Couldn't pull the trigger on the 2520....

[thepawnshop]

I found this forum at the advice of one of your members on another board and I have read and re-read every post regarding 2520's and 2305's....I'm a builder and I own all JD construction equipment...a compact track loader ct322 and a 50d mini excavator so now that it is time to buy a piece of green lawn equipment I want the best bang for the buck.

I went out yesterday with every intention of buying the 2520 but as I looked at the two machines side by side, the 2305 looks like it will be better suited for the terrain around my house, which is quite sloped. From what I have read, owners of the 2305 all seem more than pleased with that machine and I think I will be too. I mainly want a piece of equipment that can make my yard look like a million bucks...I want to be able to mow with it, push snow, aerate my yard as well as run either a landscape rake or perhaps even a Harley rake, box blade, etc....my only fear with the 2305 is that I will wish that I had bought a larger machine down the road. I know you all are thinking "what is this guys question?" Well, here goes...

What limitations does the 2305 have versus the 2520 for around the house..I am only mowing about an acre and a half...and is the 2520 worth 5k more? You can buy quite a few non-hydraulic implemets for the 2305 for 5k....

I guess I really need some actual user advice to help push me over the edge one way or the other so if you have time, please share your thoughts. I only have a few days before I need to get a deal done as I have just moved into a new house and the yard is starting to come up fast!

Thank you for your input in advance.

Doug Brandt
Brandt Custom Homes
Roanoke, VA

 

[Chris2520]

Doug , its pretty simple really. if your main deal is you just want to cut grass. a 2305 on just 1 1/2 acer would be for you. that to me is a little small
for just mowing with a 2520. as for rakes and 3 point tools . 2520 will be far better for those. and for dirt and loader work. i would surly go with a 2520 for that. for hydralic power and machine power. the 2305 and the 2520 are not even in the same class. a 2520 is a lot more powerful tractor. and larger.
but as i said. if just grass maintenance is your main task on 1 1/2 acers.
and you dont plan on much land scapeing or dirt work. i would go with a 2305. i hear it a mowing beast. and will handle lighter ground engageing work...

Chris....

 

[thepawnshop]

Chris,

Thanks for your earlier reply to my PM and to this post...I have been struggling with this decision for several days now....I have always been one of those "bigger is better" kind of guys, I'm just afraid that if I do go with the 2520, which is a BEAUTIFUL machine, it would be too awkward for my wife to use due to its size and the type of terrain it is going to be used on. If I wasn't married to someone who thinks she is going to mow more than I am, I would definately go with the larger machine without question. But since I would like to be able to sleep in the new house I just built us I think I am going to have to ease into a larger piece and what I am sincerely hoping is that I am so happy with the 2305 I wont need to make a change.

As far as dirt work goes, I do have the CTL and the mini excavator, though I would rather keep em off my personal lawn as much as possible...those rubber tracks really trash a yard. I really can't see using a 2520 for too much dirt work...perhaps use the bucket to move sand, topsoil and mulch...that would be about it for the bucket....****, I could probably make do for a while with the dump cart trailer for the short term...

There are some attachments that I may want to use down the road that may not work with the 3405...like the TR3 landscape rake.

I still have yet to totally make up my mind....I guess it would be nice to hear more about the mowing capabilities using a MMM from other 2520 owners before I pull the trigger.....

 

[GordNovo]

Hi, I went from a 2305 to a 2520 because my tractor needs far exceeded basic lawn care. Of the 250 hrs I put on the 2305, 75% of them were loader and some box blade work. If lawn care was my primary duty, I would've stayed with the 2305.

Now I didn't upgrade becuase the 2305 wasn't capable at all the non-lawn care duties. Quite the contrary, it handled the vast majority of tasks I threw at it very well, but because of the sheer volume of loader/ground engagement work I was doing, I didn't feel comfortable pushing it to its limits that often.

Since I've upgraded, the key differences between the two that I really notice and take advantage of are as follows:

Position control - greater precision with the 3ph

3ph lift capacity - I think it goes up by about 350lbs or so

More torque - used all the time!!

Independent brakes - great for very tight cornering and getting outta tight spots easily

Folding ROPS - the 2520 gets into much tighter spots, like my 6.5' gooseneck horse trailer which the 2305 couldn't do.

Ground Clearance - I think it's double the height compared to the 2305

FEL Speed - Loader work takes 1/2 the time

Ground Speed - I help a lot of neighbors out, and they can be 2 to 4 miles away. The extra speed comes in handy.

