Hi ChuckinNH,
I, too, was tossed up between a Kubota BX & a John Deere 2305. Since you own a larger tractor you already know about the importance of a dealer.
Also, as you probably know, sit in it and find out how hard/easy it is to get into & out of, and how hard/easy & convienent it is to operate the different levers; there are differences. This was one of the reasons I leaned towards the JD 2305, it just felt right to me. You mentioned, "collection systems", and I'm not sure of what you mean by that, but if you're thinking there may be times when you may not want to fire off the bigger tractor, or it's to big to get into a particular place, the JD2305 with it's FEL & backhoe really works great. I liked(and it's part of JD's advertisement) the ease of taking off & putting on the FEL & backhoe, plus I really can & do operate the backhoe at idle or just a little above, no problems.
You mentioned using the SCUT primarily for mowing. Well, originally that was the biggest problem. At the time I bought my JD2305(~2yrs. ago), the MMM had a hydraulic lift that was an option, in kit form and had to be installed by the dealer. Unfortunately, I was the first one and he had a H... of time with it! But, he kept at it, and I even had a JD field rep show up. Fortunately, the problems were taken care of,(at no cost to me), and it works great. As a matter of fact, I would suggest, paying extra to get the lift option. Sometimes, I swear, between mowings, rocks pop up out of the ground and being able to quickly raise and lower the deck is a plus! Another place where it's nice to easily raise the deck, is mowing over weeds in sections where you just haven't had the time to make into a yard, and the 2305 has the power to handle ugly weeds & briars. I'd also suggest getting "Gator blades", those things are great.
However, even though the lift & mower work great, taking the mower deck off & putting it on is a PIA. The actual connecting of the deck to the lift & the tractor is a piece of cake. However, that sucker is heavy! It's real easy to change the direction of the deck wheels in order to roll it in & out; but, you have to be on absolutely level ground in order to roll it. The gear box on top of the deck just barely clears the underneath of the tractor. And finally, connecting the drive shaft to the PTO is an even more PIA, even though that's what gives the deck the power I like. Consequently, I leave the deck on most of the time, unless I know I'm going to be working in an area that could be hazardous to the deck. And, yes I can operate the FEL & backhoe with the MMM still on.
Don't know what your situation is, or if you already have a backhoe, but if you have any thoughts about whether or not to get the backhoe, my vote would be yes. I originally got the backhoe because I was tired of the rental scene, and I was thinking of putting in a 60' retaining wall. The ability to use the backhoe whenever you want, for as long or as little as you want, without the pressure of wheather and rental time, feels oh so good! And, it's amazing how many things I've realized I can do just because I have the backhoe. Remember those rocks that I mentioned during mowing? Well, some of them really were buried bolders, like an iceberg just the tips were showing; they're history now! Bought a heavy landscape rake and wondered how I was going to unload it from the truck by myself...who said backhoes are used just for digging? All in all, I'm glad I did get the backhoe.
So, Chuck, you're right, the SCUT is more bang for the buck, really like my JD2305, and glad I have it.
