thinking of upgrade to 2305

[bruiserx2]

I have an x320 which I bought last year. The tractor has been nothing but trouble and they are picking it up tomorrow to fix it once again. I had a carburator issue, then it threw two belts and now the charging system seems not to be working. Anyhow I would like to upgrade. I am locked in with JD or I would look at other machines as well. I have two acres of land and a FEL would be great. I need to level much of the back yard and pull some stumps. The idea here is to get enough tractor to do everything. I have been reading as many threads as I can but no one really talks about the FEL and BH and what they are able to do.

My needs: Must mow the lawn so a MMM is a must, FEL with tooth bar no question. Is the BH powerful enough to really justify the purchase.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I have an x320 which I bought last year. The tractor has been nothing but trouble and they are picking it up tomorrow to fix it once again. I had a carburator issue, then it threw two belts and now the charging system seems not to be working. Anyhow I would like to upgrade. I am locked in with JD or I would look at other machines as well. I have two acres of land and a FEL would be great. I need to level much of the back yard and pull some stumps. The idea here is to get enough tractor to do everything. I have been reading as many threads as I can but no one really talks about the FEL and BH and what they are able to do.

My needs: Must mow the lawn so a MMM is a must, FEL with tooth bar no question. Is the BH powerful enough to really justify the purchase.

i'm not that familiar with this size tractor but i want to suggest you also consider a 2320 and a 2520. just to make sure the 2305 isnt going to be too small for your needs, or you may even find that its perfect after test driving one of the other two i mentioned. as with stump removal with a backhoe, it can be done it just depends on how fast you want to do it.

 

[LBrown59]

If this didn't have the FEL and BH I'd give the tractor away because a tractor without them is worthless to me.

My needs: Must mow the lawn so a MMM is a must, FEL with tooth bar no question. Is the BH powerful enough to really justify the purchase.

 

[bruiserx2]

The x320 is a lawn mower. I made the mistake of buying to quick and not enough. I bought what I thought we could afford with the new house. The 2305 seems to be ideal. It is strong and will take a beating yet will mow the lawn and is still compact. I also looked at the X700 series tractors. They are also real nice but I keep reading that if you are going into that price range get a tractor not lawn mower.

The other reason for upgrading is to get fuel injected engine. I assumed that everything would be fuel injected these days. I was wrong.

Can anyone tell me how they like their BH? Kubota or Deere as they are very familiar. I am a home owner and weekend warrior so I do not need the most power or speed just enough tractor that with perseverance I will get the job done .

 

[nickwarchol]

I upgraded from a JD318 garden tractor to a 2305 with a FEL, 60" mower deck and material collection system. I was also able to find a used front mount snowblower. I have almost 2 acres of lawn and I can't be happier with this machine.

For your use I think you need to define what you mean by "pull some stumps". If you bought a big enough machine to pull some larger stumps it might be overkill for the future when all you need to do is cut the lawn. You might consider paying someone to do the rough clearing and then use the 2305 to do the finish work.

Nick

 

[thendricks]

I have a 2305 TLB. I love the hoe. That being said, i wouldnt call it powerful by any means. It really cant be because it can pretty much drag the tractor with the dipper (esp if the shoes cant dig in good). I have dug out some fair sized hardwood stumps. It takes time, patience and a good axe. Its alot better than digging by hand for sure. Its great for trenching and landscaping type tasks. You are not going to excavate a large area as it has limited reach. We have pretty good soil for digging so i cant comment on hard packed clay of the south or rocky soil of NE. There are quite a few people with 260 hoes now so you should get plenty of more opinions.

Thad

 

[bruiserx2]

Sorry for not being clear.
I cleared most of the two acres, leaving the big trees. I took down roughly 70-100 small tress leaving the stumps. (All under 6 inches) Then I have 5 big stumps 12-16 inches round.
I also need to level the backyard, which means digging some areas, moving rocks and bringing in material.
I will me mowing,
From that point I could used it for projects yet to be determined, clear and level for a porch, barn, fire pit, patio etc. The possibilities seem endless.

 

[cast_and_blast]

THe under 6" stumps will be easy if you left some trunk above the ground to hit it with the FEL.

