L2501 buyer review

BotaCam

New member

Equipment
L2501
Jun 22, 2016
2
0
0
North Carolina
Wanted to post this for anyone searching for information on the L2501. I myself searched a lot prior to purchasing mine and could not find many actual user reviews out there so I wanted to help with that for anyone in the market for one.
My wife and I recently purchased a 22 acre farm in the mountains of NC. This farm is mostly flat but does have some steep parts to it. When looking for a tractor, I was mostly interested in something that could brush hog well, till the earth, carry a hay bail and have a front end loader attachment for tasks around the farm. I narrowed my focus down to two models. The L2501 and the L3301 mainly for price point reasons and the fact this is more of a hobby farm instead of a true working farm.
The more I researched the more I was turned off by the DPF emissions system that the L3301 and larger tractors have had to add. I know some folks have complained of issues and others say it works just fine. Personally, I didn't want the added potential problems. I also could not get past a $3,000 price difference on the small amount of engine HP and PTO HP gain. I ended up purchasing the 2501 with 4WD, FEL, HST. Had the Ag tires loaded and spread out. I purchased the Land Pride RCR1260 rotary cutter as well. I have cut 17 of 22 acres so far. The tractor really performs. I have cut acres of blackberry bushes and wild rose bushes that have grown out of control as the property was neglected for many years. Most of the bushes were around 7' tall which the cutter handled with no reservations.
Climbing the steep banks does not impede the tractor one bit. There is enough get up to climb a steep hill with plenty of power to boot. The ground clearance is enough to maneuver sharp angle changes and get over any stumps I have.
The LA525 FEL works amazingly well. The articulation of the FEL is far superior to the John Deere equivalent.
I restore old muscle cars with my father in my spare time so you can imagine where we stand on the idea of "more power". It's always a mission to add more power. I was afraid that I would quickly regret not buying the L3301 with "more power". I just want to say, I have not regretted my decision with this purchase. If you have acreage to manage and aren't in need of a huge tractor I can tell you the L2501 is a tank and will do all you need it to do and then some. This is a damn good tractor!!
 

hodge

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
John Deere 790 John Deere 310 backhoe Bobcat 743
Nov 19, 2010
2,860
371
83
Love, VA
"The articulation of the FEL is far superior to the John Deere equivalent."- can you expound on that?
 

BotaCam

New member

Equipment
L2501
Jun 22, 2016
2
0
0
North Carolina
Hodge-what I was referring to was the ability to raise/lower the boom and tilt the bucket in a swift motion to maintain the angle of your load without really any jerkiness to it. On my father in laws John Deere tractor of the same size, it doesn't feel like it is as fluid of a motion and seems to be more jerky. This was my personal assessment of the differences between our two tractors. Hope this helps to clarify my comment.
 

hodge

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
John Deere 790 John Deere 310 backhoe Bobcat 743
Nov 19, 2010
2,860
371
83
Love, VA
It does. Thanks for clarifying.
 

millsrv

Member

Equipment
L2501 HST, LA525, BH77, Gannon Rollover Scraper, Titan Skid Steer Attach Forks
Nov 20, 2015
69
2
8
Placerville, CA
I completely agree about the greatness of the L2501. I use mine all the time on my 10 acres for backhoe, road maintenance, and loader work. I purchased mine back in November 2015 and have zero regret. My friend also has 10 acres near me and purchased the L3800 back in 2014. It is the same size tractor but with more HP. It is difficult to tell the difference, in ability between them.

The lack of the DPF was the deciding factor for me. Had I purchased back in 2014 like my friend did I would have also purchased the L3800.
 

35chevypu

New member
Jun 4, 2016
22
0
0
fair haven,vt
only have 7.8 hours on mine (purchased for same reason. don't like dpf junk)am very impressed so far and the way I look at it the same chassis is available with 2 bigger engines so it should be darn near bullet proof with this one.:D