2520 Power

[JDCAN]

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

Chris....

Even if Toolguy proved and won the debate I still think some would have a hard time accepting the facts.

Even tho I don't have 3 gears I have no problems with the 2.

 

[orlo]

Just my two cents. Someone had made the comment that the small CUT's couldn't use the higher gears. That's just not true. Power to weight is a factor that comes to play here. Numbers don't lie.

Believe it or not the 'lowely' 2305 has probably the highest power to weight (or lowest weight to power to weight ratio) of probably the whole 2000, 3000, and 4000 series. A stripped 2305 is 1450, a stripped 3720 is 2900lbs (My cab is a little under 3600lbs) - No loading, etc. The 2320 would be lower (Same HP, more weight).

Stripped the 2305 has a 60.4lbs/hp ratio and the 3720 has a 65.90 (This is lbs to HP so smaller is better). My cab stripped has an 81.8/hp ratio.

Operating weights it's still the case (Even more pronounced since the bigger tractors gain weight faster with the implements, loading, etc.).
My 3720cab operating weight is around 3600lbs + 900lbs (Loading in the tires) + around 1400lbs for the loader + bucket. This is 5900lbs. No ballast (I won't count the 1000lbs of ballast I use here and this is without the MMM).
My 2305 is 1450 + 200lbs (Probably not even this much for those small tires) + 560 (Loader) + 180 (Bucket) = 2490lbs.

2490/24 = 103.75lbs/hp 5900/44 = 135 lbs/hp - the 2305 still wins - and this is compared to the HP king of the 3000 series.

I can tell you from experience that I can put the 2305 in high, have the engine at full speed (or full pto speed), hammer the hydro and with the engine barely slowing down it'll jump right up to the 9mph+ speed. If I did the same in my 3720 in mid range (so just a slightly lower top speed, 8.? mph) and hammered the pedal with load match off the engine would slow down and it would get up to speed very quick, but not as quick as the 2305. When I had my 3320 the 2305 was much quicker than it accelerating in a similar range. Can't compare the high range on the 3000 series to the hi on the 2305. Hi on the 3 series goes very fast but it took a while to get there on my 3320, the 3720 will top out in high range in a decent amount of time.

The bigger heavier tractors really shine when you have high HP PTO accessories or the mear fact that You can pull/carry a whole lot more with the big ones. Sure, hook the 2305 up to a 2 ton trailer and the 3720 would win, but empty it's a whole different world.

The 2305 flies around like a light little bug and if it had a high range geared for 20mph it could still use it for transport, although not to go up hills.

 

[Deadman]

I was suprised how much slower my 2520 was at accelerating than my 2210 used to be. I kinda blew it off and the 2520 being geared to run so much faster/

 

[ducati996]

When I crawl under the rear end of the 2520, I see it used the same transaxle that was on my 4100.

I didnt get that impresion at all between my 4100 and 2520 - there are significant changes in the casting, even with the 2320 and the 4100.

 

[ducati996]

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.

I dont think the 2520 is perfect, it would be nice to have 2 mph on the low speed, but I dont think the Kubota has the leg up just because of the 3spd - I do like the Kubotas and I personally have tried the B2630/B3030 and I also think it can be done with the HP range of these machines >26.5 and up. The 3120 does it fine as well as the 3320. The L series from Kubota does it good as well. I have been trying a lot of machines lately, no expert on all but have a good feel for most. Im looking strongly at the 4120 Deere series, as well as the L4240 from Kubota.

 

[Rob-D]

For me it comes down to what I need the machine to do and how well it does what I need it to do.
So far my 2320 does everything I need. I didn't go with the 2305 because the tires are too small for the wet spring we get here and I wanted a full CAT 1 hitch. Also it didn't have the BH when I made my choice. I didn’t go with the 2520 because I didn’t need it with its larger engine with greater fuel consumption and a ROPS that wouldn’t clear my 8’ high garage doors. (The 2320 clears them by about an inch or so.)
I don't know what gearing changes the 2320 has over the 2305 but it is the extra weight I wanted and not 1/4 mile track times. If you put the two tractors in an opposing pull the 2320 would very likely drag the 2305 and the 2520 would drag the 2320.

When I get to something I can't do I'll figure another way to do it because the bottom line is that any of these tractors can accomplish most tasks, the difference is in the time it takes to do them.

You can't lift a 900 lb. round bale with any of them but you can break it down and move it with any of them.

I'm not doing production work for my living. I'm retired and managing my land is something I look forward to. How much time it takes is not paramount.

If I was running a farm it would be different story and the farmers around here have several tractors, in fact I don’t know one who has a single tractor or a single brand of tractor.

As far as CUT’s they are very popular because they do a lot of things very well. Once you start getting into the bigger machines you limit the range of things they can do. They won’t fit into the small section of the barn to clean where Dawn keeps her animals for instance.

CUTs are machines that do a lot of tasks very well. It seems to me that amateurs too often want to act like professionals. Take metal lathes for instance. Some of you might be surprised to know that the thinking is the same as tractors. I’ve seen people buy lathes with a 14” swing when an 8” swing would have been, not only adequate but better and more versatile. I ran a design and prototyping business and had every crazy job come through the door, 95% of the work was done under 10”.

The bottom line is that bigger, faster and more powerful don’t necessarily equate to ‘better’.
Get the tractor that will do what you need and that means assessing your needs completely before you buy a tractor. Buying a tractor that will move mountains is a waste of time, fuel and money when all you’re moving is mole hills.

 

[Chris2520]

Rob , that was a good way of putting it.
I dont think you could sum it up better than that.
I think most people could respect that statement.
from a 2305 all the way to the big 8000 seris.
it boils down to 3 things. more size = more power = more money.
just buy what you need....
or for some folks , whatever you can afford
the buget is sometimes a part of too.....

Chris........

 

[Rob-D]

Thanks Chris.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Good post Rob!
One of the most reasonable I've read.

 

[brenhamite]

As for the prevoius comment made about miniature tires on the 2305, I am an offended 2305 owner.
Really really little maybe but not miniature