Newbie in Western Carolina

HappyTopster

Member

Equipment
In the hunt for tractor; Have Honda Pioneer 700, 5x8 trailer, XMark Radius E
Apr 27, 2025
32
13
8
West of Asheville
Hello neighbor! I am in Jackson county, NC near Franklin. 4400’ elevation, very hilly terrain, and in the middle of the forest. I have an L 3301HST. I use my tractor for grading my steep gravel driveway, chipping up the endless branches, helping with firewood splitting and logistics, brush hogging and more! I also have a backhoe, and use it frequently. I have ag tires on my Kubota, allowing me to set my rear tires to a wide position for better stability On our slopes.

My neighbor has a BX with backhoe. He gets an incredible amount of work done with that little tractor; but sometimes needs me to rescue him when his little tractor can’t quite do the job. A BX is incredibly handy in tight spaces!

You might want to come visit us. You could see how the 2 of us cope with the challenge of tractor work in the mountains with different size machines.

Jack
Thank you, Jack!
 

NorthwoodsLife

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
Kubota B7100(sold), Kubota LX2610 Cab
Oct 15, 2021
1,126
1,060
113
Wisconsin
IMO, For your consideration:

The LX series started as a big B series with Grand L like amenities. Better seat and ergonomics. A Cab, air conditioning and heater available. And a nicer operator layout than the L series. Mid PTO is there unless going with the SU model. LX started at 26 and 33 HP, and grew.. Now, the LX series continues to grow and has HP up to 39HP. More user refinements but not quite as special as a Grand L.

The L series is more of a serious hard core - no frills tractor. Old school but Very robust. And cheaper if considering HP and amenities.

You get what you pay for but if you have back or similar health issues: Consider comfort. A tractor that hurts to use is a waste.

Personally, I was set to buy an L series but the wife forced it into needing a Cab. Huge difference. She was right. 100%. I think she may have saved my life through a couple winters since we have the Cab. A/C and heater and no bugs.

As my motorcycle friends told me when I bought our side by side 10 or so years ago: With age comes the cage.
 
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skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,809
3,758
113
SW Pa
Aha. So your main beef is that it's not an LX. :) Which is fair. It's not, and if you need an LX or an L, then a B is too small.

Notwithstanding those who say property size makes no difference, I still think it's a good first pass for a new tractor buyer to make sure you're in the right territory. Saying "you need the right size tractor for your tasks" is kind of useless for someone who a) doesn't know all their tasks, and b) even if they did, doesn't know what the right size is for those tasks. And I still maintain that for your property size, an LX or an L is probably the right size, unless you can articulate a task that needs something bigger (typically lifting a specific thing - perhaps lifting trees with the grapple), or a task that needs something smaller (usually weight related or fitting into a tight space).
Not really Paul, the B 2601 is a very capable tractor for it's intended slot. Would I have been better served with the B2650, perhaps. I went into it thinking that I understood all the parameters I wanted. Had I been smart I would have had the stealer bring one out and let me play with over a week end, but I bought off the floor with out wringing it out first. So thats on me no one else. Like I said for me the physical size is not right, and to be honest the B2650/LX would have been more than I needed or could use to its fullest potential. And with out hands on, I made a poor choice.
 

PaulL

Well-known member

Equipment
B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,505
1,440
113
NZ
IMO, For your consideration:

The LX series started as a big B series with Grand L like amenities. Better seat and ergonomics. A Cab, air conditioning and heater available. And a nicer operator layout than the L series. Mid PTO is there unless going with the SU model. LX started at 26 and 33 HP, and grew.. Now, the LX series continues to grow and has HP up to 39HP. More user refinements but not quite as special as a Grand L.

The L series is more of a serious hard core - no frills tractor. Old school but Very robust. And cheaper if considering HP and amenities.

You get what you pay for but if you have back or similar health issues: Consider comfort. A tractor that hurts to use is a waste.

Personally, I was set to buy an L series but the wife forced it into needing a Cab. Huge difference. She was right. 100%. I think she may have saved my life through a couple winters since we have the Cab. A/C and heater and no bugs.

As my motorcycle friends told me when I bought our side by side 10 or so years ago: With age comes the cage.
Since you bring it up, a Grand L really is a magnificent machine. Probably nowhere near the OP's budget, but it's hard to see how you couldn't be happy every day you drove your Grand L. One won't fit in my shed, and I have no use for one. But I'd like one.
 
