Would a L2501HST be adequate for my needs?

[nvcdl]

New home is on 40 acres - about 15 acres of fields, rest in woods and ponds. I purchased a 54" Husqvarna Zero-turn and have been usig that to trim the 5 acres around the house. I want to get something to bushhog the rest and clear and maintain an old ATV trail around perimiter of property through the woods. Have about 400 yards of gravel road to maintain also. Will want to be able to spread gravel - clear snow.

I also want to use tractor to move some old hay bales ( round about 5' - 6' in size) into a berm for shooting.

Have a 6 car garage with converntional sized doors that I will store tractor in.

I have no expereince other than what I picked up online - I've stopped at Kubota dealer and New Holland/Massey Ferguson Dealers and gotton quotes. I also got quotes on a slightly used MX5800 and a new L4701HST (all of them with 3rd func. valve). The Massey Ferguson dealer gave me quotes on MF 2705, MF 2706 & NH WM40 and WM50. T


The L2501HST is about 10-12K less than the other options. The L2501HST is the minimum I am considering and it looks like it would probably handle most of my needs but I'm not sure it would be able to handle moving the hay. The MX5800 is a lot bigger more powerful tractors but I'm concerned it might not be as easy to use in woods and may be overkill for my needs.

Looking for input from current/past L2501HST owners - do you think it can handle moving 6' round bales of hay?

 

[skipperbrown]

If you are going to be moving 6' bales, I will recommend the MX. In the fields, weight and power are your friend.

 

[crashz]

Also assuming you will brush hog the ~10 acres of remaining fields, that will also be a lot for the L2501, say with a 5ft hog. The problem there is your PTO power will require you to go pretty slow or take half width passes. it takes me about 7 hours to do 5 acres of relatively flat overgrown field with few obstructions.

Otherwise the L2501 is a fanastic machine.

 

[ericm979]

If moving the round bales is a one time thing you don't need to size the tractor to regularly handle them. You could drag or push them into position or borrow a larger machine or hire someone. Will hay bales stop the rounds you'll be shooting? I've only seen them used for archery.

But the amount of mowing would indicate a larger machine with more HP and maybe a larger mower too. Though a 5' is good for atv trails and tighter spaces between trees so you might want two mowers. In some parts of the country used mowers can be had in reasonable condition for a reasonable price. Here they're beat up and expensive.

The 3rd function is goood for operating a grapple, which is very useful when clearing trees and brush. I leave mine on the tractor as the default attachment, only switching to bucket or forks when I have specific need.

 

[jeff9366]

New home is on 40 acres - about 15 acres of fields, rest in woods and ponds.

I want to get something to bushhog the rest and clear and maintain an old ATV trail around perimiter of property through the woods. Have about 400 yards of gravel road to maintain also. Will want to be able to spread gravel - clear snow. L2501HST owners - do you think it can handle moving 6' round bales of hay?

The L2501HST is about 10-12K less than the other options. The L2501HST is the minimum I am considering and it looks like it would probably handle most of my needs but I'm not sure it would be able to handle moving the hay. The MX5800 is a lot bigger more powerful tractors but I'm concerned it might not be as easy to use in woods and may be overkill for my needs.

L2501 will not have enough horsepower if your land has slopes you need to work, nor enough power to operate a medium duty nor heavy duty Rotary Cutter on slopes.


Rotary Mowers, like other implements, come in Light Duty, Medium Duty and Heavy Duty models. If you carefully study new mower specs, most have Category 3 drive lines. Heavy Duty models have Category 4 drive lines. Dealers often refer to HD Category 4 mowers as "Right-of-Way" Mowers.

25 horsepower will power a Light Duty 5' Rotary Mower
35 horsepower will power a Heavy Duty 5' Rotary Mower

35 horsepower will power a Light Duty 6' Rotary Mower
45 horsepower will power a Heavy Duty 6' Rotary Mower

Using a HD Rotary Cutter of 1,000 - 1,100 pounds you will need an FEL to hold down the front of the tractor on moderate slopes.

I use a Land Pride RCR2660 (60") HD Rotary Cutter with a Class 4 driveline, weighing 1,002 pounds. My 2013 vintage L3560 with 37-horsepower powers RCR2660 through Florida jungle mowing over flat land with no complaint and no damage/distortion to the implement. I "try" not to cut brush thicker than 1-1/2".
$3,120.00 in May 2018.

I had a Land Pride RCF2060 (60") medium-duty Rotary Cuter with a Class 3 driveline, weighing 620 pounds, nominally rated for 2" brush. It required a ~~$600 repair each year when I would get into brush. It would have been reliable cutting grass. $1,600 in February 2014.

Most Rotary Cutter mowing is done in HST/MEDIUM.

If you buy too light a Rotary Cutter, then cut saplings, it will soon visit the shop.

Regardless of what you buy, order chain guards for the front and rear, not rubber guards and not plain metal.



You cannot move round bales SAFELEY. Lifting heavy loads on a tractor FEL, then attempting to move heavy loads with FEL elevated is when most tractor rollovers occur.

A 3,800 pound bare tractor weight MX, which will have an operating weight of around 6,000 pounds with FEL and Three Point Hitch counterbalance, is minimum to move round bales occasionally, but not enough weight for moving round bales safely on a routine basis. Tractor weight will help keep you safe as you learn tractor operation.


