Comparison B2650 vs L2501 for my use

[Eagleray]

Hello,

I'm in the market for my first tractor and I'm hoping to buy the correct one. I have 2.67 acres that I'm going to do stump removal, building gravel trails, snow maintenance and landscaping in Nova Scotia. It's quite rocky where I am as well. I'm a bit torn if I should get the B2650 for the mid pto in case I need in the future but the L2501 has the extra weight for the backhoe and FEL work that I'll mostly be doing. I could always get a rear mount snow blower in the future if needed.

I'm also wondering about bucket size for the backhoe, my dealer is including the 16" bucket, should I go with the 12" because of the rocks? I'm also considering a thumb for moving some logs that I cut when clearing the land.

Any advice is appreciated!


Eagleray

 

[mike69440]

Hello,

I'm in the market for my first tractor and I'm hoping to buy the correct one. I have 2.67 acres that I'm going to do stump removal, building gravel trails, snow maintenance and landscaping in Nova Scotia. It's quite rocky where I am as well. I'm a bit torn if I should get the B2650 for the mid pto in case I need in the future but the L2501 has the extra weight for the backhoe and FEL work that I'll mostly be doing. I could always get a rear mount snow blower in the future if needed.

I'm also wondering about bucket size for the backhoe, my dealer is including the 16" bucket, should I go with the 12" because of the rocks? I'm also considering a thumb for moving some logs that I cut when clearing the land.

Any advice is appreciated!


Eagleray

Consider planning your work and renting a 5 ton Mini Excavator. Then do the clean-up later with the tractor. Get the features you will use the most on the tractor. Believe me, an excavator can leave plenty of work for a tractor to do afterwards. (PS B2650)

 

[nybirdman]

We have a couple small L's in the family;they are very capable work horses.I have run a "B" with a hoe,just o.k.,not a lot of power and cramped sitting position for me(6ft.200lbs).I would go with the L2501,it has very good reviews and under-rated for power.

 

[Fallon]

A 25hp L will do 25-50% more work than a 25hp B. Weight defines what a tractor will do, HP is just how fast it will do it.

Weight is traction & ballast. So if you want to pull something (plow, backhoe, box blade, etc.) You need weight for traction. If you want to lift something & not too over you need ballast and/or a heavy machine to start with.

 

[Eagleray]

Thanks for the input, it's a tough decision and I appreciate your comments. I'm still a month or two away from the purchase so still doing research. I don't want to buy the wrong one!

 

[motownbrowne]

I agree about skipping the hoe. Rent a excavator or hire one and put the backhoe money towards other implements, a zero turn, ATV, etc.

 

[Steve1300]

For those of us who have full-time jobs and mainly a Saturday to get work done, the idea of renting equipment that requires we go fetch them and take them back when done is a non-starter. If I need to use a backhoe, I need it now and not next week. There are many times that I have discovered that I needed to get something done by lunch or dinner and rental would not work. It's worse than having to stop everything I am doing and running off to TSC for hardware! On top of that, rental companies around my area work only 1/2 days on Saturday.

The L is a smart choice over a B. A B-series is a smart choice if one needs smaller and lighter stuff and the person operating it is intimidated by size such as numerous trees and tight spaces. I nearly bought a B for my wife because she was nervous about using the MX.

 

[conkli48]

