2320 questions before purchasing

[Phil D]

Hi All- New guy here. Contemplating a major purchase for my budget-the 2320 w/62" mmm, loader and maybe 54" plow. I have a 1/2 acre of lawn and 2.6 of field and orchard, 700' driveway, trails in the woods and a small maple sugaring operation. Some of my questions: will a tractor this big be too much for my lawn mowing (some tight turns here and there)? Will it be too heavy and compact the lawn too much? Do the turf tires help? I've read many of the posts here and nobody seems to use the JD 54" snow plow. I'm in NW Connecticut. Occasional heavy snow(12-20") more likely to get 7-10 3"-8" storms. I'm a plow guy vs snow-throwing for a variety of reasons. Is the JD plow too small? Many of you seem to use the frontier plow. Why? What are the advantages? Think I can plow with the turf tires if I pick them? I currently mow with a 42" craftsman and occasionally cut the fields with my 1963 140 farmall with 5' brush hog-it's tight making the turns in the orchard, has big ag tires that occasionally tear up the ground. I'm looking for that cure-all-one tractor to do it all. Think the 2320 might be it? I'd appreciate any and all feedback and sincerely thank any of you in advance. Best, Phil D.

 

[magicheater]

Sell the craftsman and the farmall. Get a ZT mower and get the Kubota and use it for tractor stuff. You'll have a blast with the zero turn and you won't have to bother taking the mower on and off when you want to go in the woods. Every one has their preferences, these are mine. I have a zero turn mower and can't wait for the grass to grow. Saves a bunch of time too! JMHO

 

[kennyd]

Welcome to TBN Phil

The JD plow is considered to small by many including myself, but it is a good unit for sure. A lot of users have simply extended the plow to make it wider. Not sure which Frontier plow you are referring to, but if it's the FEL mounted one-it will not do well on your tractor.

I do not believe compacting is an issue myself with these machines (my 4110 is equivalent to the new 2320). The turning raduis is excellent on these machines as well.

Turf tires or the R4's would be a good choice for the task's you list-my preference is the R4's, especially with the field, trails and woods work you mention.

 

[Phil D]

Thanks magicheater. I've got to keep the craftsman as I live in the woods and have a great cyclone rake to suck up leaves(lots) in the fall. I do appreciate the reply.

 

[kennyd]

Sell the craftsman and the farmall. Get a ZT mower and get the Kubota and use it for tractor stuff. You'll have a blast with the zero turn and you won't have to bother taking the mower on and off when you want to go in the woods. Every one has their preferences, these are mine. I have a zero turn mower and can't wait for the grass to grow. Saves a bunch of time too! JMHO

He stated he wants one machine, not two...How did Kubota come into this?

 

[Phil D]

Thanks Kenny. What do you estimate is the real turning radius on the 2320?

 

[kennyd]

Thanks Kenny. What do you estimate is the real turning radius on the 2320?

JD list's it at 7.7 feet, so with a 62" deck you may be looking at a 40" or so uncut circle? Find a dealer and test drive one-you need to experience it for yourself.

 

[ragkar]

I'm using a 2320 with 54" plow on a 600 foot 11-12 foot wide asphalt driveway. I can plow it in two round trips. The difficulty is where to put the snow when the snowbanks build up like this winter. That's when my driveway became a bit narrower.
Another difficulty is the rear end ballast. It provides more traction on the rear wheels, but it also lightens the front end. This sometimes makes sharp steering ineffective. I suppose that I should get some front end weights but they are very expensive.
Putting the plow and the hydraulics onto to tractor is a very easy operation. More difficult is converting the hard cutting edge to a rubber edge. Sitting on the cold ground replacing ten bolts is uncomfortable. But it only has to be done twice a year.

 

[RoyJackson]

He stated he wants one machine, not two...How did Kubota come into this?

I think he sells 'em.

 

[Phil D]

Thanks Kenny D and ragkar-I was at my local dealer last week and didn't even get to the test driving stage. I did ask him about demonstrating the loader on/off move and he said something about not being able to start the machine for security purposes...???
Possible stupid question for ragkar...why am I changing the edge from rubber to metal 2x/year? Do we think the 2320 could handle a wider plow? If so, how wide might I be able to go? I do appreciate the responses.

 

[Gizmo2]

For the record, my 52" Toro Z-Master commercial zero turn with 52 inch deck weighs in at approximately 1200lbs my JD 2320 is at approximately 1660lbs. The 2320 has much larger tires and without doing the math I would say the Z-Master puts down a lot more weight per square inch than does the tractor. 54 inch plow is too small!

