New Member - SA424, LX2610SU, or L2501

[Williy]

You really need to get on these different tractors
and test drive them so you can tell if they suit you
for where the controls are. Just so you know if the
controls are handy for you .We can tell you what
we have and like but every one is different in what
they like and dislike. You can have a tractor with
no problems and your neighbor just might have the
same tractor with problems maintenance plays a
big factor in how your tractor will last.

willy

 

[Radas]

Well, the L2501 is out of the picture. Jeff was 100% correct that it is way too big for my property and will be difficult to maneuver. I was also considering the CK2610 Kioti after considering some recommendations and that is also entirely too big.

I got a quote today for a Kioti CX2510HST with telescoping arm, linked pedal, rear remote, and hydraulic top link for $20k OTD. I also want to take a look at the LX2610SU and price it out with similar options (I am afraid it will cost $5k more but I haven't gotten quotes yet).

On paper the CX2510 has larger displacement and weighs about 500lbs more than the LX2610SU. The LX2610SU has 3 range HST vs the 2 on the Kioti and has a larger 3pt lift capacity and 1 extra PTO hp than the Kioti. The loaders (LA535 and KL2510) at similarly spec'd. I am leaning towards the Kioti but I also want to consider the competition to make sure I don't end up wondering later.

Will the 2 vs. 3 range have that much of a difference for my uses (I believe all loader work will be in high range anyway)?

Is there a downfall to Kioti making max HP @ 2600rpm vs. 2200rpm on the Kubota?

Any thoughts on the two considering I need it primarily for loader work? I've found no comparisons on the LX2610SU and the CX2510 anywhere on the web - only the B2650 and the CK2510 which are older and slightly different with smaller B and larger CK suggestions mixed in.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

More than likely, you WON'T be using high range for loader work. Depending on the material you're working with, stone / gravel for instance, will be much more compacted and heavier that landscaping mulch. You would need to be in low range in order to push into the pile. Something ligher and high range would be ok.

Doing loader work such as back dragging or pushing / leveling material, may work in high range. It is really a 'trial and error' kind of thing. The tractor will let you know if you're overworking a range.

I'm surprised that you said the Kioti "out-spec'd" the LS225-S.... loader lift is within 25lbs, but the LS has a bucket 4" wider. The breakout force on the LS loader is 2290 lbs, the Kioti breakout is 1843 lbs. The LS will 'dig' 4.5" deep vs the Kioti at 3.9" (I know, only a 1/2"). The 3 point on the LS also lifts 1896lbs, vs the Kioti at 1203 lbs.
The LS has a 3 range vs the Kioti 2 range trans. The LS is a little lighter by about 200 lbs. PTO hp is the same at 19.3

Not sure if there is a dramatic price difference between the two, and YOU have to be the one to sit on them and be comfortable. The 3 range trans would make the deciding factor for me, but just my opinion. They are both great tractors.

 

[Radas]

More than likely, you WON'T be using high range for loader work. Depending on the material you're working with, stone / gravel for instance, will be much more compacted and heavier that landscaping mulch. You would need to be in low range in order to push into the pile. Something ligher and high range would be ok.

Doing loader work such as back dragging or pushing / leveling material, may work in high range. It is really a 'trial and error' kind of thing. The tractor will let you know if you're overworking a range.

I'm surprised that you said the Kioti "out-spec'd" the LS225-S.... loader lift is within 25lbs, but the LS has a bucket 4" wider. The breakout force on the LS loader is 2290 lbs, the Kioti breakout is 1843 lbs. The LS will 'dig' 4.5" deep vs the Kioti at 3.9" (I know, only a 1/2"). The 3 point on the LS also lifts 1896lbs, vs the Kioti at 1203 lbs.
The LS has a 3 range vs the Kioti 2 range trans. The LS is a little lighter by about 200 lbs. PTO hp is the same at 19.3

Not sure if there is a dramatic price difference between the two, and YOU have to be the one to sit on them and be comfortable. The 3 range trans would make the deciding factor for me, but just my opinion. They are both great tractors.

You are correct and I was wrong! I don't know which LS I looked at but I was comparing L2501 vs CK2610 vs LS MT225s which is not a good comparison lol. My apologies. The LS lineup was a bit confusing to me. Now that I have seen a few of their models, the MT225HE is a solid contender against the aforementioned units.

Sadly, the 3 above will be too large for my property but I will look at the MT225s now that I know it's sized right for my property and uses a Yanmar diesel engine We only have one LS dealer nearby so I'll have to swing by and look when I do my Kubota run.

Thank you for the tip on the HST range vs. use case for loader work.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

You are welcome! My neighbor had a 225-S and I was impressed with that tractor. Very maneuverable, lots of nice features. Powerful for it's size. He dug just under 200 post holes without a problem in our hard clay soil.

