Which JD for mowing?

[Rowdy Raven]

Hello Folks,
Question for y'all... I work at a camp where we are considering purchasing a tractor to use for general utility work but primarily for mowing. We have been looking at either a JD 2320 or 2520. We would put a mid-mount mower on the machine. Our terrain is of the foothill variety and we end up mowing around a lake edge for a while as well as trees, buildings and fences. Any thoughts on these two tractors, one better than the other? Many thanks!

 

[soulasphil]

I don't know the size of your property and what exactly you intend to do with the machine beside mowing, so it's a bit difficult to answer the question. The best I can do is share my own experience which is with a JD 3520. I use it for mowing, bush hogging, hedge trimming, log splitting or breaking up the dirt for planting. It's extremely versatile, powerful enough and very sturdy. I have the power reverser variety and am delighted with it. The Japanese turbo engine is a treat and I use the FEL almost every day.

 

[Rowdy Raven]

Phil,
thanks for the reply. We have 3,000 acres +/-. However the vast majority is forest. We have a couple of fields in the 3-4 acre size and a lot of roadside mowing, and around general activity areas.

 

[glc24]

Only because I'm partial to the 2520,and the fact I don't know what the 2320 is like, I will give my .02 to go for the faster hydraulics and a little bit more power.
Either one though will serve you well,and I can tell you from experience that these compacts (the 2520 anyway) are awesome grass cutters. I cut 7 acres with mine.
One other thing,the turning radius is a heck of a lot tighter than what the manual states too.:thumbsup:
Good luck deciding!

Greg

 

[KennyG]

Sounds like you have enough to benefit from the 2520 (or even 2720) greater engine power. I'm really happy with my 2320 for what I do, but the engine and hydraulics are better on the bigger machines.

 

[Martian]

I think you'd be happier with the 2520. Once you get to the 2720 you don't have much more to upgrade to a 3320. In my opinion the 2520 is the best bang for the buck 2x20 machine. Still plenty of hydraulic power and HP in general. I wouldn't pay the extra bit for the 2720 unless you had something specific you needed the slight extra power for.

 

[VA Rebel]

I would reconsider the belly mower and get the rear mount. Way easier to take off, you can back it under trees, and down into ditches. People have a hard time seeing how bad belly mounts are because they are used to them, but after you use both, you'll see how bad belly mounts stink.

 

[Martian]

I would reconsider the belly mower and get the rear mount. Way easier to take off, you can back it under trees, and down into ditches. People have a hard time seeing how bad belly mounts are because they are used to them, but after you use both, you'll see how bad belly mounts stink.

You must not have the auto hitch. I would say a MMM with auto hitch is way easier to take on/off, unless if you have iMatch, then they are equal. I know I've mowed with both and would greatly prefer a MMM. A lot smaller chance of accidentally hitting something as well.

 

[murphy1244]

You must not have the auto hitch. I would say a MMM with auto hitch is way easier to take on/off, unless if you have iMatch, then they are equal. I know I've mowed with both and would greatly prefer a MMM. A lot smaller chance of accidentally hitting something as well.

Thats cause if you hit something you also done run over it.. :laughing:

 

[soulasphil]

I would reconsider the belly mower and get the rear mount. Way easier to take off, you can back it under trees, and down into ditches. People have a hard time seeing how bad belly mounts are because they are used to them, but after you use both, you'll see how bad belly mounts stink.

I cannot agree with that. I have used both and find the MMM much more efficient and easily handled around trees and various obstacles. The autoconnect variety is easily put on or taken off too.

 

[jcmseven]

I have a 2320 and it mows well. One problem with mowing with the 2000 or 3000 machines is that they are quite heavy, even the smaller ones. I have been impressed with the D series mid-mount mowers for the 2000 series. I feel the 2320 and 2520 would mow about the same, though I think you can go 6' belly mount with the 2520, where the 62d is the largest size with the 2320. The 3000 series machines would mow similarly and all mow better than you would think given their size. I think either you mention is a viable choice for you. As for the belly v. RFM, I prefer the cut of the RFM. A high end one has a faster blade tip speed and the gauge wheels follow the ground better and I feel the cut quality is better and with rear discharge the clipping dispersion creates fewer windrows. It also takes about 300 or more pounds off the tractor when down making ground compression less. The downside is that they (RFM's) are a pain to operate unless one has a wide open yard. They swing wide, are hard to position in tight spaces and generally are harder to use unless one has an open field of several acres, which I do not. One can use them to trim under fences and trees more easily than with a mid mount, though the gearbox often prohibits getting under standard height/slat fencing. Given that the new JD center mount mowers are much easier to get on and off v. the way they used to be, I would recommend that over a RFM by the smallest of margins and not because they necessarily cut better.