now i was between then desicion when i was tractor shopping earlier this year, I went with a kioti. But i was really down to these to tractors and the kioti. MY friend has had a b2650 for a few years. Its a good size and convenient. He uses it mainly for mowing and brush clearing on 9 acres. I thought really hard about it. But the L2501 as said before had more weight, more capacities and could do more. But one caveat is that the 2650 is a more premium line with more features. The L is fairly plain jane. I decided that i would rather have the 2501, because it was more capable and would last longer as it is built on larger frame and be able to take more abuse and have less go wrong with it. Also it was a bit cheaper at my local dealer. I ended up going with kioti because of price and features on the ck2610 were more like the 2650 for less cost than the 2501. My dad makes fun of me for getting an "off brand kubota" jokingly. But i have nothing against kubota, and if dealer could have done better on price i would have had the 2501. The 2650 of my friends is a very smooth machine and comfy. The l2501 is alot like my dads mx5200, not in hp or size, but in overall feel and handling. Its nice and wouldnt think twice on it. The one thing i dont like on the l2501 is the steering linkage, instead of power steering it has a geared system. That Is not going to be as durable or easy to change in the future,( cant just replace a cylinder or rebuild.) Its its own system, and while it works, wouldnt be my first choice.


So in closing, in a heads up comparison between the two. The L2501 offers more for less. While being same horse power, the 2501 is capable of much more and as they always say get the biggest tractor you can afford, or you will buy twice. Thats why I would pick the 2501 for your needs. As a backhoe, it will be better suited and be stronger and I predict a longer service life. But if you are looking for more features and want a mid mount pto that can run a front snowblower or other things, than the 2650 is your pick. They are both quality machines. Just different strokes for different folks

 

[wagne223]

I think you are interchanging power steering and hydraulic steering.

Hydraulic steering there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the tires. Just hydraulic fluid and cylinders. Common on larger boats and heavy equipment.

Conventional steering there are gears, shafts and linkage connecting the steering wheel to the tires.
These systems are used in millions of applications with very little trouble.

Power steering can be applied to both systems.

The L2501 has conventional power steering.

 

[Eagleray]

Thanks everybody for the input, it's really looking like a L2501 in my near future. Once purchased I'll come back with pics etc.

 

[conkli48]

I think you are interchanging power steering and hydraulic steering.

Hydraulic steering there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the tires. Just hydraulic fluid and cylinders. Common on larger boats and heavy equipment.

Conventional steering there are gears, shafts and linkage connecting the steering wheel to the tires.
These systems are used in millions of applications with very little trouble.

Power steering can be applied to both systems.

The L2501 has conventional power steering.

Ya I mixed up my words, but there still is way more geared parts that require more adjustments over time. I know they work good in cars over time but cars dont lift a thousand lbs and steer around with it not to mention 4wd. I know the hydraulic steering has its drawbacks as well, such as leaky seals. But compared to alot of kubotas other lines the L series is the only one that uses this system that ive seen. In my experience, the hydraulic steering is better for equipment when under load. Whether its a cost savings or not to build. I would still choose the l2501 due to its other qualities over the b2650. Just more robust rear end and loader.

 

[SunValley]

I went thru the same decision process about 10 months ago. I chose the B2650. Fit and finish are much better, IMHO, with the B. I also loaded the back tires so weight vs the L2501 was a non-issue. I also found the backhoe to be very function assume you are removing small trees/stumps. I also used it extensively for snow removal with a LandPrice 72" snow pusher and a LP 72" back blade. It worked great and that is saying something as we had more than 200 inches of snow last year.

That said, I recently sold my B2650 and upgraded to a L5460. Why? snow blowing in ROPS tractor is an experience...especially if you have wet snow. Also, the tractor bogged down in heavy snow so it took a long time to get work done. Again, this is especially true with wet snow. I also had problems running a 60" shredder on uneven ground. The engine would overheat within 20 mins and I was done.

Net-net, I would suggest you look at a bigger (i.e., more HP) tractor for your application. If you are good with a ROPS tractor, then an MX5200 costs essentially the same as a L4701 and has plenty of HP which means you wont be looking to upgrade within a year like i was. I should also mention that resale of a B2650 with loader and backhoe, with approximately 150 hours, was painful (i.e., 20% hair cut on resale and I was only able to depreciate 10%). A couple of more years of depreciation would have made it much easier for essentially the same resale price. If you plan to plow a bunch of snow, then I would highly suggest a cab...especially in your area which I assume gets a lot of heavy snow.