Is a 2320 adequate for my needs?

[jcmseven]

Fellow Posters:

I have been debating trading (yet again). As many of you know I currently have a 3720 tractor. It is a great machine!!! I have kept this tractor longer than any I have owned and now have a whopping 124 hours on it. I actually use it only sporadically but when I do I will use it 10-15 hours at a time. The machine has done flawlessly. My question is this: each year about this time my wife and I talk about how my tractor takes up a lot of garage space and how she loves what I can do with it, but it seems too much for our property. When I bought the tractor, my father also had 16 acres with which I helped him, in addition to my 6 acres, so I felt I could justify the machine. Now, my dad leases out all but four of his acres for hay production and I have a lot less to do for him. As many of you also know I am a physician and work long hours. I recently was promoted to a new position which is busy but offers more regular hours and blocks of off time (read: tractor time). I have thought about doing a side business doing landscaping, and gravel work and building rock walls, a task with which I have shown some aplomb. I know not whether this will ever materialize. I have owned a 4520, which was my favorite tractor, but it simply was too much for me. Too hard to haul, too big to get in my many tight spaces. When I purchased this most recent tractor, I paid a fairly large sum down and am using one of the JD promotions for the balance. It is easy for me to send in the check each month, but I do wonder at times whether I am getting a full return on my investment. I thusly have thought about again downsizing but was curious to hear from those who use the 2320 whether they feel it has adequate power, especially for pulling hills, etc. I do not need something large, in fact, smaller for me is better. A lighter tractor can be towed behind both my truck and my wife's SUV--which is convenient. I do not want to get something, though, that struggles to climb my hills. As I have mentioned to others before when asked, I probably would not go with a 2520 as the cost/benefit of that machine v. just keeping what I have now is not that great. Also, for those who use their machines for business: if I were to keep my current tractor, are there any stipulations for tax purposes about opening a "company" and depreciating the machine over time? My accountant is sharp, but he looks at me with a blank stare each time I mention opening a "side business." The ability to do this would certainly swing me back more into keeping my current machine, although it would not solve my wife's angst about the space it takes up in the garage. I would very much like to hear from those who use 2320's daily in hilly environments to get their thoughts. I have had a bad experience with my first "big" tractor--a 4310--and do not want to duplicate this. It seems the torque to weight ratio of the 2320 is only slightly less than my 3720, but it has only two ranges--which I am not sure how much of a liability that would be.

John M

 

[kennyd]

Holy crap, here we go again

 

[JayC]

I'm probably not much help, but a couple things stuck out at me. You said you use your current tractor, when you do, 10-15 hours at a time. You also said that you work long hours. I imagine the 2320 is a good machine, but you would probably be using the tractor even longer than your current 3720 on the same tasks and you would still not have much time. I'd rather get more done with what time I have than not as much.

 

[RollTideRam]

What ever you decide on tractors, I think you need a barn or another garage. If the wife does not see it every day, she has less to fuss about. JC

 

[ducati996]

Just get a new wife - keep the tractor

 

[Chris2520]

John , My only advise would be. the problem you have with the 3720 , is the cab. though its nice. it is not ideal for comercial work. I worked on these tractors for almost 30 years. most people in bissiness dont use a cab. here are several resons. first if your going to use it for paying jobs. right off the bat , you need a backhoe. and it dont work with a cab. most likely you will do more with it. than the loader. also with a cab there is some places you just cant get. that would not look good to a customer to tell them you cant do a job cause your tractor dont fit. and last i have found if your doing a job and the tractor has to stay there a day or two. open station tractors people dont bother them. but there is just something about that cab and glass people want to mess with it. i seen alot of this over the years. and i live in a decent area.

you know what i would get.
but you are right. a 2520 is not that much smaller than the 3720. so there would be no great binifit. as much as it pains me to say it. a 2320 with a hoe might just be what your looking for.