Better centre of gravity - I feel a lot more confident on the slopes of the ditch and burm with the 2520, without loaded tires on either.

Overall stability - when doing heavy loader work, the 2520 feels much more stable and planted to the ground

I guess it depends on how important these features are to you and your own personal needs.

Good Luck, oh and contratulations in advance with whatever decision you make!

GordNovo

 

[Chris2520]

Doug , as far as your wife driveing it. she would really see no difference.
operation is exactly the same. turning radious on a 2520 is very sharp. and as Gord said. if you use the steering brakes. a 2520 will turn around in a shorter distance than a 2305. alot of people here mow with there 2520 , I am not one of them. but thay seem to be happy with the cut quality.
but i guess you got to look down the road. 2520 is cat 1 . so all 3 point attachments fits it. so you can use anything. 2305 is limited cat 1. so only certain attachments will work with it.
I would go with the 2520 , and grow into it. rather than
go with a 2305 and grow out of it. since you are sitting on the fence.
i would go up not down. i was kinda in your shoes. i did not know if i wanted a 2520 or a 3000 seris. I am very happy with the 2520. but i wish i had a bigger hoe. i like the 448. if i was doing it over again today. i would most likely buy a 3720 and a 448 hoe. most likely in the next year. i may just do it anyway. ....
But you will not be disapointed in the 2520. witch ever you get. get R4's

Chris...

 

[ChuckinNH]

I know Chris is going to hate me for this, but you might want to consider the 2320 with turf tires. I think it is a little less intimidating to your wife perhaps, and has the same turning radius, and nice mower height adjustment as the 2305. Perhaps both of you would be happy with that. While the 2520 is a good mower from all reports, things like the independent mower lift are much more expensive, and it is wider, and heavier than the 2320 which are not the best traits in a machine used mainly for finish mowing. I have to say here that although I have operated both machines, I haven't mowed with either one so I would defer to anyone that has actual experience that is different from my take.

 

[x585guy]

Hey Doug, one small problem you might run into if you get either a 2520 or 2320. Your wife may not be able to reach the pedals on those machines. I have the 2320 and I was all excited about it until my wife got on the machine. OOPS! during all the dealing on the price and so on, I forgot to have the wife sit on it and see if she can reach the pedals with her feet. She is only 5 ft and can barely touch them so now I am looking at finding some way of making extensions on those pedals. I even asked the dealer and no luck. My wife loved the x585 I had and she did most of the mowing and now she does not like our 2320 at all. Its not as comfortable either like the x585, so I would look into the 2305 pretty closely. Either way good luck and to keep peace in the family make sure your wife can be comfortable on the machine. My decsion was to very hard to make between the 2305 and 2320. Russ

 

[Mackinac Joe]

Doug,

I just went through the same kind of decision you now face -- choosing between the 2305 and the larger ones. But I chose a 2320 over the 2520.

Like you, I have about 1.5 acres of yard to finish mow. But we also have a large garden, expanding orchard, small livestock (4-H scale), deer plots, long gravel driveway, 40 acres of woods with trails to maintain and firewood to move, and snow to plow in Michigan winters.

If all I had to do was mow the yard, I would have gone with the 2305 (or even smaller) in an instant. But the 2305's short clearance and more limited features and power (noted by others above) and the non-folding ROPS convinced me to go with either the 2320 or 2520.

I chose the 2320 over the 2520 because it's a little lighter (a concern for mowing the grass), the belly mower height adjustment is supposed to be easier (for me or a wife), I didn't need the 2520's extra power and faster hydraulics, and of course the $2k or so price difference. (Also note: I've heard the 2520 backhoe frame produces some sort of interference with other 2520 implements -- Chris or others will know.)

My dealer pointed out differences between the 2520 and 2320 on the rear housing (below the seat, around the rear PTO). The 2520 seems to be beefier and to contain more cast parts. The 2320 was simpler and lighter there. The dealer called the 2520's housing "old school." I suppose the 2320's advantage is that if it breaks there it's probably much cheaper to fix than the 2520. But maybe the 2520 is more rugged there and less likely to break. Ask your dealer to explain this distinction to you.

If a loader-mounted blade is important to you, check to see if the 2520 will handle one. Deere does not recommend one for my 2320, so I had to go with a quick-tach front blade which necessitates removing the loader and not just the bucket (an easy task, but I wish I could loader-mount one).

For finish mowing, I'm very impressed with the 2320's turning radius which is much tighter than my old Cub Cadet. I believe the 2320's turning radius is nearly identical to that of a 2520. They both have folding ROPS.

