Has anyone worked both L2501 and L3301, or L3901?

[gersus]

I know there are lots of threads on comparing the L series tractors and they’re all great. Seems the main reason for needing extra hp is running pto or running the pto up hills.
Has anyone actually ran multiple L series tractors in these conditions to evaluate the difference?
Like so many others, I’m on the fence between the 25 and 33.
I will say I’m impressed by the performance of the L2501 based on the many satisfied reviews here.
My tractor will mostly be used to cut woody undergrowth on flat ground but also to maintain a fairly steep road that goes down to the river.

Different question, I’ll be using my tractor to grade a sandy/gravel area by the tover as well. Would the R4’s be less prone to digging/sinking in the soft sand as opposed to R1’s?

 

[Daren Todd]

I haven't had a chance to compare any of them. But will say this. Growing up, we had an L2250dt with fel, logging winch, and many other attachments. Tractor was between 25 and 28hp. Had a non synchronized shuttle shift. Basically a geared tractor with 8 forward and 7 reverse speeds, with separate forward reverse lever.

We used this tractor to skid wood, mow fields, brush hog logging roads, maintain and grade roads with a back blade. Till gardens, and drag a 20ft antique road grader around. Push back snow banks, and drag an old manure spreader turned into utility trailer to haul a sap tank for sugaring. This tractor was used hard I never once felt or thought that I needed a bigger tractor. This one was a tank and handled everything we through at it and then some

This was on over 100 acres of land, plus 40 acres of field for other folks around town. Some people say bigger is better. But all 3 of those tractors will do what you ask of them and even more. The L3901 may have more power and handle a slightly bigger implements. But the L2501 will do the same things the L3901 will

 

[mjrwood]

I haven't operated the L2501 along side the other larger L series tractors, but I can offer a direct comparison between the 2501 and a MX4700.

I haven't had the opportunity to till or pull a plow with the 2501 yet, I'll be trying that out toward spring I guess, but as far as mowing the 2501 really surprised me how well it handled cutting a very overgrown pasture, which is somewhat hilly. The 2501 pulling a 5ft land pride cutter compared to the 4700 with a 6ft land pride cutter, I haven't found a very noticeable difference between the quality of the cut or the tractor's ability to handle it. Of course the 2501 takes a tad longer to get it done, but the difference wasn't nearly as much as I was expecting and I credit most of it to going from 6ft to 5ft.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying that the 2501 does the same work as the higher hp options since all other things being equal, a higher hp tractor will have more capacity to perform the work. IMO the question is, are the jobs you need it to perform big enough to push it to its limit where you would begin seeing a benefit from the higher hp, and for me the answer is no. For cutting fields that are around/under 15 acres, tilling the garden and food plots, working around my barns/yard and working in the woods, the 2501 is a perfect choice for me.

I'll add one other thing for context, I find it much more comfortable if not ideal using the L2501 to manage around 15 acres than I did the 4700 to manage a very hilly pasture that's a little over 100. I've sold the 4700 and I'm planning to go with something maybe around the 70-90hp range for that.

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

We had an L2501 for about 5 months and sold it for an L3901. The L2501 will get your work done fine but it bogged down with the bush hog on our hills. For the price difference, there is no comparison to the much more powerful L3901. We can run heavier duty 5 foot implements on the L3901. You get back almost all of the price difference on a resale, and we were told 25 hp tractors were not as easy to sell as 30+ hp around here. Ours however did sell over one weekend. For the L2501, IIRC we paid $17,000 w/525 FEL and QA 66" bucket with loaded R4 tires (no sales tax- GATE card), and sold it on Craigslist in a couple of days for $16,200 145 hours on it; the L3901 was just under $4,000 more same setup. We kept the QH 15 quick hitch, sold the LP 1260 separately and bought a lightly used LP 1860 bush hog.

 

[Daren Todd]

Another thing to consider as well. And that is the actual run time during projects, and what the majority of the tractors usage will be. For me, it would be a glorified wheel barrow With field mowing and dirt work on one or two weekends a year.

It's pretty easy to over estimate your normal uses for your tractor once the few major projects are done. And with the new emissions standards it's something else to take into consideration.

If your gonna be operating the tractor under load frequently for more then a couple hours to keep operating temps up then a higher then 30hp tractor will work for you.

If the majority of your time is quick 10 minutes of use, then stick with a tractor under 30hp to avoid the extra emissions and potential problems the quick trips can cause on the emmision controls

 

[mjrwood]

We had an L2501 for about 5 months and sold it for an L3901. The L2501 will get your work done fine but it bogged down with the bush hog on our hills. For the price difference, there is no comparison to the much more powerful L3901. We can run heavier duty 5 foot implements on the L3901. You get back almost all of the price difference on a resale, and we were told 25 hp tractors were not as easy to sell as 30+ hp around here. Ours however did sell over one weekend. For the L2501, IIRC we paid $17,000 w/525 FEL and QA 66" bucket with loaded R4 tires (no sales tax- GATE card), and sold it on Craigslist in a couple of days for $16,200 145 hours on it; the L3901 was just under $4,000 more same setup. We kept the QH 15 quick hitch, sold the LP 1260 separately and bought a lightly used LP 1860 bush hog.

I'm curious, was your 2501 HST? I ask because the guy at my Kubota dealership told me that if I wanted HST he'd recommend me going up to something in the 30hp range, otherwise the 2501 would do whatever I asked it to, albeit a little slower. Looking at the specs the hp taken by HST didn't seem like much to me, but I guess at least in his opinion it was enough to make or break performance in heavier applications. I started to mention that in my first post.

Also with the geared 2501 you get a transmission driven pto which, depending on how you're using it could definitely be aggravating I guess, for me it's not much of an issue.

 

[Creature Meadow]

I wanted used so for me is was the L3800, I thought it would be perfect cousin to the 3901.

I had used a L3400 cousin to the 3301 for a number of years and for my needs the L3400 was not big enough.

My use is a large garden, land plane 3/4 mile drive, brush hog, sub soiling, disk, hauling fire wood, and in the woods cleaning up under growth. It did fine for all except the sub soiling and the land plane, once land plane was full of product it would spin even in 4wd thus not allowing me to move gravel as I wanted. The subsoiler buried at 20" which I do 4 times a year gave the L3400 a fit, had to only drop it a 12" or so.

I looked for 2 years for a L3800 and was unable to find one local for deal I wanted.

Ended up with a L4600 and it is perfect and meets all my needs.

I believe the L3800 would have too but glad I ended up with my L4600.

Good luck and if you think one size will meet your needs and money allows upgrade to next size at least consider it.

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

I'm curious, was your 2501 HST? I ask because the guy at my Kubota dealership told me that if I wanted HST he'd recommend me going up to something in the 30hp range, otherwise the 2501 would do whatever I asked it to, albeit a little slower. Looking at the specs the hp taken by HST didn't seem like much to me, but I guess at least in his opinion it was enough to make or break performance in heavier applications. I started to mention that in my first post.

Also with the geared 2501 you get a transmission driven pto which, depending on how you're using it could definitely be aggravating I guess, for me it's not much of an issue.

both the L2501 and our L3901 were/are HST drive. I would not own a geared tractor again after using HST- almost all of our work is FEL, pallet forks, bush hog, grader/scraper work

 

[gersus]

Good advice, thanks!
I think the 2501 is very capable but I think I would be much happier with a 3301 or 3901 when brush hogging the hills around here.

 

[gersus]

Then sometimes I think maybe just get a 4 footer...