New Kubota L2501 ordered

[ken erickson]

I purchased a 56 acre land parcel in central Wisconsin 2 1/2 years ago and have since been involved in prairie/oak savanna habitat restoration/creation that directly benefits the Federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly. After forestry mowing the invasive Scots pines on 28 acres and a seeding of native forbs and grasses I will be responsible for maintenance mowing of weeds while the natives take root and eventually crowd out the weeds.

This brings me to my purchase of the L2501. I have a Kubota B7100 hst ,great little tractor, with a 4 foot brush cutter. But unfortunately not capable enough to efficiently mow 28 acres 2 to 3 times a year for the first two years after planting.

I settled on the Kubota L2501 after narrowing down the choices to it and the Kioti CK2610. It was a very tough choice! I found both machines seemed to have close to the same build quality , same price as optioned, close to the same warranty. The Kioti dealer is closer and I can't say enough about the personal that worked with me on pricing and options. I wish I could combine the best features of both machines into one! In the end Kubota won out as I have had such good luck with my B7100, dealer network, parts availability etc.

One consideration is that I use a wheelchair and had made hand controls for the B7100. The L2501 will be a bit easier due to its treadle pedal versus the two side by side pedals that the Kioti uses.

I optioned the L2501 with loader, quick attach , 66 inch bucket, R4 tires and Land pride dealer installed third function kit. I intend to get much use out of a grapple, grapple not purchased yet.

Any thoughts on running a 6 foot brush cutter compared to the 5 foot that Kubota recommends? The cutting I will be doing should be low horsepower as it will be set high, 8 to 10 inches, knocking down weed bolts that are higher than the natives to prevent them from going to seed.

 

[BigG]

I would hope you can share the mods that you make to the l2501 for you to operate it. I am wondering how you get on and off of it. I am unable to stand but I can with a struggle get on the tractor. However the steering wheel flexes a great deal and I am afraid to keep pulling on it to get onto the tractor. I am lucky in that once I get on I can use my legs to operate the machine. I have seen some pictures of a handle that was attached to the peddle that aloud the operator to control the movement of the tractor.

As to your question about the 6 foot mower. I would think if your only use is to top off the weeds as the grass grows you will be ok with it. I would think that to be successful you would have to keep the blade very sharp. If you are tempted to mow other areas the 6 foot will be useful but you will need to go slowly.

Perhaps you could look at a Swisher mower to pull behind you. They are self powered mowers that you could offset behind you and mow 9-10 foot across. However I do not know how high they can be set.

 

[ken erickson]

"I would hope you can share the mods that you make to the l2501 for you to operate it. I am wondering how you get on and off of it."

Great question! On my B7100 I installed a hard topped canopy attached to the ROPS , and yes , its welded which I know is not recommended. I have a hand hold that I reach up with my left hand and "pull" myself into the seat. The L2501 is going to be a much tougher challenge. I have considered many options at this point including a simple parking space "dug" out with my loader that will get me much closer to the seat height. I have a more complex solution in the drawing stage that will be attached to the loader bracket. If your interested in how many farmers, landowners with tractors that have mobility issues have solved getting up and into their tractors go to Youtube and type in "tractor disability".

As far as the mods for driving the tractor they are pretty simple and straightforward. I have my B7100 set up with a simple lever attached to the treadle that I control with my right hand. It comes up somewhat between my legs, much like a shifter for a gear transmission. I also have a hand lever attached to the clutch pedal. Thats it for my controls on the B7100. On the L2501 same HST lever and clutch lever will be used, but I am also considering a crossover loader control lever that will allow me to control the lift and curl function of the loader with my left hand, which will allow me to move forward into a dirt pile at the same time. I know of course I will not be as efficient with a loader as someone that has use of all extremities.

 

[Roadworthy]

With that mower, be sure your three point sway turnbuckles do not allow excessive side movement. They can be forced into the tires by the mower swinging from side to side and rub or damage the tires. The L2501 does not include a right grab handle. It's not even in the parts book. It is in the book for the larger "L" tractors. I got one and found it to be a great and greatly used accessory. Good luck with your new tractor. I love mine.

 

[ken erickson]

With that mower, be sure your three point sway turnbuckles do not allow excessive side movement. They can be forced into the tires by the mower swinging from side to side and rub or damage the tires. The L2501 does not include a right grab handle. It's not even in the parts book. It is in the book for the larger "L" tractors. I got one and found it to be a great and greatly used accessory. Good luck with your new tractor. I love mine.

Thanks! I had noticed some owners of L2501's have installed right fender hand holds, which I think I will end up also. One of the features that Kioti has standard on their "economy" CK2610.

How do you find the seat as far as comfort? I know the seat will be a big step up from my lightly padded seat pan on my B7100 but also know its not a deluxe seat by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[BAP]

Have you considered a flail mower if you are mostly mowing grass?

 

[ken erickson]

Have you considered a flail mower if you are mostly mowing grass?

