B2920 vs Deere 2520

[dfeck]

Ok I'm very close in pulling the trigger on a tractor. So here's my dilemma. I have 2.5 acres that I mow and have light front loader work around the place. I'll be building a storage barn next year and re-doing my landscaping around the house. Most (90%) of my tractor work will be mowing. I don't see much or no 3pt hitch work in my future other than clearing my driveway of snow with a backblade. I've narrowed my selections to a Kubota 2920 or John Deere 2520. The Kubota will be brand new from Barlow Equipment and the John Deere used (25hrs). The difference between the two is $1700 (Kubota more expensive). Both tractors have FEL and MMM but the JD has R4's instead of turfs that the Kubota will have on it. I'm struggling with a few things.

1. JD has 2-range vs Kubota's 3-range. I think the 3-range would be better for mowing and FEL work.

2. JD has position control vs. Kubota's qtr inch valve. Position control wins hands down but since I will have very limited use for 3pt work I don't see this as a big deal.

3. Kubota will be delivered to my door from Barlow Equipment and JD would need to be picked up 380 miles away from me adding additional time and money to the bottom line.

4. Kubota would be financed using the 0% offer and JD would need to be a cash deal. I don't have all the cash for the JD but have a healthy down payment. So, 10K would need to be put on my line of credit which has a 4.5% rate.

5. I may need to convert the R4's on the JD to R3's. This would add additional cost.

I'm leaning towards the Kubota but I'm still on the fence. Comments?

Doug

 

[charleyfarmall]

I love my 2720 and have enough power that the 3 speed transmission makes no difference. I also considered the 2930 but will do a fair amount of 3pt work. The deere was slightly larger as well.

However, given the scenario you have laid out, I would get the Kubota. It is going to be exactly what you want. Delivery and the turf vs R4 should be enough to make up your mind. My 2720 has turfs because and no loader and my 3320 has R4's and a loader. The R4's are harder on the lawn when I mow with the 3320 ( although it is 1000 pounds heavier).

 

[chevyman29]

well i owned a 2520 that i bought new with a fel and mmm . and i will point out a couple things 1 the deere only having 2 ranges was really a non issue for me as i cant see needing to cut grass much faster than what A range goes . and 2 doing fel work is normally done in A range anyway . next the r4's was a another non issue for me cutting grass as they didnt hurt my yard . question do you have a dealer near your house at all for ether tractor ? cause that would be the deciding factor for me . both are great tractors but your still gonna need things from the dealer from time to time . And i promise you after you get the tractor you will find a whole bunch of stuff to use it on besides cutting grass the fel will be used way more than you would ever think .

 

[KU Gator]

We opted for the B2920 over the B2620 primarily because we had no idea of the capability of these small diesel engines. The only thing that I do that the extra 3 hp makes a difference is when I am using the brush hog and way behind on mowing our other property. Given your list of tasks, you would likely be fine with a B2620 if you want to save a little money.

As to the 3 speed transmission, I would say I spend most of the time in the mid range. But I use the High range more than the low range. I like the three range and that is one of the reason I opted for the Kubota over the JD. I saw ChuckinNH wrote an informative and objective response in your other thread. He is very knowledgable of the product lines.

 

[dfeck]

To answer an earlier question, yes I have both brand dealers close by. As a matter of fact I have multiple dealers in my area. I've owned tractors before so I very familiar with my needs and wants out of a tractor. The problem locally is the dealers aren't very competitive in pricing. Both are excellent if warranty work is needed if the tractor isn't purchased from them. I know both tractors are great but is the 2-range vs 3-range or position control vs QTR inch control really going to be an issue done the road!

BTW - There's $500 difference between the B2620 and B2920. So for the extra $$ I think it's worth the extra 3hp.

Doug

 

[bp fick]

Either one will suit you fine. This decision is going to come down to depletion of ready cash versus cash kept and make simple payments. The warranty difference comes into play, but not too much.

Keep your money? Spend your money? Have payments? Not have payments?

