Is a 2032R, 72" MMM, FEL, 54" snow blower too big for my yard?

jgraves · Aug 26, 2014

I have been using a L130 with 48" deck and 42" blower for lawn mowing and snow removal since moving into my current house about 8 years ago. The lot is roughly 2 acres, quite flat and all lawn of varying quality. There are less than a dozen trees to mow around in addition to the pool, garage and house. The L130 does this quite well but takes between 2 to 2.5 hours to mow everything, without any line trimming.

Snow removal is a different story. The driveway is 150' to the front of the garage by I clear 25' wide on the house side and 35' wide on the far side for parking / trailer storage plus behind both buildings for access to the propane and oil tanks. Any snowfall worth clearing takes over 2 hours, the average is around twice that and the worst was 2 storms while I was away taking 11 hours when I returned (around 30"). In addition, clearing snow took out the original hydrostatic drive (upgraded to K66) and last winter I broke the blower twice.

I started looking at the Kubota BX2670 as mower, snow blower and landscaping tool a couple months ago but now find myself unable to decide between the 1025R and 2032R. I think the JD tractors have the best combination of features at the moment (twin pedal hydro both, real hydro cooler and position control 1025R and no DPF 2032R). I do think the 54" blower is a bit small for the 2032R but from watching a few videos on Youtube, it appears to move a lot of snow.

Even with the same 54" blower, I'm sure the extra power and weight of the 2032R will be superior to the 1025R clearing snow. As long as its useful, the loader performance isn't a big deal to me as I see using it for a couple landscaping projects next summer than only occasionally beyond that.

The concern I can't get out of my head is that the 2032R might be too big for mowing the lawn and overkill for other tasks. I drove the 2032R around the dealer's lot last weekend including a couple full lock circles in the field with no turf damage and acceptable maneuverability.

- Does anyone use a tractor this large with a MMM to mow the lawn around their home?
- What size deck do you have?
- Do you wish you have purchased a smaller or larger deck?
- Do both the 62" and 72" decks cut well? I realize the 72" deck dictates a very smooth lawn but there's no excuse for a rough lawn when you have a FEL?
- Is the 53" or 61" loader bucket better matched to the tractor's capabilities for general landscaping uses (topsoil, crushed stone, mulch, etc)
- Are there any must have tractor options at time of delivery or can everything be added after the fact with 3rd party add-ons? I plan to add my own aux lighting (LEDs), snow cab (home built), ballast box (home built), electrohydraulic 3rd function value and hydraulic chute deflector.

Thanks for the input,
Jeff

CinderSchnauzer · Aug 26, 2014

I've used a 3320 since 2008 with 72" 7-Iron for lawn cutting at 2.2 Acre property. Had some scalping initially , but have cut off most of the high spots. Because of some overhanging trees and inside corners, I also had a Craftsman 25hp / 54" deck for trimming and pulling lawn cart etc. Have since upgraded Craftsman to X739. I upgraded to a CAB 3320 a few years back and as part of the deal got a 60" Lucknow single auger rear blower. 2032 is pretty much same hp as the 3320, so should be no problem with 60" blower. If snow is too heavy / deep go slower or take less bite. Never tried a 72" blower, but suspect 90% of the time it would be no problem. The 3320 has created some soil compaction resulting in miniature ruts that can make the ride a bit bumpy of going cross wise to the normal mowing pattern. I have Turf Tires. the 2032 would have less weight for soil compaction.

You imply FEL not a big deal. I find a set of forks invaluable so FEL performance was a major factor in choosing the 3x20 series. A front mount blower would be much easier to use than rear mount, but there is an advantage to having the bucket always there when needed. If you feel there is value for your need with 2032 - that would be my choice. For snow etc I think the 61" bucket would be preferable and for dirt etc if a full bucket is too much then just put a little less in at a time.

jgraves · Aug 27, 2014

I mowed with the L130 last night while paying attention to places I think the 2032R / 72" MMM might have difficulty. There are many places that have to be smoothed for the larger deck (and many more that require additional topsoil) but very few areas that the 72" deck wouldn't fit.

The 54" snowblower is the largest front mount JD offers for the 2 series. I also think the 2032R should handle a larger blower but I'm set on a front mount.

