Need tractor in NH - B or L?

olthumpa

Active member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L275
May 25, 2011
1,501
2
38
Maine
The solution: shorts, tee shirt and socks. Temp in the low teens and PLENTY warm. I got the suit from Cabela's.
 

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pedzola

New member
Jun 2, 2016
22
0
0
Southern NH
Seriously though, the suit looks perfect. And I'm sure they'd love a Kubota on the crab boat...


Here's a question... so far on the forums I've seen a lot of "go big or regret it later" in terms of picking tractor size. But I've also seen a handful of people saying they have downsized.

What would be the type of task that would really make you want to go from a BX to a B or B to an L?

At this point I'm thinking that working in the woods almost excludes a BX because of what I've read about the exposed fan underneath and the lower ground clearance. Also thinking about ground pressure, with the much larger tires on a similar weight machine I can only assume the B-01's are actually better for mowing than a BX.

I'm not sure I can think of a great case for the necessity of an L over a B though, at least for what I envision maintaining my property might look like.

I really like the better loader on the L2501, esp vs the B-01's. But in all likelihood I wouldn't be operating at a B-01's max with any frequency.

Why do I need an L2501 over a B2301?
 

North Idaho Wolfman

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Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3450DT-GST, Woods FEL, B7100 HSD, FEL, 60" SB, 743 Bobcat with V2203, and more
Jun 9, 2013
28,955
5,298
113
Sandpoint, ID
HEY Enough with the dang snow pic's!
It's summer, dag nab it!
You loony bugger! :eek:
Snow will return too soon without your help! :p:D:cool:

Dang, now I'm cold! :(
 

chim

Well-known member

Equipment
L4240HSTC with FEL, Ford 1210
Jan 19, 2013
1,797
876
113
Near Lancaster, PA, USA
Because its capable of running more and larger equipment.;)
10-4. Plus the L is a lot more comfortable and has more elbow room for the operator. This is the only picture I have of the three most recent tractors I've had. It gives you an idea of the size comparison when seen side-by-side. The Ford we bought in 1992 is still here and comes in handy every now and then. Mostly, it "winters" at the church for snow removal. The B7500 came in 2002 and was sold in 2012 when the L3200 replaced it. The L3200 easily does work that the B7500 had trouble with or couldn't do. Yesterday I scraped the weeds back at the fence row on the West side of our property using the loader. This is something that gets done a couple times each year. The tractor walked right through the process without revving / spinning / taking small bites. It will pick anything off - or load anything on a truck or trailer I drag home or take somewhere.

With the Ford and the B7500, the NFAMT (No Fooling Around Mowing Time :D) was 33 minutes/acre with the 5 foot decks on them. With a 6 foot deck and more horses, the L3200 does it in 22 minutes/acre. At that pace, I don't believe it when some ZT fan claims he can cut my mowing time in half. Perhaps if the comparison were between a ZT and a 38" Murray riding mower? The setup is still nimble enough to do the 1/2 acre lawn for the widow across the road.

A creek runs through the lower part of our yard. A few times each year it comes over the banks and covers a large part of it. When that happens, it softens the ground and deposits a thin layer of someone else's silt/topsoil there. I can usually mow two or three days after a flood with the L3200. With the Ford and the B7500 I had to wait nearly a week. Both Kubotas have R4's and the Ford has R1's. My assumption is the larger tires on the L3200 put fewer PSI on the ground.
 

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BAP

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
2012 Kubota 2920, 60MMM, FEL, BH65 48" Bush Hog, 60"Backblade, B2782B Snowblower
Dec 31, 2012
2,543
677
113
New Hampshire
HEY Enough with the dang snow pic's!
It's summer, dag nab it!
You loony bugger! :eek:
Snow will return too soon without your help! :p:D:cool:

Dang, now I'm cold! :(
Depends on where you are. Here it has been in low 40's at night and upper 50's low 60's for the last week, barely spring weather.
 

pedzola

New member
Jun 2, 2016
22
0
0
Southern NH
Well I have committed to purchasing an L2501 HST with R4 tires, loader, 60" finish mower, 64" 3pt snowblower, and 60" box blade.

So, decision made!

Will post more when I get it delivered.
 

tcrote5516

New member

Equipment
BX1860, FEL, 50" Front Blower, Heated Cab, 6' blade, 3pt carry all, 3pt hitch
Sep 2, 2014
482
2
0
Southern New Hampshire
Where are you buying it from out of curiosity? I'm in Candia NH (Near Manchvegas) and bought from MB in Plaistow who were good to deal with.
 

pedzola

New member
Jun 2, 2016
22
0
0
Southern NH
So I received my new L2501 yesterday and already spent a couple hours getting it dirty. I posted before that i ordered a box blade but changed my mind and got a 6' rake with wheels instead. Glad I went with the rake, have lots of use for it.

Some comments:

1) I am glad I got the L and not a smaller B series. This tractor certainly doesnt feel too large for me.

2) It fits in my garage without folding the Rops! Unexpected bonus.

3) Even on a slight incline, pulling the rake, I found I needed to engage 4 wheel drive in the dry loose soil on my property. Else the rake was enough of an anchor to spin the rear wheels. With the front engaged, no problem at all.

4) Had a great experience with Chappell Tractor of Milford NH.

5) Glad I got the tooth bar. Acts as a rake of sorts in back dragging, but really shines for digging of course and also big benefit in picking up wood debris.

6) As I get used to the tractor I found myself forgetting to undo my parking brake and wondering why the machine suddenly feels so sluggish (oops), and also forgetting to bring the rpm up to working speed and thinking again why is the machine slow while trying to work at idle RPM (oops again).

This is my first tractor but it certainly feels like it has enough power for anything I need to do. One concern was this model has pretty low HP for the weight. I dont think thats aproblem. As i mentioned above when i did get bogged down the wheels were spinning and 4wd got me right out of it. Was a lack of traction not HP.

So very happy right now, only a couple hours on it so far. It is covered in dusty dirt. Will have to hose off to get it back to shiny orange. Will try to post an image next.