B2601, B2650 or, LX? Big B or little B for me?

PA452 · Nov 14, 2019

I've had my B2650 since early September. I debated a long time between the two tractors and one thing I was really worried about was stability. I grew up using bigger tractors than the B but they were quite a bit wider. A few years back I picked up a BX23 and with the loader and backhoe on it always worried me on the slopes. Without the loader and backhoe and with the MMM on, that thing was rock solid.

The B2650 and B2601 worried me a bit. They were a good bit taller but just appeared very narrow to me. But I must say, the stability of the B2650 turned out to be way better than I expected. Feels great with just the MMM on, but I've really been pleased with the stability while it's wearing the FEL and backhoe.

Sid Post · Nov 14, 2019

PA452 said:
I've had my B2650 since early September. I debated a long time between the two tractors and one thing I was really worried about was stability. I grew up using bigger tractors than the B but they were quite a bit wider. A few years back I picked up a BX23 and with the loader and backhoe on it always worried me on the slopes. Without the loader and backhoe and with the MMM on, that thing was rock solid.

The B2650 and B2601 worried me a bit. They were a good bit taller but just appeared very narrow to me. But I must say, the stability of the B2650 turned out to be way better than I expected. Feels great with just the MMM on, but I've really been pleased with the stability while it's wearing the FEL and backhoe.

Thanks! That is really helpful first-hand feedback.

ultrarunner · Nov 14, 2019

Was in the same position a few years back... brother knew how pleased I was with the BX23 and he needed a tractor for the tree farm and I said the small tires make the BX not suitable... he looked at B and was going that way.

This was just as the harvest return tractors were coming in and he made a very good deal on a L3800 and is very pleased with it... and it has been flawless... had 100 hours when he bought it and now 700...

Tire size and adequate ground clearance is what he needed for the rough terrain he was farming/clearing.

bird dogger · Nov 20, 2019

PA452 said:
I've had my B2650 since early September. I debated a long time between the two tractors and one thing I was really worried about was stability. I grew up using bigger tractors than the B but they were quite a bit wider. A few years back I picked up a BX23 and with the loader and backhoe on it always worried me on the slopes. Without the loader and backhoe and with the MMM on, that thing was rock solid.

The B2650 and B2601 worried me a bit. They were a good bit taller but just appeared very narrow to me. But I must say, the stability of the B2650 turned out to be way better than I expected. Feels great with just the MMM on, but I've really been pleased with the stability while it's wearing the FEL and backhoe.

I second and confirm PA452's experience. My B2650 is going on 2 yrs now and I have a couple of steep road ditches to mow using a 5' rear pto mower. It has no trouble spinning the 60" mower. Have both a rear discharge finish mower and a 5 ft older brush hog. In a couple of areas on the ditch the drastic slope would give me the dreaded pucker syndrome. I made some rear wheel spacers that brought the outside of the tires to the 5 foot width (+/- 3 inch spacers) and the difference in stability in those steep areas was greatly enhanced. The B2650 maintains roughly 20+ acres (3 tillable, half woods and half mowable lawn). I have the backhoe, tillers, cultivators, blades, loader, pto blower, chip and stump grinders, 4 row Cockshutt corn planter, and the 2650 handles them all quite well. Only once in a great while do I wish I had a bigger tractor. But then it would only cut the time in half to do a job that takes me an afternoon or even a day. So having that bigger tractor to once in a great while save 4 or 5 hours sure is hard to justify. On the other hand, mowing and working in the more confined areas more than justifies what I do have at the present.