Then again your a doctor. its not like you cant afford it.
why not just keep 3720 build a tractor shed for it. and still
buy a 2320. for the garage and side work....

Chris....

 

[unreconstructed]

I have a 2320 but can't answer your question since I don't have hills. But I can answer your accountant question.

I have clients all the time who want to open a "side business" in order to take tax deductions on a hobby. That's probably why he gives you a blank look-he's thinking "here we go again".

No offense intended, but just reading your thoughts about the side business I get the impression is that it is intended as a tax break and not a real profit motivated venture which will generate income and not losses and you will be working your @#$ off. Losses are OK as long as you can show you are operating with the intention of making the venture profitable at some point in the future.

I will agree that the U.S. Congress and the state and local governments steal way too much of our money. Your tax man can't cure that--while he looks for the gray areas to reduce your taxes, he still is obligated to follow the law however unfair it is.

 

[VABlue]

I have a 2305, which I assume to be geared a little different than a 2320. Just this last weekend I was dragging around a 48" disk, including uphill, in high range and really not feeling it. I can cut in high gear, also, on any incline I feel like driving over. From what I've heard, the 2320 cannot do much of anything in high gear going uphill, especially mow. SO I think you would end up taking more time to mow over the hills on a 2320 than you take now.

Based on that, I'd say throw your money into a shed (or small barn) to put the tractor in, and keep the 3720.

 

[jcmseven]

Excellent thoughts here. I really do not want to sell my 3720, but I am one who really tries to be fairly practical, even if only on occasion. Our neighborhood has a restriction on "non-permanent structures" which they define as sheds, poll barns, or anything without poured foundation and/or closed sides. This means that to meet my homeowner's requirements I would have to build a building. The minimum price I have thus far received on this is $24,000 and it is a six month waiting list for this. Our one poster is correct, any business used with my tractor would be a "hobby business" and the intent would be to make money, but it would not be essential--if it broke even. I suppose this is why my accountant looked at this with disdain. Unfortunately Chris, doctors do NOT make that much money anymore and per hour make less than many other professional level jobs. The government also has closed many of the tax breaks we have formally gotten for educational loans, etc. so whatever additional we make we simply pay more in tax. My tractor also is an open station, not a cab, machine. I could mount a backhoe for it if I wanted, but at this point have not done so. I have even thought about getting a little 2305 with a backhoe, but it seems a little too small for my current needs. Kenny D, I know your point. It would not be the JD forum if I did not want to trade every year or two. In this case though I really do not want to trade or sell. I am most satisfied with my machine and it does well for me. My only issue is that I pay a still substantial amount to have a machine that sometimes sits a week or two between usage. I do not think I could get by without a tractor but I am not sure I need as much tractor. Then the slippery slope starts: big tractor equals big trailer, equals bigger truck, equals needing a building, equals a rider on the homeowner's policy, and so on. This got me thinking: "Do I really need all this?" So far, the posts have been most helpful and I appreciate the guidance given me thus far.

John M

 

[ducati996]

I have a 2320 but can't answer your question since I don't have hills. But I can answer your accountant question.

I have clients all the time who want to open a "side business" in order to take tax deductions on a hobby. That's probably why he gives you a blank look-he's thinking "here we go again".

No offense intended, but just reading your thoughts about the side business I get the impression is that it is intended as a tax break and not a real profit motivated venture which will generate income and not losses and you will be working your @#$ off. Losses are OK as long as you can show you are operating with the intention of making the venture profitable at some point in the future.

I will agree that the U.S. Congress and the state and local governments steal way too much of our money. Your tax man can't cure that--while he looks for the gray areas to reduce your taxes, he still is obligated to follow the law however unfair it is.

You are so correct - the IRS has the ability to call it a hobby regardless of what you think of it - so throwing up some numbers is essential to prevent that from happening

 

[unreconstructed]

Well John, you can't take it with you as you well know. Seems to me you just need to enjoy the tractor and not worry about whether you need it. I have plenty of things I don't need. You have to figure that if you put it in the bank instead of mowing or whatever with it, Congress and the Fed are just going to destroy the value through inflation. I suspect that you have more than earned your luxuries.

g. bates.

