TC29D Strong and Weak Points

[SteveTX]

Traditionally been a Ford 8N user. Been shopping for a Kubota. Have considered from a Kubota B2910 to a L3430.

I haven't driven one yet but the TC29D sure seems as though it would suit my needs well.

I have 2.6 acres around the house to mow, till, move a lot of dirt, and dig postholes. I also have 16 acrs of raw rocky land I will be using this machine to clean and prepare to build a new house.

Anyone who has experience with the new New Hollands, what are the good and bad points for this tractor? Is it comparable to the Kubotas? Am I looking at the right size? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Thanks in advance for responses!

 

[thcri]

I have the TC29D with just a tad over 2.0 acres. Yep a little big but does the job nice. You will find that it is a lot more comfortable and easier to use than the old 8N. If I was you I would also check into the price of the 33. Some people here have been quoted $400.00 to go up and some like me have been quoted over $1200.00. It just might be worth checking out.

The 29 will do everything you said you need to do. I use it for mowing, brush hogging and lots of loader work around the yard. All my neighbors have gotten to like me a bit more too!!

As far as reliability, I have 150 hours on mine and other than some water in the fuel it has had no troubles.

As far as the Kubota, test drive them both, they both are good CUT's. I would go with the one that you feel the most comfortable with and the dealer that you favor the most.

Good luck


murph

 

[jinman]

Steve, your location in Texas and how close you are to a dealer will help when trying to determine the brand of tractor. The size of tractor may be determined partially by how much you want to haul between your 2.6 ac. and the 16 ac. tracts of land. If you have a light-duty trailer, you probably need to keep your complete load below 5,000 lb. Having these things in mind and also that you are used to an 8N, I might ask you if using differential braking is important to you. If so, you might even take a look at the larger Class III Boomers like the TC35D and above. These tractors have the brake pedals on the left and the hydro pedals on the right. The Class II tractors have the brake and hydro pedals on the same side. It just depends on how much clearing you are going to do for that new house and how challenging the work will be on your "...raw rocky land." What I am suggesting is that since you considered the L3410, you may want to look at a bigger NH tractor also. The TC29D or TC33D may be exactly right for your needs, but if you underestimate the work at your new homesite, you may find it takes far too much time to get the job done. When I built my new house, I scraped off the top 6 in. of sod with my tractor, but a full-sized loader-backhoe did the excavation (see attachment). The total time for this job was just over two hours. If I had done it all with my TC45D, It would have taken me two days. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Mosey]

Let me repeat what Jinman said about the poor design of the location of the hydro pedal and the brake pedals all being on the same side, which makes it nearly impossible to brake steer.

The other weak point is the tilt steering wheel column. The shock like cylinder that holds it in place failed on mine after about 150 hours (1 1/2 years), and I had it replaced under warranty. It failed again yesterday at about 315 hours (3 1/2 years). I just put a block of wood in between it and the dash to hold it in place. I won't buy another cylinder, since they only seem to last about 1 1/2 years, so I'll just pick the best fixed position and fasten it in place somehow, but for now the block of wood is working fine.

Otherwise, no complaints. A few more HP would be nice on my very hilly property, so I sometimes wish I had the 33HP. But, it has great maneuverability, lots of nice features (the deluxe 3pt hitch is great!), and has always come through for me!

 

[RuT]

FYI...I can run most any attachment that I inherited from my ancestors that they used on their 8Ns. (2/14 plow, 501 sickle, etc...)

Get too big of a tractor then you might have undersized attachments (if they fit an 8N)

My buddy has a 4500 JD and it does not work well with his 48" roto tiller and one bottom plow.

 

[Typhoon]

I cannot say enough for the TC29D. (So far anyways). I have about 45 hours on mine, and it has been rock solid! It is MUCH more powerful than I had anticipated. There are times when I wish I had the 33, but it was a money issue, and the 1200.00 difference was not worth it at the time. Make sure you get the Deluxe (D) model. And make sure you get hydro. Just my opinion. I have 50 acres and the 29D takes care of it with ease.
-Brad