John Deere 2025R

[Sir Henry]

I’m thinking of buying a used 2016 2025R with 262 hours. I need a bigger lawn tractor to mow the seven acres of lawn. I’m not really familiar with this particular model.

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It has a 52” belly mower and I’m hoping it will be stable enough to traverse a 30% hill.

[Hatchdog]

Not familiar with the model but with the lower Industrial tires and the belly mower if any tractor will negotiate 30 degree slopes this one should. ??????

[daytime dave]

Gene, have you thought of getting a 3pt hitch finish mower for your current tractor? You could probably get a 72" one. It would get done much faster than a 52".
I was told at the John Deere dealership that the 2 series came in two sizes. One the same size as the 1 series and a bit beefier, like the one in your picture. Basically, larger rear tires. I'm sure the 4wd on that tractor could handle the grade. I think that tractor drives over the mowing deck like my garden tractor does. It makes taking it on and off less of a hassle. You would also have a second loader if need be.
I'm looking at 2025R and 3025 tractors, but just looking now.

[Mags]

... I’m hoping it will be stable enough to traverse a 30% hill.

Stable? Are you thinking mowing horizontally across a 30' slope? I wouldn't. Mowing up and down the slope should be fine. Risky on the horizontal.

[dave77]

... I’m hoping it will be stable enough to traverse a 30% hill.

Stable? Are you thinking mowing horizontally across a 30' slope? I wouldn't. Mowing up and down the slope should be fine. Risky on the horizontal.

30% or 30 degree, big difference. I'd probably go horizontally on a 30% slope, no way on a 30 degree slope.



https://www.ventrac.com/video/113

[Vaquero]

Never been a fan of the green tractors.
I'll take a MF any day over most other brands.

RP

[Cowboy Gun Fan]

I mow the fields with a 5 Ft Bush Hog, but for a nicer cut you could get a Finishing Mower behind your tractor as Dave has mentioned.

[Sir Henry]

... I’m hoping it will be stable enough to traverse a 30% hill.

Stable? Are you thinking mowing horizontally across a 30' slope? I wouldn't. Mowing up and down the slope should be fine. Risky on the horizontal.

30% or 30 degree, big difference. I'd probably go horizontally on a 30% slope, no way on a 30 degree slope.



https://www.ventrac.com/video/113

Thanks. I agree and did say percent and not degrees. I think most caught that. Going down is usually safer than traversing or even going uphill unless you back up. The problem is it’s long narrow cuts and if I traverse it’s far fewer turns. Most of its 20% and less so I could cut up and down in most places.

I’ve watched hours of videos and think I can do it safely. One guy analyzed mishaps and said 90% of rollovers are from experienced farmers because they get used to it and mow too fast. At 2 mph a tractor is stable and at 10 mph they bounce too much.

[rickhem]

I've got a Deere 3520, which is a bit bigger than the 2025R you reference. Mine also has the mid PTO, and I've got the belly mower for mine, although I've never used it. I also mow about 7 acres, but I do that with an older Deere 455 with a 60" deck.

I think that if your primary task for this 2025 is to mow those 7 acres, you'd be better buying a dedicated mower, either a zero turn or a garden tractor. Weight, size, and maneuverability are the reasons I don't mow with my 3520. I have a few areas that get soft and the bigger machine would sink in and tear up the ground. That 2025 is going to be close to 2000 pounds with the deck, fuel, and you on it, and the R4 tires aren't very turn friendly. It also sits much higher, so getting under and around trees is problematic. I have to duck and lean too much as it is on the 455, and I cut low branches when they knock my hat and headphones off a few times. A zero turn will also cut at a much higher speed, and that reduces the time it takes to finish the lawn each week. Mine takes about 4.5 hours, with my 455 doing about 5 to 6 mph. Some zero turns will run at twice that speed, not that you have to, but they can.

