2320 vs. 2520 - worth the difference?

BethesdaEC · Dec 28, 2010

What I really like on the Kubota specs in the turning circle is quoted with (differential) brakes, yet it is very difficult, verging on impossible to actually do this. Sorry this is just bad design/ergonomics and was one of the many dings which lead me to pick the Deere over the Kubota.

I guess for Kubota before HST, the clutch was on the left and the brake was on the right, so when HST came along they eliminated the clutch and did not relocate the brake because it had always been on the right and just jambed the treadle in front of it and called it a day without much thought for usability.

jenkinsph · Dec 28, 2010

I am in total agreement.^^^^^^^

wsp617 · Dec 31, 2010

I was also looking at the 2305 or 2320 but found allot complaints of the rear PTO failing. Has JD redisigned the new units to prevent this? From what I've read, the repair is quite expensive.

Gizmo2 · Jan 1, 2011

We got the 2320, I did not like the rear on the 2520, the narrow tractor frame, the 3PH problems (at the time) and a couple more issues that I cannot remember. Before I would have bought the 2520 I would have moved up to the 3000 series. It did seem to me that the 2520 was an after thought and put out there primarily for mowing, just an opinion. I like the 2320 but neither the 2320, 2520 or the 2720 is built near as good as the old 650 we traded but then again that's the way it is these days.

pdp11 · Jan 3, 2011

I too went for the 2520 after initially considering the 2320. When I bought it this past May, it was hard to really judge the benefits, especially since I'd not owned a machine with a front end loader before. In the end, it was the considerations of the FEL that pushed me to the larger hydraulic capacity of the 2520, and the slightly larger and heavier machine. I don't regret it at all, plus things like the bigger alternator and larger tires were also worth it, in my opinion. If you are planning to use the FEL frequently, I think the 2520 has an edge.

Hemsky01 · Jan 31, 2011

Has anyone done any discing or cultivating(just small implements obviously) with the 2320 or 2520 to give a comparison? I am contemplating which one to chose also and my dealer(who obviously wants to make as much money on me as possible) says I should for sure go to the 2520 for the discing.

Deadman · Jan 31, 2011

my 2520 works hard dragging the 5 foot box scraper, so If you are really looking to drag heavy impliments, I would look up to a 2720. The Hydro just robs so much power, and they are only small tractors. a ATV will pull a disk better, as a bigger atv has 60 HP, VS a 2520 having 26 HP.

Hemsky01 · Jan 31, 2011

not necessarily heavy implements. The disc I am looking at is only 6 ft wide and I can lift one side of it and the cultivator is about the same.

Deadman · Feb 1, 2011

6 foot is large. I only had a 5 foot single row angled disk, but I had it set super aggressive and in loos dirt.

My 700cc ATV pulled it much easier and faster, and was nice because it had suspension. It was not a 3 point mount, just a hitch mount cheap unit.

pdp11 · Feb 1, 2011

As a 2520 owner, here's my thoughts. I could argue that there should be an advantage for the 2520/2720 over the 2320 when dragging an implement. This difference comes from the weight, tire size, and the larger transmission shared by the 2520 and 2720. But I believe the extra horsepower of the 2720 offers no advantage in this area.

When I drag my 5 foot blade behind my 2520, in clay soil with the blade facing forward, I can stall the tractor if I drop the blade too aggressively. By "stall", I'm not talking about the engine, but the limits of what the pressure relief system in the transmission will let me do. It won't let me break the transmission, at least not easily. Basically, the engine has not run out of power before the hydraulics of the transmission start to bypass the pressure.

Since the 2520 and the 2720 have the same transmission, I'd expect the same limits on how far you can push it until it just won't pull any more. The extra horsepower of the 2720 would be most useful for PTO driven attachments. If you were looking at a tiller, I could argue for the 2720.

Maybe we need an organized tractor pull between all of them to really see what makes a difference.