I have considered a flail mower. I like the idea of a flail mower making the whole rig more compact. The weeds that will need to be mowed off before they go to seed will be things like common mullein , spotted knapweed, cool season grasses.
Oak and aspen resprouts.

What I do not know about the flail mower is will I be able to regulate the height of the cut as well as I would with a brush cutter and tail wheel?

 

[edritchey]

Ken Kubota seats on the L01 series leave a lot to be desired but there are some decent low cost options if you do a search here you will see a lot of choices.

 

[Roadworthy]

I guess seating comfort is an individual thing. My Kubota seat is so much better than my old Mitsubishi seat I can't really compare the two. The Kubota seat has a lot more give and is far more comfortable. I'm sure there are better seats out there but for mowing it works well for me.

 

[Dunbar]

Paul and Kathy Short just started mods on a L2501 and one of them is a handle for climbing aboard. They note the steering wheel flex.

I would hope you can share the mods that you make to the l2501 for you to operate it. I am wondering how you get on and off of it. I am unable to stand but I can with a struggle get on the tractor. However the steering wheel flexes a great deal and I am afraid to keep pulling on it to get onto the tractor. I am lucky in that once I get on I can use my legs to operate the machine. I have seen some pictures of a handle that was attached to the peddle that aloud the operator to control the movement of the tractor.

As to your question about the 6 foot mower. I would think if your only use is to top off the weeds as the grass grows you will be ok with it. I would think that to be successful you would have to keep the blade very sharp. If you are tempted to mow other areas the 6 foot will be useful but you will need to go slowly.

Perhaps you could look at a Swisher mower to pull behind you. They are self powered mowers that you could offset behind you and mow 9-10 foot across. However I do not know how high they can be set.

 

[Jchonline]

If you are getting a 6 ft check the weight difference. Sometimes a heavier duty or larger rotary cutter throws the tractor around more than you want. It doesnt seem like it would be an issue, but you might want to check into it further.

 

[ken erickson]

If you are getting a 6 ft check the weight difference. Sometimes a heavier duty or larger rotary cutter throws the tractor around more than you want. It doesnt seem like it would be an issue, but you might want to check into it further.

I just went online to confirm what I think the dealer told me. The L3301 and L3901 are rated for a six foot cutter. The L2501 is the same frame (wheelbase and track) with very close to the same overall weight and lift capacities. My dealer mentioned that the L2501 would handle the weight of the 6 foot mower just fine, but lacking in horsepower. I will be darned if I can find a online source that lists the maximum implement weight/widths for the 01 series. Maybe someone can confirm on the 3301 and 3901 what is recommended max width for a rotary brush cutter ?

 

[BigG]

With that mower, be sure your three point sway turnbuckles do not allow excessive side movement. They can be forced into the tires by the mower swinging from side to side and rub or damage the tires. The L2501 does not include a right grab handle. It's not even in the parts book. It is in the book for the larger "L" tractors. I got one and found it to be a great and greatly used accessory. Good luck with your new tractor. I love mine.

Do you remember the part number for the right grab handle?

 

[Missouribound]

Take a look at Tractordata.com.
They have a lot of information. Perhaps you can find what you need there.

 

[Nicfin36]

I would be skeptical of running a 6 foot cutter on a L2501. Granted, the only PTO driven implement I have used so far has been a new 5 foot tiller and it handled it well, but I had to go slow on new ground.

I run a 6 foot cutter on my old John Deere 2030. I think it is a 68 hp tractor. 60 hp rated at PTO. In tall grass the 6 foot cutter will bog it down some.

My little tractor has impressed me so far, I think a 5 foot cutter would suit the tractor better related to the hp and size.

 

[Nicfin36]

do you remember the part number for the right grab handle?

t1060-29470

 

[dlundblad]

With that mower, be sure your three point sway turnbuckles do not allow excessive side movement. They can be forced into the tires by the mower swinging from side to side and rub or damage the tires. The L2501 does not include a right grab handle. It's not even in the parts book. It is in the book for the larger "L" tractors. I got one and found it to be a great and greatly used accessory. Good luck with your new tractor. I love mine.

I had mine rubbing on the tires and I have telescopic arms. Ouch.

No damage done thankfully. Caught it just in time. Lol.

 

[ken erickson]

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses! As far as the cutter is concerned I have till May 2020 to choose. The tractor should be ready for pickup first week in Oct.

 

[BigG]

t1060-29470

Thank you

BigG

 

[todd.ted]

I just went online to confirm what I think the dealer told me. The L3301 and L3901 are rated for a six foot cutter. The L2501 is the same frame (wheelbase and track) with very close to the same overall weight and lift capacities. My dealer mentioned that the L2501 would handle the weight of the 6 foot mower just fine, but lacking in horsepower. I will be darned if I can find a online source that lists the maximum implement weight/widths for the 01 series. Maybe someone can confirm on the 3301 and 3901 what is recommended max width for a rotary brush cutter ?

This pdf has all of the Kubota/Land Pride implements for the L series.