Instead of dropping the $5K+ for the backhoe, why not rent a mini hoe or track hoe for a day or weekend and knock them out? Just a thought - a backhoe is useful (no doubt), but I've not been able to justify the purchase yet.

If you're really going to get into backhoe work, I'd probably recommend an upgrade to the 2520.

I love my 2305!

Scott

 

[bruiserx2]

I hear what youæ±*e saying and it makes sense. It's just having it when you need it. Plus with the 0% financing now would be the time to purchase it.
Anymore feedback on the BH and if others find it worthwhile would be appreciated.
Scott you mentioned going up in size if I wanted to get into BH work. That is my very concern. Spending the money and the BH not having enough power or ability to do what a BH needs to. I do not want to end up with a cool looking toy backhoe.
Also with a tooth bar on the front bucket, does it make a big difference?
Can you rent a backhoe attachment? I called around and the answer seems to be no. Itç—´ to hard to match the hoe to the tractor so they rent the whole thing.

 

[CinderSchnauzer]

I seem to recall more "real life" stories of BH work posted regarding the BX23 and MF GC2310 machines. Based on some of the pics posted you might be amazed how much can be dug up with one of those little hoes. I suspect the JD - BH would have similar capabilites. The most common comment is that it just takes longer and at some point there may be a question of lift capacity once the object has been dug out.

Posters do discuss whether they can justify the price of a BH financially, however, I can't recall a single post by anyone who actually has a BH where they said "I wish I never bought that hoe." Once you have it - even the annual digging of a flower bed, making a mulch hole becomes fun rather than hard work.

 

[LBrown59]

The x320 is a lawn mower. I made the mistake of buying to quick and not enough. I bought what I thought we could afford with the new house. The 2305 seems to be ideal. It is strong and will take a beating yet will mow the lawn and is still compact. I also looked at the X700 series tractors. They are also real nice but I keep reading that if you are going into that price range get a tractor not lawn mower.

The other reason for upgrading is to get fuel injected engine. I assumed that everything would be fuel injected these days. I was wrong.

Can anyone tell me how they like their BH? Kubota or Deere as they are very familiar. I am a home owner and weekend warrior so I do not need the most power or speed just enough tractor that with perseverance I will get the job done .

Rite why pay for a tractor and settle for a lawn mower?
Would not want the BX 23 without it

 

[orlo]

Hi:

I have a 2305 with a woods BH6000 (Deere didn't make the 260 when I bought it) a FEL, 62D MMM, 47" front blower, chipper and lots of attachments. I also have a 3720 cab, FEL, 59" blower, etc.

You'll be plenty pleased with the 2305. Do consider the bigger 2320 and 2520 if you think you need it but the 2305 is a little workhorse. It'll mow up a storm and handles great and the high range is usable for mowing (It's not on the 2320 and 2520). The Deck is easy to take on and off, etc. The machine constantly amazes me with what it will do.

Also, the BH will do plenty of work. I've attached pictures of when I first got the BH. It just takes time to break all the roots, etc.

About the only thing I think would be a show stopper for the 2305 is if you need lots of ground clearance or more FEL lift capacity. If so go with the 2320, 2502, or 2720. The 2520+ have faster hydraulics but it's all a balance. The 2305 will feel the most stable mowing and you'll zip around like you wouldn't believe.

Also, that's not the tree sticking out on the Fel, it's one of the roots of the stump. I've also taken out much bigger ones with that BH. Maybe up to 24-28" in diameter (Took forever). Now I don't use it much for that since I have a stump grinder I put on the 3720 (Does a quick clean job without leaving a huge 'crater').

The BH is great for trenching, etc. I even dug through frozen ground in the winter once on the 2305 to uncap my septic (which needed to be pumped [frozen pump]).

 

[Cyclone Jake]

If this didn't have the FEL and BH I'd give the tractor away because a tractor without them is worthless to me.

So....when are you giving away your other two tractors since they are worthless to you???

 

[mred]

I have a 2305 TLB. The backhoe has never disappointed me either has the FEL. I have used the backhoe for digging stumps, underground gas lines, and all kinds of things that would have taken me hours or days with a shovel. If I had more room I would consider 2 machines one for "tractor" work and one for mowing. The 2305 has a transmission filter that hangs to low for me to be comfortable taking it into "rough areas". If I had it to do over again I would buy the same unit but keep in mind this is because I only have room to store one machine inside. I hope that helps.

