I am absolutely stuck!! TC24D or TC 29D??

[horstuff]

Hey there all.

I have "decided" on a NH TC24D ($19,700 TLB), and have set the wheels to spinning regarding setup, delivery, etc. Should be here in 2 days. BUT...

I am wondering if I shouldn't bump up to the NH TC29D for about $3500.00 more (even though I very much prefer the new curved loader on the small and large Boomers. The 29, or mid-sized, can only take the 7308 loader). I have done enough research at this point (with everybody on TBN's help /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif) to narrow it down to these two. A few days ago I was sure that the 24 was right for me, but now I find myself in that black hole otherwise known as "The One And Only Tractor For Every Job That I Will Ever Need It For-itis". My place is just 1.5 acres, and I mainly have just landscaping to do, move a bit of topsoil and gravel, plant a whole bunch of trees, dig a couple utility trenches (I am definitely going TLB, no matter which I choose), etc. etc.

I am going to have a riding lawn mower or a zero turning radius mower, so I won't be mowing lawn with the tractor.

It's a drag, but I am just not getting past the thought of the 24 as a "lawn tractor on steroids", as somebody here has described other small CUT's. Maybe it's a guy thing, thinking that riding around on the 29 would be like being on a "real" tractor, and that the 24 would feel like a toy (even though I know it's not). Maybe it boils down to the thought of needing the bigger one in those moments when you wish like hell you had a bigger machine. Maybe those moments occur just as frequently in the opposite direction, where you have a biggun' but wish like hell you had a smaller one. I don't know.

I have had 5 acres before and I know that there is no such thing as too big of a machine WHEN YOU NEED IT. Aargh. So, I now am thinking that, even though I have very small acreage, maybe the 29 would do everything faster, and the tradeoff (the 24's mobility and driving gingerly onto the lawn and getting into close quarters) would be worth it. But, in reality, I only need the small one now (I don't mind the extra time it would take to do stuff on the 24, although I wonder if the extra trips would reduce the life of the machine). My immediate future holds ALOT of landscaping and driving around on the lawn, probably, to dig tree holes and dress areas of the yard.

Maybe the thing to do is get the 24, do what I need to do now, then, if and when I get more land, trade it in and buy a bigger one.

Ultimately, in a dream scenario, I would have ten acres with a TC24D and a TC35D. The small one for versatility, barn chores, maintenance, etc., and the large one for doing the big, big jobs that I know I will need to do when I have more acreage and more rough-in work to do. That, though, is for a later time. Any thoughts you all may have are much appreciated.

Bobby

 

[_RaT_]

Bobby, I bought too big and am absolutley thrilled with the much smaller tractor I have now. I had a Kubota L48 and still do have a International 454D. I only use my Kubota L3830 now and find it's size just right for my place which is bigger then yours. I'm not familiar with the size New Hollands you mention, but would lean towards the newer style loader as well. If your moving massive amounts of dirt, you'd be taking a little longer with a smaller bucket or you could simply rent a industrial machine putting the wear and tear on it. For manuverability, I like the smaller tractors. Horsepower wise, I can still run all the equipment my L48 ran and quite frankly don't even find the 10 HP drop that big of deal. I mow 50 percent of the time on my hilly terrain, the L3830 HST I have i ideal. Rat.

 

[horstuff]

Rat,

I think your machine is alot bigger than the 24 or the 29. It looks like it is about 40HP. I get the logic of what you're saying, though. It's all relative, to a degree, even though no matter if you have 100 acres or 1, if there is a big rock or a big pile of dirt/gravel that needs to be moved, or even if you want to unload a bunch of 12' lumber and move it around on the FEL without worrying too much about how it's balanced, then a bigger tractor is what you want right then and there.

Like you said, though, maybe renting a Case 580 backhoe or something would be the way to go, if I need it (which I don't anticipate, all the major clearing and dirt work has been done already). Like I said, if I could have both, woa mama, that would be it. Maybe I buy one now, the other later if and when I get more property and need to do big initial projects. It's tough when you are buying new, though. Quite a bite out of the budget for awhile. As a matter of fact, it will stretch me real thin, but I have no cash to put any down on anything, and I am not good with repairing these things. The financing options that the big three have going are hard to pass up from where I stand.

