Buying Advice More 2000 series buying advice

[MikeCorcoran]

JD-idtes,

Am ready to purchase a series 2000 JD, either 2320 or 2520. Would appreciate any advice. I know the 2520 has dual hydraulic pumps(vs. 1) and a significantly larger engine.

Have 10 acres, rolling hills. Need to maintain hilly roads and rough cut mow meadow & hillside areas. I'll be using the FEL quite a bit and have no need for additional front attachments.

My current plan is to purchase a 2320 with the 200X loader. Is there any reason to get the CX instead of the X if no additional front implements will be used?

For the mower, I'd prefer a 5' rotary, but the JD docs indicate using a 4' with the 2320. 5' is OK with the 2520. Should I take their specs as is, or would the 2320 handle the 5' cutter in mild rolling hills with mostly weeds to cut, not brush? I'm also wondering about the toughness of the belly mowers. Can they handle occasional 1" softwood branches? Seems like the maneuverability and ease of seeing exactly where you're mowing would be great, but my use will be a bit more than grooming a lawn.

If I decide on the rear rotary, can the Imatch quick hitch be gotten w/o the auto PTO Autohitch? That seems like overkill in my situation.

Bottom line, is the $2500 additional cost for the 2520 worth it given my circumstance. I think not, but would appreciate any guidance.

Am moving up from a Ford 8N that got toasted in the San Diego wildfires in 2007 and am excited to be getting a new JD.

Thanks,
Mike Corcoran
Ramona, CA

 

[ScottK]

I have a 2320 and it is going to be more stable on hills than the 2520 since the 2520 has a higher center of gravity due to larger tires. I returned my I-hitch and got the larger (cat 1 27.5 inch) Harbor Freight quick hitch - much cheaper and no bushings required. The answer you wanted though is the autohitch is an extra. You can use the I-hitch without it.

Although I think the additional hydraulic speed is worth the price of the 2520, the hilly terrain negates that. I don't think the extra 3 HP makes a difference. I do wish for the 3-speed hydrostatic transmission on the 3x20 series, but that again is a larger tractor less suitable for hills or forest.

I don't use either cutter you're considering, but you can add weight (5 or 7 x 42 lbs) to the front of the 2320 if it is a balance issue with the larger 5' cutter. You can get the weights cheapest from Lowe's online and pick up at a local store.

I think the belly mower is really a finish mower, so it depends if you are going to use it for finish mowing also you will need to sharpen the blades more after going through brush. Plus you are going to lose ground clearance with the belly mower.

I may be mistaken, but I think the 200cx has more lift capacity than the 200x. Actually I thought the 200x was only for the 2305. Regardless, the cx is heavier and provides additional protection to te front of the tractor. Get the cx.

 

[jcmseven]

Mike,

I recently tested several 2000 series tractors including a 2720 which has more engine power than does the 2520. I will say without a doubt, for non-PTO ground engagement work the 2320 is as good, if not a little better than the 2720. I like the standard wheelbase and think it enhances performance. The machine has plenty of power but one has to use A range if any significant hills are involved. The 2320 goes pretty fast in A range, so one's speed is not significantly comprimised. I will say, I was impressed enough with the 2320 to buy it (two days ago) v. the 2520. As I have said before the 2520 and 2720 might have short lifespans in the lineup. My dealer, who is a part of a larger dealer network, said they met just two weeks ago and likely will not stock a 2520 or 2720 on the lots (of multiple dealerships). They will continue to stock 2320's and 2305's. The reason is that the "larger" 2000 series machines do not enhance performance much, if at all, and are overpriced (not just my opinion--but partly my opinion) v. just going with a lower HP 3000 series tractor. Their sales numbers reflect this finding, also. My dealer also sold a SIX foot RC to an owner of a 2320. He tried to talk the gentleman out of it, but he bought it anyway. He runs a bucket full of ballast and told my dealer it worked fine. Of course, I cannot recommend this for a 2320. The 4' is best if one is doing heavy duty trimming but the machine will power a five footer, if the cutting is lighter duty. I would go with the 2320 and not look back.

John M

 

[cbturf]

I have an opinion that seems to drift outside the others. Im my experience horsepower is a secondary consideration to the torque an engine creates. While it may do the job the 2320 has only 40.27 ft/lb of torque and the 2520 has 51.3 ft/lb of torque. When cutting weeds with the rotary cutter I guarantee that you WILL notice a 25% gain in torque, even more important as the blades start to dull a little. The tires are only 3 inches taller which means 1 1/2 inches more machine height, but they are also a little bid wider and the machine has a little more mass offsetting the small height differential. More weight also helps with traction and stability as you climb the hills with the cutter attached.

