2520 Power

[tomd999]

Hi All,

I noticed the large spread between low and high. I don't know if the best solution would be to offer a 3 spd diff however. A better solution may be to lower overall gearing by 20% or so. That would drop top end to the 11 MPH range and also give you more of a creeper low for those times when going slow is best. Then again, I don't intend to shuttle between fields.

I do have to say the 2520 I had here was a top fueler in high range, holding it's own in the driveway dash up to the house with my Wright Stander. (Which is my crazy fast mower) I haven't tried it yet but I have doubts it will pull as hard in low, traction permitting as my old Economy Deluxe with dual transmissions will in low-low. (572-1 reduction if I remember correctly)

Tom

 

[Toolguy]

Boy, do I feel stupid. I was reading this post and found myself starting to believe that the 2520 guys were seriously trying to convince themselves that their two speed tranny was better than a Kubota 3 speed. 1.5 mph faster here, .8 mph slower here. It was starting to sound good and then I got it. You're kidding, of course! Good one guys. No sour grapes here. Glad we can all have some fun on TBN. Ha Ha.

 

[JDCAN]

Boy, do I feel stupid. I was reading this post and found myself starting to believe that the 2520 guys were seriously trying to convince themselves that their two speed tranny was better than a Kubota 3 speed. 1.5 mph faster here, .8 mph slower here. It was starting to sound good and then I got it. You're kidding, of course! Good one guys. No sour grapes here. Glad we can all have some fun on TBN. Ha Ha.

Toolguy don't worry not all of us 2520 owners play it off like it's the 2nd coming of christ.

 

[jimgerken]

When I crawl under the rear end of the 2520, I see it used the same transaxle that was on my 4100. The 4100 had smaller tires and wouldnt go as fast, but in road gear it handled hills better. Hmmmm, seems to make sense why the 2520 road gear is so fast. JD has no easy (read inexpensive) way to gear them down when they change tire sizes. They did the same thing on the X540. If you get it with all terrain tires, they are quite large and the thing will go about 10 mph on top end! It also won't back up a hill with a load, its geared too high.

 

[Rob-D]

My 2320 is the same way but I don't really care and I don't need a 3 speed tranny. I always go fast enough in low for real work and I've run up steep hills (On the road) in high going to a neighbor's house. I've mowed the fields in high a couple of times when all I had to do was clean them up.

As for low I went up a 45% grade with FEL and BH attached. This thing is an animal! I've never gotten stuck. In fact I was mowing the front field and went right down into a drainage ditch with the front wheels and just backed out of it.(Used 4WD)
I think the best thing is to learn the limits of your machine and how to maximize it.

 

[ducati996]

Boy, do I feel stupid. I was reading this post and found myself starting to believe that the 2520 guys were seriously trying to convince themselves that their two speed tranny was better than a Kubota 3 speed. 1.5 mph faster here, .8 mph slower here. It was starting to sound good and then I got it. You're kidding, of course! Good one guys. No sour grapes here. Glad we can all have some fun on TBN. Ha Ha.

I got news for you - Kubota should have had it done better with the 3 speed range, but its not going to impress you either way. The high range will be effected with inclines,just like deere. The low is low and creeper like and rarely used, and the mid is a little bit off for loader work, where sometimes Low is needed, but then you need to jump back into Mid. to get some speed.

The way it should be for Both Deere and Kubota, is low will handle all low end needs and fast loader work 0-6.5 mph, middle (6.5-9) is for fast mowing and small incline, and high (9- 15 MPH) is for fast travel on flat ground.
Deeres 3000 with e-hydro gives a nice range, and so does Deere models larger than the B2630/3030 series

 

[Deadman]

SO, does it REALLY hurt anything to climb a hill in High gear and make it really labor? I usually don't do it, but I'm wondering if there is any damage being caused from that?

 

[Chris2520]

SO, does it REALLY hurt anything to climb a hill in High gear and make it really labor? I usually don't do it, but I'm wondering if there is any damage being caused from that?

Deadman , I dont know all that much about hydros .
but i doubt anything good could come from climbing
a steep hill in high range. when you just filp it to low , and
pull a house down.
Just my view....

Chris.....

 

[Toolguy]

ducati996,

I never said the Kubota was perfect. Do you think the two speed 2520 is better? Have you driven a B3030 to compare? Just like to know where you're coming from on this subject since you entered the discussion after I made my comments.

In your second paragraph regarding what you think would be the ideal speeds a 3 speed tranny should have, I think your speeds would work if the tractor had at least 40 HP. There is no way, IMHO, that a 26 to 30 HP tractor could utilize those speeds. Just not enough power.

As it is, the B3030 is pretty good. Low puts less strain on the HST when working hard and gives you better control when you just need to go slow. The HST is more responsive to the touch when in the lower gears. Medium is the gear most used and works well for mowing at full HST pedal where the ground is smooth. HI is good for travel and, believe it or not, works great for plowing snow. I typically plow in HI at only 1600 rpms. Plenty of power and speed while saving fuel by keeping the engine speed down. There are no big hills around where I live so I don't know how it would work on a steep grade. Probably no better than anything else because I know it is possible to stall the HST in HI. It can also be stalled in Medium when using the loader in 4WD. No problem in Low. It will dig itself down to the axles if you want it to.

There is a good reason that anything larger than a garden tractor has more than one speed. It is cheaper and more practical to add gears than it is to put a HST unit in that would handle it all with no help from a tranny. Everything is a compromise and almost all tractors made today are variations of previous models. Sometimes the new ones are better and sometimes they aren't. If cost was not a factor then the perfect tractor would have been made long ago. Until then we will all have to live with something less than perfection. That's life, but I'm not complaining.

 

[Chris2520]

I think we should have a Youtube Debate.
I bet then we could get all this sorted out.......

Chris....