2320 questions before purchasing

[Phil D]

Hi All- New guy here. Contemplating a major purchase for my budget-the 2320 w/62" mmm, loader and maybe 54" plow. I have a 1/2 acre of lawn and 2.6 of field and orchard, 700' driveway, trails in the woods and a small maple sugaring operation. Some of my questions: will a tractor this big be too much for my lawn mowing (some tight turns here and there)? Will it be too heavy and compact the lawn too much? Do the turf tires help? I've read many of the posts here and nobody seems to use the JD 54" snow plow. I'm in NW Connecticut. Occasional heavy snow(12-20") more likely to get 7-10 3"-8" storms. I'm a plow guy vs snow-throwing for a variety of reasons. Is the JD plow too small? Many of you seem to use the frontier plow. Why? What are the advantages? Think I can plow with the turf tires if I pick them? I currently mow with a 42" craftsman and occasionally cut the fields with my 1963 140 farmall with 5' brush hog-it's tight making the turns in the orchard, has big ag tires that occasionally tear up the ground. I'm looking for that cure-all-one tractor to do it all. Think the 2320 might be it? I'd appreciate any and all feedback and sincerely thank any of you in advance. Best, Phil D.

[magicheater]

Sell the craftsman and the farmall. Get a ZT mower and get the kubota and use it for tractor stuff. You'll have a blast with the zero turn and you won't have to bother taking the mower on and off when you want to go in the woods. Every one has their preferences, these are mine. I have a zero turn mower and can't wait for the grass to grow. Saves a bunch of time too! JMHO

[kennyd]

Welcome to TBN Phil

The JD plow is considered to small by many including myself, but it is a good unit for sure. A lot of users have simply extended the plow to make it wider. Not sure which Frontier plow you are referring to, but if it's the FEL mounted one-it will not do well on your tractor.

I do not believe compacting is an issue myself with these machines (my 4110 is equivalent to the new 2320). The turning raduis is excellent on these machines as well.

Turf tires or the R4's would be a good choice for the task's you list-my preference is the R4's, especially with the field, trails and woods work you mention.

[Phil D]

Thanks magicheater. I've got to keep the craftsman as I live in the woods and have a great cyclone rake to suck up leaves(lots) in the fall. I do appreciate the reply.

[kennyd]

Sell the craftsman and the farmall. Get a ZT mower and get the kubota and use it for tractor stuff. You'll have a blast with the zero turn and you won't have to bother taking the mower on and off when you want to go in the woods. Every one has their preferences, these are mine. I have a zero turn mower and can't wait for the grass to grow. Saves a bunch of time too! JMHO

He stated he wants one machine, not two...How did Kubota come into this?

[Phil D]

Thanks Kenny. What do you estimate is the real turning radius on the 2320?

[kennyd]

Thanks Kenny. What do you estimate is the real turning radius on the 2320?

JD list's it at 7.7 feet, so with a 62" deck you may be looking at a 40" or so uncut circle? Find a dealer and test drive one-you need to experience it for yourself.

[ragkar]

I'm using a 2320 with 54" plow on a 600 foot 11-12 foot wide asphalt driveway. I can plow it in two round trips. The difficulty is where to put the snow when the snowbanks build up like this winter. That's when my driveway became a bit narrower.
Another difficulty is the rear end ballast. It provides more traction on the rear wheels, but it also lightens the front end. This sometimes makes sharp steering ineffective. I suppose that I should get some front end weights but they are very expensive.
Putting the plow and the hydraulics onto to tractor is a very easy operation. More difficult is converting the hard cutting edge to a rubber edge. Sitting on the cold ground replacing ten bolts is uncomfortable. But it only has to be done twice a year.

[RoyJackson]

He stated he wants one machine, not two...How did kubota come into this?

I think he sells 'em.

[Phil D]

Thanks Kenny D and ragkar-I was at my local dealer last week and didn't even get to the test driving stage. I did ask him about demonstrating the loader on/off move and he said something about not being able to start the machine for security purposes...???
Possible stupid question for ragkar...why am I changing the edge from rubber to metal 2x/year? Do we think the 2320 could handle a wider plow? If so, how wide might I be able to go? I do appreciate the responses.