I've never had access to a loader or forklift (at home, I drove a forklift as part of a summer job for a couple summers) but can only think of a couple times I wished I had either. I have a planter / walkway replacement project and lawn improvement planned for next spring where the skidsteer rental would pay for a good portion of a FEL but beyond that I doubt I'll have the FEL on more than a couple times each year.

CinderSchnauzer · Aug 27, 2014

Well you could use forks to move the 72" MMM around etc. Lift things like tires / wheels up to a second floor storage, lift bags of dirt, move logs, lift things into and out of pickup tuck, carry heavy awkward things to the curb for garbage. You might be surprised if you had a set how many times they can be useful. They have allowed me to do many things by myself that would otherwise have been impossible, unless I hired or found two or more people to help. Never thought I needed a set either until son sold his JD and I bought his forks.

Don't know where you are in ON, but I have seen 60" front mount AgraTrend blowers (on 3x20's) at the local JD store, so that is another option.

jgraves · Sep 1, 2014

I'm just south of Ottawa. There is / was a JD 59" quick attach blower but appearantly not for the 2 series. I'm not sure if JD just doesn't support it, it doesn't fit or if it's too heavy for the front of the 2 series. There are several larger front mount blowers availble using front 3pt hitches (or other mounts) and driven by the rear PTO via a shaft or hydraulic pump.

I looked at the 2032R for the second time on Saturday and while it's larger than I'd prefer, I found it surprisingly manuverable.

I've decided to go with the 54" blower for now and may tweak it (or adapt a 60-66" 3pt blower to front mount) if the performance isn't to my liking. It will definately be a big upgrade from the 42" blower on my L130.

I'll likely make the purchase this week. I've also decided on the 61" FEL bucket and may include a 60" box blade in the initial purchase.

kevinwak · Sep 2, 2014

If you are just planning on mowing and snow blowing then get the turf tires. The R4 bobcat style tires are terrible in snow and ice.

super55 · Sep 2, 2014

I think the 2032r would probably be a good fit for your situation. It's got a fairly large powerplant in it for the size of tractor it is. I'm not sure why the 59" blower doesn't fit the 20## series. My only guess is because it is framed for the 3### and 4### series tractors. An option for the 54" blower to get you a little larger swath might be to have some wings fabricated for the sides of the blower. You could mount removable wings on each side and it would give you the width your looking for. Under typical snowfall conditions you would probably be ok. With the wet easy packing snow you'd probably have to remove them and just go with the 54" swath.

tomd999 · Sep 2, 2014

Hiya,

The 2032r will be just right for your intended uses. As for the 48, 54 and 59" blowers the 2 smaller ones are good fits for the 2000 series. The 59 is a lot bigger and heavy overall not just 5" wider. It's designed for larger/taller chassis and higher HP engines. I had the same questions when I purchased a 2520 when they first came out in '06. I eventually went with a 68" rear blower and a 60" curtis loader plow, that setup was the bomb as it would handle light or heavy snow with ease. My driveway is almost 1/4 mile long and the only issue I had was turning around and backing up.

Tom

jgraves · Oct 15, 2014

My first impression from mowing the back yard with it tonight is my pre-purchase assessment was correct. After a 6 week wait, the tractor was delivered this afternoon. I'm impressed with the ease of use and manuverability but the lawn does require smoothing for a 72" deck and the deck requires some adjustment. The tractor was mistakenly delivered with industrial tires which were a bit aggressive on the wet lawn (I couldn't wait for a dry day to play with my new toy). I think the size will work out well but I wouldn't want anything larger.

bigtiller · Oct 16, 2014

jgraves said:
My first impression from mowing the back yard with it tonight is my pre-purchase assessment was correct. After a 6 week wait, the tractor was delivered this afternoon. I'm impressed with the ease of use and manuverability but the lawn does require smoothing for a 72" deck and the deck requires some adjustment. The tractor was mistakenly delivered with industrial tires which were a bit aggressive on the wet lawn (I couldn't wait for a dry day to play with my new toy). I think the size will work out well but I wouldn't want anything larger.

Holey cow, don't tell your wife that. In a few years when the new wears off, you may be day dreaming of a 3000 series with an air conditioned cab. I am!