Bobby

 

[Bob_Skurka]

My first real tractor was an Oliver Super 55 Diesel, circa 1956, it has been sold and I still play with antique Olivers, butt took 1/3 of an acre to turn around. Then we got the Kubota B2910 and last year I got a NH TC24D. The TC29 is very similar in size to the B2910. My favorite tractor is the TC24D. Size to power ratio is amazing. It will go anywhere. It is small enough to fit anywhere. Most of my "big" projects are now done and the B2910 pretty much sits idle while I work with the smaller TC. Had I done it right, I would have gotten the smaller tractor first . . . some big jobs would have taken a bit longer, but they would have been completed, and the total cost of the larger Kubota would have been eliminated.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Have you tried out a TC24? Before I got my tractor I tried it at the dealership. He had a pile of sand out back for potential customers to test the loaders. On a personal level, I think the 24 would be more than enough tractor for 1.5 acres. My tractor is 26HP and it is perfect for 5.5 acres. Good Luck!

 

[Poppa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ...I am wondering if I shouldn't bump up to the NH TC29D for about $3500.00 more (even though I very much prefer the new curved loader on the small and large Boomers. The 29, or mid-sized, can only take the 7308 loader)...My place is just 1.5 acres, and I mainly have just landscaping to do, move a bit of topsoil and gravel, plant a whole bunch of trees, dig a couple utility trenches...
the 24 would feel like a toy (even though I know it's not)...Maybe those moments occur just as frequently in the opposite direction, where you have a biggun' but wish like hell you had a smaller one....(the 24's mobility and driving gingerly onto the lawn and getting into close quarters) would be worth it. <font color="red">But, in reality, I only need the small one now</font> (I don't mind the extra time it would take to do stuff on the 24, although I wonder if the extra trips would reduce the life of the machine). My immediate future holds ALOT of landscaping and driving around on the lawn, probably, to dig tree holes and dress areas of the yard.

Maybe the thing to do is get the 24, do what I need to do now, then, if and when I get more land, trade it in and buy a bigger one.

)</font>

You've already made the decision. And I think it is the right one. Go with the reality and get the 24. I whole heartedly sympathize with what you are feeling with regards to the 29 but You already gave all the best arguements for the 24.

Not the least of which is the extra 3500.00. Since you have already said you are going to use the NH financing remember that that 3500.00 is darn close to an extra 100.00 dollars a month over the next three years.

Good luck and let us know where the wind blows you /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Mike

 

[jimg]

I have a 24D on 2 acres and am glad I didnt go any bigger. Just like you I looked at the 24 and 29 but realized the 29 was too big. The 24 is ideal for my plot size. Its certainly NOT a mower on steriods though. Its alot more than that. While I do use it for mowing I mostly put it to moving bits that are too heavy to move by hand, tilling, moving snow, some skidding of logs, grading, etc. It really speeds up otherwise long and physically demanding jobs. In my view you made the right choice w/ the 24.

 

[Boone]

I am able to do alot with my B7500 at 21hp, I've been more than happy with it. One other benefit is attachments are sized to the tractor and are lighter, making it easier to mount on the 3pt.

 

[OkeeDon]

I have 5 acres, a TC18, and when I needed something bigger, I rented a Cat 416C -- even a Class III NH would not have been big enough. No backhoe, either -- I rent a trencher for water and electric lines, and will get a PHD with a large auger when I start planting. As long as there's no other tractors around for comparison, everyone's impressed with my manliness on my little Class I machine. My dealer said the TC24 had too much power, and it turns out he was right -- the TC18 is nicely balanced, but no longer available as such.

If I thought I needed the size of a Class II, I wouldn't stop at the TC29 -- I'd get the TC33, which is what I originally went to buy before the dealer educated me. By the way, they had a decent, used TC33 with 230 hours and a backhoe for only about $1,500 more than my no-backhoe TC18.

The 12LA loader is worth it's weight in gold. Except for bucket capacity, it's clearly the equal (in real world terms) of the 7308. I wouldn't get a Class II machine right now; I'd have to wait until the new 14LA loaders are available.

Every time I run the 4' brush hog down the fence line, I sigh with relief -- I would have had to remove several nice trees to get a 5' cutter in the same strip. My 4' box blade is exactly the same width as my tires and my 4' bucket -- makes it really nice in tight quarters.

Disadvantages? It's a little closer to the ground, so my 6' landscape rake needs to have the mounts extended so I can get full use of it -- when I have it leveled so I can angle it, I can't raise it high enough off the ground. I'll also have to be careful with my PHD purchase for the same reason. And, there are a few implements I've seen that require more PTO HP than I have, but the TC24 would have enough. That restricts my access to used equipment. I can buy the properly sized implements, new.

 

[Inspector507]

horstuff,
I have a Class I, a TC18. I also have 1.5 acres. It is perfect for me here. For the jobs you mentioned, the 24 would be great. I have a friend here, jwstewar, who has a TC24 and is looking to add the backhoe in the fututre. Maybe he will see this post and respond with his ideas.