B vs L

[tjborowicz]

New member here guys.
Looking to make the right purchase and not wish I went with something else after using it. I was originally looking at John Deere's but on their "economy model" the FEL is not quick detach. So I moved to kubota and I like them! Wish I would've started here to begin with.

I'll start with my property info
-I just bought 32 acres, 18+/- acres of wooded land and the rest is farm land that will be leased out to a farmer
-I have a zero turn for mowing the lawn (but I'm not opposed to mowing with the new tractor and selling the zero turn)
-I will not be farming with this tractor
-I intend to use it for snow removal I live in Michigan about the middle of the state so not real heavy snow but occasionally we do get some big storms
-Hauling wood out will be the big use. I have an outdoor wood burner so I will need wood every winter!
-Also keeping the fence lines clean for the farm land
-And any other use anybody can think of

I was set on the L2501 with the hydrostat and 4x4 then I realized there is no front mount if I ever wanted to get a snowblower, not a deal breaker but just trying to get the tractor I can keep forever. I started looking at the B series but those look kinda small to me?

2 dealers, 2 different prices for the L2501. Best price I got was $20,000 out the door, loaded R4 tires, FEL with the 2 lever attachment. I think they can do better than that?

I'm open to any suggestions you might have

 

[mickeyd]

Welcome to the OTT forum TJ. You came to the right place as we love to spend other people's money.

Either one will do what you are looking for. You did not tell state if your land is hilly or flat. I think most of middle MI is fairly flat. The other thing is how much and how big the trees will be that you will be working with?

The L has a bigger footprint and will handle bigger loads. The B you can get with a cab and mid PTO. To get a cab on the L, you would have to get a Grand L which will cost more.

 

[rjcorazza]

The L2501 is a very popular and capable machine. 20k seems high to me, but I never priced them.
I bit the bullet and went from an open station L3410 to a cabbed L4060. The Grand L’s are pricier, but they do have some nice features, both comfort and operational.
If you look at the B series machines, do your homework on the B3350 so you know what you may be getting into.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mainah]

Have you considered a rear snowblower? I have the 64” for my L2501 and it’s great. Less expensive than front mount, much easier to put on / take off especially with a quick hitch, and heavier duty IME. Plus you still have your bucket to move snow when you want.
This setup works well for me in Maine.
As for price, do a build on the Kubota website, print it, and take it in and ask for a discount. 10% should be doable or I’d shop elsewhere.

 

[sheepfarmer]

For work in the trees you probably don't want a cab, but some of the models suggested can be had with the mid pto to run a mower or a front snowblower. The biggest B is the B2650 and the smallest L with a pto is the 3560. Don't look at a 3350 in our climate. However a front loader and a rear blade will do the clearance of the snow we get around nere. In fact my neighbor clears his snow with just a loader. It all depends on the shape of the area you have to clear.. If you have someplace to push or pile the snow, a loader is fine. A blower is really nice for long narrow lanes with no place to shove the snow off. The sizes of the different B and L tractors is model dependent. There is a used L5030 at MSU and it is smaller than my L3560, in spite of being 50hp.

 

[johnjk]

I looked at the L and B series when I bought my B3200 back in 2017. I picked it up used (90hrs) with the FEL, a Woods RC5 brush hog and 4' box blade for much less than I could touch the same horsepower L. So far I've not found anything I have not been able to do or get out of with my B.

I'm on 25 acres, with 9 being woods, 7 being rented out for hay, around 2 near the house finish mowed and the remainder being trials and left wild. The driveway is 1200, east/west and the only real snow issues I have are drifting up by my garages or some buildup from the county plows. They are usually flying down my road so anything they are throwing is a good 20'+ in off the road. The FEL works fine for me and snow.

What I wish I had gotten with the L was the quick release for the FEL. I didn't see it as a need at the time, but it would sure be nice to switch out the bucket for a grapple, or just take it off without having to remove the entire FEL assembly.