I had the MT125 TLB and it was a workhorse. 220 hard hours without an issue. If the 225-S was available when I upgraded, I would have gotten it instead of my XG3025 (same as the 225HE). Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the bigger 225HE, but the S version is a lot more maneuverable in some instances.

I wish I could afford both!

 

[jyoutz]

I would definitely lean toward the L2501 simply because it is heavier and therefore will be more stable. It's less likely to feel "too small" for the job. On the plus side, it appears the loader on the 2501 has more lift. Tractordata.com lists the LX2610 lifting 769 pound to full height at 500mm from the pin and the L2501 lifting 1182 pounds at 500mm plus it has 10 inches more lift.

I agree. Go with the L2501. You with enjoy the extra weight and frame size for cutting and moving dirt.

 

[nknelsen]

Well, the L2501 is out of the picture. Jeff was 100% correct that it is way too big for my property and will be difficult to maneuver. I was also considering the CK2610 Kioti after considering some recommendations and that is also entirely too big.

I got a quote today for a Kioti CX2510HST with telescoping arm, linked pedal, rear remote, and hydraulic top link for $20k OTD. I also want to take a look at the LX2610SU and price it out with similar options (I am afraid it will cost $5k more but I haven't gotten quotes yet).

On paper the CX2510 has larger displacement and weighs about 500lbs more than the LX2610SU. The LX2610SU has 3 range HST vs the 2 on the Kioti and has a larger 3pt lift capacity and 1 extra PTO hp than the Kioti. The loaders (LA535 and KL2510) at similarly spec'd. I am leaning towards the Kioti but I also want to consider the competition to make sure I don't end up wondering later.

Will the 2 vs. 3 range have that much of a difference for my uses (I believe all loader work will be in high range anyway)?

Is there a downfall to Kioti making max HP @ 2600rpm vs. 2200rpm on the Kubota?

Any thoughts on the two considering I need it primarily for loader work? I've found no comparisons on the LX2610SU and the CX2510 anywhere on the web - only the B2650 and the CK2510 which are older and slightly different with smaller B and larger CK suggestions mixed in.

I would ask what the rear axle material is made of on both tractors. I believe that the Kubota is cast aluminum and the kioti is cast iron.

I once worked for a sidewalk plowing company in Toronto and we had 2 Kubota 30/30 sidewalk plows break their rear axles in the same week when the rear tires came into contact with a fire hydrant when passing. 2 identical accidents on 2 separate nights with 2 separate operators.

Accident had a lot to do with the machines coming with the "wide" rear wheel setup instead of the "narrow " kit it had been ordered with. And yes our 2 operators hit the hydrants so the axles didn't break on their own.

But this was the main reason that I purchased a new 2022 Kioti CX2510 CUT to replace my 2014 CS2410 SCUT.

I believe aluminum has its place in machinery, but we quite often end up adding weight to a tractor to enhance the operation, especially when doing loader work.

So I don't know if Kubota axles are still made of aluminum. I never inquired when I bought either tractor.

When the rear axle on both 30/30's broke we had a hard time getting them fixed under warranty since our Operators had done the hitting, but the nature of sidewalk plowing requires that the plow travel down the sidewalk and the wider rear wheels wouldn't have come into contact with the hydrant IF the tractor had come with the narrow tire option as ordered.

They ended up covering both tractors with us responsible for transporting the machines back and forth and we had to find back up machines while ours were being repaired.

For full disclosure I've avoided Kubota since this incident. Which left me only really considering Kioti or John Deere. Price on the Kioti is about 20000 cheaper were I live and I don't need to deal with JD's proprietary bucket attachment system.

The kioti uses the much more common "Bobcat" quick attach system.

I believe that Kubota produces a good product and under normal use an aluminum rear axle should be fine. But I had ZERO problems with my 2014 CS2410 over 7 years of ownership and I loved it so much that I never considered anything other then a Kioti to replace it. And I only replaced it for a larger tractor, otherwise I believe I could have gotten 20 or 30 plus years of service based on my 100 or so hours of use per year and kept it.

I hope this helps.

 

[Radas]

I would ask what the rear axle material is made of on both tractors. I believe that the Kubota is cast aluminum and the kioti is cast iron.

I once worked for a sidewalk plowing company in Toronto and we had 2 Kubota 30/30 sidewalk plows break their rear axles in the same week when the rear tires came into contact with a fire hydrant when passing. 2 identical accidents on 2 separate nights with 2 separate operators.

Accident had a lot to do with the machines coming with the "wide" rear wheel setup instead of the "narrow " kit it had been ordered with. And yes our 2 operators hit the hydrants so the axles didn't break on their own.

But this was the main reason that I purchased a new 2022 Kioti CX2510 CUT to replace my 2014 CS2410 SCUT.

I believe aluminum has its place in machinery, but we quite often end up adding weight to a tractor to enhance the operation, especially when doing loader work.