 

[Perdido]

Six acres - build a barn keep the large tractor. A barn makes a happy marriage.

 

[putt_putt_green]

Option 1 : Build a barn.

Option 2 : Downsize your wife's vehicle. Does she really need a big SUV? Does she have a motorcycle endorsement? I hear motorcycles take up less garage space than a SUV.

 

[drgrant]

Downsizing to a 2320 just seems kinda bizarre to me. A 3720, in the
grand scheme of things, is not that huge of a machine. If you -like-
the machine, I would keep it. That is the most important
thing, period. One thing to keep in mind- even with the
low hours on it, you're still going to take a $$$$ hit when you go to
roll it over.

Not to get personal, but if your wife mentions it constantly it sounds like
the nag factor is at play here. A lot of women can do it, and they have
this sly way of trying to make their husband/boyfriend feel guilty about
something without being a severe pain in the *** about it. It sounds
to me like that is the core of the problem more than anything else... if
she didn't mention it you probably wouldn't even fathom getting rid
of it. I would talk with your HOA/RC people about your desire to build
a structure to house your tractor. One thing to keep in mind- the rules
might be one thing, but if it is a committee they generally can override
them. HOA's suck but unless the people in charge are all terrible you can
often come up with something that is agreeable to them.


-Mike

 

[Chris2520]

John , i must of got confused. I thought you had a cab. if you have an open station . I would for sure buy a 448 hoe and keep the 3720. unless you just really got your heart set on going smaller..

Chris.....

 

[aesanders]

JCMSEVEN,

I think that a 2320 would do everything you want it to. Mine is plenty capable on my 6 acres. That said I would never trade a 3720 for a 2320 in gazzilion years. Keep the tractor you have. How much room would you really save anyway?

 

[Malvern]

jcmseven

aesanders said it all, keep it and don't second guess your self.

Just my 2 cents

Malvern

 

[Land Skipper]

I would build a large shed/small garage somewhere as inconspicuous as possible and store rthe 3720 there. Make it big enough to hold all your existing and planned implements.

The structure will cost you less than the amount you'll eat on the 3720 turn-in, and you'll get alot more existing space than you'd get buy storing a smaller tractor in your existing garage.

Put that to the wife and see what she says.

JMO.

LS.

 

[UpstateNYMarine]

Try this for negotiations with the wife, offer to take a vacation with the money you would save by not trading in the tractor. Thus she will forget about it and be happy because of a vacation. Therefore it is a win-win situation. But then again the way men try to rationalize things is definately not the way women do.

Best of Luck!

 

[jcmseven]

I appreciate all the appropriate responses to this point. I would like to make one thing clear to our group. My wife is a wonderful person and has been most patient with what I would call some expensive hobbies on my part. With two year old twins, maintaining a nice house and property, saving for college education for our little hooligans and other expense my wife has just inquired about the cost/benefit ratio of a machine I pay for each month, and paid a lot for initially, that I do not use that much. She also is growing weary of parking her nice SUV outside, but realizes to move inside we will have to build a building which is added expense. I went and drove the 2000 series machines and either of them would meet about 90%+ of my needs, but I have tentatively decided to keep what I have or just sell my tractor and not replace it. My neighbor has a 4320 and he uses it for his business. He has, though, agreed at any point to let me use it when and if he were not using it for work. For the moment, I think the 3720 will stay where it is, until I decide if I will simply sell it and do with my Gator, which does about 75% of what I need a tractor for anyway. I will keep the group posted. I just could not see myself being as happy with a 2000 series tractor, although they are certainly nice. After having the 3720 and previous to that a 4520, it is tough to go much smaller. The main purpose of this post, though, is to express to the group that my wife is certainly quite understanding and I must say I do quite clearly see her point.

John M