2320 vs 2520 is the 2520 worth 2K more????

[RaisedonDeere]

Nice write up John4105 :thumbsup:

 

[Gizmo2]

When I looked for a tractor I looked at the 2000 and 3000 series. Personally if I felt I needed more then the 2320, especially in hydraulics & FEL capacity, I would jump to a 3320/300CX.

I have to say that was my exact findings also. Skipped right over the 2520.

 

[Rob-D]

Good luck with your 2320 but "my wife thinks it's cute" isn't a very good way to buy a tractor and using one in the yard doesn't answer all the questions either.
Did your dealer tell you that the 2520 has a self priming system. That's a big deal if you ever run out of fuel or your bowl clogs up. The 2320 has to be primed, no fun. Sorry there's a reason it cost 2k more and ten years down the road that 2k won't make much difference.
Drive both tractors up a hill in high gear and then tell me they're the same. I've owned a 2320 and a 2720, lot's of difference that goes well beyond loader capacity. There's a reason why the 2520/2720 have a geared axle.
I truly hope your 2320 does everything you need but I'll tell you flat out that you won't know that until you use it for a couple of years. Welcome to the world of tractors.

Rob

 

[Gizmo2]

Good luck with your 2320 but "my wife thinks it's cute" isn't a very good way to buy a tractor and using one in the yard doesn't answer all the questions either.
Did your dealer tell you that the 2520 has a self priming system. That's a big deal if you ever run out of fuel or your bowl clogs up. The 2320 has to be primed, no fun. Sorry there's a reason it cost 2k more and ten years down the road that 2k won't make much difference.
Drive both tractors up a hill in high gear and then tell me they're the same. I've owned a 2320 and a 2720, lot's of difference that goes well beyond loader capacity. There's a reason why the 2520/2720 have a geared axle.
I truly hope your 2320 does everything you need but I'll tell you flat out that you won't know that until you use it for a couple of years. Welcome to the world of tractors.

Rob

Let me add some to this..
After 36 years of marriage one thing I have learned is the wife's opinion means a lot.
After 24 years of owning diesel tractors I have never ran out of fuel. The only time I had to bleed a fuel system was on my 1988 JD 650 when I changed out the injectors, all of which I had never done before and it was a walk in the park.
I still say the 2320 tractor is built better than the 2520 and other than PTO power I see no benefits to buy a 2520 over a 2320, going up to the 3000 series may prove a better buy.
All the power and torque in the world means nothing if you don't need it or utilize it.
As a final note, John Deere will probably continue to make tractors for years to come. Bought my 1988 JD650/FEL/BH for $14,500 new, traded it in 2008 for the 2320, trade in allowance was $10,500.

 

[Rob-D]

Let me add some to this..
After 36 years of marriage one thing I have learned is the wife's opinion means a lot.
After 24 years of owning diesel tractors I have never ran out of fuel. The only time I had to bleed a fuel system was on my 1988 JD 650 when I changed out the injectors, all of which I had never done before and it was a walk in the park.
I still say the 2320 tractor is built better than the 2520 and other than PTO power I see no benefits to buy a 2520 over a 2320, going up to the 3000 series may prove a better buy.
All the power and torque in the world means nothing if you don't need it or utilize it.
As a final note, John Deere will probably continue to make tractors for years to come. Bought my 1988 JD650/FEL/BH for $14,500 new, traded it in 2008 for the 2320, trade in allowance was $10,500.

I respect my wife's opinion but reason takes precedent. As far as tractors go I would say that reason dictates that "form follows function" as the German's say.
I did have a fuel delivery problem on my 2320 with less than 100 hours on it and the fuel delivery system on the 2520 is better one than the 2320.

I have mowed up and down hills with both tractors and the 2520 was better, the 2320 just never seemed to be able to maintain the speed I wanted. Also if you buy MMM's and backhoes you won't be able to directly use them on the 2520/2720 if you ever decide to trade up. The 2320 has a shorter chassis.
Look the 2320 is a very good tractor but let's not think that the only difference is that the 2520 is just a couple of horse power more. It's a lot more tractor but you won't find that out using it in the dealer lot for 20 minutes.
Rob

 

[castiman]

I bought my first tractor in 07, a 2305, but never did any research before buying it. I didn't even know about these tractor forum sites. After owning the 2305 I just wasn't very happy with it, it just always seemed to small, and for me a lost for power. But that was me. Any ways I did alot of research this time and drove the 2320, 2520, 2720 and the 3320. The 3320 was by far the better of them all. However I go with a cab for snow removal and that tractor will not fit in my garage and really is more tractor than I really need and can realistically afford. I went with the 2520, I don't use any rear pto implements so the extra hp of the 2720 won't be needed. Though the 2320 might seem like a bigger tractor cause it's taller,I would rather have the extra width of the 2520 for more stability especially with my cab. By the way I bought it 3 weeks ago and it was just delivered this morning,I'll post some pics in a week or so,need to buy a camera first and have my son show me how to post pics, and I hope that I didn't offend anyone that owns the 2305, it just wasn't the right tractor for me and it was a costly mistake for my ignorance on not researching different tractors before buying one.

