Bought Another Tractor

[yooperdave]

I got so fed up with my 6 year old LS to replace a what should be a simple battery, along with being fed up with the LS dealer, I decided to put my LS XJ 2025H on the market and buy a gently used Branson 2515H with a bigger bucket, better forks, 6' box blade, and 6' rear mower. The tractor has 68 hours and 4 years old. It looks showroom new and sounds great. The LS has a custom foot hold, receiver hitch welded to the bucket, extra hydraulics in the back with a detent valve & turf tires. The 2515H joins my 4215HC - very similar straight forward engineering. It is being delivered from nearly 90 miles away. Will be a full load.

Yooper Dave

 

[tacticalturnip]

The 2515H is a great machine, congratulations on the new arrival!

 

[Cycledude]

What was the battery replacement issue with the LS ?
My LS is about 5 years old with 500 trouble free hours but I suppose battery replacement time isn’t to far away.

 

[yooperdave]

What was the battery replacement issue with the LS ?
My LS is about 5 years old with 500 trouble free hours but I suppose battery replacement time isn’t to far away.

Open the hood and sift thru the secondary steel framing to even get a good look at the battery. How do you apply a tender, or charger? A 1/2 hour usually simple job turned into a full day job (off/on/off/on). Bring a strong flashlight as the pit is dark. This is simply lousy engineering. Also had a CAN-AM side by side that was more than similar, and my body was unable to flex enough to access the battery. I learned over several years to check out the locations of critical parts prior. BTW my LS also works well. I wanted to just swap out the battery to be proactive before winter comes. 6 years on a battery up north makes me nervous.

Yooper Dave

 

[bsekf]

I can't keep track of the small tractor makers. I though LS tractors were a spin off from LG. and Branson was in there along with Montana too? Wish somebody would put together a history of the small tractor makers. Doesn't LS build some of the New Holland's and JD's? And maybe Massey too?

 

[scootr]

I can't keep track of the small tractor makers. I though LS tractors were a spin off from LG. and Branson was in there along with Montana too? Wish somebody would put together a history of the small tractor makers. Doesn't LS build some of the New Holland's and JD's? And maybe Massey too?

This is going to take a minute
Here are the major players

North America / Japan

• John Deere (1–4 Series range includes 25–50 hp). Solis World Wide
• Kubota (Compact series includes 25–50 hp). Zetor Tractors
• New Holland (Boomer 25–50). New Holland
• Case IH (Farmall Compact A/C series 35–55 hp). Case IH
• Massey Ferguson (1800E/1800M series 25–60 hp). John Deere+1
• Yanmar (SA/YT compact lineup in 20–50 hp bracket). YANMAR Tractor
• KIOTI/Daedong (CK/DK compact series 24–50 hp). KIOTI+2KIOTI+2
• LS Tractor (MT2/MT3 models span 25–50 hp). Massey Ferguson+2Massey Ferguson+2
• TYM (Series 3 compacts T394/T474, ~37–48 hp). Tym
• Bobcat (compact tractors 25–58 hp; e.g., CT4050). Bobcat+1
• Mahindra (1600/2600 series 25.9–45 hp within range). Mahindra USA+1

Europe

• Landini (Serie 2, 44–51 hp). Landini+1
• McCormick (X2 series ~43–47 hp). YANMAR Tractor
• Zetor (Compax 25–40 hp).
• Antonio Carraro (Vivid/Valiant 35–56 hp; compact specialty). Antonio Carraro
• BCS Group—Ferrari (Cobram 60 ~49 hp; compact specialty). Ferrari+1
• Goldoni (C-50/C-60 ~48–55 hp; compact specialty). Goldoni+1
• Belarus/MTZ (small series incl. 311/320 ~36 hp). Belarus Tractor

Asia (outside Japan)

• Iseki (TLE/TJ compact models up to ~46–50 hp). ISEKI UK & Ireland
• Solis / Sonalika (models at 26 hp and 50 hp).

 

[shooterdon]

Yooper, I looked at trading my LS on a 2515 this year to get something a bit smaller with an open station. Nothing currently wrong with the LS (525 hrs) but worried about the emission system down the road.

But the 2515 did not "fit" me. I do a lot of loader work with a grapple and the joy stick is not at the right spot for me. Other that that, it seems like a great machine at a decent price point. I think you will be happy with it.

I really liked the TYM 25T but it could not safely move the firewood totes and bags I use. One third of a cord of wood was too much for it. The local TYM dealer was great. Brought the 25T down to my place to test it at no charge.

 

[scootr]

Brands from the list with lineages rooted in other tractor manufacturers:

• Case IH → merger of J.I. Case and International Harvester (1985). Wikipedia+1
• New Holland → evolved from Ford New Holland; Fiat bought 80% in 1991, later CNH. Wikipedia
• Massey Ferguson → merger of Massey-Harris and Ferguson (1953). Wikipedia+2Wessels Living History Farm+2
• McCormick → brand created when ARGO acquired divested Case IH assets after the CNH merger. Wikipedia+1
• Landini → owned by Massey Ferguson from 1959; later sold to ARGO (full control by 2000). Wikipedia+2Landini+2
• Ferrari (BCS Group) → Ferrari tractor brand acquired by BCS in 1988. BCS Group+2Earth Tools+2
• TYM → integrated Branson/Kukje Machinery; brands consolidated under TYM (2022–2023). TYM+2Morning Ag Clips+2
• Bobcat (compact tractors) → OEM supply and development with Daedong/KIOTI since 2018. Doosan Bobcat+1
• Mahindra → entered tractors via joint venture with International Harvester (1963).

 

[scootr]

Here are the additional OEM/supply ties among the brands listed:

• John Deere ↔ Yanmar: Yanmar-built JD compacts historically (e.g., JD 750) and Yanmar engines in current JD 1–4 Series. TractorData+1
• Massey Ferguson ↔ Iseki (AGCO): Iseki manufactures MF compact/utility tractors for AGCO under an OEM agreement. 農業機械専業メーカー｜井関農機株式会社
• New Holland / Case IH ↔ LS (LS Mtron): CNH compacts sourced from LS; partnership expanded in 2023. LS Tractor USA+2lstractor.com+2
• Bobcat ↔ Daedong (KIOTI): Bobcat compact tractors produced via Daedong partnership; Bobcat re-entered with Daedong-built models in 2019. TractorData+1
• TYM ↔ Branson/Kukje: Brands integrated; shared platforms and support. TYM
• John Deere ↔ Carraro Agritalia: Carraro develops/supplies JD 5G specialty tractors. Carraro
• Solis/Sonalika ↔ Yanmar: JV and co-development/manufacturing in India; Solis-Yanmar branded tractors. solis-yanmar.com
• Mahindra ↔ Mitsubishi Agricultural Machinery: Mitsubishi-built compacts sold under Mahindra in some markets; strategic equity partnership. Mahindra Farm Equipment+1
• Landini & McCormick ↔ LS (historical): Select compact models sourced from LS/LG.