L2501 Advice

[KetMalice]

Hello,

2018 4WD (unsure if it’s HST yet) 256 hours, bucket and brush hog $17,000. It’s probably spent a fair amount of its life

I grew up on Kubotas but it’s probably been 15 years since I’ve been on a tractor. I’ve been out of the game awhile.

I need to brush hog ~30 acres 5-6 times a year. Till a 30x30 garden. Misc. bucket use around the house. The brush hogging, at least initially will be fairly heavy stuff. Should all be flat.

Is this an appropriate model for my needs? Is the price a decent price? Are there any quirks I should research more into. Are there any specific items I should really check out before I would purchase?

Thanks!

 

[ken erickson]

FYI, looks to be the gear drive. Orange handled lever coming up from center floor toward front of foot platform.

The loader is not optioned with a skid steer quick attach which is a negative. If your needs will include a grapple or pallet forks besides the bucket you will end up converting to the SSQA or move on to a tractor that is already equipped.


Tilling the 30 x 30 garden once or twice a year is not an issue.

30 acres 5 times a year is a lot of brush cutting. Most of the L2501 package deals and owners equipped with a 5 foot cutter. I have experience with my HST L2501 and 6 foot light duty Landpride brush cutter and cut trails, native seeding areas and it does a good job. That being said with the amount of acreage and frequency you mentioned I think I would be looking for a larger tractor able to pull a wider cutter, even a small bat wing.

17K with 256 hours with unknown brush cutter seems inline , just not sure it is the tractor you want for the 30 acres of cutting.

 

[Elliott in GA]

FWIW - regarding rotary cutting times, I have an LX2610SU with a 5 foot LP rotary cutter. I cut a 6 acre field and a 3 acre field in early July (different days). The 6 acre field took 3.5 hours to cut; the 3 acre field required 2 hours. These fields are on my wife's family farm - next to our property. The fields are difficult to access with her family's JD 100 hp utility tractor. I cut the big field twice a year, and the small field is cut 4 times a year.

Your planned cutting would take around 17-18 hours each time. How do you feel about spending that much time cutting.

Also FWIW, I reclaimed both of these fields; they had not been mowed for years. The big field took about 6 hours to mow down all of the weeds and briars; I was stopping every 20-30 minutes to blow all of the seed head chaff off the tractor/engine/radiator with a leaf blower. The smaller field took many days to clear due to the head high multiflora rose with embedded 2-4 inch diameter trees.

 

[ken erickson]

A side note as far as price.

I purchased my HST L2501, optioned with loader, 66 inch light duty bucket , skid steer quick attach, R4 industrial tires and dealer installed Landpride third function ( for grapple use) and paid 19K even plus sales tax in the fall of 2019.

When I shopped for my tractor a lot of dealers were advertising package deals on L2501's optioned exactly like the one your considering. Gear drive, non skid steer loader, ag tires. Most package deals then had a choice of one or two implements such as a rotary cutter, box blade and then a light duty tandem axle trailer. I wish I could remember some of the prices on these packages but I am sure they were used as a draw to get folks into the dealership and into a new tractor.

That being said the L2501 series tractor is pretty tried and true without the added expense and complexity of a DPF (diesel particulate filter), sensors and controls that go along with it. Most, and I will agree, that the stated slightly less than 25HP engine punches above it's weight class.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

I think a L25xx is a great machine.

For thirty acres I’d be looking for more of a utility machine (for the brush cutting and mowing)…is it hayable? If so I’d look for someone who wants the hay if you are not wanting a utility tractor. Or if it has a fence maybe someone wants to pasture some animals?

If set on cutting it off and mowing any machine will do it, but time may become a factor with a smaller machine as Ken and Elliot mentioned. For the work you described I think Ken and Elliot are shooting you straight.

Regarding the tilling a utility machine would be kinda big for that IMO…it would surely do it, but certainly would not need a tractor that large for that size of a garden.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

Hello,

2018 4WD (unsure if it’s HST yet) 256 hours, bucket and brush hog $17,000. It’s probably spent a fair amount of its life

I grew up on Kubotas but it’s probably been 15 years since I’ve been on a tractor. I’ve been out of the game awhile.

