Kubota B2601HSD vs Kioti CS2510 vs John Deere 1025R vs TYM T254

Four 25-horse sub-compacts, sorted out by loader muscle, hydraulics, hitch, and what owners actually live with.

Bottom line: if you're cross-shopping these four, the Kubota B2601HSD is the loader and hitch heavyweight of the group and the safest first-tractor pick, the John Deere 1025R wins on ease of use and dealer/parts depth, the Kioti CS2510 gives you the most tractor for the dollar, and the TYM T254 is the value play with a strong Yanmar engine if you have a committed dealer nearby. Pick the Kubota or Deere if dealer support and resale matter most; pick the Kioti or TYM if your budget is tight and you've checked out the local dealer in person.

These four land in the same showroom bracket for a reason: all are 24-to-25 horsepower diesels, all hydrostatic, all 4WD, all sized to mow a few acres, move gravel, and run a backhoe on weekends. People cross-shop them because the spec sheets look nearly identical. The mistake first-time buyers make is treating engine horsepower as the deciding number. It isn't. At this size every engine is plenty. What actually separates these machines is loader lift, hydraulic flow, three-point hitch capacity, and the dealer who picks up the phone when something breaks. That's where the gaps show up, and that's what this comparison digs into.

The numbers that actually decide it

The four contenders

This is the category most owners care about, because moving material is what a sub-compact does most days. The Kubota B2601 leads outright. Its LA435 lifts 948 pounds at full height and breaks out at 2,146 pounds, which is a meaningful margin over the rest. The TYM T254 matches the Kubota's 948-pound lift on paper, and one long-term owner who weighed it with a crane scale reported the front loader pulled more than the rated number in practice.

The John Deere 1025R sits in the middle at 754 pounds with the 120R loader, and the Kioti CS2510 brings up the rear at 683 pounds. That gap is real and you'll feel it loading wet gravel or a full bucket of soil. Where the Kubota also wins is dump height: 78.5 inches lets you clear the side of a trailer that the Kioti's 70.9 inches won't. None of this means the Deere or Kioti can't do loader work. It means if heavy loader work is your priority, the orange tractor and the TYM are the ones built for it.

We are very happy with the T254 and it has completed every task we asked of it. The T254 will lift 1200lbs on the front loader and we tested that with a crane scale.

If you're running a rotary cutter, box blade, tiller, or rear blade, the three-point lift number tells you how heavy an implement you can pick up. Here the spread is dramatic. The Kubota B2601 lifts 1,290 pounds at 24 inches behind the hitch. The TYM T254 is close behind at 1,101 pounds. The John Deere 1025R and Kioti CS2510 are roughly half that, at 758 and 700 pounds respectively.

That difference matters more than the loader gap for anyone planning serious ground-engaging work. A heavier box blade or a 60-inch cutter pushes the Deere and Kioti to their limits, while the Kubota and TYM have headroom. All four run an independent 540-rpm rear PTO and offer a mid-PTO for a belly mower, so for mowing duty they're even. The decision tilts on what you hang off the back.

Hydraulic flow drives how fast your loader cycles and whether you've got the capacity to run a third-function attachment like a grapple. The Kubota's 8.3 gpm dual-pump system is the strongest of the four and noticeably quicker on loader cycles. The TYM T254 follows at 6.9 gpm, then the Kioti at 6.5 and the Deere at 6.3.

Worth knowing: the Deere splits its flow into a dedicated 3.5-gpm steering circuit and a 3.5-gpm implement circuit, and offers up to three optional rear remote valves, which is generous for the class and handy if you run multiple hydraulic implements. The Kubota and TYM each offer a single optional rear remote. One detail buyers should hear straight: some B2601 owners have reported hydraulic pressure dropping over time and affecting lift, with a shim adjustment being the typical fix, so it's worth a careful look at a used machine.

All four are hydrostatic, so there's no clutching, just press a pedal and go. The Kubota is the only one with a three-range HST; the other three are two-range. That third range gives the Kubota the highest top speed at 12.7 mph and better speed control across jobs, which matters if you're covering ground between a barn and a back field.

The TYM is next at 11.0 mph, the Kioti at 10.3, and the Deere is the slowest at 9.1 mph. Where the Deere claws it back is ergonomics. Owners repeatedly call out its twin-touch foot pedals, tilt wheel, and loader joystick placement as the most intuitive setup in the group, especially for new operators. By contrast, some B2601 owners find the rocker-style HST pedal stiff and report a sore knee after long sessions, with seat adjustment helping. None of these are dealbreakers, but they're the kind of thing you only learn by sitting in the seat, so test-drive before you sign.

After buying my JD 1025R I can assure you the quick detach loader and drive over deck are worth their weight in gold. I can take the loader off in 30 seconds or less.

Ground clearance separates the work-in-rough-terrain machines from the lawn-focused ones. The Kubota B2601 has the most at 12.8 inches, which is why it's a common woods and pasture pick. The TYM T254 has 9.4 inches, the Deere 7.7, and the Kioti just 6.4. That low Kioti number is something to weigh if you'll cross ruts, rocks, or stumps; on a flat property it won't matter.

Serviceability favors the established brands. Owners praise Deere's flip-forward seat and easy access, and both Kubota and Deere have deep parts pipelines. On the value side, one long-time Kioti owner of a different model summed up the brand's reliability bluntly, and TYM owners generally report stout builds, though TYM's dealer network is thinner and several owners note dealers dropping the line. That's the trade with the value brands: the machine can be excellent, but support depends heavily on your specific local dealer.

I've owned a Kioti DK 35 for 14 years now (nearing 2000 hours). Nice machine, never gives me any problems. Parts are not a problem.

Warranty coverage is a real differentiator here. Kubota and John Deere both back the powertrain for 72 months or 2,000 hours, which is strong. TYM advertises bumper-to-bumper coverage and powertrain protection out to 3,000 hours, the longest hour limit of the group, while Kioti's driveline coverage runs 48 months. On paper, TYM and the two majors lead.

But warranty is only as good as the dealer who honors it. This is where the conversation on the forums keeps landing: buyers repeatedly say the deciding factor came down to the strength of the local dealer, not the badge. Kubota and Deere have the densest networks and the best resale, which protects you if you sell in a few years. Kioti and TYM typically save you real money up front, and current dealer pricing on a Kioti CS2510 with loader has run around $20,000 to $22,000 as of 2025, with TYM T254 tractor-and-loader packages advertised lower. Just confirm the dealer is solid and not on the way out before you buy.

The hydraulic whine noise was much louder on the Kubota. The Deere had substantially more fel lift capacity. The Deere turned sharper.

Who should pick which:

Pick the Kubota B2601HSD if loader and hitch capacity top your list, you want the most ground clearance for rough terrain, and you value a dense dealer network and strong resale. It's the most capable all-rounder here and the safest first tractor.

Pick the John Deere 1025R if ease of operation and parts availability matter most, especially as a first-timer. It's the friendliest to learn on with the best ergonomics and quick-attach loader and deck, but it lifts the least up front and trails on travel speed.

Pick the Kioti CS2510 if you want the most tractor for the dollar on a flat property under five acres, and you've got a good local Kioti dealer. Know going in that its loader lift, hitch capacity, and ground clearance are the lowest of the four.

Pick the TYM T254 if you want strong loader and hitch numbers and a proven Yanmar engine at a value price, and there's a committed TYM dealer near you. It punches above its price, but dealer coverage is the variable to confirm first.

Common Questions From Buyers Cross-Shopping These Four