Mowing Mowing hills with a 2320

[jcaledon]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of shopping for a compact tractor, and have got it down between the 2320 and Kubota's new B2620. I like the JD, but I'm concerned about its ability to mow on hills, and would like to hear from people in terms of how well, and how quickly the 2320 mows hilly areas. I have approx 2 and 1/2 acres of lawn. One third of it consists of a large hill (moderate slope). I don't want to constantly shift between low and high - this will slow me down. Additionally, if I were to keep it in low, how quickly does it cut. If I were to leave it in high, would it bog/slow down or stall completely. Would I be damaging the hydro by just leaving it in high?

I like the features of the 2320, but I'm concerned that its not going to fit my needs. The Kubota lacks the features of the 2320, but has a three speed hydro. They are the same price.

Hopefully the JD forum can assist with their comments and thoughts.

 

[Toolguy]

With a 3 speed you should be able to do all your mowing in 2nd gear. That would be very important to me. What are the other features you are weighing? You want to think about what your primary use is going to be and get the one that does that the best. Everything else can be delt with. Good luck.

 

[jcaledon]

With a 3 speed you should be able to do all your mowing in 2nd gear. That would be very important to me. What are the other features you are weighing? You want to think about what your primary use is going to be and get the one that does that the best. Everything else can be delt with. Good luck.

Toolguy,

I have a more complete post and comparison on the general forum. I was initially comparing the BX against the 2305, and NH offering, but I have since decided to move up to the compact class. You get a lot more for the money.

My principal use for the tractor would be mowing. I think that the new B would be better in this regard because of the three speed hydro, but the 2320 has so many more standard features, that I would feel ripped off going with the Kubota. The Kubota B has the potential to be the perfect machine for my purposes, but they went cheap on a lot of finishing touches.

Will I use the position control, or quick attach bucket on the Deere? Probably not. Will the one piece cowling, or dash mounted PTO engagement on the JD make a big difference? Probably not. But why couldn't Kubota build these features into their new model which is priced exactly the same as the 2320???

I would ask for a test drive of the 2320 on my lot, but we're buried in snow up here in Canada at the moment!

 

[GordNovo]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of shopping for a compact tractor, and have got it down between the 2320 and Kubota's new B2620. I like the JD, but I'm concerned about its ability to mow on hills, and would like to hear from people in terms of how well, and how quickly the 2320 mows hilly areas. I have approx 2 and 1/2 acres of lawn. One third of it consists of a large hill (moderate slope). I don't want to constantly shift between low and high - this will slow me down. Additionally, if I were to keep it in low, how quickly does it cut. If I were to leave it in high, would it bog/slow down or stall completely. Would I be damaging the hydro by just leaving it in high?

I like the features of the 2320, but I'm concerned that its not going to fit my needs. The Kubota lacks the features of the 2320, but has a three speed hydro. They are the same price.

Hopefully the JD forum can assist with their comments and thoughts.

Hi Jcaledon, my suggestion would be to get both machines out there to test them on the hills to see how they do. Then you will know for sure. If the dealers wants the sale, I'm sure they'll accomodate.

GN

 

[BigD9]

I have the 2320 tractor, and we mow several areas that are steep hillsides. Generally, we always use the tractor in low range. It seems to be fast enough for everything we do. The only time I use high range is when I tram the tractor to the back of the property. I am a little disappointed that the compact tractor does not feel as stable on the hillsides as my smaller lawn tractor did. But I just changed the way I mowed the hill from sideways to up and down and everything is fine now.

 

[RalphVa]

Heck, I mow on my 100' high hill with my 18.5 hp 4010 running a 4' bush hog. Just mow going up and down. The 4010 will mow going uphill full speed in Low. I climb the hill in High without the hog on but use Low when mowing. On a hill, I think High range is too fast for safety, even going up and down. Hit a hole or mound with one wheel, and you'll figure it out. You never know when some animal isn't going to make these for you.

Ralph

 

[ChuckinNH]

It appears to me that the 2320 uses the same transmission with the same ratios as the 2305. They relocated the oil filter, and added an oil cooler. That would explain the faster travel speeds with the larger tires on the 2320, and the perception of less power on hills. Perhaps that is why the turf tires on that model are smaller in diameter. Tractors equiped with the turfs might feel stronger on hills.

Ralph, perhaps it is the other way around with your tractor. It may use the transmission from the larger 4110 / 4115 tractors, and be equiped with smaller tires.

BigD9, I found a marked difference in the feeling of stability on hills between leaving the loader on, and removing it on my BX. You might want to try popping that loader off sometime, and see if it makes a difference on your tractor.