I need to brush hog ~30 acres 5-6 times a year. Till a 30x30 garden. Misc. bucket use around the house. The brush hogging, at least initially will be fairly heavy stuff. Should all be flat.

Is this an appropriate model for my needs? Is the price a decent price? Are there any quirks I should research more into. Are there any specific items I should really check out before I would purchase?

Thanks!

I'd be looking for something like this:
* Independent PTO. The L2501 gear drive has transmission drive PTO
* ~50 hp, this is my ideal utility tractor size. It'll handle a 6' brush cutter with no sweat and would probably handle a 12' bat wing it you're going to keep it mowed regularly. 30 acres is a lot to mow regularly with 25 hp
* Transmission - this one has hydrostat but the MX5100 also came with synchro-shuttle. I don't know if the hydrostat has cruise control, if not, the synchro-shuttle might be a better fit for your use.
* Pre-DPF emissions.
* 4 wheel drive/assist, a necessity with loader

 

[jyoutz]

C

I'd be looking for something like this:
* Independent PTO. The L2501 gear drive has transmission drive PTO
* ~50 hp, this is my ideal utility tractor size. It'll handle a 6' brush cutter with no sweat and would probably handle a 12' bat wing it you're going to keep it mowed regularly. 30 acres is a lot to mow regularly with 25 hp
* Transmission - this one has hydrostat but the MX5100 also came with synchro-shuttle. I don't know if the hydrostat has cruise control, if not, the synchro-shuttle might be a better fit for your use.
* Pre-DPF emissions.
* 4 wheel drive/assist, a necessity with loader

View attachment 134048

Cruise control can be added to the MX hydro for a couple hundred bucks.

 

[PaulL]

I agree that an L2501 is a bit small for that job. It's a great machine if you're looking for the biggest 26HP machine you can get (i.e. no DPF). But it doesn't have a lot of PTO HP, so running a big cutter it'll bog down, it won't like going up hills fast etc etc.

It'll do the job, but as others have said, 30 acres is a lot to mow with an L-sized machine.

One option is to look at a flail. One of the issues with the L is that it's not heavy enough to lift a big rotary cutter, so you're stuck with a narrower cutting width. But you might be able to run a 6 foot or even 7 foot flail. The first time you cut you'd have to go real slow, but if you cut reasonably regularly you could probably run it at a reasonable speed on later cuts. A flail doesn't stick out as far, so an L can lift a bigger flail than it can a rotary cutter.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I concur with the above sentiments.

I love my General Lee, but if I had that much bushhogging to do, I might consider another/bigger machine.

Now if the x-tra time is not a big deal, IMHO the 2501's are "the best bang for the buck".

Legendary reliability, relatively simple to work/maintain and generally priced reasonable.....

Don't forget about the "turbo" option either......

I'm not 100% sure, but I also agree that the one you pictured is probably a "gear drive" due to that orange handled stick pictured.

Keep us updated on your decision, and remember "Pics,....or it didn't happen"...lol....

 

[The Evil Twin]

The hogging is going to be the biggest downfall with the 2501. I mow 2 acres with a 56" ZT. Not much smaller than the 60" hog on the 2501. I'd say the above time estimates are correct. I certainly wouldn't want to spend 2 days hogging.
I love my 2501. Most uses are loader/ grapple/ blade work. If I had 30 acres to mow I probably would have gone with a 3901 and a 78" flail.
Speaking of loader work- if you plan in doing a lot of it in tight spaces the HST is so nice. If it's open space then the manual is fine. You get more PTO power than way too.
Bottom line ( IMHO) is the 2501 will do it. It will be more hours and might feel more like work.

 

[KetMalice]

Hey guys, it's been a busy time, sorry for not getting into the conversation a little earlier. I appreciate all of the responses, I got a lot of good information.

