2520 appropriate size tractor?

[smalltown]

VTtractorguy my 2520 has not arrived yet so I can't take a "live" measurement, however the brochure in my hand states 2520 height 89.7".

 

[VTtractorguy]

VTtractorguy my 2520 has arrived yet so I can't take a "live" measurement, however the brochure in my hand states 2520 height 89.7".

Great! Thanks Smalltown. I should be all set.

 

[Rogator]

VTtractorguy my 2520 has not arrived yet so I can't take a "live" measurement, however the brochure in my hand states 2520 height 89.7".

I just measured my 2520 and it's 90.75 inches.

 

[North Country]

I'll go against the grain and say that for 50% mowing and snowblowing to be added later, you will do well with the 2305. The cost savings will pay for the snowblower and cab right away.

If you're rebuilding the stone wall with stone that's not near the wall, you'll need the FEL. If the stone is in the area and needs to be placed, a backhoe with thumb is the way to go. That's another vote for the 2305 - the backhoe and MMM don't interfere with each other.

I have 10.5 acres, about 1.5 is steep hilly lawn. The 2305 is a better choice than the 2520 for stability reasons, maneuverability, and cost. I move large stones with it all the time (the 2305 and the 2520 have the same loader.) You're welcome to come by and try my 2305 in VT, but you mention you're 10mins from NH and I can see lake Champlain from my house...

 

[jenkinsph]

VTtractorguy,
That is a very nice looking place you have.:thumbsup:

I agree that a 2520 would be a good choice if you need a fel on the next tractor. Other than that an X748 would be great for mowing and blowing snow. I like the X748/7499 because the single range hydrostatic is setup to be optimum for mowing speeds. The 2520 with the two range hydro felt like it was too slow in low and too fast in high

The 2520 does have the advantage of offering a wider mower and better utilitarian features. The pricing for the next week or so is very good too.

I have been very satisfied with my choice of the X749 for mowing and tight quarters work and the compact tractors for the rest of the jobs.

 

[VTtractorguy]

I'll go against the grain and say that for 50% mowing and snowblowing to be added later, you will do well with the 2305. The cost savings will pay for the snowblower and cab right away.

If you're rebuilding the stone wall with stone that's not near the wall, you'll need the FEL. If the stone is in the area and needs to be placed, a backhoe with thumb is the way to go. That's another vote for the 2305 - the backhoe and MMM don't interfere with each other.

I have 10.5 acres, about 1.5 is steep hilly lawn. The 2305 is a better choice than the 2520 for stability reasons, maneuverability, and cost. I move large stones with it all the time (the 2305 and the 2520 have the same loader.) You're welcome to come by and try my 2305 in VT, but you mention you're 10mins from NH and I can see lake Champlain from my house...

Hi North Country. Thanks for your advice. Sounds like you are up near Burlington. I'm down in Quechee - a little over an hour from there. Thank you for the invite to see your tractor. I've come so close numerous times to buying a 2305. I wish they didn't stop making them. If I was to go with the 1026r, I'd be nervious with it being the first year of a new model. At any rate, if I'm up your way maybe I'll stop by.

Best,

Stewart

 

[VTtractorguy]

I just measured my 2520 and it's 90.75 inches.

Thanks Rogator for measuring. Guess I'm in and out of my garage without folding the ROPS!

 

[North Country]

Yep, south of Burlington by about 15 minutes. I lived in Quechee & Taftsville back in the 90s, a few years before I owned any land.

You also might want to talk to Ensoll. He recently upgraded from a 2305 to a 2520 and he's happy, but I know he isn't thrilled with the way the 2520 treats his lawn. The 2305 is a light machine when everything but the MMM is off - if my boot doesn't make a print in the wet lawn, neither will the R4s.

I just did some road repair today fixing a slump & washout - we have over 1/4 mile of private road to maintain. The FEL and the boxblade made it go fast and I never felt like I needed "more power."

If you're keeping the x to mow, then the 2520 is a nice machine but you really might bust your budget. The 2305 is more of a "if you can only have one, which one do you have" kind of tractor.

Here's a used 2305 not too far away:
compact mower #2305

And here's the 200cx loader:
john deere 200cx loader

And the 47 snowblower to finish it all off:
47

That's a tractor, FEL, MMM, rake, plow & snowblower for about $14,000 (plus time driving.)

Compare that total to the 2520, not forgetting that you'll keep the x if you get the 2520. I don't know what your budget is, but I'm guessing it's at least a $5000 difference even with the $2500 credit.

Anyway, enjoy the decision! I'm sure you'll end up with what works for you.

 

[hink10]

Thanks TripleR. It's a work in progress.

Taxes are about $8,500, but we receive a credit back from the State lowering it to about $6,500. Still stinks. We've thought of moving out of the PRVT (Peoples Repubilc of Vermont) to ten minutes down the road, across the border to NH. Similar property taxes for comparable property, no income tax and no sales tax... and a lot of people think NH offers better services. It's a friendlier place to do business than VT, thus better revenue. But VT does have nice qualities.

I am waiting on my 2305, I had to go as small as possible for my use. You could most likely get by with the 2305, it's probably going to be a better mower which will be your primary task. If you can get by with taking care of the drive with it and it will accommodate your landscaping needs, may be a good fit. But other's know better, probably go bigger if you have the room to store it. I'm new at this game. I'm just thinking from all the research I've done on my purchase.

