Been debating for some time now between a B2601 and a B2650. Currently have a BX23 that I use for mowing, loader and backhoe work, nothing else. But I'm finding I need more ground clearance, more of a traditional tractor stance (my BX gets muck absolutely packed all around the rear end every time I get into the mud, the wheels are too close to the machine), a slightly beefier tractor as I get into stuff that I'm starting to feel the BX just isn't really suited for, and a little more loader capacity would be nice too.
I mow one property that's maybe 1.5 acres of grass by myself, and help to mow another where we mow just under 5 acres of grass. The 5 acres of grass is my parents' yard...they mow way too much. But they're on a 100 acre old farm, so I use the FEL and backhoe a lot for draining wet areas, trail maintenance, putting in drains, and some landscaping occasionally. It's also come in handy a couple of times when dealing with some firewood that we didn't want to drag out of the woods; the BX was small enough that we didn't have to. They have a couple larger tractors for brush hogging the fields, plowing/discing the gardens, plowing snow, etc..
I need to keep this light enough for me to tow and I also want to use a mid-mount mower, which keeps me from looking at the L series. There are a couple of other properties I may on very rare occasion have use for the loader and backhoe.
Originally I was pretty well set on the B2601. I don't need anything too big, and in fact for working around the woods the smaller size might be an advantage to some degree. But, now I'm leaning toward the B2650 some; a little more loader capacity would be nice. I plan to get a set of forks. And larger wheels I expect should provide a smoother ride on rough terrain, and better traction in the mud. And I'm used to ground contact mower decks.
Am I missing any advantage to going with a B2601 over the B2650?
I mow one property that's maybe 1.5 acres of grass by myself, and help to mow another where we mow just under 5 acres of grass. The 5 acres of grass is my parents' yard...they mow way too much. But they're on a 100 acre old farm, so I use the FEL and backhoe a lot for draining wet areas, trail maintenance, putting in drains, and some landscaping occasionally. It's also come in handy a couple of times when dealing with some firewood that we didn't want to drag out of the woods; the BX was small enough that we didn't have to. They have a couple larger tractors for brush hogging the fields, plowing/discing the gardens, plowing snow, etc..
I need to keep this light enough for me to tow and I also want to use a mid-mount mower, which keeps me from looking at the L series. There are a couple of other properties I may on very rare occasion have use for the loader and backhoe.
Originally I was pretty well set on the B2601. I don't need anything too big, and in fact for working around the woods the smaller size might be an advantage to some degree. But, now I'm leaning toward the B2650 some; a little more loader capacity would be nice. I plan to get a set of forks. And larger wheels I expect should provide a smoother ride on rough terrain, and better traction in the mud. And I'm used to ground contact mower decks.
Am I missing any advantage to going with a B2601 over the B2650?