 

[bruiserx2]

This is what I am looking at if I order and the dealer sets it up.

$10,400 tractor 2305
$2,700 front loader
$1,565 MMM
$5,700 BH

Now if I order it set up from the factory the total price is $18,521.00, It looks like I safe $1800. That also is a big reason for getting everything now.

Has anyone heard anything about new financing terms for March. Right now they offer a great deal at 0% for 48 months.

Also the garden tractor x320 I bought and is in the shop. I have had it 1 1/2 years and it has 31 hours. It has been broken the majority of the time I have owned it. I have asked JD to look into taking it back on trade in. The regional rep for the Northeast has been called but he/she has not responded in two weeks to either the dealer or JD. (very busy) Any suggestions on getting back most of the $4000 I have tied up. Is there a lemon law or something. My approach right now is I am willing to upgrade.

 

[JGY]

If this didn't have the FEL and BH I'd give the tractor away because a tractor without them is worthless to me.

Guess my tractor's useless!

Joe

 

[bruiserx2]

Joe,

Not sure I understand what you mean

 

[jcmseven]

Bruiser, my experience with JD corporate has been positive, but not to a scale that you might need to rectify your lemon 300 series mower. I suspect with persistence on the part of you and your dealer--especially if it is known that you are considering another JD--you will achieve satisfaction on your machine and perhaps some financial incentive to stay with JD. With regard to your purchase, I can say the 2305 is a really nice machine. It is small, which can be both good and bad. It has a lot of power for its size and mows well and is very manuverable. I think the BH is a nice option, but personally I think one can rent a lot of excavator time for the price they ask for the BH. I personally think one also has to use the BH a LOT to merit the hassle of taking it on and off (which is not that difficult) for using three point attachments. The 2305 has some downsides, though. It does not weigh very much (about 1425# unballasted) which means both the loader and a BH can move the tractor around in and on hard ground. Its hydraulics are pretty slow, when compared with any of the 2020 series machines, and it has a Limited Cat 1 hitch and is best suited to the Limited Cat one implements which are a little more light duty. Having gone through this myself just recently, I felt the 2320 was the better buy. For some more money one gets the full Cat 1 hitch, a much larger frame machine that weighes 250+# more and bigger tires, etc. It is much more machine, yet will still tread softly and would mow well. It is probably worth comparing its price spec'd the way you want and trying one out before making that final decision. Based on your initial post, I doubt you would feel you overbought by considering a 2320. I have had several JD tractors over the years, all various sized compacts, and the 2320 I now have is one of the most enjoyable to use I have ever had--and I do not think its the "new" talking.

John M

 

[ScottK]

I have two acres and definitely need the clearance of the 2320. For the money, get the 2320 with a toothbar. You will be able to dig many of the stumps using just the loader with the toothbar (and a chain will help too). Get a boxblade to help level it out. You (or the dealer) can weld chain hooks on top of the bucket to help lift and drag stumps and logs. The 2305 is much lower and has a fan hanging underneath that can be a problem and the cat 1 hitch is limited.

Get the power beyond at the time of ordering then you can add a hoe later more easily. Also have the rear tires loaded. They won't hurt your lawn unless you use 4WD on it or it's sopping wet.

I don't have the hoe, but I have gotten all stumps out as I described. If I need to trench I go down to Home Depot and rent a trencher.

 

[bruiserx2]

I have started thinking the same way. Go with the 2320, FEL, Toothbar, MMM and get the backhoe at a later date if I really want it/need it. The main reason I have been focused on the 2305 is the mowing. What I have read is the 2305 you can just go and mow in either high or low. The 2320 is not really geared that well for mowing and on hills you may need to switch from high to low and vice versa. Any thoughts or experience from you guys/gals out there mowing with the 2320 would be great.

I also like the faster hydraulics on the 2320. I am so torn, this decision is tough. I am trying to not let price play a huge role in it but is hard. I want the best base tractor that meets my needs now and will be enough for the future. I think the 2305 may be that tractor by the ground clearance, better 3 point hitch and faster hydraulics of the 2320 is appealing.