What kind of side work were you going to do?
Some considerations if you are planning on side work.
Will you be working on grass/lawns or needing to drive on grass to get to the work?
Will you be driving on septic systems?
Will you be operating near houses/garages/vehicles and people?
If yes on those the 2501 will be better suited.
Doing side work and do you want a cab?
Will you be needing to communicate with customers/people while on the tractor?
Will you want maximum visibility?
Will you need to maneuver around trees a lot?
Will you be needing to get on and off a lot?
Do you have a garage or shop you need to fit into that a cab would hinder?
If yes on those, you would be better off without a cab.
I do side work with a tractor and personally, I would never have one with a cab mainly for the reasons listed above. I still do snow removal in the winter (plow and pusher) and that can be cold, but we also go out and snowmobile in it, so cold is a relative thing. I do have a ROPS canopy with a fan mounted for sun/cooling that tends to keep the bugs off and that would make a nice addition to the 2501. I tend to do a lot of lawn work and work around houses and driveways so for the type of side work I do the cab and weight would hinder me in a lot of situations.
If you are going to be doing mostly field work get the Grand 60
.
Side work is completely different in that it isn't about your needs, but the needs of the person you will be helping. So I have to go back to the first question,
What kind of side work were you going to do?