If your intention is to run a rough cut mower or brushog, the ground clearance and extra HP is nice, and there are a lot of other tasks the 2025 can help with, but for primarily mowing, I'd get something a bit smaller and more mowing oriented.

[Sir Henry]

I've got a Deere 3520, which is a bit bigger than the 2025R you reference. Mine also has the mid PTO, and I've got the belly mower for mine, although I've never used it. I also mow about 7 acres, but I do that with an older Deere 455 with a 60" deck.

I think that if your primary task for this 2025 is to mow those 7 acres, you'd be better buying a dedicated mower, either a zero turn or a garden tractor. Weight, size, and maneuverability are the reasons I don't mow with my 3520. I have a few areas that get soft and the bigger machine would sink in and tear up the ground. That 2025 is going to be close to 2000 pounds with the deck, fuel, and you on it, and the R4 tires aren't very turn friendly. It also sits much higher, so getting under and around trees is problematic. I have to duck and lean too much as it is on the 455, and I cut low branches when they knock my hat and headphones off a few times. A zero turn will also cut at a much higher speed, and that reduces the time it takes to finish the lawn each week. Mine takes about 4.5 hours, with my 455 doing about 5 to 6 mph. Some zero turns will run at twice that speed, not that you have to, but they can.

If your intention is to run a rough cut mower or brushog, the ground clearance and extra HP is nice, and there are a lot of other tasks the 2025 can help with, but for primarily mowing, I'd get something a bit smaller and more mowing oriented.

This is what a neighbor has and can mow on a 30% slope. I can’t use a zero turn because of the slope.

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[daytime dave]

Gene, what tractor dealers are in your area?

That Kubota looks like a sub compact. How wide is the deck?

If you don't need another bucket tractor, they probably can get you just a tractor and mower. I see a lot of neighbors in the country mowing with a sub compact tractor with a bucket and three point hitch that probably will never get used.

With seven acres, make sure the seat is good for you.

[Sir Henry]

Gene, what tractor dealers are in your area?

They are all here between 30-60 miles. My Branson is not very good for hills or I would get a belly mower for it. The Kubota BX2680 has a low ground clearance which makes the center of gravity very low. From what I can tell it’s one of the best belly mowers for hills but only in smooth grass. The Branson on the other hand can run over rocks.

[HenryFan]

As far as the 2025R, 262 hours is not that much. It looks clean but even so, I would ask for service records. Also, I am not sure those are Ag tires, I think they are possibly industrial tires but for mowing, they are fine. I speculate the belly mower is 4', 5' at the most.

I operate two tractors and two different rotary cutters. The JD 3043D runs a 5' Frontier rotary cutter and the Kubota runs a 4' Dirt Dog rotary cutter. I usually use the JD/Frontier combination on the field around the residence and the Kubota/Dirt Dog combination to work smaller food plots/roads on hunt properties. To put some hours on the fairly new Kubota/Dirt Dog combination, I cut the field around the residence and it took seemingly forever with a 4' rotary cutter. Noticeably longer than with the 5' rotary cutter.

I sold a Kubota MX4700 and a 6' rotary cutter (Bush Hog brand) last year as I am transitioning to smaller equipment and while cutting with the 4' rotary cutter, I began to miss the 6' Bush Hog.

Where I am going with this Sir Henry is this. If you are going to mow 7 acres, buy a 3 pt. hitch 5' finish mower. Keep the JD belly mower should a specific need arise or try to sell it. I don't think a 2025R series tractor would easily name anything larger than a 5' rotary cutter unless if you mow frequently.

My thoughts only, others may disagree and they may be right. I am certain that grease is cheap, parts ain't.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.

[HenryFan]

If you don't need another bucket tractor, they probably can get you just a tractor and mower.

A Kubota LX2610SU is essentially a BX series tractor with a slightly larger, more comfortable frame. They come without a front end loader (although such can be added by the dealer) and the engine is slightly below the 25HP threshold requirement for DPF or DEF. I think you save a couple of bucks as they come without the mid-mount PTO, such as is used for a belly mower. Also, they are made in Japan, a plus in my opinion. It is my Kubota model and although I prefer gear tractors, I am getting used to the hydrostatic drive.