Recommendations, if you need a tractor get it and a separate mower. If you need a mower get a mower.

 

[sal64]

hello i have a jd2320 62dmm and it mows great i traded in a jd 345 and the 2320mows just as tite, i dont like the ind lift the mower drops to fast ,as far as plowing i plow with a small truck and a jd990 unless your driveway is flat the 2320 wount plow good in my oppinion in heavey snow u wount be able to stear it ,i have this prob with n my 990 my front weels go one way and the tractor goes the other, i think a front snowblower mite be better.

 

[ragkar]

I worded that awkwardly. You change to rubber in the winter because metal edge doesn't work well with slush. However metal works better than rubber when you're dealing with hard packed snow - like where you drove on it.
You change back to metal in the spring so that you could push dirt and rocks. Actually the plow/metal edge works better for me pushing dirt than the loader because I can see where the edge is located. An old farmer says that I'm having technique problems.

 

[Phil D]

Once again, thanks all. The snow thrower is out as I have ornamental trees and shrubs and a high stone wall and too many other things to mention which precludes the snow thrower option. I realize I'm wishing for everything in one machine and maybe it isn't possible. Anyone regularly mow their lawn with the 2320? results? thoughts? I'm sure the 2320 will be great for my field and orchard mowing.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

I was in a very similar position last spring. I had a JD 425 for mowing and a Ford 1715 for loader work. I finally decided to sell them and purchased a JD 3120 with 72" mmm and 300cx loader. I was very concerned about mowing with this big of a tractor, but having mowed all summer, it worked perfectly. I was up in the air between turf vs R4 tires, and decided on the turfs. Very glad I did as my brother's 3720 with R4's has terrible traction in the winter. Mine is very usable, though I would add chains if I was going to use it a bunch in the snow. I can't comment on the plow, as I use a 9' Sno Way on my truck.

Good luck in your decision!


Jon Hunter

 

[Phil D]

Thanks Duck Hunter-Do you mow lawn with your 3120?

 

[joes_427_vette]

I think he sells 'em.

No Roy; His brother on his mothers side has a friend who knows a guy twice removed that sells them. There may be a couple bird dog fees involved and added to the retail price.

I have a 5'6" Western plow I used on my 4110 and it did a great job. Loved the power angle part... saves travel time. Since I built the loader it is alot more fun ( work ) so the blade is collecting dust. I also have R-4s and never had a lawn impression problem serious enough to get excited about. Turf tires don't have enough traction for other uses. I think one machine can handle all your tasks easily. If you wish to add attachments later you have a nice tractor to use them with. When you want out... green holds the value. Good luck in your search.

 

[Phil D]

Thanks Joes 427!

 

[gonegreen]

You keep asking about mowing. I also have a 2320 with the 62D MMM. I am still building my lawn (old X-mas tree farm) and currently mow (regularly) 1 to 2 acres. Yes, this is a mowing machine! My tractor has the R4 tires loaded with RimGuard and I only have one small area that leaves prints when I mow (only when it's soft and because there isn't enough grass growing there yet). My ground seems pretty compacted so this might help.

As Kenny stated the turning radius is probably around 40". Because the deck sticks out on the sides, I can mow tighter than my 38" Agway (and still not tear up the lawn).

I have a 600' driveway and plow snow with a back blade (and use my bucket by the house and garage). It does ok, but if I had a blower it would be much faster and I wouldn't be raking as much gravel. Hopefully some day I will own one. Too bad the snow blower isn't an option for you.

 

[defreest]

Hi Phil D, I live in NH and I have a B2620 but I think it's abut the same as the 2320 except the FEL is a higher lift capacity and 3 more HP. I have a 60" MMM and my lawn is about 1 acre and have no problems with the turning radius. Besides it has power steering. I have A4 tires as I use it in the woods and need the traction. I also have a Jinma (the real one) 3pt hitch chipper and can tell you that the PTO all though it's only rated for 19hp it will chip a 4 inch oak branch with no problems and will chip up to a 5 1/2 inch green pine log and only drop 400 rpm. This is one good tractor and can recommend it 100%. If you can swing it go for the 2620 or the 2920. You'll use the FEL a lot and will fine the higher lift cap. a good thing. Go for it. FYI If the dealer says things like he cant start it for safety reasons or wont let you take it for a test ride around the place of business go find another dealer. My 2 cents.