thing you know you have a mortgage payment. Mine does everything I need and I'm not likely to upgrade any time soon. Still very happy with my Mahindra 1526.

As mentioned up above, if you look at the Kubota lift rating when it's 10" lower at same max lift of the Mahindra, it nearly matches, so I consider that a wash.

Only other point I want to mention is that the Kubota step and floor moves because the operator platform is mounted on rubber bushings for vibration isolation, and what you feel is the rubber giving when you climb on. Not all tractors have a floating platform -- on some brands it's a rigid mount and will transmit more shakes to the user.

 

[Roger66]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

As mentioned up above, if you look at the Kubota lift rating when it's 10" lower at same max lift of the Mahindra, it nearly matches, so I consider that a wash.

Only other point I want to mention is that the Kubota step and floor moves because the operator platform is mounted on rubber bushings for vibration isolation, and what you feel is the rubber giving when you climb on. Not all tractors have a floating platform -- on some brands it's a rigid mount and will transmit more shakes to the user.

This was definitely metal flexing, not rubber mounts. I'm sure it's not a real problem, but it didn't feel as solid as mine and I think the paint on the floor will rub off quickly with sand and salt from my boots and floor rust will be an issue up here in the snow belt. The Mahindra clearly has a nicer floor. I do also believe My 1526 will out lift a L2501 and every pound counts. For me I wish I had more lift! any less would be a problem for me. I was barely able to lift a 1 ton pallet of pellets. If I had any less lift we would have been moving bags by hand. I'm not farming, to me this is my off-road forklift. The higher bucket lift of the Kubata may be the killer feature for someone else and I do still think the Kubota marketing department should have a talking to for not listing this important Kubota advantage on their competitive comparison page https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/defa...rison-pdfs/l2501_comps.pdf?sfvrsn=79aac1d1_10. Almost every spec on this page says to buy the Mahindra.

 

[mike69440]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

The 2545 or maybe it is called the 2645 is a nice tractor for its size, not much bigger than the 1526, but shold be a mid size CUT beast.
The NEW Mahindra 2645 Tractor - YouTube

Mahindra 1526 (1626 prerelease) vs. Kubota L251 vs. John Deere 325e - YouTube

I have the 1526 Loader curl cylinders on my Max 28, turning it into a mini 1526, It is now the small tractor size I need with bigger tractor capabilities. I wonder if the 1526 loader can be easily upfitted with the curl cylinders from the next size loader?

 

[s219]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

This was definitely metal flexing, not rubber mounts. I'm sure it's not a real problem, but it didn't feel as solid as mine and I think the paint on the floor will rub off quickly with sand and salt from my boots and floor rust will be an issue up here in the snow belt. The Mahindra clearly has a nicer floor. I do also believe My 1526 will out lift a L2501 and every pound counts. For me I wish I had more lift! any less would be a problem for me. I was barely able to lift a 1 ton pallet of pellets. If I had any less lift we would have been moving bags by hand. I'm not farming, to me this is my off-road forklift. The higher bucket lift of the Kubata may be the killer feature for someone else and I do still think the Kubota marketing department should have a talking to for not listing this important Kubota advantage on their competitive comparison page https://www.kubotausa.com/docs/defa...rison-pdfs/l2501_comps.pdf?sfvrsn=79aac1d1_10. Almost every spec on this page says to buy the Mahindra.

Paint wear on the floor has not been an issue in the 4+ years I've had my L3200, although the areas on the step that get repeated use have the paint worn off and are shiny. This is one of those things where I have seen many people on TBN fret about paint wear on steps and floors, yet if you've been around equipment for very long you'll know these wear areas stay shiny and seem to defy rust. I have seen this for decades.

I have owned other tractors with a floor mat and honestly, I can't say one is better than the other, but they are easy to add if desired. However, you need to be prudent about cleaning under the mat periodically, because sand/grit will get trapped under there and wear through the paint worse than if you had no mat. And I think it could be even worse if the mat traps moisture there. Be sure to lift the mat periodically, hose out the grit, and take care of any wear/rust. If you are under the impression that a tractor with a floor mat will be better for wear/rust, well, you ought to adjust that thinking pronto.

I think the best solution is to have the deck sprayed with bed liner such as LineX -- seen several people here on TBN have that done, and it seems to be the best of both worlds.

It would be great if you could post the loader curves for your Mahindra here. I can overlay them on the L loader curves and we will see how they compare. Kubota always gets dinged because their ratings are at higher lift points, as they tend to have longer loader arms with more reach. Some of the tractors with extremely high lift ratings (ie, LS) have very stubby loader arms and very poor height/reach. If you use the loader curves to compare apples to apples, it tells a very different story. Down low, they will lift 2-3X the upper rating, and people miss that completely.