Might be worth a look.

[rickhem]

My 455 has 4WD, and it handles slopes well too. I'll occasionally get stuck on a slope when the grass is wet, or when the cut grass makes the area where I'm cutting a little "greasy", if you know what I mean. I just step on the diff-lock and it powers right out. I mow along the sides of the berm around our pond, and the first time or two it felt sketchy, but I've been doing it weekly in mowing season for four years now. The outside of the berm, away from the pond, has a steeper grade, and there's an outside corner to negotiate, but I just slow down for that. It's just a part of my patterns now.

All of these tractors are pretty nice, and it's good to have a machine that can do what you want with a little extra power available should the need arise.
In the end, it's all about how you want to get the job done. Much as I like the speed that a zero turn would give, I like having a steering wheel and not needing two hands to run it.
I don't think you'll go wrong with any of your options.

[Steve51]

Sir Henry:
I have a 2018 2025 R with a 60" drive over mower deck. It has done an excellent job mowing but I rarely use it. I don't know about the 2025R Gen 1 tractors like the one you are looking at but the Gen 2, like I have, have had multiple instances where the P.T.O. shaft that powers the mid-mount mower has come broken loose and sometimes causes major damage to under side of the tractor, including the transmission. After learning about this problem, I do not use the mid-mower very often. I have a flail mower that I use the most for pasture land and I use a zero turn Grasshopper mower for normal yard mowing.
Also, the 2025R is not real stable on hilly areas. It is basically, a 1025 tractor that has bigger tires and higher center of gravity. I put rear wheel spacers on mine and that does help but it may interfere with the mid-mount mower deck. I haven't tried my mid-mount deck since adding the spacers.
I think a 72" finish mower would be a good choice unless you have a lot of trees or other obstacles to mow around.

[Sir Henry]

Gene, what tractor dealers are in your area?

That Kubota looks like a sub compact. How wide is the deck?

If you don't need another bucket tractor, they probably can get you just a tractor and mower. I see a lot of neighbors in the country mowing with a sub compact tractor with a bucket and three point hitch that probably will never get used.

With seven acres, make sure the seat is good for you.

I can get the BX2680 without the front bucket and add a 60” belly to it. I’ll put a 2” shank hitch on the 3-point so I can pull a small trailer. This fall I may get a snow blower for the Kubota. I'll keep the Simplicity with the 42” belly for around the house.

[daytime dave]

Gene, what tractor dealers are in your area?

That Kubota looks like a sub compact. How wide is the deck?

If you don't need another bucket tractor, they probably can get you just a tractor and mower. I see a lot of neighbors in the country mowing with a sub compact tractor with a bucket and three point hitch that probably will never get used.

With seven acres, make sure the seat is good for you.

I can get the BX2680 without the front bucket and add a 60” belly to it. I’ll put a 2” shank hitch on the 3-point so I can pull a small trailer. This fall I may get a snow blower for the Kubota. I'll keep the Simplicity with the 42” belly for around the house.

That sounds like a good plan. Just test the seat. You will be in it for a couple of hours at a stretch.

[GeoBoy]

Gene, why not trade the Branson in on a JD 3025 with a loader and a 72” 3 point hitch finish mower? They are offering 0% financing.

[HenryFan]

Generally, a JD dealer will not give a decent trade-in on a different brand of tractor. A better option would be to sell the Branson and use the proceeds to fund a new tractor.

That said, I find having two tractors (a 43 HP and a 24 HP tractor) to be almost a necessity. I hate to disconnect an implement to mount another, especially if the use of the replacement implement will be of short duration.

If I ever pay off the Pinto and the Yugo, I will buy enough tractors to that I never have to change implements again. One tractor for every implement.