2305 or 2320 or...?

[croasdale]

Hi folks,
I'm fairly new to this board and to tractor shopping. The more I research, the less convinced I am of what I need.
Here's what I'm doing....
I have a JD GT 262 with 48" mower for my 2 acre yard. I have a Ford 8n with a 5' bush hog that I mow about 8 acres with. The weeds can get kind of thick and tall between mowings. It's flat terrain but a bit bumpy in places with a few trees. I'm tired of wrenching on the 8n so want to get a replacement. At first I thought I'd be able to get a 2305 with 62" deck to mow the yard and the field. Now, I don't think that's going to work very well with the field so I'm going to continue to use the GT 262 for the yard and get a tractor for the field. Also, I want a FEL so 4WD and hydro trans would be nice.
My budget is limited to about $15k. My JD dealer said I could hook the 5' hog to a 2305 and it would get the job done.
I like the 2320 for the folding ROPS (tree branches) and bigger tires to smooth out the bumps. Also, I see posters referring to a position control for the 3ph on the 2320 which the 2305 does not have? Is that something I would miss if I got the 2305?
Any other tractor suggestions? I've tried other brands but keep coming back to the Deere because of ergonomics and dealer close by.
Thanks for any input you might have!

 

[JiminGa]

I have a 2305 and love it, it's an absolute mowing monster. JD says 4 ft rotary cutter for this tractor, I am in the market for one...considered buying a 5 ft and giving it a try, but the 3 point is limited height lift and weight so I'm looking for a 4 ft. therefore, my suggestion is get the 2320, it has a full cat 1 hitch and like you said has position control, a must for almost any 3 point implement.
price difference is approx. $1500 for the two, which puts you around 15k for a 2320, minus any discount you may be able to weasle out of the dealer.

 

[Greenster]

I like my 2305, but if I had it to do over again, I would spend the extra for a 2320. For the reasons you mentioned, plus an important one - an external hydro oil cooler. The 2305 is great, but work it hard in warm weather and the hydro will overheat giving you poor performance. Good luck.

 

[jdbower]

Make sure you check out both machines side-by-side at the dealer. The 2520 looks huge next to a 2305, this could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how much space you need. In general the xx20 series are the most advanced JD CUTs out there with significant improvements, other than potential size issues and price I'd go with the 2320 or even 2520 - there's no such thing as too much tractor.

Of course, this isn't to say that the 2305 isn't a good machine as well, if I had one as a mower and light duty tractor it would be a lot easier to justify a 3000 or 4000 series later on.

By the way, eHydro and twin touch pedals are a superb upgrade! They really make the tractor nimble and mowing is a breeze.

 

[croasdale]

Thanks for the feedback.
I'm leaning toward the 2320 but still have some concerns. I want to be able to bush hog the 8 acres at least as fast, preferably faster than the old 8n does. I've seen posters say the 2320 doesn't have enough power to use the high range for heavy work. Would that include bush hogging? Why can't I just slow it down in the heavy stuff and speed it back up for the lighter areas?
Also, I saw a poster say the rule is to have 5 PTO hp for each foot of bush hog width. The 2320 has 18 PTO hp so am I expecting too much from this tractor? I don't want to spend that much and have a tractor that is insufficient for the job.
That brings me to the gear tranny 4WD 790. It has more PTO power and is around the same price, but has fixed ROPS and less 3ph lift capacity. Also, FEL is more expensive for the 790 and I don't like how narrow it is - looks kind of tippy.
So can the 2320 cut 8 flat acres in summer heat reasonably fast with a 5' hog?
Thanks.

 

[ohio 2320]

Had a 2210 for 2 years and traded for the 2320. 2210 was nice but the 2320 is a lot more tractor. The lift capacities on the FEL and 3 point hitch are a lot more. All the little extra's on the 2320 vs. 2305 I think are worth every penny. Ground clearance, folding rops, split brake, bigger tires, draft control, and drive over deck. As far as mowing with the bushhog FAST, I think the max speed in low is like 4.5 mph, which to me when bushhogging would be plenty. High gear is more like a road gear with the pedal pushed all the way down. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[JDFANATIC]

croasdale,

In some situations the 2320 in high-range does not have the power to mow and handle hills (it has plenty of power in low-range). I'll give you an example. I mow my property with my 2210 in high-range. This includes ~ 1/3 acre that is pretty steep. When I test drove the 2320 on my slope (essentially the same engine and the same MMM size) it would not handle it in high-range. It's sort of like when I put my pto spreader on the rear and suitcase weights on the front and put 300# of whatever in the hopper. Now the 2210 requires me to shift into low-range.

