Buying Advice any regrets buying 2320?

[Rob-D]

I've had a 2320 since 2007, and I do kind of regret not going bigger. I started out looking at riding mowers, then the 2305, and finally stretched to the 2320. I'm so glad I did, and the tractor has been great, but now as I'm thinking about buying a backhoe i'm also debating trading up to a 2720. on my property (lots of hills) high range is pretty well useless. Mowing in low isn't that bad, since my yard is pretty bumpy, but as I work on smoothing it out there are places where I wish it could go a bit faster. Plowing snow is painfully slow in low, and the 2320 doesn't have enough grunt to do it in high (on my hills at least -- might be OK on level ground). Now that i'm used to the tractor/loader there are times when I find the loader awfully slow too.

I could easily live with the 2320, but find myself wanting more.

This is my story too. I just wanted a good riding mower back in 2006 and the dealer pointed me to the 2305. I decided to get the bigger 2320 and now I'm getting the 3320 which is more than I need for some tasks but will do everything else with ease. I know a lot more about tractors now too from hanging around here and owning them also. This is a great place!

Here's the story with the 2720. ( another good little tractor) You will gain nothing in the loader power dept. BUT it will be faster. You will be able to run around in high gear most of the time, something the 2320 couldn't do.
Watch the implements, the longer chasis of the 2720 and different frame size mean somethings won't work so ask your dealer about compatability. If you're looking for more power in the 3PH or loader it won't be there. I had the BH and it was no different, Deere's specs verify this too. If you don't already have a lot of attachments specific to the 2320 than look at a bigger machine if you can afford it.

I traded in instead of selling. First, I didn't have to deal with someone who had no idea what he was doing calling me all hours because he thought I came with the tractor. Point in fact, I traded my tractor in, they guy who bought it broke it and I was out of the picture.
The second thing is that the tax on my new tractor was less because it is based on transfer cash. It came to $1500.00 or more in my case.
Finally my dealer just came and picked it up, no ads, no waiting for someone to get a loan, etc.

Also I used the 3 year zero financing, hey it's free and you get insurance for the tractor dirt cheap! You can try longer financing but some dealers charge you over the 3 year length.

My two cents,
Rob

 

[abeal]

When I was looking for tractors this spring I started out looking at riders, soon to scuts and then to cuts. I really really really wanted a Deere or second a NH. Ever since I was a little kid. It's just the American thing to do.

I ended up with a Kubota B2320 and there were two things that just killed it for me with the Deere. One, the hydraulic hoses for the FEL hang below the tractor and I knew I would somehow find a way to tear those off. The other was the 3 range hydro the Kubota had. I really think that is key. The low was too low for most of my mowing and high was too fast. The "M" Kubota had was perfect. The NH was a little more $$ and I just heard too many bad things about them.

Either way I think it's a good machine...just my .02.

 

[Rob-D]

When I was looking for tractors this spring I started out looking at riders, soon to scuts and then to cuts. I really really really wanted a Deere or second a NH. Ever since I was a little kid. It's just the American thing to do.

I ended up with a Kubota B2320 and there were two things that just killed it for me with the Deere. One, the hydraulic hoses for the FEL hang below the tractor and I knew I would somehow find a way to tear those off. The other was the 3 range hydro the Kubota had. I really think that is key. The low was too low for most of my mowing and high was too fast. The "M" Kubota had was perfect. The NH was a little more $$ and I just heard too many bad things about them.

Either way I think it's a good machine...just my .02.

I think you're right about the 3 speed but still I'd like to ride both to see how they felt. Specs can fool you. I like to look at the metal, the castings and the way it's put together too. I may be wrong but isn't the 'bota loader frame built out of pressed steel? I know the Deere has cast parts. One thing I noticed about Deere tractors they don't get sloppy, they're very rigid and seem to stay that way. Not that Kubota's don't I have no experience with them.


Rob

 

[Magilla1]

Thanks for all the great replies.

All of the posts are insightful, but I'm particularly intrigued by two comments. One is that a person with significant hills finds the high gear useless. I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, and I have lots of slopes. If that makes any of you question the 2320, please let me have your thoughts.

Second is the notion of kicking up just a bit to a 2720 or so, a suggestion by a couple of folks who wish they had something just a little bit bigger. That gets to me to another question. One of the jobs I was going to do with this CUT is mow about 2-3 acres of lawn (the other 18-19 acres are woods with a half-acre garden, and I was going play with a FEL to move dirt, work on trails, bring in firewood, etc.). Do you feel like CUTs bigger than a 2320 are starting to get a little too heavy for mowing? The two machine solution -- a good dedicated mower and a tractor, which I know a lot of guys like -- is just too much for me.

 

[Rob-D]

Forget high gear with the 2320 on slopes. The 2720 will run up a decent slope. Both machines will give you the same lift on the FEL (again, 2720 is faster). Sounds like the 3320 is out of your price range.

The other thing is that if you're going to get a MMM, they aren't cheap! I think around 2500 bucks. I know it's more but getting a dedicated mower may not be out of your range. You know better than me on that. Don't look at the ztracs, they just aren't for hills unless you go with the commercial ones.