Don't feel bad about the taxes. I live in Illinois on 1.5 acres in a sub-division. Our lot was .75 acres, we bought the lot next to us for privacy so we're at 1.5 acres, grass & wooded. We paid almost $9k in property taxes before the additional lot, we'll be paying about $10.5 K this year! OUCH... that's more than our previous mortgage was including taxes and insurance!

Good luck on your purchase!

Steve

 

[castiman]

I just sold my 2305 a couple of months ago and bought a 2520 for everything but mowing, bought a X530 for that, does a much better job then the 2305 did, much lighter and more manuerable. Think twice before getting rid of that X540 for mowing. If in doubt see if a dealer will deliver the tractor of your choice to try first.

 

[DMax2210]

I just recently traded in a 2210 with 62" mower for a 2520 with the 62D deck. My property consists of about 2 acres of very hilly lawn and I was always very pleased with the cut of the 2210. The lawn may not look like a golf course when I'm done, but I do appreciate a nice cut I've only got one cut in so far with the 2520 but the deck appears to be very similar cut quality, if not a bit better (new blades are probably the difference!).

I absolutely love the 2520 - great tractor from what I've seen so far, however even though the spec sheet says it only weighs about 600lbs more than the 2210, it feels like it weighs a lot more... (I think that's about the weight difference, it has been a while since I've compared). The added weight I anticipate to usually be a nice benefit, as long as it doesn't adversely affect the lawn. The other part I'm trying to get used to for lawn work is going to R4's from R3's... They are fantastic for climbing the hills but I sure need to be more careful then I used to have to be with the turf tires on the 2210, especially when turning. I'm hoping that when it finally stops raining and the ground dries up, that will be much less of a problem.

All in all, I'm very happy I made the upgrade to the larger tractor and feel that in the end it does just as good of a job mowing as the smaller machine, but for all of my other tasks (snowblowing, driveway maintenance, FEL work, bushhog mowing, and tilling), it was well worth the step up.

Oh, and although I haven't had a tapemeasure out, I have 2 8' doors in the front of the garage and have no problem driving in with the ROPS up. Just make sure that if you have an automatic door opener, it is pulling the bottom of the door up equal to or slightly above the door opening when in the up position. I've seen some doors that are adjusted a bit lower and where the clearance is very close to the size of the opening anyway, the door not coming up ALL of the way could put you in danger of striking it! Unfortunately, my back garage bay is only a 7' door and that's where the tractor will live for the summer season so I definitely have to fold the ROPS to get through the door. When the cab goes on for the winter season I'll have to park my truck in the smaller bay out back when folding the ROPS is no longer an option - it will then get the larger front bay!

Good luck with your upcoming purchase - hopefully some of my ramblings can be of benefit to you during your decisionmaking process! :confused2:

 

[Gizmo2]

For everyones viewing pleasure.
View attachment Compare.pdf

 

[VTtractorguy]

For everyones viewing pleasure.
View attachment 212747

Thanks Gizmo... very helpful. Big difference in the hydraulic pump output of 2520 v. the 2320/2305. 10.5 GPM v. 5.6/5.2 respectively. That'll liven things up a bit! I'm guessing they will all pretty much accomplish the same thing, but the 2520 faster.

 

[Gizmo2]

I think the hydraulics on the 2520 are too fast and I also think the hydraulics on the 2320 are a tad slow. Go figure!

 

[dannyk]

Anyone know how LONG that 2520 is with the front snowblower on?
Also, can you get by with rear wheel weights or do you need the ballast box?
I have some storage space issues!

 

[kennyd]

Anyone know how LONG that 2520 is with the front snowblower on?
Also, can you get by with rear wheel weights or do you need the ballast box?
I have some storage space issues!

You need weight behind the rear axle to properly ballast the FEL. That is the only effective way to transfer the fulcrum point to the rear axle and not the front. Think of a see-saw on the playground. A full (concrete) ballast box is better than wheel weights.

 

[DMax2210]

Anyone know how LONG that 2520 is with the front snowblower on?
Also, can you get by with rear wheel weights or do you need the ballast box?
I have some storage space issues!

My snowblower is not easily accessible right now so I don't have an exact number, but measuring each piece individually it looks like it is going to be about 146" long with the 3pth arms out straight and the blower down on the ground. If space is too tight, it looks like you might be able to save almost 10" if you took the 3pth arms off. I'm anxious to hear what others have to say about rear ballast - I have not used the blower yet (although if it keeps raining like this and the temp drops a few more degrees that may change - is it really mid-May?!), but I wasn't planning to use any ballast at all. If feels very solid with the blower on the front with the small amount of driving around the yard I have done with it on...

 

[dannyk]

Kenny,

Sorry for the confusion. I know I need weight on the 3-pt for the FEL, but what about in winter for just the snowblower?

Hey, thanks, DMax, for the heads up on the total length. Man, isn't that one long sucker to maneuver in tight quarters with the blower in deep snow?

Danny

 

[fabsroman]

1) I cannot believe you haven't bought a compact tractor before this.
2) Just how cool is it to have a drive through garage? I am thinking you have to be the envy of the area.

Not to mention that the garage looks huge too. I am somewhat jealous myself.

What size is that garage?

 

[kennyd]

Kenny,

Sorry for the confusion. I know I need weight on the 3-pt for the FEL, but what about in winter for just the snowblower?

Hey, thanks, DMax, for the heads up on the total length. Man, isn't that one long sucker to maneuver in tight quarters with the blower in deep snow?

Danny

With the blower, you still need weight IMO-that blower is pretty heavy. Probably not as much weight is needed as with the FEL though. It is long-but with the hydro trans, hydro steering, and very small turning radius they are very agile.