That's pretty much the deal here. My wife would have a lot of input on that decision.

 

[BethesdaEC]

R4 are fine for grass, really they are multi-purpose tires that work acceptably in most scenarios but excel at none. They are the strongest tire available and are very difficult to puncture compared to a turf. I will say that the high gear sucks unless you are on flat ground but that is when the loader and backhoe are on and you are topping out at almost 4000 lbs. I have a dedicated mower so my 2520 has never cut grass but I suspect high gear would be much better without all that weight.

Good luck.

 

[skspurling]

At $500, I am still not sure that you will see much difference in 3HP. I'd be more concerned with the torque the B2620 v.s. the B2920 will put out. In reality, my little Cub Cadet lawn tractor isn't rated much different than my B2620 in the HP department, but I tell you that I would not even think of doing some of the stuff I do with the B2620 using the Cub. HP != HP. I've pulled a square balier, on a lark, using my dad's M John Deere. That's 18HP, but that's not what does the trick. It's the weight, clearance, and torque. That little 26HP diesel on the B2620 is awesome. I am sure the one on the B2920 is better, but I don't know how much better it could be in the same format as this tractor. The price difference in my area for the 3HP made it a no brainer, around $2K, but I still am not sure if the 3 HP is really that much more of an increase to make a big difference.

Now, positional control would be nice. I can get by without it for $3K. the quarter inching really makes it a no brainier for most stuff. You are always raising a lowering the box blade as you use it, and my finish mower floats on its wheels. for the box blade, I'd rather get rear dolly wheels and let it float while I'm grading. Setting the position off the tractor really messes up the ability to grade flat more than it would help. Brush hogging would be the major reason I would want it, but I don't do that, and I was always under the impression that you let the dolly wheel on the back kind of gauge the cutter height any way. Isn't that what those stupid little rear wheels are for? Some people say it is for agricultural use, and a lot of people use it for consistent plow depth or for setting the height of their hay mower. Yeah, that's good and all, but those aren't precision operations either. Just remember to bump it up if you are sagging at the end of your pass.

The third issue I find a bit more important. I find myself using the three different ranges all the time. The mid range is the most used, but low is good for digging and pulling. High is mainly for traveling. I suppose you could go to high and feather the pedal, or set the cruise control for each pass if your foot gets tired. Three speeds makes the most sense to me. I saw someone say that you get more power if you are barely pushing the HST pedal, but I don't think that makes any sense. If you don't have the pedal fully depressed, you aren't letting the full flow rate of the transmission fluid through the system. Isn't the speed control a valve? you have pressure and flow rate that combine to move the tractor. It's not like a CVT, where the belt or chain provide a ratio of turns between input and output shafts. It's more like a water hose when you are trying to spray mud off your tractor. If you use a low spray velocity/volume, there isn't much power there. So, if you want to pull with maximum power in an HST, you should get one with a low range that you can let have full flow/pressure, and a lower final drive ratio to put it to the ground. At least, that's the way it appears to me. So to me, I would think a three range would give full ground power at a low and medium and high speed ratio.

 

[art]

When doing loader work with the two range you need low range for digging and that is slow if you have to transport the load the middle range of a three range does it all!!

 

[skspurling]

Oh, and the Kubota isn't near as cushie as the JD. It's weird. The Kubota isn't poorly built and doesn't feel cheap or any thing. It feels like a tractor to me. It's a lot nicer than the old farm tractors I have driven before, but it's that kind of fit and finish. The JD is like a.... Giant expensive... LAWN MOWER. I can't think of a better way to describe it. Kind of like a cross between a car and a tractor. They feel nice. Really nice... Too nice. I would be afraid to get grease on it. Every thing is nice and crisp and cushioned. Very few mechanical levers, and a lot of toggle buttons and lights. My FIL's JD has a button to switch between 2wd and 4wd, with an indicator light. My B2620 has a nice simple lever that actuates the mechanism directly. If I had one, I would feel like a rich man. :thumbsup: