Great Little Workhorse
Model Year: 2010
I have the 2305 with a 200CX loader, carry all, and 62 inch MMM. I use it pretty hard. Digging stumps, moving rocks, mowing unlevel paddocks. It's pretty much dented and scratched from end to end even though it's got low hours. I figure its a tool and it's meant to be used. No point paying that kind of cash for a show-pony. The only thing that has let us down in any way is the battery, and the dealer took care of that for me even though it wasn't covered by the warranty. But I really wish it had the diverted valve to switch between mower and loader without getting off the tractor and getting oily. This is just a silly $50 manual valve and should have been standard fit on all of them. I want to install one in the future but's not cheap as an add-on because of all the labor involved. It will need a work light installed as the JD headlights sit right behind the loader blade so you see nothing at night but the loader. Even if they leave out the extra light to save cost, it would have been great to see a switch and factory pre-run wiring harness in the top of the ROPS hoop for a work light. It's a little thing, but again, it's going to be a pain to do it as an add-on. The mower sits too low in the parked position as delivered. Too little ground clearance when not mowing, and that cost me a mower wheel already. I find I cut on the longest possible setting too. And with about a dozen shorter settings on the dial I could really just use a few longer ones. I'm trying to sort that out underneath. I had to move the lights to the inside of the ROPS because they were constantly in the way. I know this is a standard procedure done by 90% of the owners and I also know that John Deere needs to put them on the outside to comply with regs...but why the heck wouldn't JD put a disconnect plug on the lights so I didn't have to cut and splice them to move them? There is a pin on the loader that scrubs the front left tire when turning sharp. Makes a horrible noise and scratches the tire. I have heard others complain about it and there are custom mods to the pin that will supposedly fix it...but didn't JD work this out of the design? I also did the famous piece of rope connected to the mower grass deflector upgrade (so you can lift the deflector out of the way when edging on the right hand side of the tractor). Again...this is done by almost everybody. Why wouldn't JD do this from the factory? I got the ag tires rather than the turfs, and there have been several times that I'm glad I did. The CX loader is big for the 2305, and I like that about it, and it really does come on and off in less than a minute once you get used to it. Although the first time I tried, my thoughts were, "that's kind of hard! I'll have to leave this thing on full time!". Now I drop it off every time I mow so that I can get around easier. It takes me less time to drop it off than the carry all. Also, I believe that the radiator fan on the Massey equivalent actually blows forward rather than sucking back like a car, and that this keeps the grill from getting blocked with grass clippings. Bloody good idea in my opinion! I wish JD would do it. I usually have to clean that sucker about every 2 to 3 hours of mowing. And it's a very little thing, but having the filler cap level and in the middle of the hood is very hard to contend with without pouring diesel all over the place. And an even littler thing, the cup holder is only big enough for a can or stubby, not for a 'working in the paddocks sized' bottle of water. And I'm not sure if any other models have this or not, but if the lights went off when I turned the key off then I wouldn't have to boost the battery every time the kids play on it. All up, I sound negative but I'm glad I bought the 2305. Any bigger and I wouldn't get in and around my trees while mowing. Any smaller and you just wouldn't get any real work out of the loader and hitch. It's very very tough and I can see it lasting many many years, which means that even though a JD wasn't the cheapest option, it should pay off down the road. I still have a few things to do to it (as mentioned above) before I'm satisfied, and if JD had taken care of those small details I'd have been over the moon since delivery day, but I won't be looking elsewhere until this little work horse has taken it's last puff.
Pros: It's green. Starts like a dream. Barely even needs fuel. Loader is awesome. And it takes a beating and laughs about it.
Cons: Lights and loader don't match. No diverter valve.