Now the gearing on the 2320 and 2210 are completely different. On the 2320, the high-range really scoots along (much faster than the 2210), and the low-range is also faster. So, perhaps you could test drive one, and get a feel for the ground speeds in low-range.

As for the 3PH with a brush hog, you will want position control (some 2210/2305 owners have rigged chains to accomplish the same) to raise and lower the implement back to the same height setting.

5 hp per foot is a good rule of thumb. A 5' brush hog, though it may work, is outside that rule on the 2305/2320. Deere recommends a 4' cutter. Can you get by with it? I'm not sure, but I do have a friend with a 770 who runs an 84" RFM on it (~ 20 PTO hp), so, maybe you could get away with it.

 

[rvtech]

I'm very happy with my 2305. With that said, I have learned that I would not buy again without a folding ROPS. I think the larger wheels would be nice since areas that I mow are rough. I think I would like the position control and I know I would like independent brakes. I use the loader a lot and while back dragging the front wheels are light and there is little or no steering. The independent brakes would be helpful.

 

[JDFANATIC]

I'm very happy with my 2305. With that said, I have learned that I would not buy again without a folding ROPS. I think the larger wheels would be nice since areas that I mow are rough. I think I would like the position control and I know I would like independent brakes. I use the loader a lot and while back dragging the front wheels are light and there is little or no steering. The independent brakes would be helpful.

rv,

I just picked up the FEMCO folding ROPS ($299) and it works great. Should have gotten it years ago.

 

[BigD9]

On my 2320 tractor, the high range is saved for tramming from one end of the ridge to the other, or even motoring down to the mailbox when I feel lazy or just want seat time! And high range is fast! On the other hand, low range gets the most work out. I use it for near everything. While mowing, low range is fast enough that I never have the "pedal to the metal". When I back drag using float, I never experience front wheel lift, and float does a great job smoothing out my 300 foot gravel driveway.

As far as the larger tries smoothing out a rough field, that just didn't happen for me. My old smaller lawn tractor was as smooth as the 2320 tractor is. I've adjusted the tire pressures, but it is still a bumpy ride.

I do love the power this thing has. using the FEL, or the tiller is no problem for the 2320. Just remember this tractor has 4 wheel drive, and you can lock all 4 wheels into drive. Getting out of a tough spot is easy locking the wheels into 4 wheel drive.

I'm glad I went for the 2320 tractor. Its all I need for my 11 acres.

 

[unreconstructed]

I bought the 2320 over the 2305 for the full cat 1 3ph. Actually, I wanted a 790 but it does not have a foldable ROPS. So the 2320 got the call. I actually bought the 2320 for future use when we move to our retirement place and have not really got to give it a good workout. I have mowed some thick tall grass with some tough weeds mixed in and it went through the mess with no problem. You can spend another 1500 bucks or so and get the 2520. The 2320/2520 issue has been beaten to death in previous threads. You should be able to find those threads easy enough if you are interested in that issue.

I grew up on a farm and this was my first CUT and was surprised how easy the radiator and hood grills stop up when mowing. I understand from reading several posts that this issue is common among all CUTS, so I won't fault the 2320 on that issue.

 

[planman8]

I am on my second year with my 2305. I mow my two acre yard with it and love it. I have to be carefull with how soft the ground is or I leave tire depressions in the yard. I know that the 2320 is even weighs more than my 2305. You might want to consider that when mowing your lawn.
Planman

 

[croasdale]

Has anyone come up with a workable solution to the radiator clogging? I had the same issue with the 8n (but it never overheats) so I wrapped a piece of aluminum mesh window screen around the grill guard to enclose the radiator. It's ugly but it works. All I have to do is bump it a little to knock most of the weed debris away from the screen. Where is the radiator on the 2320? Could a similar screen solution work?
BTW, was quoted $12,100 for a new NH TC30 today. Big, powerful 4WD tractor but no folding ROPS or HST.

