7500 vs 2410

[sandalwood]

I am in the market for a compact tractor primarily for mowing 2+ acres, occasional loader work, and snow removal (with snow blower) in the winter. The mowing is at the camp (somewhat uneven lawn) but no hills. The snow removal is at home (in the city) where space is at a premium.

I started looking at BX2200 but was swayed toward B7500 with additional ground clearance and size. I also looked at B2410 and now find myself trying to decide between 7500 and 2410. The dealer is getting in 2410 (already has 7500's in stock) so I can see both side-by-side and test drive both. The cost difference between the 2 is "only" $2000 (CDN), which I have been telling myself is not much over the life of the tractor.

Has anyone else struggled with the decision of 7500 vs 2410? If so, I would appreciate hearing what made up your mind one way or the other.

Thanks,

Lyle

 

[Wheeldog]

Lyle,

I have been struggling with the choice myself, but am pretty set on the B2410 at this point. The main difference that most people will point out is the lack of position control on the 3-point hitch of the B7500. Other differences: the B2410 loader has a bit more lift capacity than the B7500 loader, and the same is true with the 3-point hitch capacity. The B2410 also has 2 HP more at the PTO (18 HP v. 16 HP). The frame sizes are nearly identical from what I can tell.

FWIW here's my reasoning. I'm pretty sure I could get by fine with the B7500 and I believe all the owners on this board will attest that it is a great machine. The items that swayed me were 1) the 3PH position control. I may never need it, but if I spend this much money on a tractor that I plan to keep for a long time, I really want to avoid feeling like I've compromised in one area, and 2) I plan on running a 5' rear-mount finish mower, and I've read some old threads that seem to say that 16 HP at the PTO might be a little marginal for some 5' mowers (especially on hills, etc.).

 

[sandalwood]

Wheeldog

I too noticed that the 2410 had position control. My dealer suggested that for most things (rear snowblower or blade) that it did not matter. He also indicated that if you wanted a partially raise rear implement, you still could even without position control (just not precisely position it each time in the same place). What sorts of applications would require the precision of position control?

Agree with the idea of little extra horsepower. Probably better to have a little extra than not enough though being new at this I have difficulty knowing "how much is enough".

Lyle

 

[LarryT]

Guess I'll chime in on this. I owned a B7500 for 3 mo and about 30 hours. I traded it in for a B2910. I took a bath but I decided I deserved it for not being more careful in my selection in the first place. My single biggest gripe, as Wheeldog points out, is the lack of position control. If you use a rear rotary mower, the position control is almost a must. Otherwise you spend half your time turned around in the seat adjusting the level. That might not be too bad if you have level ground, but if there are any irregrlarities in it, you have to adjust often. I had the smaller FEL (LA272 I think). If I were to buy a B7500 again, I'd definitely get the larger one for reach if nothing else. One other factor played in; I ended up with more land that originally anticipated and it was even more irregular than I had envisioned. Therefore I decided I needed more power to run bigger implements, e.g. wider blade, bigger mower. Having said my gripes, I loved the rest of the tractor. It has plenty of power. Seemed like a great maintenence machine. I've got a lot of land to shape. Thats why I made my choice.

Larry...

 

[kokopelli2]

i guess it is my turn to offer information for once. i had a 7300 for 1 day and 5.5 hours. my major problem was lack of power steering on level gound. went to the 2410. it made a huge difference. the 3ph control is well worth it for removing snow alone. i have a gravel drive and i am able to set the blade and inch or so above the rocks

 

[Rick Jay]

Hi Lyle,

I think most of us here have gone through the all important decision making process you are now experiencing.

I started out looking at the 7500, used similar reasoning to yours (only $2k more for B2410, not much over life of the tractor) to look at that model. Of course, then I used the same reasoning to ultimately buy my B2910. The result....

I'm thrilled with the B2910 as it has so far done everything I've wanted without hardly breaking a sweat. I bought it mostly as a digging machine (R4's, loader, backhoe and post hole digger) in our rock ridden clay soil on an expansive 2/3 acre plot of land in W. Mass.

In retrospect, seeing the power that it has, I'm sure that the B7500 would also do everything that I need done. Would I switch...no way. I'm hoping to be on this earth for at least another 30 years, good Lord willing, and expect my tractor to last that long as well. Over that time span, the extra $$$ just didn't seem to matter too much.

