New purchase questions

[SaltySteve]

Good day all, I am not at all familiar with the various tractor brands and what they offer, but I was at the JD place yesterday asking about the 2520 and the dealer tried to put me into a 3032E. The 3032E was actuall cheaper. Can anyone here tell me why I should buy one or the other?

5 acres-mostly cleared.
300ft gravel driveway.
Current equip = X300R

 

[MBDiagMan]

It is clear from your signature that you will be dealing with gravel, specifically what else will you be using it for: Plowing? Mowing? Moving timber?

 

[TripleR]

Agree with the prior poster, what you will be doing is more important than acreage, but it is hard to figure out why the 2510 won't work for you.

 

[Artesia Aggie]

I looked at both before buying the 2520. It really depends on what you will be doing with the tractor. The 3032E does not have a lot of the bells and whistles that the 2520 has but it has more horsepower, lifting capability and weight.

For example, the 2520 has a mid PTO for mowing, standard cruise control and the availability of a frame mounted backhoe, the 3032E does not. The 3032E provides very affordable horsepower and can use larger implements than the 2520 for less cost.

Again it comes down to what you want to do with the tractor. I would suggest trying both out and then deciding. The dealer or tractor owners can give you insight on these models but no one can make that choice for you.

Good luck and enjoy shopping!

 

[SaltySteve]

Thanks for responding everyone.
I suppose whatever I buy will spend 90% of it's time mowing. With the other 10% dealing with the driveway and handling minor lifting duties. There are probably 40 or 50 trees on the property so there is always debris laying around. Also, maybe a little dirt work. I cut it for the 1st time today, which is why I didn't respond earlier, it took my X300R 7 hrs nonstop to cut it and it is quite bumpy out there, I might bring in a little dirt and spread it around in the trouble spots.

To sum up:
90% mowing
10% debris removal/dirt work

Another question, is a mid mount mower preferable to one you drag behind??
My main problem is that I don't enough about tractors to know whats out there. I've been reading up on it here but you can't beat experience for making a smart choice.

 

[TripleR]

To sum up:
90% mowing
10% debris removal/dirt work

Another question, is a mid mount mower preferable to one you drag behind??
My main problem is that I don't enough about tractors to know whats out there. I've been reading up on it here but you can't beat experience for making a smart choice.

I own both and for lawn mowing I prefer the MMM hands down. It is far more maneuverable, easier to trim with and gives a little better cut as you don't run over and smash the grass down with all four tires. Some people like them though and you will get differing opinions.

 

[KU Gator]

As TripleR indicated, it is much easier to get around trees and obstacles with a MMM. It is much more like operating your current tractor. The Rear Finish Mowers (RFM) behind the tractor swing wide when you turn so with the amount of trees you have, that is a factor. Advantages of the RFM are, you have a lot to choose from as to brand, quality, and size, they would generally be cheaper to purchase, and they can be removed and re-installed easier. Taking a MMM off of my tractor which is similar to the 2520 you are looking at probably takes 5 - 10 minutes. Removing a RFM is probably 1 - 2 minutes. You do not have to remove the MMM to use the loader or do other things. If I was driving around picking up limbs in the yard I wouldn't bother but if I was going to be grading the driveway with the box blade, I probably would, but not absolutely necessary.

As to which of the two to buy, Artesia Aggie did a good sum up for you. If you are going to be doing a lot of larger projects where the power and strength of the 3032 would be a benefit, that is probably the better choice. If it is mostly maintenance, mowing, grading a drive, bringing in some dirt and spreading it, etc, the 2520 might be the better fit.

I live on 3 acres, but also have 12 acres which is much rougher. On the 3 acres, the Kubota B2920 that I have is more than enough and I would not want something bigger for what I need to do on that property. On the other property where I mow with a brush hog, drag trees, move some pretty big rocks, etc, I would opt for a larger tractor if I was going to be there all the time.

 

[SaltySteve]

Taking what you say into consideration then it seems like I would be better off with a mmm. And I will have to look at the Kubotas also. Are the B2920 the 2520 close in specs?

Another question: Weight, at what weight do the tractors start damaging the lawn? I mean for mowing, I was a little worried about leaving footprints. Not to wory??

 

[whistlepig]

Taking what you say into consideration then it seems like I would be better off with a mmm. And I will have to look at the Kubotas also. Are the B2920 the 2520 close in specs?

Another question: Weight, at what weight do the tractors start damaging the lawn? I mean for mowing, I was a little worried about leaving footprints. Not to wory??

If this helps my MF135 that weighed 3,200# would leave a footprint if the soil was a little soft. I had to be careful with it. By comparison I don't have footprint problem with my 2,200# B7800 as long as the ground isn't soup. Weight is something to consider.

 

[KU Gator]

Just taking HP into consideration, the JD 2520 looks closer to the Kubota B2620. The B2920 has 29 HP. I didn't really go over the other specs. It will take a bit of going and sitting on different machines and test driving them as well as the dealership for you to make the best decision for you. There probably isn't any specific thing that is likely to sway you, but sometimes one machine just feels better or one dealership just seems to treat you more the way you want to be treated. When started looking, I knew no more than you and found the product lines pretty confusing and with that really only looked at JD & Kubota. When I initially looked at them, I liked the side by side pedals of the JD, because I had/have a JD garden tractor (GT245). After I bought the Kubota, it took about 30 minutes to adapt to the reverse pedal on it and now like it better. I like the 3 speed range transmission on the Kubota vs the 2 speed on the JD. The JD has position control on the 3 pt hitch which I would like when I use the brush hog because it would hold it at a set height for mowing, but for the other things I use, the quarter inch valve on the Kubota is fine and operates very smoothly.

As for tracking up the yard, the weight of these will track it, leave indentations if the yard is fairly moist. Such as after the snow melts or if there is a lot of rain and the ground is pretty soggy. Otherwise by the next day I don't notice it. Most of the tractors in this size range are sold with Industrial tires (R4's). They will scuff up the turf when you turn, especially if the ground is moist and soft. Most of that can be minimized by watching how tight you turn, keep it out of 4wd unless you need it and then try not to turn with it in 4wd and wait a day or so until it dries. Since I kept the JD GT245. I have it as a back up to mow, but it wouldn't be that big of a deal to use the Kubota. You can get them with turf tires.