I just subscribe to the club that power is king no matter what you are doing...get all the power you can afford and you will be a happier man in the end.

 

[JiminGa]

just to muddy the waters a little more, a 3032e can be had for about the same price as the 2520...it's bigger, stronger, and heavier.

 

[MikeCorcoran]

Thanks for all the advice so far. I'm going to talk with my dealer today, if they're open and throw a few of my questions at him. I've purchased there before and been happy with his advice, but on a purchase this size I wanted some good, independent advice from some seasoned vets.

Mike C.

 

[Birdmayon]

I can't add much to the 2320 vs 2520 conversation, except that I've got a 2520 and use it on very hilly terrain with no problems. I went with that over the 2320 for the extra hp (the 2520 barely meets the PTO requirements for alot of implements, the 2320 falls short, per the specs, although I'm sure they'll handle more than the specs call out). I also read that there was a significant difference in hydraulic speed between the two. After having a super slow loader on my last tractor, I did not want to be disappointed in the future, so that weighed heavily on my decision as well. One caveat, I've never tried a 2320 so I don't know how much difference there really is.

You can get the Deere Imatch w/out the PTO auto coupler or whatever it is called. As another poster pointed out you can also go with an off brand quick hitch. I sold my Imatch and bought the Speeco version from TSC. There are alot of different opinions on which quick hitch is best so just do a search on this site and you can read for hours.

 

[MikeCorcoran]

Re: the hydraulics, one of the questions I forgot to ask was the dual hydralics impact on FEL raise/lower time. Well well, the answer is in the JD Implement brochure. Rise time for the 2320 is 4.73 sec. and for the 2520 3.19. Lift capacity is the same(both 200X & CX). I went out and measured the rise time for my current little Yanmar 155D and it's about 8.5 sec., so either JDs would be a significant improvement.

Thanks for the info on aftermarket quick hitches, didn't know they were out there.

Stopped at the dealer before he closed and they'll have a 2520 on the lot Monday for examination. It's sold but I can at least do a look and sit. I did sit on a 3005, and it's definitely bigger than I want.

Thanks again,
Mike C.

 

[jcmseven]

Mike,

While I cannot attest to the opinions and experiences of others, I can say I noticed little if any difference in the performance on my hills pulling box blades, etc between the 2320 and 2720, which has more power than the 2520. I actually felt the 2320 would maintain traction BETTER than did the 2720 in this case. The loader performance is slightly better on the 2520 than the 2320, but it is mainly speed, not lifting capacity. Ultimately, it will your thoughts on whether the minor differences (and I mean MINOR) are worth the substantial upcharge. Having had several JD machines in the past, all of them larger than either of these machines I strongly feel the 2520 would be hard pressed to be worth the additional money for daily use. The E series tractors are pretty basic, and though bigger, lack many of the niceties of the 20 series machines, and are not much heavier. This was based on recent experience using the machines back to back, so my memory is quite fresh.

John M

 

[jcmseven]

cbturf,

I appreciate your insight into the 2320 v. 2520 power differences. Unfortunately, the RPM differences are different at the rating point so we do not have a direct comparison. Since these engines typically make more peak torque at lower RPM I suspect if they both shared the same 2600-2650 RPM rating speed, the difference would be much closer. Thusly, if one could tune the 2520 to a 3000 RPM rating speed, I doubt it could make 50 lb. feet of torque. I would expect the 2320 to make around 45-46 lb/feet at the lower engine speed, making it a pretty negligible amount of difference. I was intrigued to find that the slightly more narrow tires of the 2320 seem to grip a little better in gravel or loose dirt than do the fat tires of the 2720 I tried. The 2720, which was ballasted, lost traction more easily up my drive pulling the same size box blade. I suspect to gain full advantage of that machine's power one would have to add substantially more weight. I can say also having tried a 2305 during my testing, the 2320 felt much more powerful and pulled the BB more easily, belying the fact it reportedly has the same engine and tuning (which I doubt--but cannot prove). I also subscribe to the more power club, but unfortunately it might not be as profound as it might seem, and two PTO HP difference for the price difference does not seem to be justified. I think JD has done a fine job of marketing in how they rate these machines--to make it seem as though there is more difference than actually is present. This comes from an owner of two 3720's, a 4520 and a 4310, the 4310 being the only one I felt slack on power. I really wanted to love the 2720, and I did like it, but there was no way I could justify the difference in price for what I saw as a very similar machine.

John M