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HappyTopster

Member

Equipment
In the hunt for tractor; Have Honda Pioneer 700, 5x8 trailer, XMark Radius E
Apr 27, 2025
32
13
8
West of Asheville
IMO, For your consideration:

The LX series started as a big B series with Grand L like amenities. Better seat and ergonomics. A Cab, air conditioning and heater available. And a nicer operator layout than the L series. Mid PTO is there unless going with the SU model. LX started at 26 and 33 HP, and grew.. Now, the LX series continues to grow and has HP up to 39HP. More user refinements but not quite as special as a Grand L.

The L series is more of a serious hard core - no frills tractor. Old school but Very robust. And cheaper if considering HP and amenities.

You get what you pay for but if you have back or similar health issues: Consider comfort. A tractor that hurts to use is a waste.

Personally, I was set to buy an L series but the wife forced it into needing a Cab. Huge difference. She was right. 100%. I think she may have saved my life through a couple winters since we have the Cab. A/C and heater and no bugs.

As my motorcycle friends told me when I bought our side by side 10 or so years ago: With age comes the cage.
Thank you. I agree. I was just thinking (after my 9th consecutive night of agony) that I really only have 10-15 years of tractor in me. I was thinking from financial aspect but it dovetails w/physical ability/tolerance to the activity. My gut is to get the big bad no thrill gear drive no amanitiws unit. lol! No. Anyhow I’m really spinning my wheels. I’m going to give my shoulder time to heal and keep learning. I can be impulsive and it’s easy to see how many inexperienced buyers can make substantial errors in what they end up with.
Thanks again all for the input.
 

Smokeydog

Well-known member

Equipment
M59, B26 grapples, backhoes, tillers, graders, diesel atv
Jun 2, 2020
736
696
93
knoxville, Tennessee
We mow three houses, orchards, blueberry patch with our B26 on our rough wooded hillside farm. Backing under landscaping or creek and pond banks where zero turns can’t mow. Wife does 95% of mowing. Then reconfigure to do 100 other chores. Small but mighty can swing way above its weight class. Rugged enough to take decades of hard work. Had a B20 for over twenty years. Have traded many ag tractors to just use two TLBs now
Worked too long in the woods to have less than 4 post ROPS. Trees are hard on tractors.
Home Depot and other places rent them if you want hands on trial.

Fellow in Newport TN bought all new high end tractor and equipment for new mountain home. Rolled new tractor, shattered his hip and decided tractor work wasn’t for him. Did buy new, never used miniclip tree shear from him.
 
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HappyTopster

Member

Equipment
In the hunt for tractor; Have Honda Pioneer 700, 5x8 trailer, XMark Radius E
Apr 27, 2025
32
13
8
West of Asheville
We mow three houses, orchards, blueberry patch with our B26 on our rough wooded hillside farm. Backing under landscaping or creek and pond banks where zero turns can’t mow. Wife does 95% of mowing. Then reconfigure to do 100 other chores. Small but mighty can swing way above its weight class. Rugged enough to take decades of hard work. Had a B20 for over twenty years. Have traded many ag tractors to just use two TLBs now
Worked too long in the woods to have less than 4 post ROPS. Trees are hard on tractors.
Home Depot and other places rent them if you want hands on trial.

Fellow in Newport TN bought all new high end tractor and equipment for new mountain home. Rolled new tractor, shattered his hip and decided tractor work wasn’t for him. Did buy new, never used miniclip tree shear from him.
We mow three houses, orchards, blueberry patch with our B26 on our rough wooded hillside farm. Backing under landscaping or creek and pond banks where zero turns can’t mow. Wife does 95% of mowing. Then reconfigure to do 100 other chores. Small but mighty can swing way above its weight class. Rugged enough to take decades of hard work. Had a B20 for over twenty years. Have traded many ag tractors to just use two TLBs now
Worked too long in the woods to have less than 4 post ROPS. Trees are hard on tractors.
Home Depot and other places rent them if you want hands on trial.

Fellow in Newport TN bought all new high end tractor and equipment for new mountain home. Rolled new tractor, shattered his hip and decided tractor work wasn’t for him. Did buy new, never used miniclip tree shear from him.
Thank you, Smokeydog!