Price Check L2501 in Ontario

[Carl_NH]

If you end up going the 2501 route I would get a 6' rear scraper blade for snow and general leveling and a counter weight for the FEL and the QA loader bucket and an extra set of Hyd valves on the loader for a future snow plow or grapple setup. You can find a used 5' brush hog for $5-700 typical or just keep using your tow behind for now.

You can add a canopy to the ROPS too which will keep a lot of the snow/rain/sun off and in the winter golf cart enclosures are $300 to fit over the canopy for a cheap cab setup too.

 

[Ricn]

Good suggestions - I have both the canopy and 3 hydraulics on the rear for top and tilt plus a 3rd one for my flail mower side to side; all very useful too! No need for snow blower in my area and if getting a grapple can run that off one of the rear remotes.

Ricn

 

[ottawarob]

The 2501 works for 90% of our needs now, just the long field grass where mowing slow is a must but gets the job done! Our hills are minimal really, but when the nose of the tractor rises or in heavy, long grass you notice it pulling hard but still it cut ok using low gear and 2000 rpm. At 19.5 PTO HP only, it is not all that much pending grass types and height, 25 PTO HP would be much better though so, an old tractor having more would be good, just have to try the 2501, see how it does on your place. If possible, I'd try a 5ft mower before buying the 4ft mower as it may work just fine and not take as long. The rear wheels on these machines are 60" outside to outside, my brush hog is the same as is the flail mower. Regardless, you will love the 2501 for most everything on a small place.

Ricn

Been thinking about it too much,now I'm wondering if I should go a bit bigger for better lift capacity. For most of the day to day work, the loader on the L2501 should be fantastic, but we do a lot of funny stuff around here, and being able to lift & drag even more I'm sure would come in handy.

Definitely going to inquire about the L3301 (better horse power for chipping) and a MX4800. The MX is a lot more money, but man it's a nice package.

 

[ottawarob]

If you end up going the 2501 route I would get a 6' rear scraper blade for snow and general leveling and a counter weight for the FEL and the QA loader bucket and an extra set of Hyd valves on the loader for a future snow plow or grapple setup. You can find a used 5' brush hog for $5-700 typical or just keep using your tow behind for now.

You can add a canopy to the ROPS too which will keep a lot of the snow/rain/sun off and in the winter golf cart enclosures are $300 to fit over the canopy for a cheap cab setup too.

Definitely want to get the QA loader bucket, having some light pallet forks would be great for moving stuff around. I can imagine a number of heavy things I'd start to store on pallets for easy moving.

Canopy would be nice!

An extra set of valves would be useful, I like the idea of a hydro top link. Getting $$$ though. If I do go with the L2501, it's at least in part a budget minded purchase, if I start to add a ton of features the budget goes out the window.

 

[Ricn]

From what you have posted, the L3300 will do all your asking with it's higher PTO HP; an mx4800 is a big step up. Nothing wrong with going big and bigger, just so you have the work for something in that category for most all you want to accomplish. Tractors can be like travel trailers, always wanting one bigger. Much of American small farming was built on the Ford 8N after WWII, john Deere took care of a lot using a 2 cylinder tractor until the 1960's.

Ricn

 

[metalbender]

Older tractors do good with bush hog and driveway stuff. For bucket and especially fork work, the hst wins hands down. Had a short session with an old Ford 3000 fel and bucket forks. Not a happy experience, gets old real fast.

 

[ottawarob]

Older tractors do good with bush hog and driveway stuff. For bucket and especially fork work, the hst wins hands down. Had a short session with an old Ford 3000 fel and bucket forks. Not a happy experience, gets old real fast.

Yeah, I drove around a bit on the lot with the L2501, I can totally see how it'd be great for getting the tractor right where you'd like it. I have a manual transmission Subaru, I can imagine clutch in, clutch out gets old with a loader.

 

[ottawarob]

From what you have posted, the L3300 will do all your asking with it's higher PTO HP; an mx4800 is a big step up. Nothing wrong with going big and bigger, just so you have the work for something in that category for most all you want to accomplish. Tractors can be like travel trailers, always wanting one bigger. Much of American small farming was built on the Ford 8N after WWII, john Deere took care of a lot using a 2 cylinder tractor until the 1960's.

Ricn

Sure don't want to pay the extra dollars for the L3301, but it does seem a little more future proof for wood chipping and other PTO implements. I've heard they're quieter too?

 

[Carl_NH]

Here's a nice L4240 machine in Renfrew area for $25K and 200 hours and has a QA bucket too. https://www.kijiji.ca/v-farming-equ...ts/1439674106?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

The 2501 will likely do 90% of what you need/want to do and you learn the limits of the machine - like not overloading pallets and such, but I you need to lift pallets of brick regularly or more than 1500-2000 Lbs go bigger if not the 2501 is a nice machine.

Also, if you do go new, adding the front remotes (or rear) or canopy etc you have a position to negotiate more at the initial sale than later on - so you may spend an extra $2K but negotiate the whole package that $2K adder may be $1000 today.

 

[ottawarob]

Here's a nice L4240 machine in Renfrew area for $25K and 200 hours and has a QA bucket too. https://www.kijiji.ca/v-farming-equ...ts/1439674106?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

The 2501 will likely do 90% of what you need/want to do and you learn the limits of the machine - like not overloading pallets and such, but I you need to lift pallets of brick regularly or more than 1500-2000 Lbs go bigger if not the 2501 is a nice machine.

Also, if you do go new, adding the front remotes (or rear) or canopy etc you have a position to negotiate more at the initial sale than later on - so you may spend an extra $2K but negotiate the whole package that $2K adder may be $1000 today.

I saw that Refrew ad, been keeping a close eye on kijiji! I can't cough up $25k unfortunately, so I can't go for it. Nice deal though.

I can't see us doing heavier tasks that often, it would be nice to have a bigger machine for the odd time we'd want to, but I think we can get up to a lot of work with the LA525 loader. This would be my main reason for going to a larger machine, but there's also a nimbleness to the L2501 that you lose with larger units.

The Massey Ferguson 165 I looked at would be amazing in this respect, but that thing was an incredible tank, would have a lot of fear about running it into something by accident.

Definitely considering negotiating advantage. I'd like to get a rear remote so I'd have it for a hydraulic top link at a later date, I could see that being handy. I like getting exercise, so having to get off the tractor to adjust a rear blade isn't a big deal for me, but being able to jimmy with the angle of a box blade sounds super handy.

I don't think I'd bother