So I don't know if Kubota axles are still made of aluminum. I never inquired when I bought either tractor.

When the rear axle on both 30/30's broke we had a hard time getting them fixed under warranty since our Operators had done the hitting, but the nature of sidewalk plowing requires that the plow travel down the sidewalk and the wider rear wheels wouldn't have come into contact with the hydrant IF the tractor had come with the narrow tire option as ordered.

They ended up covering both tractors with us responsible for transporting the machines back and forth and we had to find back up machines while ours were being repaired.

For full disclosure I've avoided Kubota since this incident. Which left me only really considering Kioti or John Deere. Price on the Kioti is about 20000 cheaper were I live and I don't need to deal with JD's proprietary bucket attachment system.

The kioti uses the much more common "Bobcat" quick attach system.

I believe that Kubota produces a good product and under normal use an aluminum rear axle should be fine. But I had ZERO problems with my 2014 CS2410 over 7 years of ownership and I loved it so much that I never considered anything other then a Kioti to replace it. And I only replaced it for a larger tractor, otherwise I believe I could have gotten 20 or 30 plus years of service based on my 100 or so hours of use per year and kept it.

I hope this helps.

I will do that, I believe the Kubota B/LX is cast aluminum vs. cast iron but I could be wrong. It was actually your recommendation and a lot of the favorable reviews on the forum that had me convinced to check out the Kioti. I was impressed.

 

[jyoutz]

I would ask what the rear axle material is made of on both tractors. I believe that the Kubota is cast aluminum and the kioti is cast iron.

I once worked for a sidewalk plowing company in Toronto and we had 2 Kubota 30/30 sidewalk plows break their rear axles in the same week when the rear tires came into contact with a fire hydrant when passing. 2 identical accidents on 2 separate nights with 2 separate operators.

Accident had a lot to do with the machines coming with the "wide" rear wheel setup instead of the "narrow " kit it had been ordered with. And yes our 2 operators hit the hydrants so the axles didn't break on their own.

But this was the main reason that I purchased a new 2022 Kioti CX2510 CUT to replace my 2014 CS2410 SCUT.

I believe aluminum has its place in machinery, but we quite often end up adding weight to a tractor to enhance the operation, especially when doing loader work.

So I don't know if Kubota axles are still made of aluminum. I never inquired when I bought either tractor.

When the rear axle on both 30/30's broke we had a hard time getting them fixed under warranty since our Operators had done the hitting, but the nature of sidewalk plowing requires that the plow travel down the sidewalk and the wider rear wheels wouldn't have come into contact with the hydrant IF the tractor had come with the narrow tire option as ordered.

They ended up covering both tractors with us responsible for transporting the machines back and forth and we had to find back up machines while ours were being repaired.

For full disclosure I've avoided Kubota since this incident. Which left me only really considering Kioti or John Deere. Price on the Kioti is about 20000 cheaper were I live and I don't need to deal with JD's proprietary bucket attachment system.

The kioti uses the much more common "Bobcat" quick attach system.

I believe that Kubota produces a good product and under normal use an aluminum rear axle should be fine. But I had ZERO problems with my 2014 CS2410 over 7 years of ownership and I loved it so much that I never considered anything other then a Kioti to replace it. And I only replaced it for a larger tractor, otherwise I believe I could have gotten 20 or 30 plus years of service based on my 100 or so hours of use per year and kept it.

I hope this helps.

My MX axle is made of cast steel. I have never heard of Kubota axles being made of aluminum (JD does this on the smaller series). Maybe Kubota does this on the BX series?

 

[Radas]

Welp, put a deposit down on a crated CUT today. Got a sweet deal on a "Kaboter" LX2610 (non-SU) model and after test driving, I am a huge fan. The size is on the larger side for our current property, but not too small if we upgrade to 5-10 acres in the near future.

For reference, it is bigger than the CX2510 I was considering, but slightly smaller than the CK2610 and L2501. It worked out to being roughly $2-3k more than the CX2510 in the end and Kubota's financing is currently more favorable than Kioti's. I know the CX2510 weighs about 350lbs more, but I've compensated for that by having the rear tires filled with beet juice. What ultimately sold me was the 3 range HST for my property which has some steep hills/inclines and the dealer network is way more refined in my area (there are quite a few within a 100 mile radius). If Kioti's presence was greater in my area, I may have swung the other direction despite the transmission shortcoming.

My "Kaboter":

LX2610
R14s (17.5s)
Dual rear remotes
LA535 loader with skid steer QA
54" bucket from a B instead of the 60" LX

Once we recover from a few upcoming house projects, I plan on adding:
QA forks
Third function
Rear hydraulic top link
Box Blade
Grapple
Bucket scoop
Bucket EA teeth

Thank you all again for your advice! I will share some photos when my tractor is delivered.