Utility Tractors JD vs NH 65 hp

[jgh]

2000-05-06

I hope the utility machines are close enough to Ag to merit comment in this forum.

My wife and I have burned up the road looking at our next tractor candidates. We want more implement capacity for additional land, both present and contemplated. Right now we are concentrating on the JD 5410 and the NH TN75S. Both are in the 65 PTO hp range. The NH is turbocharged.

I would really appreciate any comments from current and prospective owners about things like:

Is NH's Supersteer as good as it seems, even on these larger tractors? I understand it first showed up on the large Ag line. The damn thing will turn like it is spinning on a pole thru its rear end. Any downsides to it, other than sticking out a bit in front, requiring a longer loader frame?

How about the automatic 4wd, also a NH exclusive vs JD? One dealer told me it cuts out 4wd as the front wheels approach lock, to avoid scuffing. Driving a TN75S proved him right. Barely marked the grass.

My informed observation is that the JD is a bit more carefully made and painted than the NH (are Italian builders more laid back than Americans?), but that the technology on the NH is at a higher level. The SSteer and auto 4wd as well as digital displays, easier shuttling from fwd to reverse, etc, comes to mind. I do like the idea of an American designed and made engine on the JD, though. No reason, just the general rep of American diesel engines over the years.

Would you get the PowrReverser (JD)/Power Shuttle (NH) transmissions or the more manual synch shuttles? As I noted above the NH seems to have a more advanced shuttle shifter, and gives a matching reverse speed to each fwd speed (it literally is identical to Power shuttle, except you have to clutch each time). The JD seems to only have one reverse speed for each range (eg, 9/3, instead of NH's 16/16 now), and there is no separate shuttle shifter as with the NH.

Cab or no cab? I just drove my first cab tractor today and wow is it nice and quiet. But would it get in the way of the wide variety of implements I want to use, including the biggest meanest backhoe it will take? Obviously no folding the ROPS to enable putting it in the garage either. And it adds almost $6000 to either list price.

Would you buy the "tractor brand" of implement, ie, backhoe, loader, etc, or the Bush Hog, Woods or other reputable brand? Most dealers who comment say the tractor brands are overpriced, but not all offer an opinion. Would it hurt resale, esp on the loader?

And what about Resale value? The NH dealer claims that in the under 100 hp segment, Ford/NH holds the best resale record.

Pricing seems competitive between the two, maybe a bit higher on NH (though its unique features--SSteer and auto 4wd--may justify it) and it is as confusing as it is on the compacts, with packages, holdbacks, etc, ad naseaum.

I hope the utility/ag tractor owners out there will speak up and post reviews of their babies. The NH and JD review list is really short.

Thanks in advance!

Jim

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Jim

Have you driven a super steer? I would like to also hear from people that have them or at least have driven them to see if they are wirth the extra $'s. Also the 4wd system you mentioned is new to me.

All in all my impressions are that the Nh and Deere tractors are the two best in the range you are looking. Resale value is good on both in certain areas higher than others. Midwest it is still Case or Deere not as much NH.

I would go for the cab if you are where it gets messy. With a cab you can still go in the snow and rain and dark. Non cab you are subject to the elements much more. Cab tractors get a premium on the market too.

Ben

 

[jgh]

2000-05-06

Thanks, Ben.

I have driven 3 Supersteers. 2 were TN75S--one with turfs and power shuttle, the other with cab, manual shuttle, and R1's.

The other was a TC35D "Boomer". Yeah, yeah.

The latter TN I was able to drive in grass. I noticed that it only really bit into the turf when locked into 4WD and the steering locked or near lock. Then it crabbed and scuffed. When I put it into the auto 4WD or just 2WD, the result was amazing. Even the monster (to me, a current Ford 1720 owner) Ag's left very little marking on the grass. Of course had the ground been wet/soft, different story.

Auto 4WD was the deciding factor recently in our decision to buy a Chevy pickup. Thus you can leave it on all the time and it only engages when needed. Neither Ford nor Dodge have anything like it--their 4WD mode is all or nothing, just like most tractors.

I am in a dilemma. My JD dealer is close by and really good. The nearest NH dealer is 35 mi away and weird. There're not many of them compared to Deere here and the farther out ones aren't anything fab on followup, either. But I am MOST impressed with the higher tech TN so far.

Help me before my wife divorces me for taking to too many dealers and seeing too many tractors!

Jim

 

[W5FL]

This site has quite a bit of information on utility tractors. You will need to search both the discussion and the archives. Search for 5410 and M6800 and TN75. I have the a new Kubota M6800SD, but started out to buy the JD5410 and couldn't hardly be talked out of it. Really like this tractor better. Looked hard at the cab, but I don't live on my tractor, so spent the money on implements instead. At least two others on this board have the JD5410, so by reading the archive posts you can contact them. They seem to like their tractor very well. Unfortunately by the time you buy the JD power reverser, you can have a CAB M6800 4WD. It is a very expensive option, but seems to work well.