 

[RaisedonDeere]

By the way I bought it 3 weeks ago and it was just delivered this morning.

Castiman,

You are one lucky guy. I'm still waiting for mine to come in. Can't wait for the pictures..:thumbsup:

 

[SullyInMA]

What a salesman I had !!! Tested both the 2320, 2520 at a rock pile in back of dealer. At first I was poking around at the pile,then the salesman come up and told me the ladies room is inside!! he cracked the throttle wide open and told me to attack the pile. He explained this was going to tell me the maximum these 2 machines would do. He explained that I could do as little and poke later on.
After the test of the 2320 and 2520 I tested a 2305 just to compare, What a mean machine the 2305 is!! Deere has their work cut out on the new 1xxx series. They better make sure there are no more new 2305 out there before the 1xxx finally hits the lots. A very productive machine the 2305 is, but no new ones here. Test drive of the 2520 loader no more at all over the 2320, when the 2320 said thats all we switched the same fully loaded bucket over to the 2520 (still full same weight) 2520 said "I GIVE" also no different in capacity.

I asked my salesman about the drive shaft on the 2320 vs the 2520, his reply was "you think your a better engineer than yanmar that builds these things"? he said with a smile. He then showed me the offset final drives on the 2520 and said, "you scared of a drive shaft? look at this setup compared to the 2320 big straight rear axles". (he said some freek out at the 2520 offset final drive)

Any way he knew I was approved to buy a 3320 (not what I need for my property) and told me it is all about working smarter not harder, buy what you want, not what your neighbor wants. I looked at my wife for advise and she pointed to the 2320 and said get this one its taller (than the 2520 hood) it looks neater!!!!

Go figure! I bought the taller 2320 over the 2520 took the $2000.00 I saved and bought the ballast box, 2 sets of rear deere factory wheel weights, tooth bar, rear 5 foot blade, and headed home.

Congratulations on your new Machine. I recently bought a 2320 and counting the days until it arrives!

 

[john4105]

Good luck with your 2320 but "my wife thinks it's cute" isn't a very good way to buy a tractor and using one in the yard doesn't answer all the questions either.
Did your dealer tell you that the 2520 has a self priming system. That's a big deal if you ever run out of fuel or your bowl clogs up. The 2320 has to be primed, no fun. Sorry there's a reason it cost 2k more and ten years down the road that 2k won't make much difference.
Drive both tractors up a hill in high gear and then tell me they're the same. I've owned a 2320 and a 2720, lot's of difference that goes well beyond loader capacity. There's a reason why the 2520/2720 have a geared axle.
I truly hope your 2320 does everything you need but I'll tell you flat out that you won't know that until you use it for a couple of years. Welcome to the world of tractors.

Rob

My 2320 has a fuel gauge right on the dash , it might be something new since you had your 2320. But I did look it up in my new technical manual and yes the 2320 does have self priming fuel system. again, this may be something new since you had yours.

2320 has geared final axle also, just not offset like the 2520. The dealer is the one that brought that to my attention. Like he was telling me to quit second guessing the engineers that design these tractors. No matter which one I buy they are all top notch. I really liked the 2305, but sold out of new.

I was approved for a 3320 but my neighbor told me to stay away from the electronic transmission hydro and get a 4105 like he has. but the 4105 is too big for what i need . Even the 3320 is too big in physical size for where I will be using (does me no good if I can't use it)

I may be a first time tractor buyer but as I was sitting on the 4105 and the 3320 the wife reminded me neither one of those would be able to get in the back of the house (we have rock bluffs right up next to the house) so it would be useless to buy something so big that we could not use it for what we were buying it for!!! Money or cost was not the factor in purchasing, it was function for what "I" needed. So I either move the house, move the rock bluffs, or buy a tractor that I can actually use!

And no I did not buy the 2320 because the wife thought it was cute, I bought it because of she liked the cup holder.

 

[john4105]

I respect my wife's opinion but reason takes precedent. As far as tractors go I would say that reason dictates that "form follows function" as the German's say.
I did have a fuel delivery problem on my 2320 with less than 100 hours on it and the fuel delivery system on the 2520 is better one than the 2320.

I have mowed up and down hills with both tractors and the 2520 was better, the 2320 just never seemed to be able to maintain the speed I wanted. Also if you buy MMM's and backhoes you won't be able to directly use them on the 2520/2720 if you ever decide to trade up. The 2320 has a shorter chassis.
Look the 2320 is a very good tractor but let's not think that the only difference is that the 2520 is just a couple of horse power more. It's a lot more tractor but you won't find that out using it in the dealer lot for 20 minutes.
Rob

Deere site says #46 backhoe fits 2320,2520,2720 ? is there something else that makes this not fit ? When I had them at the dealer 2320 and 2520 side by side the 2320 was a couple of inches longer. But that may have been overall length , I think 2520 had 2 inch longer wheelbase at tires.

What year was your 2520? maybe they changed something on the chassis since then.
My salesman lives down the road i'll ask him today if I see him about the 46 backhoe