The 2320 has done all I've asked it to do (in my mere 17 hours of operation!) as long as I put ballast on the back. I haven't wished for more power yet and I've pulled fenceposts, dug yards of earth to fill low spots on trails, lifted downed trees, hoisted and moved loads by chain, and graded driveways. And, ho-hum, mowed the yard.

So ... perhaps you should add a 2320 to your mix of options. It's $2k cheaper than a 2520. If you don't think you'll have a great need for the 2520's extra features, you could put the $2k toward implements.

Joe

 

[RoyJackson]

Some folks really like spending other people's money...

Just pick the tractor that most suits you for your needs. It might be a simple machine or something more.
You're the one who has to use it, and pay for it.

 

[Dutch445]

Doug,
I think with all of the talk of tractors, and of their capabilities,
you may want to dig deeper into the differences in mower
decks. (for the type of look you want)
The new Drive Over decks are quite a bit different
than the 62X deck on the 2305. At first, there were quite
a few complaints about gage wheel gouging, but they have
redesigned the deck with different wheels and the bushing they
rotate in is greasable now. I haven't heard any complaints with
this new design, but there certainly were with the old design.

I also like the 2320 mower deck height features over the 2520. I
don't think there are many tasks the 2520 will do that the 2320 won't do,
maybe run a 5' rotary cutter. Look at how often you may want to
run a powerrake etc, because for that type of implement I'd sway
you away from the 2305 with it's lower 3ph lift height and capacity.

 

[rcooper]

If mowing is your primary endeavor and you have other ground engaging equipment, go with the 2305 as I did. My 2305 mows great and leaves little impact on the grass. However, you do notice the wheel tracks on certain types of grasses and you must compensate by mowing different directions. I have 1.6 acres with part of it used for gardening. I have the JD 647 4'-0" tiller and it is perfect for medium to large gardening. I believe the larger tractors will impact your grass more even with turf's.

This spring I moved 50 yards of landscape mix over 2 acres for my neighbor in about 6 hours with little impact on his bermuda and St. Augustine yard. The loader worked very well and I am use to larger machines such as my JD4500 and CAT 953 track loader. Bigger is not always better (my two cents worth)

 

[VABlue]

Everyone will tell you the 2305 is a mowing machine and it's true. You can mow faster and cleaner, with less impact, than any other tractor in the JD lineup. The loader is plenty sufficient for 1.5 acres of mulch and dirt moving. So it might take an extra trip with a 53" bucket? With a new lawn you're going to get tire marks when its wet. Think seriously about them - do you want big tracks from a large machine digging in?

You'll miss the 3pth position control when using the rake, but otherwise the 2305 will handle anything you do on 1.5 acres. And it will be easier on the entire yard in the process. The 'limited' part of the cat 1 hitch only means that you need to be careful about which post hole digger you buy - get a shorter one. All other attachments will fit the same as any other cat 1 hitch.

Bigger normally means better, but not always. If you really don't have room around the yard, then smaller is better.

 

[JDCAN]

Hey Doug, I was pretty much in the same boat as you. I have 2 acres of finished yard that I wanted dialed and looking perfect. I was very nervous of the track marks a 2520 could leave, well after a few months I have no issues at all. While the 2520 is heavier than a 2305 it travels well across the yard. The only issues I can see if you use the MFWD it might make some tracks on sharp turns. As for the mower, the 62d is a dream. I find the cut is great and the drive over feature is very nice to have when changing back and fourth. I got a newer deck and have had ZERO problems with the wheels causing divots. As others have meantioned this problem has been fixed. I have never cut grass with a 2305 but the 2520 with 62d is very user friendly. It is very easy to get up close to the house and edging without any worries. I am sure your wife will have no problems either. The casing on a 62D has a nice lip that allows you to run right up to walls and so on without any problems. Did I meantion the 62d is super thick? It is built like a tank and will last alot of years due to the gauge thickness of body.

As for which to buy, either tractor will be great, but look at it this way, weather you spend 12k to 13k on a 2305 or 17k to 18k on a 2520 it is alot of money. I would say if you are ready to spend 13k spend the extra 5k now to jump up to a 2520. 5k over 15 years of ownership is nothing. In the long run you will be more happy with the extra power and options down the road. Like alot of members here you will always find more things to do with the tractor so having bigger can be a good thing. At the end of the day 2305, 2320 or 2520 they are all pretty small tractors. Neither of them should worry you about being to big. I think alot of members here have provided some good information on going with the 2520, I would like to add if you do go with the 2520 I am postive you will not regret spending the extra 5k, in otherwords you will feel good about the extra bells and whistles for the difference of 5k. Well worth the extra 5k.