Had coastal grass sprigged today and he was using a 100HP JD 60 series I think 6 cylinder in 2WD. I could pull the sprigger just as easy with my 68 hp but it is 4WD and that certainly helps to equalize the horsepower. I could turn faster because the M6800 has a shorter wheelbase, where JD gets about a foot or so longer going from the 5310 to 5410 and much more for their 100 hp and up tractors. Kubota came out with the same shuttle shift on the dash with fully synchronized 4 speed transmission (8 fwd/8rev) on April of 2000. This was the same setup that was available in their larger 75HP and up tractors before and is now available in the 68 hp units.

Interestingly CASE has not done very well in this market. My cousin is a CASE dealer and he advised me against buying one and told me to go buy the Kubota and he doesn't even sell them.

I would certainly buy the tractor brand loader for JD or Kubota. There is very little difference in the tractor brand and other brand cost for the loader. I had an off brand on my last tractor and will never again. JD makes a very nice back hoe, but it is not inexpensive. I think Bush Hog in the Medium duty line makes a very good mower. It is heavy but any of these tractors can handle it. It has 1/4 in plate on the sides and a 110 hp gear box. I thought the JD mower was well made and not much more than the Bush Hog. Surely NH doesn't make implements as the only loaders they tried to sell me were Great Bend. Look particularly how the loader hooks up to the hydraulics and if the lines drape under the tractor and take up all the hydraulic outlets. Kubota is better here, but JD will fix the problem for a few hundred more dollars. I could buy the Kubota M6800SD with only a quick attach bucket and loader and get all the options. With the JD or NH you need to be very very careful what you are getting or you can easily be very disappointed. JD charges you $600 or so for the first four hydraulic spigots and then uses all four of them up with the loader so you have to buy two or four more to be able do do anything with the hydraulics. You also have to buy a midpoint coupler to get hydraulics connections at the midpoint of the tractor. I finally had them go over my list one item at a time and found out that on the JD you have to pay another two hundred dollars to get adjustable links on the 3 point. My wife would have killed me if I had not got them!!! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif She hooked up the mower a few times and that was it.

Don't know much about the super steer. I have a turning radius of less than 12 ft in either 2WD (11.2) or 4WD (12.1) without using the brakes and that is really fast for me when using a six foot bush hog or a tiller.

I also have a differential lock that just works on the front wheels if you need it while turning or works with the other pedal on all 4 wheels when going straight. That really works nice.

 

[Roddy]

Hey there I have a boomer. Big tractor's features in a small tractor. Best little machine I have ever owned!!

Jim the dealer can make or break a great tractor. My dealer is great but if he wanted to be a jerk I would not like my tractor as much and probably would not have bought it from him rather the deere dealer who is also great. Just off of that the deere sounds like it has an edge for you for dealer support.

Roddy

 

[ejb]

I have the JD5410, picked it up last fall at a great price with 541 Self-leveling loader, powerreverser, weighted rear-tires, extra hydraulics, block heater etc. (Also got a few implements, but you didn't ask about them). Anyway, I have nothing but good things to say about my JD. Can't compare it to the NH, except to say I look at a few and didn't like the looks of them, so I didn't even drive one - didn't help that the only NH dealer in the area was less than helpful).

I defintely would get the SL loader, AND especially the Powerreverser tranny; I wasn't going to get either, but when it came right down to it, my dealer had exactly the machine I wanted on the lot, except it had the powerrevers (I was going to get the syncshuttle), and since he was eager to sell the machine, I basically got it for free (both the SL loader option and the powerreverser option), in other words, I had already negotiated a price down to what I was willing to pay for the non-SL loader and the syncshuttle tranny, and ended up getting both options for the same price as the other machine...now that I have had and used both, I would defintely recommend both. The tranny is great, especially when doing loader work, don't even have to look or think to shift on the fly.

You probably already realize that these are fairly substantial machines, with the weighted tires and the loader on the machine, don't even think about driving across your lawn until it is so dry its dead...it sinks in fast, (mowing is defintely out, you'll need a smaller machine).

The power is fantastic, haven't even had the machine hestitate when lifting anything, I pick up loads of cherry and maple trees (4-6 of them), 10-14 feet long and 10-14 inches thick and you don't even feel the machine working.

As for a cab, for me, no thanks. I work inside all day so when I am tractoring, I want to be out in the elements, wether it be snowplowing or sunny days. If I did tractor work for a living...maybe, but defintely not to my tastes.

Good luck. My slightly biased cote is for the JD5410, but then again I have a bias for green.

 

[ejb]

...edit..make that "vote", not "cote"