The little 2501 is my first HST tractor being very nice all around and easy to operate.. I think it is quite noisy though in any of the three gears. Have operated several others in various sizes all with HST that are also noisy IMO- With every gear tractor of my past, never once felt like I needed muffs but still we wore them. Now I do because of necessity. Recently took my tractor on the road traveling 5 miles doing work at our church, muffs all the way and back. My neighbor has larger Kioti tractors, 2 of them in fact and he wears muffs saying, "I can't work with that noise never having it before". While I can live with the noise, I really miss all the gears in a gear tractor but the HST is so much easier with a loader there is no contest of versatility.
Ricn