Sub-Compact against Compact · same Kubota lineup
Kubota BX2680 vs Kubota L2502
| Spec | Kubota BX2680 | Kubota L2502 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$17,632 | ~$17,449 |
| What that price is | MSRP, base build | MSRP, base build |
| Size class | Sub-Compact | Compact |
| Transmission | Hydrostatic | Gear |
| Engine hp | 23.3 hp | 23.3 hp |
| PTO hp | 19.2 hp | 19.8 hp |
| Loader lift | 699 lbsat the pivot pin | 1,446 lbsat the pivot pin |
| Three-point lift | 680 lbs24 in behind the lift points | 1,874 lbsat the ball ends |
| Hydraulic flow | 6.2 GPM | 8.3 GPM |
| Drive | 4WD | 4WD |
| Engine | Kubota | Kubota |
| Weight | 1,520 lbs | 2,811 lbs |
| Fuel tank | 6.6 gal | 11.1 gal |
| 4WD | Yes | Yes |
| Front loader | Yes | Yes |
| Cab available | No | No |
| Hydrostatic | Yes | No |
| Power steering | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise control | No | No |
| Warranty | 6 yr / 2000 hr powertrain | 6 yr / 2000 hr powertrain |
A highlighted cell wins its row on the rule named above the table: more power, lift, capacity or flow, or a lower price. A lift row is left unwon whenever the two makers measured in different places, or where either of them did not say — a figure quoted at the pivot pin and one quoted 500 mm ahead of it describe the same loader and differ by roughly a third, so ranking them against each other would invent a result. Prices are typical list and move with dealer packages.
From owner discussion and long-term write-ups
What owners of each one say
Kubota BX2680
What they like
- 19.2 PTO hp is 1.5 hp over the BX2380 for about $1,000, and that shows on a 60 in deck in thick grass
- The Swift-Tach LA344S comes off and goes back on without tools and without leaving the seat
- Under seven feet to the top of the ROPS, so it parks in a standard garage without folding anything down
- 54 in and 60 in mid-mount decks plus a 60 in Easy-Over deck are all offered here, where the BX1880 is limited to 48 and 54 in
- Kubota builds the engine, the loader and the mower decks, so no part of the package depends on an outside supplier
What they complain about
- 680 lb of three-point lift measured 24 in behind the pin is identical to the 16.6 hp BX1880's, so the extra power buys no hitch capacity at all
- 6.2 gpm of total hydraulic flow, only 5.2 gpm of it reaching the implement circuit, is the thinnest hydraulic package Kubota sells on a tractor
- The quick-attach LA344S lifts 699 lb at the pivot pin at 1,500 mm against 820 lb for the pin-on LA344, so the convenient bucket is the weaker one
- 6.6 gal of fuel goes quickly once a mower deck is loading the engine
- At $17,632 it costs more than a B2401, which carries nearly double the hitch capacity and a much bigger loader if a gear box is acceptable
Kubota L2502
What they like
- Staying under 25 gross hp keeps it in the emissions band below the one that forces heavier aftertreatment on its bigger siblings
- The LA526 is Kubota-built rather than a bought-in loader, and lifts 1,446 lb at the pivot pin measured at 1,500 mm of height
- 11.1 gallons of fuel on a 2,811 lb machine is a generous tank for the class and keeps a full day of loader work off the jerry can
- All-metal hood and fenders instead of the plastic bodywork used on lighter sub-compacts
- Category I hitch rated 1,874 lb at the lift points, which covers most five- and six-foot implements
- The BH77 backhoe mounts to the same frame, so the machine can be a two-implement tractor without a subframe change
What they complain about
- 23.3 gross hp is the least in the Standard L range, and PTO output falls to 19.8 hp on the gear build and 18.4 hp on the HST
- A five-foot rotary cutter in heavy grass is close to the limit of what 19.8 PTO hp will pull
- Kubota lists no factory cab anywhere in the Standard L02 range, so winter work means an aftermarket enclosure
- The pump is split 5.2 gpm to the implement circuit and 3.1 gpm to steering, the smallest hydraulic package in the series