In any case, I couldn't imagine mowing my land faster than low range would provide. I would like to see a breakdown of the sppeds available in the different ranges in the Kubota before I made any judgement. On some of their larger B series, mid range is about 1 mph faster than low range......... I guess it makes you feel better to be trucking along in "M" though.

As a side note, I just saw a picture of a 2008 2320 with turfs, and it sure appears that they have increased the tire diameter this year. I wonder if they have changed anything in the hydro quietly?

I'm just full of usefull crap this morning aren't I?

 

[randyvl]

jcaledon:

I'm in same boat as you are in. I'm ready to write the check, but am having a tough time deciding between Green or Orange.

I'm deciding between a JD2520 or a Kub 3030 (I was looking at Kub 2630, but for a few dollars more, I decided go w/ the 3030 (my wife won't be able to buy any more shoes for a while, but thats ok she already has 63 pair)
I am waiting to see what the 2920 is, but I know it won't match up to the 3030 and it is smaller than the 2520


My questions would be similar to those of ChuckinNH..
...can you mow faster in Mid range w/ the 2620 than you can with the peddle down in low range on the 2320?
...Would the quality of cut be the same?


My bigger concerns are the postings I have read regarding..
...the need to put spacers on the back wheels of the 2320 and 2520 because ...the 3 pt hitch crowds the rear tires with or without the I-match.
...being told by the dealer to not put chains on rear wheels because of spacing.

I have a hard time spending $18-20K on a toy and then find that I have to go back and retrofit, at my own expense, to accomodate something as mondane as to narrow axel/tire width and chain fitting because the Manufacturer in all their wisdom and engineering capablity haven't fixed this problem, even when they know about it.

 

[ChuckinNH]

OK, I looked it up. Speed in mid range on a Kubota B2630, or B3030 is 5.3 mph max. Speed in low range on either a JD 2320, or 2520 is 4.5 mph max. I couldn't find info on the new B20 series yet, though I expect the difference to be similar.

Chains on a JD2520? The latest, and simplest fix is to mount the iMatch with the 3pt hitch on the inside of the iMatch with longer pins instead of the normal mount point. This seems to give an extra 2" of clearance per side, and seems viable to me. Why should we have to do that is also a viable question.

 

[EdC]

Randyyvl

There is plenty of room between my 2320 3 point and the tires. I'm pretty sure that is only an issue with the 2520. After this winter I am certainly going to get a set 4 tire chains, there does seem to be enough clearance for them. I have R4s so that might make a difference.

I don't have a mower but I rarely use my high range. About the only time I use it is to go to the neighbors to shovel them out. The low range is plenty fast for me.

 

[JSR LLS]

Now first off, I am not familiar with Kubota's new B series. But, I shopped the B7610 against the 2320. I went green. One of the biggest reasons was the height adjustability of the mower deck on the 2320. It was way easier and had more options/positions than the Kubota. The dial on the Deere makes it a snap. I have also watched my neighbor take of his 60"MMM on his B7510 and can say my Deere's drive over deck is awesome! Maybe it has changed on the new B series, but I just thought I would point it out. My 3 acres of yard is flat, so the two range trannie isn't an issue for me. Good Luck.

 

[thatguy]

I have a 2320 and not experienced any problems rough cutting (w/ LX4) the the hills behind the house, but I only mow in low range (and 4x4) though.. I had been using a 790 with a 5' rough cutter previously and the 2320 may be very, verly slightly less stable, but nothing scary so far..

The drive over MMM is a snap to put on and take off.. I cant imagine having to slide a mower deck that big under the tractor everytime though..

I very seldom ever use HI range, except to move on road or on very smooth fields.. At a good speed bumps get magnified quite badly.. When you are in HI it really doesnt have much power pulling any sort of incline. I doubt you could run a mower in HI unless it was a very level.

good luck in your decision

Brian

 

[Superduper]

...........BigD9, I found a marked difference in the feeling of stability on hills between leaving the loader on, and removing it on my BX. You might want to try popping that loader off sometime, and see if it makes a difference on your tractor.

Chuck, just a side question. When you say that you found a 'marked difference', what exactly did you notice that caused you to conclude that it was more stable? Was it just a feeling or did you actually notice some symptom that made you feel that way? I am just curious when people say tractor feels more stable or less tippy etc.. In my mind, I'm thinking that unless one actually lifts a tire or see some actual evidence of lowered stability (short of rolling it), that such feeling might be more psychological than anything else.

 

[GordNovo]

Why should we have to do that is also a viable question.