 

[jdbower]

Has anyone come up with a workable solution to the radiator clogging?

I've seen some professional mowing machines that have reversible radiator fans, they go on a high-speed reverse burst to blow out the clippings. I've been temped to try to get a high airflow 12V radiator fan, mount it to the back of the grill and hook it up to a pushbutton switch. It's not all that high on the pile of things to do since I rarely overheat (only once so far, and that was at a very high ambient temp).

 

[JDFANATIC]

Has anyone come up with a workable solution to the radiator clogging? I had the same issue with the 8n (but it never overheats) so I wrapped a piece of aluminum mesh window screen around the grill guard to enclose the radiator. It's ugly but it works. All I have to do is bump it a little to knock most of the weed debris away from the screen. Where is the radiator on the 2320? Could a similar screen solution work?
BTW, was quoted $12,100 for a new NH TC30 today. Big, powerful 4WD tractor but no folding ROPS or HST.

croasdale,

I think the radiator clogging is being pushed a bit out of context. ANY tractor needs clean, fresh air. No matter which brand you settle on, you will want to watch the accumilation of debris on the intake. That is it.

 

[Mayor]

I like my 2305, but if I had it to do over again, I would spend the extra for a 2320. For the reasons you mentioned, plus an important one - an external hydro oil cooler. The 2305 is great, but work it hard in warm weather and the hydro will overheat giving you poor performance. Good luck.

Still having that problem?

 

[Mayor]

We all like the tractors we have. It all comes down to the use. I cut grass 80% of the time and the 2305 does a great job. If I was doing loader work 80% of the time then the 2305 might not be right. The 2500 or 3000ish is more in line with that work. I have a good friend that has a 3000ish deere and it will do everything you ask. It's one superfast tractor with loads of power.

3320

 

[Greenster]

Still having that problem?

Yup. I think probably 75% of the 85hrs I have on the machine has been spent with the FEL and BB working my landscape project and fixing our communities access road (rainy summer). Granted, I have to work it pretty hard to get to the point that the FEL gets quirky, but it does. It's just a matter of oil temp and the ambient temps. I feel if I had an oil cooler this would not be an issue. Now that were going into 'winter', I probably won't see the issue again until next summer. Don't be surprised if I upgrade to a 2320 or 2520 though.....

 

[unreconstructed]

Someone posted that the mulch kit took care of the radiator screen issue.

Yes, everything needs clean air. My point was how quickly the screens stop up on the little tractors with a MMM. Its something you have to watch mowing dry grass. My tractor experience has been with row crop tractors pulling shredders (rotary mowers) and with my 5203/MX6 none of which develop any radiator screen problem out of the ordinary.

I had heating problems with my 2320 from the outset and was constantly cleaning the screens--probably every five minutes or so. I eventually lost the motor at 25 hours-I shut it down everytime the light came on and let it cool off so I did not run it hot. The dealer said the heating problem was a factory defect and JD replaced the engine. I have not had the tractor back very long and have not had time to try it out again. But I will be paranoid about the clogging issue nevertheless.

Most posters have said this is not an issue with them. I did find some complaints about this on another forum, but do not remember the site.

 

[gary_dsc]

I've got the mulch kit on my 2305 and I haven't had any problems with screen clogging. Using the MMM, I mow around 3 acres on a regular basis as well as mowing waterways which I only mow a few times a year and which sometimes get up to 2' high in places. This little tractor just runs right thru it with no problems. My JD dealer said that he normally recommends that muching kits not be installed until late summer, but I have been using it since I got the tractor back in late March. It's good for shredding the grass as well as corn husks and other crop stubble. I've start mulching leaves lately and it does a good job on those as well. I check both screens after mowing, but have never seen any major debris on either screen. I simply brush or blow away what little has accumulated. My last tractor was a 445 which also had the mulch kit and I had to clean screens very often with that setup. No so with the 2305.