Mowing L2501 enough power?

[beranimus]

I'm looking into getting a new Kubota and wondering if the L2501 has enough power to run a rotary cutter/brush hog and cut lots of black berry bushes and 4ft tall grass? I just want to make sure it would be capable enough. I was also considering the new LX2610 but leaning toward the L2501. So would either have enough power or do I need to step it up to a 30hp+ tractor?
Thanks

 

[Roadworthy]

It probably depends a lot on the width of the rotary cutter and the speed at which you plan to cut. I use my L2501 with a five foot rotary mower with no issues. The speed at which you expect to cut will have an effect, too. I don't generally let my grass get four feet tall but I have mowed when it was as high as the hood of the tractor. If you mow at a reasonable pace the L2501 is capable of the job. Be advised, if you move to a 30+ hp tractor and it's a new one you'll have the Category 4 EPA emissions stuff to contend with. That was a major reason for me going with the L2501 instead of something bigger in the first place. Thus far it has met or exceeded my expectations.

 

[beranimus]

The extra emissions equipment is exact why I was hoping the L2501 would work. I'm definitely OK going over the taller and thicker material slower. Thanks for the reply

 

[RalphVa]

If it doesn't have to do it uphill. Pushing that heavy thing plus running a bush hog uphill might be a chore.

Depends on width of the hog. 4 ft probably okay going uphill. 5 ft probably not.

Ralph

 

[beranimus]

It's all pretty flat ground. Just pretty over grown.

 

[kthompson]

I have a B2710 with HST. I have a rough cut mower that is just over four feet wide. It is the width of the rear wheels. In mid range it will run hot cutting such as you have in low range it does ok but that is slow mowing.

 

[jeff9366]

Your topic in T-B-N ARCHIVE:

L251 power site:tractorbynet.com - Google Search

 

[JohnMaldaner]

It probably depends a lot on the width of the rotary cutter and the speed at which you plan to cut. I use my L2501 with a five foot rotary mower with no issues. The speed at which you expect to cut will have an effect, too. I don't generally let my grass get four feet tall but I have mowed when it was as high as the hood of the tractor. If you mow at a reasonable pace the L2501 is capable of the job. Be advised, if you move to a 30+ hp tractor and it's a new one you'll have the Category 4 EPA emissions stuff to contend with. That was a major reason for me going with the L2501 instead of something bigger in the first place. Thus far it has met or exceeded my expectations.

I pull a 5’ Bush hog with my 2501 in medium range on mostly flat ground and have not had issues in tall grass. Can’t say I’ve let it get 4 feet tall, but pretty tall!

 

[skipperbrown]

It will depend on how thick your 4' grass is and if you have hills. I have 70 PTO hp on my NH and I can labor the engine in 4' high thick fescue running at 4 mph with a 7' brush cutter. At that speed, when the grass is thick, the cutter has trouble processing the bulk and it talks back to the tractor. I had a 6' flail cutter for my L3940 and it really bogged down in thick grass too. I had to cut 5' high johnson grass at a snail's pace which was very frustrating. If you have thick grass, you will have to run a 20 PTO hp tractor very slow. Sometimes very, very slow.

I would discuss your cutting needs with your dealer. You may want to go with a smaller 4' deck cutter. We all want a 5' minimum cut, but sometimes it's just not practical with a small tractor.

 

[RickB]

There were (are?) thousands of Ford 8N, 9N and 2N tractors paired with 60 inch cutters. Those tractors had less torque and higher gearing than an L2501. A 5 foot cutter only has to cut a full swath on the first pass. In fact, cut quality is often improved bu overlapping the wheel track on the last cut pass next to the uncut area. A 4 foot cutter is a poor choice for an L2501. Simply not done where I work and we have sold dozens and dozens of L2501s.

 

[crashz]

I cut small fields for a side business. I'll be honest, I have only wished for more power when cutting heavy, thick grass. Wet makes it worse. My 5' cutter also has a tough time discharging the cut materials, so it builds and clogs as I go. If it had an open back, it would move along pretty well.

With the L2501, there is a lot more power to be had beyond the PTO speed of 2000 rpms.

 

[RickB]

Mowing grass the cutter should be set lower in front than the back. Less power consumed, less recutting, more room to discharge material. Cutting brush the mower can be set lower in the rear to better reduce the brush to decompose.

 

[crashz]

Good tip Rick. I'll adjust the tail wheel this weekend and give it a shot.

 

[s219]

The L2501 has the old L3400 (34HP) engine that is RPM limited to stay under Tier 4 requirements. So it's a lot gutsier than the specs indicate.

I run a 6' bush hog on my L3200 and it does fine. I think a 2501 would be fine with a 5' unit.

 

[diesel85]

I run a 62" flail mower on a 22HP BX2200 and have mowed 2-3' tall grass. I run it in low gear.

It's not the fastest thing in the world, but it works and I've never had an issue. It's great for mowing my trails when I don't have time to do it in my normal finish mowing schedule.

I'm sure it will run a lot better on a bigger machine, but that won't be in the cards for another year or so.

If anyone asks why I bought a 62" flail mower when I have a BX, it's because I know I'm upgrading down the line. I figured I'd start getting implements for the bigger machine. Turns out the BX is a little more mightier than I thought.

 

[2XFrankG]

I have an L2501 with a 5 ft cutter and have mowed lots with some pretty thick grass. RickB was right about having your mower properly set up. That and keeping your blades sharp makes a huge difference. The L2501 to me is a modern day version of the old ford 8n. It’s a simple design that the average person can afford and work on themselves and can get most any job done.

 

[beranimus]

Thanks for the input everyone. I really appreciate it