Newbie thats looking to buy a NH

[hazmat]

My Dad got a TC40DA with Loader for $21,500. Price sounds high...

 

[JMA375HH]

I Live in Alaska and shipping is always high $$$$ even when you look at driving out and bringing one home from Lower 48 it just does not make good money sence. You pay for convenience . and our closest dealer is still in Anchorage and thats a 175mile run thru the mountains. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif If I could find what i want down in the states and get it home with out the extra cost I would.

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue"> I Live in Alaska and shipping is always high $$$$ </font>

That certainly explains a lot...

 

[AndyMA]

Hey Hazmat

Can't help but throw this in whenever I see these type lines.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( See if you can get your dealer to let you demo a couple different sizes at your place. Maybe offer to pay a weeks' rental - refundable upon purchase of a tractor.
)</font>

But what about all those hours...... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Common guys if we want to try out machines, new machines will have hours. And not just single digit ones. Just something I chuckle about--- you can't have it both ways.

Andy

 

[hazmat]

<font color="blue">Just something I chuckle about </font>

Me too.... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I get a kick out of all those who complain about having 20 hours on their machine when delivered. What's 20 hours on something that will last thousands of hours (if not 10's of thousands)...

 

[Riddler]

Slowly but surely, I am making improvements to a 32 acre place, 20 acres of which are wooded with lots of larger trees. I have used my TC45DA to move material, skid logs, clear brush, grade new roadways, maintain existing roads, etc. I do not believe I would have been nearly as happy tackling these projects with anything smaller than the 45 with 16A loader and 759C backhoe.

On the other hand, the 45 (especially with filled tires) seems entirely unsuited for anything approaching finish mowing. I hate to use it in the areas that get mowed to a low height (even the native grass areas) because the R-4s leave too much of a mess if there is any moisture at all in the ground. I am also not comfortable taking the 45 over some of the slopes I have to get at the grass that I would like to cut every so often.

Luckily, at the last minute, I decided to delay my purchase of a mowing/cutting attachment until sometime after the 45 was delivered last year. Now I am focusing on purchasing a dedicated riding mower of some sort, particularly one with a cutting width of at least 5'. It may go a bit slower than if I used the 45 with a 6' or 7' attachment, but I'll avoid the ruts and get alot more of the sloped areas too.

With what I know now, I believe that it is extremely difficult to find a single machine that you enjoy mowing with and doing significant other projects with. If forced to choose one, I would get the smallest, lightest tractor/loader possible and plan to hire folks to do the jobs that the small tractor simply can't handle. Others may have had better luck mowing with Class II or Class III CUTs, but it is impractical at my place.

 

[PineRidge]

I say different strokes for different folks. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif We use a Class III Boomer to do it all including finish mowing. When the ground is wet I take the 950 pounds of cast iron off and mow - mow - mow. The only time that I ever rut the yard is if I have to go through it in the dead of winter weighted with the cast iron carrying loaded pallets and that can be expected. Otherwise I am tickled with our choice of HP versus size and wouldn't trade it for a ZTR or otherwise.

 

[Soundguy]

I have an extended-neighbor ( down the road ) that mows with an old case 1xxx tractor and a 20' schulte finish mower... he has no option but to mow 'heavy'!

Soundguy

 

[Riddler]

Mike, true enough. I wish I could use my TC45DA for most of the mowing like you are able to do. Unfortunately for me, the combination of filled tires, and the softness and slope of the ground at my place, make it impractical. A larger ZTR appears to be the best solution for me at this point.