 

[mike69440]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

Lest we not just compare to Kubota.

Look at the premium tractors from Massey, Yanmar, Koiti, Case, Bronson, LS, and even the green guys.
They all have some neat features.

With all the premium tractors available now, Kubota will soon have to up their game on the Grand L's

When looking at their economy lines, things get fuzzy.

All to often, the quality of the brand gets really compromised when they try to build an economy tractor.
Kubota in general builds a decent economy tractor.
An economy tractor should reflect the brand quality, just be basic with less features

Mahindra needs to up their game in the "little" things that kill you. i.e ergonomics, controls, robust electrical stuff, no primer paint, UV attacked plastics. and trim.
They seem to be starting to figure this out.
Oh, and dealer & corporate, customer support. That is not a little thing.

 

[Roger66]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

Paint wear on the floor has not been an issue in the 4+ years I've had my L3200, although the areas on the step that get repeated use have the paint worn off and are shiny. This is one of those things where I have seen many people on TBN fret about paint wear on steps and floors, yet if you've been around equipment for very long you'll know these wear areas stay shiny and seem to defy rust. I have seen this for decades.

I have owned other tractors with a floor mat and honestly, I can't say one is better than the other, but they are easy to add if desired. However, you need to be prudent about cleaning under the mat periodically, because sand/grit will get trapped under there and wear through the paint worse than if you had no mat. And I think it could be even worse if the mat traps moisture there. Be sure to lift the mat periodically, hose out the grit, and take care of any wear/rust. If you are under the impression that a tractor with a floor mat will be better for wear/rust, well, you ought to adjust that thinking pronto.

I think the best solution is to have the deck sprayed with bed liner such as LineX -- seen several people here on TBN have that done, and it seems to be the best of both worlds.

It would be great if you could post the loader curves for your Mahindra here. I can overlay them on the L loader curves and we will see how they compare. Kubota always gets dinged because their ratings are at higher lift points, as they tend to have longer loader arms with more reach. Some of the tractors with extremely high lift ratings (ie, LS) have very stubby loader arms and very poor height/reach. If you use the loader curves to compare apples to apples, it tells a very different story. Down low, they will lift 2-3X the upper rating, and people miss that completely.

I don't remember seeing loader curves in my manual, but as I'm still stuck in Texas I can't look. It is very difficult to compare as there are no standards for these ratings. The breakout force should tell the story, but my Mahindra rates it at 2,795 lbs the L2501 is 1,955, but Kubota's rating is 500 MM forward and Mahindra's rating is at the pin. Are they trying to make our this difficult for us? With some math we should be ale to figure this out. The LA555 loader has a lift rating of 1190 at the pin, and a lift rating of 899 500 mm forward. Divide the two and you have a factor 1.32. so the breakout force at the pin for the Kubota should be 2,588 compared to the Mahindra's 2,795. So I'm only 8% higher. Some might say that's close enough to being the same. I would have like to have seen all of this analysis on the competitive comparison page. Even the loader valve which did feel more precise on the Kubota should have been listed as a Kubota advantage. You can't argue with the 3 point lift however Kubota at 1,389 and Mahindra almost double at 2,646.

Anyway all of the specs aside even if I went to a Kubota dealer for a test drive last year I'm quite sure I would have still made the same decision. I would have never noticed or appreciated the loader control being different at that time being a first time buyer. The 10" higher lift was not obvious and my Mahindra feels beefier.

 

[teg]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

My 2 cents which isn't worth much, between the L2501 and Mahindra 1526, I'll take the one with a bigger engine.

L2501 has a 100.47 ci [1.6 L] @ 2200 prm's.

1526 has a 80.4 ci [1.3 L] @ 2500 rpm's.

 

[mike69440]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

My 2 cents which isn't worth much, between the L2501 and Mahindra 1626, I'll take the one with a bigger engine.

L2501 has a 100.47 ci [1.6 L] @ 2200 prm's.

1526 has a 80.4 ci [1.3 L] @ 2500 rpm's.

If you ever read my remarks in other threads comparing my Max 28 engine, (engine same as 1526) to my old 16 net hp motor in my dear old D7200, you will see I agree the torque over BHP ratio favors Kubota.

The Mitsubishi motor is ok, just not a torque monster.

 

[mike69440]

Re: Mahendra 1526 Vs Kubota L2501

You can't argue with the 3 point lift however Kubota at 1,389 and Mahindra almost double at 2,646.

For sure on the 3 Pt lift!
Lifts +700 Lb steel filled counter weight plus rocks!

A ton or so on the 3 pt hitch.