Agreed! That's why we gotta push our dealers to have a "d-tack" created to get JD corporate to find a permanent solution.

GN

 

[Woody71]

I am sure the Kubota B2620 is a great machine, but I can speak to my experience with the JD2320. I mow the 2-3 ft deep ditch 1/4 mile each way from my yard and feel my 2320 is as stable on a side slope as the lawn tractor it replaced. I just don't make any sudden turns. As far as speed, my yard has a moderate slope from front to rear and I am able to easily mow in second range going uphill. I can even plow 6-8 inches snow uphill in high range.

Regarding the extra features like quick change bucket, I soon found that the bucket is great for moving earth, mulch and snow, but floating tine pallet forks are best for moving everything else. I switch between them pretty often. If you plan to use a rear blade or box blade at all, you will soon discover that position control makes controlling your cut depth much easier. I will second the previous note that there is no issue with the 3pt arms rubbing the rear tires on a 2320. That appears to be a 2520 problem.

 

[ChuckinNH]

Superduper,
Part of the feeling is in my head, and part is in my gut, but that is based on a few thousand hours of using different tractors. Of course the feeling is magnified with seating height, and each tractor takes a while to get a feel for. There is also a physical sense based on how lightly the tractor is sitting on the upper side. If you aren't packing the grass down, for instance, daylight isn't far away. I have seen tractor rollovers, though I have never experienced one. On the small BX22 that I had, it seemed that the backhoe raised the center of gravity the most, but driving the same places with, and without the loader on "felt" more secure without, and it makes sense. Our small tractors are much narrower than the old small ag tractors, and you don't have to raise add much weight above the centerline of the axles to feel it. My BX had loaded rear tires by the way, and was a real billy goat without the loader, and hoe attached.

 

[BigD9]

I have a hard time spending $18-20K on a toy and then find that I have to go back and retrofit, at my own expense, to accomodate something as mondane as to narrow axel/tire width and chain fitting because the Manufacturer in all their wisdom and engineering capablity haven't fixed this problem, even when they know about it.

This comment is almost word for word the same as I saw written in another E-Group, except in that group it referred to diesel pusher motor coaches that are worth $200,000 new!!!!! You would think mistakes from a previous year would be a top priority, but sadly they don't seem to be.

 

[BigD9]

If you plan to use a rear blade or box blade at all, you will soon discover that position control makes controlling your cut depth much easier.

Woody71, What do you mean by "position control"?

 

[jcaledon]

Now first off, I am not familiar with Kubota's new B series. But, I shopped the B7610 against the 2320. I went green. One of the biggest reasons was the height adjustability of the mower deck on the 2320. It was way easier and had more options/positions than the Kubota. The dial on the Deere makes it a snap. I have also watched my neighbor take of his 60"MMM on his B7510 and can say my Deere's drive over deck is awesome! Maybe it has changed on the new B series, but I just thought I would point it out. My 3 acres of yard is flat, so the two range trannie isn't an issue for me. Good Luck.

JSR LLS,

The new Kubota B now has a drive over deck. They also have a deck height adjustment knob similar to the JD2320.

For those who say that they don't have a problem mowing in high on moderate hills, what RPM are you running? It looks like the min (according to the gauge) to run the mid PTO is 3000 rpm, but the engine will spin higher if you throttle it up. Does this help? Are you damaging the engine by running it full out for prolonged periods of time, or does it not really make any difference?

I test drove the JD2320 yesterday on the dealer lot, at exactly 3000rpm, and it seemed slower than my lawn tractor when in low. High didn't seem all that much better. It was hard to really tell however, I didn't spend a lot of time on the machine, and the lot was full of snow. I also didn't run it at a higher RPM (didn't want to freak out the salesman, given that it was snowing at the time, and there were cars coming and going in the lot). Its a very nice tractor - but this speed thing is a concern. I want to spend less time mowing, and more time with the family. I don't want to spend all this money, and find that I'm going backwards.

 

[Mike058]

Woody71, What do you mean by "position control"?

Since no one's piped up, I'll take a stab at it. There are two ways to get the 3PH up and down. One is a simple valve that directs fluid to the piston that raises the arms. When pressure is released, the weight of the implement pulls the arms back down. That's called 1/4 inching. The position control is more like an elevator. If your box blade is at the perfect height when the lever is at 4, you can lift it up by pulling the lever to a higher number. When you're ready to put the blade back to work, you just move the lever to 4 and you're good to go. But you can't use either system to apply down pressure with the hydraulics. Gravity pulls everything down. You can do a search on the two terms and see all the big discussions about them.