 

[Freeheeler]

I was in a similar boat. After sitting on both the L2501 and the B2650, size felt identical but the deluxe features of the B vs the standard features on the L made the decision for me. So far, it's been a great decision for me. I'd recommend driving around a bit on both the bigger B and the smaller L before deciding. Like someone said previously, avoid the B3350, the higher HP is not worth the emissions problems.

 

[tjborowicz]

Sorry, yes it is all flat land where I am at. Driveways aren't too long, I think I can get by with a blade and the FEL and get a rear snowblower if I needed to down the road

 

[NewtoOrange]

For what it is worth I love my L2501. Have not found something it can't do yet. Mow my 12 acres with the 1260 cutter, box blade for fun and FEL with bucket and now a grapple. Wouldn't mind cruise and cab but maybe next tractor.

 

[tjborowicz]

That's good info. I don't want to end up with not enough HP

 

[sheepfarmer]

For good info about the L2501 and B2650, visit Aldermans and ask for Todd. He was a service tech and is now in sales. He can give you some thoughts about which models would do the best at hauling wood out of your forest. Read all the threads about whether a particular method of skidding logs out is safe or not. He has often done or said things to keep me from spending money unnecessarily. Sorry he isn't in the service division any more!

 

[dlundblad]

I was/ am in a similar situation. After talking to my guy at the dealer, he talked me "down" to the L2501. Overall, it's a bigger tractor with a beefier rear end with (I'd assume) more lifting power than the B at an identical price. It's also simpler with the old school analog gauges unlike the B with the digital dash if that matters.

It all depends on whether or not you'd want a belly mower since the B will have the mid mount PTO. Snow blower wise, I can understand having it up front, but I'd personally prefer a bucket with the blower on the 3 point.

Cruise control can be added on the L. It's $200 at my dealer and a must for me.

I'm getting my demo next week hopefully.

 

[res]

I lived in northern Michigan for many years but 3 years ago, moved south with a job change. I am north of Carson City a bit. I cannot give much advice on your choices of machine but I purchased an L3301 4 years ago and have NOT regretted it. I have 500 hours on it at this time. Up north I had 5 acres. I put 2 acres into food plot, plowed snow (lot more there then here) etc. For what it is worth, I had no difficulty keeping up with the snow load up north with just an FEL and back blade. I had space as mentioned for a snow pile so it was not a problem. IF I would not have wanted a large snow pile, (I had 3), a rear blower would have been a good choice. Once I moved down here, I think I plowed my drive a total of 8 or 9 times last year. I can handle 2" of snow without plowing. In the northern house, not uncommon to plow snow 3 or 4 times per week. Up there I did not plow until we had put 4 " on the ground. I was going to purchase a rear blower but have not found a way in my situation to justify it. The blades and FEL do all the work. I also created a front mount plow for the FEL from an old pickup plow. I put a rubber edge on it and that thing worked great up north. Haven't really needed that down here. Currently I have 40 acres. 30 is woods, and the rest open with some steep hills. I have about 2.5 acres of food plots, with another 3 being considered for next year. Snow plowing has never taxed my machine so I could easily get by with less horsepower if that is all I was doing. IF you are going to get into a couple of food plots, consider your implements and abilities. I do not have a tiller and use a 3 point 6.5' disk to turn the ground. Works well but I use low gear. Mid range will not work. I can move snow just fine in mid range but pull implements in low gear. I need to use two passes (heavy clay) or I can stick the machine. For me, a bit more horsepower would be nice but I have enough that I can work around it for now until I figure out if I am going to increase my plot acreage. I do not know your situation but hope what I have learned gives thoughts to consider. Enjoy the tractor hunt. Oh, about 2 years ago the neighbor next door purchased the L2501 new. I believe he paid a bit over 18 out the door and it only came with the FEL and a 3 point quick hitch. Not sure he got a good deal but he likes his machine. He does not do food plots.