How much tractor is enough?

[tomd999]

Hiya,

I had a 2520 and now have a 3320 cab. My comments are:

1) Mowing: No question the 3x20 series, especially the cab ones are too heavy on ground that gets a lot of rain. My lawn gets a lot of rain, 4 years with a 2520 driving across never left grooves or tire rows, 1 month with the 3320 and I had a ton of rows.

2) The 2520 will run 5' tillers, snow blowers, plows, mowers with power to spare even on hills, you just have to keep it in low range.

3) The loader will lift enough for you to feel the chassis flex, it's almost too much loader for the chassis size. You will need juiced tires, wheel weights and a cement filled weight box to lift max loads. Get the 61" bucket, it will handle it.

4) You will run out of traction long before you run out of power with the 2520. It's a light chassis and as such will slip the wheels and you will not be able to push as hard as the engine/hydro is capable of, the 3x20 chassis is far better at putting the power to the ground, it does this by having almost double the weight.

5) PM me and I can tell you what you need for a 3rd, 4th or even 5th SCV on a 2520. Adding a circuit on the loader is easy as well.

6) You may want to skip the mid mount mower and consider looking on CL for a used 5' 3pt finish mower, the 2520 is like a big garden tractor with the loader off and RFM is a lot easier to take on and off than even a drive on deck not to mention about 1/6th the cost as you can find good ones for around $500 in the winter.

7) Can't say much about a backhoe for either chassis, never owned one. I run to my brothers and grab his Terex when I need one.

My 2 cents,

Tom

 

[JDTank]

1. Just as I suspected.

2. Ok, good to know. I have no hills to contend with, only slight bumps up here and there.

3. I won't fill the tires with fluid as I want lightweight for mower work. Also, I just prefer air filled tires for working on softer grounds, and almost all of my ground is soft, soft, soft. Is the frame so undersized that it is dangerous? I have heard the 2720 has a slightly bigger frame than the 2520, is this true? I thought the machines were identical except for HP ratings.

4. Guess I will just have to try and add as much ballast as I can when I am doing loader work.

5. Thanks for the offer, if I decide to purchase really soon, I will message.

6. Call me crazy but I love the idea of the drive over decks. I prefer mid mount mowers to 3pt finish mowers.


I am slightly worried now about the chassis being to weak to handle front end loader work or backhoe work.

 

[hizoot]

I am slightly worried now about the chassis being to weak to handle front end loader work or backhoe work.

There are 100'sif not thousands of this chassis size on this forum and another I frequent....never heard of the chassis being too weak from loader/backhoe use. I think your doing like I did...over analyzing it.I am proud to say I made a good choice. If I had gone with another....2320 or small kubota,etc. I probably would be saying the same thing. Hard to go wrong with these,unless you know you need more loader capacity .good luck
Also.....if it doesnt work out,you can sell it and get something else,not the end of the world. Tractors hold their value very well.

 

[JDTank]

There are 100'sif not thousands of this chassis size on this forum and another I frequent....never heard of the chassis being too weak from loader/backhoe use. I think your doing like I did...over analyzing it.I am proud to say I made a good choice. If I had gone with another....2320 or small kubota,etc. I probably would be saying the same thing. Hard to go wrong with these,unless you know you need more loader capacity .good luck
Also.....if it doesnt work out,you can sell it and get something else,not the end of the world. Tractors hold their value very well.

That's true. It's nice to know that whatever I do buy, it will hold a lot of value regardless of pretty much anything.

 

[BethesdaEC]

As for the chassis flex, you aren't going feel it so much when you lift, but when you have 1000 lbs on the front and 800 lbs of ballast out back and are driving down a rough road you will notice it. The best advice and this applies to all loaders, go slow with heavy lifts. All quick attach loaders channel the entire structural load through a single bracket attached to the chassis and that is where you feel the flex. The permanently mounted construction grade loaders have a brace that distributes the load the mid and front of the tractor. Remember flex does not necessarily mean weakness, provided it is engineered correctly and I believe that JD has done there homework, then flex can reduce the instantaneous loads of a bump where as rigid structure might break.

 

[High Compression]

Good day all.

I am completely stumped between 2 candidates, a 2520, or a 3520 John Deere.

I can tell you from experience that if your tractor is green it will never be enough.:laughing:

 

[JDTank]

I can tell you from experience that if your tractor is green it will never be enough.:laughing:

I feel the same about throw-up orange. :laughing:

 

[fountain42]

JDTank When I recently traded my 2520 to 3520 I shoped for some time between different brands and models, wife kept asking which one, which I said it's like deer hunting once you get your deere the hunt is over. Enjoy the hunt but like hizoot said don't over analyze it. Which ever one you choose you will always have a reason to second guess your descion but the job will still get done, Deere makes a great tractor enjoy the seat time

 

[JDTank]

JDTank When I recently traded my 2520 to 3520 I shoped for some time between different brands and models, wife kept asking which one, which I said it's like deer hunting once you get your deere the hunt is over. Enjoy the hunt but like hizoot said don't over analyze it. Which ever one you choose you will always have a reason to second guess your descion but the job will still get done, Deere makes a great tractor enjoy the seat time

That is true. I tend to over analyze, always catching **** for that. :laughing:

Pretty sure I will be going with the 2520, it is the perfect footprint, and the new 270 backhoe will make it that much better. There is a possibility of us moving to a different property in the next few years, and we know whatever we get will be smaller than this, so going with the 2520 is a sure bet that it will not be to big or to heavy where ever we decide to go.