I got some more pictures of it today. It has a Howse cutter, I can't get the actual picture of the brush hog to load so I will try again in another post. It is a Howse, looks a lot like an economy rotary cutter, I would have thought it was a 5' but I don't see that option on Howse's website.

I used google image to figure the clearing and it's about 23 acres, and then maybe 3 acres around a pond. It's been a long time since I have taken care of this land, I just don't remember how often it needs to be brush hogged so my estimate of 5-6 times a year may be very high. There are cattle running here but this specific clearing they seem to leave alone and it's overgrown with 4' weeds and 2-3' cedars (not really bigger than 1-1/2" diameter).

I live in the city and one of the most important things for me is being able to keep it in a detached oversized garage (w/o implements). 12 foot in length and 6 foot in width would be the absolute max so I can still move around comfortably in it, which according to specs that MX5100 would work. I was trying to stay under 20k but I would rather get what would be best and spend a little extra.

I appreciate all the information. I am going to do a lot more research and I will probably be back. Thank you guys so much!

 

[jyoutz]

Hey guys, it's been a busy time, sorry for not getting into the conversation a little earlier. I appreciate all of the responses, I got a lot of good information.

I got some more pictures of it today. It has a Howse cutter, I can't get the actual picture of the brush hog to load so I will try again in another post. It is a Howse, looks a lot like an economy rotary cutter, I would have thought it was a 5' but I don't see that option on Howse's website.

I used google image to figure the clearing and it's about 23 acres, and then maybe 3 acres around a pond. It's been a long time since I have taken care of this land, I just don't remember how often it needs to be brush hogged so my estimate of 5-6 times a year may be very high. There are cattle running here but this specific clearing they seem to leave alone and it's overgrown with 4' weeds and 2-3' cedars (not really bigger than 1-1/2" diameter).

I live in the city and one of the most important things for me is being able to keep it in a detached oversized garage (w/o implements). 12 foot in length and 6 foot in width would be the absolute max so I can still move around comfortably in it, which according to specs that MX5100 would work. I was trying to stay under 20k but I would rather get what would be best and spend a little extra.

I appreciate all the information. I am going to do a lot more research and I will probably be back. Thank you guys so much!

Considering your usage in heavy brush, the MX would be a far more powerful and stable platform for you.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

IMO, I’d sort of think about how much time you have or plan to spend mowing, and try to figure out the size of implement needed and size the machine to that.

I have an MX, and I love my MX. I am not sure what cutter you plan to use, but my rough estimate for Mx with a 6’ cutter mowing pasture (less than 1’ tall grass) is about 30ish - 45 min / acre…that’s in M range…if what you are mowing is rough M would bounce you a bit. In L range when I have mowed in grass more than a foot tall (say closer to 2-3’) it’s closer to 1 acre / hour….it sort depends what mowing around how many turns making etc. might be a little faster depending on your terrain and cutting path. If truly brush hogging and clearing it’s going to take longer than that IMO without a larger cutter and machine.

I guess what I am getting at goes back to some of the first posts in the thread regarding time to mow. Height of grass and density and terrain are going to have a lot to say about how fast you can mow. My estimates are only good for my pasture. (It’s just open field / grass).

I sort of think you may need to think about different chores…first one being based off your description is to reclaim some areas and get it to where you can mow it. Depending on how dense the brush and cedars are and what’s in the field you can’t see, might consider to rent or hire some one with a CTL / mulching head to get it cleared off first. Save some wear and tear on your machine, and then maintain with what you think appropriate for the size.

I think an MX would be just fine (if the time to mow estimates match your expectations), but if you are wanting a batwing type mower I am not really sure what size machine is needed. Then again if considering a cutter that large id check in with members running a batwing or mowing that size of property. I think you could easily spend the better share of a day mowing each time…or break it up and do section per time out. Either way 20plus acres takes some time.

MX is a great size machine and would be an appropriate size to consider…I think an M would be as well. I think pending size of your implements might suggest one over the other.

also I am not really sure your climate, but for amount of time you might be spending on the machine, maybe consider whether cab makes sense for you or not.

happy shopping.