Good Luck, and as most will say around here...buy the biggest you can afford and still maneuver on your property.

Good Luck,

Rick

 

[M. Sullivan]

Agree with all the above. The power steering and position control are key if you plan a lot of r. blade and loader work. Started where you are, and ended-up with the 2710--take a look, you might too! Good luck.

 

[apcaruso]

Hi,

I'll throw my $.02 in. I own a B7500 HSD and went through the same dilema last summer that you are going through now. My wife and I purchased a new home on 2 acres in Southern New Hampshire, much of it wooded. We have considerable landscaping plans and by my doing the work I was able to justify (to my wife /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif) the cost of the tractor.

I considered all of the B-series and BX-series units and narrowed it down to the BX-2200, B7500 and B2410. After the initial heavy landscaping is done I will be using the unit for snow removal, mowing and using a chipper/shredder. I loved the 2710 or 2910, but I thought they would be too large for the routine chores after the initial work was done.

The BX-2200 is really maneuverable and sweet but the operator space was too small for me, and the price difference between it and B7500 was not very large. This further limited the choice to either the 2410 and 7500. If I didn't have the heavy landscaping tasks that I foresee over the next few years I definately would have gone with the 2200, even considering the small operator area.

The 7500 and 2410 are the same physical size, but in addition to the position control and extra HP, I believe the 2410 also has a rear hydraulic valve standard (is this true B2410 owners?).

Regarding loader capactity, the LA302 loader that I went with is rated at 660# to full height. Last fall I had a boulder in the bucket that was pretty close to the lift capacity as evident by the slow rise time, and it was a bit scary. Moving forward with the bucket roughly 2 feet of the ground, I hit a small bump and the loaded rear tires came off the ground for a moment. My point is that I do not see myself comfortably lifting this much weight with a unit the size of the 7500 or 2410. The added lifting capacity of the LA351 on the B2410 would be a benefit with regard to break-out force, though.

In the end I figured I didn't need the position control and went with the B7500. I put the extra $2K into a chipper/shredder, which I am very happy with.

The tractor has turned out to be much more powerful and useful than I expected. There is plenty of power to run a 60" mid-mower over hilly terrain and pull a 72" rear blade. My previous tractor was a Toro/Wheelhorse 20HP hydro garden tractor and not only could the B7500 easily pull it all over the yard, but it is also much more maneuverable.

Good luck with your choice!

AC

 

[GlueGuy]

sandalwood,

I was lurking here for a while, but I decided to jump in anyway. I too went through this same decision. For me, the B7500 was the answer. I have yet to take delivery, but at least I'll share my thoughts.

We live on 40 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains (~~ 40 miles south of San Francisco). Our land is very hilly; heck most people would call it mountains. Our house is at the top of a ridge at 2400', and the bottom of our property is about 1700'.

The work we're using the tractor for is road work, landscaping, and mowing. The HP of the Bx10 series looked real attractive, but the additional size looked like a liability in areas where we don't have a lot of room to spare. A friend brought over his 6 year old B7100 to "show us what it could do". That convinced us. The B7100 was more than up to the task(s), so we knew that the B7500 with the extra HP, and power steering was a shoe-in. We expect to take delivery on our B7500 this week. I can hardly wait!

GlueGuy

 

[bpence]

I kind of have to echo what the GlueGuy is saying about buying the right tractor for the jobs you intend to do. I'm probably going against the grain here, but I'm not necessarily an advocate of buying the most horsepower you can afford (aka larger tractor). I have a B7100 and consciously chose that tractor over other slightly larger compacts from JD, Kubota, and NH that I could have purchased for about the same price (a bit older and more hours, but all in good condition). The size and capabilities of the B7100 suited my uses for a tractor. As much as a larger more powerful tractor would have been nice, it just didn't fit my particular needs. You're right in viewing the $2,000 or so difference for the B2410 as minimal over the life expectancy of a tractor, but I still believe money is hard enough to come by and should be spent and invested wisely. (OK, maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned) If the B7500 looks like it will meet all of your needs, $2,000 will fund a lot of other things for you.

It's kind of like buying a pick-up. Four wheel drive, extended cabs, box covers, V-8 motors, diesel motors, etc..........all are great options if you need them. If you don't, why get them?

OK, that's my two cents worth. Hope your tractor hunting goes well. Good luck and let us know what you end up with.

Bob Pence