You might want to price things out, like a 2320 with a dedicated mower instead of a 2720 with a MMM although the 2720 with a MMM will probably run rings around a medium priced dedicated mower but I have a ztrac so I relly can't give you an accurate comment here on that.

Rob

 

[Artesia Aggie]

Here is my two cents. I started looking at the 2305 and realized it was going to be too small. The next choice was the 2320. I also looked at the 2520 and the 3032E.

Price wise the 2520 is about $1,800-$2,000 more than the 2320. You get about 2hp more plus a little more capacity in the 3-point, a little bit bigger frame and more weight. What finally sold me was how much more responsive the loader and three point was than the 2320. (seperate pumps, more capacity).

It is pretty flat here and I use high range often. The extra 2 hp helps. It was a difficult decision between the 2 tractors and I think I would be happy with either.

The size of the 2320 or the 2520 is just right for what I do whcih is mostly rough cut mowing, some tilling work and some light loader work.

Best of luck in choosing.

 

[sal64]

Thanks for all the great replies.

All of the posts are insightful, but I'm particularly intrigued by two comments. One is that a person with significant hills finds the high gear useless. I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, and I have lots of slopes. If that makes any of you question the 2320, please let me have your thoughts.

Second is the notion of kicking up just a bit to a 2720 or so, a suggestion by a couple of folks who wish they had something just a little bit bigger. That gets to me to another question. One of the jobs I was going to do with this CUT is mow about 2-3 acres of lawn (the other 18-19 acres are woods with a half-acre garden, and I was going play with a FEL to move dirt, work on trails, bring in firewood, etc.). Do you feel like CUTs bigger than a 2320 are starting to get a little too heavy for mowing? The two machine solution -- a good dedicated mower and a tractor, which I know a lot of guys like -- is just too much for me.

i mow up hills and on hills with my 2320 mmm and dont have any problems. the 2720 wount be as manuverable if your going to mow around trees as far as firewood do you heat with wood?if you plan on cutting 6 cords a year the 2320 is way to small to hall or skid the wood out i tried it switch to my jd990 if your just going to cut small amounts of wood with a small trailer then the 2320 wood be ok.

 

[vsteel]

I have a 2320 and have not had any issues with it. Like others, I can't imagine mowing in high range. Some people must have glass for lawns. I have a 62D MMM, 5 ft bushhog, 655 JD tiller, and the 200cx loader. It has always done good for me.

I thought about the bigger tractors in the 2XXX series, but I liked the smaller turning radius and a lot of my use for the tractor was mowing. I have never had issues going through tall grass and chewing up brush the size of my thumb with the bushhog. I can till 8 inches deep with no issues. On virgin soil I make a couple of passes to get the full 8 inches. I have moved a ton of dirt and skidded some fair sized trees with the tractor. I run out of traction before I run out of motor, I can get all 4 wheels spinning before bogging it down. (industrial tires.)

Yes I have wished for a bigger tractor a few times, but I have wished for a 5X size tractor, not the next size up. It does perfect for me and I love it.

 

[saskman49]

It does have a nitch, that's why they sell well. Bottom line still is what you want to do.
I see it as a small tractor that is great for mowing a couple of acres and things like that. You can't really use it with pallet forks for example, once you get out around the end there isn't much lift.

Rob

????

I have Frontier pallet forks and keep all my 3pt stuff on pallets and can easily lift my 550lb Frontier Sp1060 soil pulverizer and BB2060 box blade, I also use them to put my Cosmo 3pt Chipper SHredder in the box of my 3/4 ton truck and have moved garden tractors with them. So where did you get the idea that a 2320 can't be used with pallet forks?

 

[Rob-D]

????

I have Frontier pallet forks and keep all my 3pt stuff on pallets and can easily lift my 550lb Frontier Sp1060 soil pulverizer and BB2060 box blade, I also use them to put my Cosmo 3pt Chipper SHredder in the box of my 3/4 ton truck and have moved garden tractors with them. So where did you get the idea that a 2320 can't be used with pallet forks?

I had one a 2320 and pallet forks and the 46 hoe.
Lift capacity at 500 mm, about 18", or somewhere around the end of the bucket is, according to Deere, 557 lbs. That's OK for small stuff like you're lifting but it's not much. Now put a pallet fork on and the end of the fork will lift a couple hundred lbs, if that. Try it see if you can lift your filled weight bucket, if you have one, with the forks. Bet you can't. Don't forget, you're only talking a 1500 or 1600 lb. tractor. Great for what it does but you can only get so much out of it. The 3x20 is OK and the 4x20 starts to give decent lift at over a ton.
The 46 hoe is the same story. It's good for trenching with small buckets but I had to bury a dead animal here once and it took me about 3-1/2 hours to do it with the 46 hoe. I know I pushed it but the ground started to freeze and I was lucky to get the animal buried.

Again, it's a great tractor for what it does and if it does what you need than that's great too! After a couple of years I outgrew it here though.

Rob