Your LOCATION should be part of your T-B-N PROFILE, so location shows with every post you make. We will have a better idea of your topography if we know your location. Observe your respondents posts.

Altitude robs tractor engines of power output. You are considering minimal horsepower, which will be less over 2000' altitude.

 

[nvcdl]

If moving the round bales is a one time thing you don't need to size the tractor to regularly handle them. You could drag or push them into position or borrow a larger machine or hire someone. Will hay bales stop the rounds you'll be shooting? I've only seen them used for archery.
...

The 3rd function is goood for operating a grapple, which is very useful when clearing trees and brush. I leave mine on the tractor as the default attachment, only switching to bucket or forks when I have specific need.

It should be a one time thing to move the bales. The farmer who was harvesting hay said they were bad hay so he just baled it up to get it out of way - I figure if I stacked them up they would make a pretty decent backstop until I can get some dirt delivered to build a berm.

The zero turn takes me about 4 hours to mow the front 5 acres - also used it to clear some areas around my pond.

The dealer is offering me a slightly used MX5800 with front loader and 3rd function for about 32K - said a customer bought it and then traded it back in a couple months later for another tractor so it is almost new. Does this seem like good price?

The L4701HST is new and about 2k less than the MX5800 with same set up ( front end loader & 3rd function) - seems to be in between the L2501 and MX5800 in size so may be more nimble in woods.

 

[nvcdl]

L2501 will not have enough horsepower if your land has slopes you need to work, nor enough power to operate a medium duty nor heavy duty Rotary Cutter on slopes.


Rotary Mowers, like other implements, come in Light Duty, Medium Duty and Heavy Duty models. If you carefully study new mower specs, most have Category 3 drive lines. Heavy Duty models have Category 4 drive lines. Dealers often refer to HD Category 4 mowers as "Right-of-Way" Mowers.

25 horsepower will power a Light Duty 5' Rotary Mower
35 horsepower will power a Heavy Duty 5' Rotary Mower

35 horsepower will power a Light Duty 6' Rotary Mower
45 horsepower will power a Heavy Duty 6' Rotary Mower

Using a HD Rotary Cutter of 1,000 - 1,100 pounds you will need an FEL to hold down the front of the tractor on moderate slopes.

I use a Land Pride RCR2660 (60") HD Rotary Cutter with a Class 4 driveline, weighing 1,002 pounds. My 2013 vintage L3560 with 37-horsepower powers RCR2660 through Florida jungle mowing over flat land with no complaint and no damage/distortion to the implement. I "try" not to cut brush thicker than 1-1/2".
$3,120.00 in May 2018.

I had a Land Pride RCF2060 (60") medium-duty Rotary Cuter with a Class 3 driveline, weighing 620 pounds, nominally rated for 2" brush. It required a ~~$600 repair each year when I would get into brush. It would have been reliable cutting grass. $1,600 in February 2014.

Most Rotary Cutter mowing is done in HST/MEDIUM.

If you buy too light a Rotary Cutter, then cut saplings, it will soon visit the shop.

Regardless of what you buy, order chain guards for the front and rear, not rubber guards and not plain metal.



You cannot move round bales SAFELEY. Lifting heavy loads on a tractor FEL, then attempting to move heavy loads with FEL elevated is when most tractor rollovers occur.

A 3,800 pound bare tractor weight MX, which will have an operating weight of around 6,000 pounds with FEL and Three Point Hitch counterbalance, is minimum to move round bales occasionally, but not enough weight for moving round bales safely on a routine basis. Tractor weight will help keep you safe as you learn tractor operation.


Your LOCATION should be part of your T-B-N PROFILE, so location shows with every post you make. We will have a better idea of your topography if we know your location. Observe your respondents posts.

Altitude robs tractor engines of power output. You are considering minimal horsepower, which will be less over 2000' altitude.

The alltitude shouldn't be an issue as I'm in central Virginia - there are some slight slopes in part of the fields & woods but nothing major.

I've been told that a L2501 can handle a 5' bush hog - is this incorrect? At this point I don't intend to use the tractor to mow - will continue to use zero turn mower.

Thanks for the input on handling bales. I def want to get something that has enough power to move them safely.

 

[YLee Kioti]

35 acres of woods and ponds. Hmmmm looking down the road you will have a need for a grapple and maybe a stump grinder for those aging decaying tress, or for your future outlook on how you'd like the place to look by thinning out some trees.
So a L2501 maybe a bit to small. However, it would depend on the size of trees. 30-50 footers, 2 to 3 foot across etc.
So size of woodlands will either tax your L2501 or will be no problemo for the MX machine.
Food for thought.

 

[3gunr]

Lots of tractors out there to choose from ,but i would definitly be looking at 40 hp minimum.

 

[RickB]

The alltitude shouldn't be an issue as I'm in central Virginia - there are some slight slopes in part of the fields & woods but nothing major.

I've been told that a L2501 can handle a 5' bush hog - is this incorrect? At this point I don't intend to use the tractor to mow - will continue to use zero turn mower.

Thanks for the input on handling bales. I def want to get something that has enough power to move them safely.

An inexpensive 3 point hitch bale spear and an L2501 will move 4x5 and probably 5x5 round bales safely. Unless you have to stack the bales you don’t need to move them with the FEL. The primary advantages of an L2501 are price and lack of expensive and troublesome emissions equipment. It will handle a 60” rotary cutter. If I were you I would look very hard at an L2501, talk to real world owners and decide if one will work for you.