Good luck with the final pick. You will be pretty happy either way.

 

[gunmaker]

Doug, hope you're having fun shopping. I picked the 2520 as I'm sure you've read and am very happy with it. I am also happy that I kept my 425 for mowing and clean-up snowplowing. I think that the 2520 is perfect for everything in my yard except mowing. I have approx 100 trees to mow around, and an area in my backyard that slopes close to 30 degrees. The 425 fills the mowing need more easily and comfortably. My wife 5'4" has no problem operating either tractor when the need arises.
My next tractor for mowing will be the JD 748, the next for landscaping/yard work will be another 2520 or maybe 3000 series. Good luck finding what's right for you!

 

[thepawnshop]

Wow...you guys are making this decision even tougher! That said, I am still leaning towards the 2305. I have been to 2 different dealers and spec'd the exact same machine...one dealer is 45 minutes away and is $400 cheaper than the dealer that is 20 minutes away. $400 may not sound like much money in the big scheme of things but it just strikes me odd that teh same exact machine differs that much in price at 2 different locations. Another example...the base 2520 45 minutes away is $13,900. At the local store they priced it to me at $14,800.

Now personally I'm not a fan of driving 45 minutes whenever I have a problem with my tractor, but for $400 I may have too. Do you guys think I am being unrealistic? For the record, I offered to meet the local dealer in the middle and pay $200 just to by the machine closer to home...on principal alon I don't think I can go the whole $400.

 

[VABlue]

Does he know you have an offer $400 less but further away? He probably does even if you haven't told him (a good manager knows his competition) and is playing on that because everyone wants to be closer to home. I don't know how you'll pay for the machine, but I can see that $400 is a rear blade. Otherwise, it's not too much of a difference at $14K.

I see you're a builder, any chance the machine would be used on your construction sites? If so, get the 2520 because it can lift pallets easier. If not, I really have to wonder what the extra capacities will do. Yeah, you have a 4" wider bucket, but you can still get a 53" bucket on a 2305. And it will lift the same amount of mulch, dirt, stone, etc., as a 2520. It might take you 5 seconds longer to pickup and dump a load... The bottom line is what are you going to do with it? If you plan on doing a lot of heavy work that you want done now, the 2520 is right. If the heavy stuff can take a little longer, or you're not doing any, the 2305 will be plenty of machine for anything around the home. Both are great machines you can't go wrong with...

 

[thepawnshop]

Thanks, Blue.

The ONLY thing I want to use it for on teh jobsite is for seedbed prep and landscaping. I also own a Gehl rough terrain forklift as well as my 50D mini excavator and 322 CTL so as far as any type of SERIOUS dirtwork, it is more than covered.

This piece will solely be used for making lawns and then making em pretty (especially mine!)

Thanks Again!

 

[Dutch445]

Thanks, Blue.

The ONLY thing I want to use it for on teh jobsite is for seedbed prep and landscaping. I also own a Gehl rough terrain forklift as well as my 50D mini excavator and 322 CTL so as far as any type of SERIOUS dirtwork, it is more than covered.

This piece will solely be used for making lawns and then making em pretty (especially mine!)

Thanks Again!

I still think if you are wanting to use a harley rake, stay with
2320 or 2520,,
are there any 2305 owners out there using them with a power rake?

 

[VABlue]

Not me, but I do see where Harley makes a 4' version specifically for machines w/ 15-22 PTO HP. Again, it might take an extra pass, or two, but why wouldn't it work otherwise? The difference is in the position control - easier to use. But not impossible with the 1/4-inching valve, either, just takes more arm movement.

Look, I'm with ya in that if a lot of heavy ground work is involved, then the bigger machine is warrented. But if it's normal household stuff the smaller machines are just as capable. I put in a new yard running a 48" tiller 6-8" deep through compacted VA clay and the tractor didn't break a sweat. The little ones do work quite well...

 

[cast_and_blast]

For what you're working on (sounds VERY similar to my requirements) I believe the 2305 will be just about right.

Now - if you're going into the woods to bush-hog, I'd step up for the ground clearance. If you plan on doing extensive loader work, I'd step up for the faster hydraulics. If the ROPS height is an issue then you can get a folding ROPS for ~$250 or trim the trees.

The 62C deck (not 62X as stated above) has been around for quite a while and provides a beautiful cut.

I cut my 1.5 acres, do some loader work, move a few boulders and plow lots of snow and my 2305 has been just right.

Good luck!

Scott