B2320 Gear vs HST for Mowing

[SanDucerro]

Looking to pull the trigger on a mower this week. We have a home on just under 19 acres. The back half of the property is still "untamed" and will likely remain so for awhile. The front half has a 5+ acre vineyard (which is why I opted to NOT look at a zero turn). After talking myself into the B series over the BX, I'm now wondering about gear vs HST. Obviously, the HST is easier - but is it worth the extra for my situation. I already have an L3130 with HST and an M7040 with HydoShuttle and I find both easy to operate. Most of the mowing will be long runs with few trees. I'm thinking I'd go gear if I was buying a riding lawn mower as the Cub Cadet I had dropped the trans after 3 seasons making it worthless. Now, granted there is NO comparison to a Cub Cadets auto and the Kubota HST, but the fact remains that I would go geared if only mowing the yard around the house. As for the large expanses of grass in front of the vineyard, not sure the HST would be of benefit. It's just wide open mowing. Thoughts?

 

[DK35vince]

According to the Kubota specs it looks like the B2320 gear has transmission driven PTO.
The PTO might stop on that model when the clutch is pushed in. Not a good feature for mowing.

 

[SanDucerro]

Yikes! I missed that while doing my research. That does make a difference...

 

[easygo]

I think they don't put two-stage clutches in them until you hit the "L" tractors. Besides. For any changes in speed - happens quite a bit in mowing - the hydro is better. It's not fair to compare the Cub Cadet lawnmower :thumbdown: to a compact diesel tractor :thumbsup:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I bought a B2320 geared. My first and last geared Kubota. Traded it off with about 20 hours on it. The PTO stopping is one bad horrible for tilling factor. Changing speed is another horrible factor with having to do a dead stop with "remembering" to put the clutch in to do this dead stop, change the gear and then go and then realize you went to high or to low and have to do the dead stop, with the clutch in and then work to get the gear selected and then ................Love Kubotas, hated the gear drive B2320. Pound wise and penny foolish is what comes to mind. If I had never owned many, many HYDs then I wouldn't know how bad the gear drive is but I have and so have you. The B2320 is one of Kubotas finest CUT but no gear drive EVER again for me.

 

[SanDucerro]

If I recall from my search on this topic before I posted, JOHNTHOMAS is the legendary trade king of the Kubota world. :laughing: And that's that. Your experience was exactly what I was look for - a real world view! Thanks!

As for easygo, you are 100% correct. The ONLY reason the Cub Cadet was mentioned was because I have learned - after owning two - that they just aren't up to the rigors of life in the city or at the farm. I bought mine for our home in the suburbs and LOVED it so much the first season that we bought a second one for the farm. Mine's transmission went out a season later - right after it was paid off and the warranty had run out - and I realized it was costing me as much in payments as it did to have someone else do the work, so I sat back in my easy chair and paid a lawn service to do the work for me. Oddly, the second one lasted several years, but was in the shop quite often, had several repairs I did myself, and finally tossed it's motor. I suppose I could swap the motor from the one with the trans issue, but the deck is questionable on this one as well and I just don't want to invest time or money in it any longer. These are truely throw away tractors...

 

[Ken45101]

I have both, gear M5040 and 9540 and a hydro B2710. For any maneuvering where you want to go slower, the hydro is definitely the way to go! The gear tranny is fine for open field bush hogging, but for maneuvering close around anything, I definitely want the hydro.

Before I bought the B2710 15 years ago, I bought a slightly smaller model with a gear tranny. It lasted the first mowing and then went back to the dealer and I got the B2710. Part of the problem was the smaller one was underpowered but having to slow down and shift gears to maneuver was a big part of the issue.

 

[bp fick]

Just another thing.

Life changes and we sometimes change equipment to match the current reality. That gear tractor would be a dog on the re-sale market compared to an HST. For every person who doesn't know the difference or isn't informed, there would be 20 people who do care! The re-sale on B2320 is not just good, it is phenomenal, provided it is equipped properly to meet the needs of re-sale buyer. Here? That means HST and FEL. I literally had a guy, seeing me in the drive plowing snow, pull in as ask me to buy the tractor. He had not even seen the listing I put on Craigs that morning. When I got back in the house and checked my phone, I had 6 desperate sounding messages from guys wanting to come RIGHT NOW and see the tractor.

I seriously doubt a B2320 DT with no FEL would ever have generated that kind of passion. We all like to think we aren't going to sell this or that, but again, life changes, scenarios change and we adapt the equipment to match and suddenly, yes, re-sale value comes into play.

 

[coolreinfarm]

Looking to pull the trigger on a mower this week. We have a home on just under 19 acres. The back half of the property is still "untamed" and will likely remain so for awhile. The front half has a 5+ acre vineyard (which is why I opted to NOT look at a zero turn). After talking myself into the B series over the BX, I'm now wondering about gear vs HST. Obviously, the HST is easier - but is it worth the extra for my situation. I already have an L3130 with HST and an M7040 with HydoShuttle and I find both easy to operate. Most of the mowing will be long runs with few trees. I'm thinking I'd go gear if I was buying a riding lawn mower as the Cub Cadet I had dropped the trans after 3 seasons making it worthless. Now, granted there is NO comparison to a Cub Cadets auto and the Kubota HST, but the fact remains that I would go geared if only mowing the yard around the house. As for the large expanses of grass in front of the vineyard, not sure the HST would be of benefit. It's just wide open mowing. Thoughts?

I have L3240 with a 6 foot belly mower , i hated dragging a mower behind the tractor. I mow pasture with the mower set at 4 inches, it works great. The tractor is a HST and the cruise control is perfect. And the speed control is good for high grass. I don't know if this setup is still available from Kubota.

 

[DK35vince]

Is there a reason you can't just put a mower on your 3130 ??