John M

 

[AKfish]

When I first read the OP's thread listing 3,000 acres(+-) with several 3-4 acre fields and road ways - ditches to mow; my inclination was that a 2000 series tractor was not enough machine.

If you're mowing 15 acres or so; 3-4 times a summer is a lot of ground to cover with a 5' cut.

Of course, mowing road ways and ditches in an area with steep and hilly terrain is also more of a challenge with a smaller chassis tractor as well.

I'd think it might be a good idea to spend a bit of time "sitting in the seat" of a 3000 series tractor as well.

AKfish

 

[jcmseven]

I agree, but it would be no rapid affair with a 3000 series tractor either. My experience, though certainly limited to what I mow, is that once you get above 60" on cut width, the time cutting is not drastically decreased going to a 6' deck from a 5' deck, or from a 2000 to a 3000 series machine. One advantage to a 2520 v. either a 3000 series machine or a 2320 is that it has a long wheelbase and very low COG. This may make it more stable for mowing ditches and hillsides if that is in the plan and worth considering. That opinion said, I have had my 2320 on some hillsides I felt uncomfortable with doing and backed off them, but the tractor never indicated any instability. I know this is stated often and I hesitate to say it again but if our OP is mowing over ten acres, he likely would be well-suited to also consider a ZTR. I am not a particular fan of ZTR's, but have had several and found them fast mowers. A high end ZTR such as a 950 or higher JD with either a 60" or 72" deck would mow 10 acres really well in about 3-4 hours, or less if one's spine can take it and the cut quality does not have to be perfect. One can also get a ZTR like that generally for a little less than a tractor and they do mow beautifully when run at 5-7 MPH. To equal the cut speed of a 950 ZTR with a 60" deck, one would likely need to go with a 4000 series compact tractor and a 7' RFM, which ups the cost a lot and potentially reduces the cut quality; and it still might not keep up if there are many obstacles to mow around. I would just say I have generally been satisfied with my 2320 mowing. It does not cut quite as well as my 595 did, but is a little faster and handles rough terrain a little better. I have had a 950 ZTR (I do not want to remind myself of why I sold it and kept the other) and it would mow circles around the 2320 and did a better job. But--as they say--all it can do is mow.

John M

 

[psdx]

Only because I'm partial to the 2520,and the fact I don't know what the 2320 is like, I will give my .02 to go for the faster hydraulics and a little bit more power.
Either one though will serve you well,and I can tell you from experience that these compacts (the 2520 anyway) are awesome grass cutters. I cut 7 acres with mine.
One other thing,the turning radius is a heck of a lot tighter than what the manual states too.:thumbsup:
Good luck deciding!

Greg

Just curious - how long to mow 7 acres with your 2520?

 

[Dutch445]

I don't know the size of your property and what exactly you intend to do with the machine beside mowing, so it's a bit difficult to answer the question. The best I can do is share my own experience which is with a JD 3520. I use it for mowing, bush hogging, hedge trimming, log splitting or breaking up the dirt for planting. It's extremely versatile, powerful enough and very sturdy. I have the power reverser variety and am delighted with it. The Japanese turbo engine is a treat and I use the FEL almost every day.

Nice looking tractor,
can you tell me what size Ag tires those are?
they look a little larger than we have available here...

 

[glc24]

Just curious - how long to mow 7 acres with your 2520?

Hello psdx,
I really never timed what it took to cut grass. The acres are broken into 3 parcels. 1 acre,2 acres,and the 4 is what used to be our horse pasture. Not sure of the 1 and 2 because there is alot of slow going around trees,but I know I've done the pasture in roughly an hour and a half if the grass isn't too high. I like high range,low is just too slow for cutting grass. I'm not a lead foot,it's just I'm able to find a more comfortable speed in high.

I've actually started using my 316 for all the "trimming cutting",and then finish with the 2520.

Greg

 

[charleyfarmall]

I have both. I use both. I also disagree. They both have advantages and disadvantages that depend entirely on the property you have. I have a 62D on my 2720 and I love it. It is great in the yard around obstacles. It's as easy or easier than taking off my 72" flail mower which is great for larger areas or backing under objects.

It depends on your own application.

 

[charleyfarmall]

Additionally, I do think the 2520 is an excellent tractor and a sweet spot in tractors. I have the 2720 because at the time the wait for the 2520 was months and I had mine almost immediately, and second, the 2720 has a larger beefier rear end. I also plan to use it in a blueberry orchard for other tasks as well.