Overwhelmed

[MikePA]

I just took delivery of my TC25D and, frankly, I am overwhelmed. It is such a step up, literally and figuratively, from my Work Horse 16 hp that I am in culture shock. Is this normal???

I've already broken the shaft on the front, right caster wheel on the 60" MMM when it dropped into a little depression right before a sidewalk. The wheel dropped down, caught on the edge of the sidewalk. and as I drove forward, the vertical shaft on the caster wheel snapped. So I will be headed back to the dealer to buy another one before I can finish cutting the grass. Big sigh.

I got the FEL for tasks around our horse barn and was thinking about leaving it on for mowing around the house. Do most of you do this, or do you take it off?

I sure don't remember being this 'shocked' when I moved from a lawn mower to a garden tractor.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>Is this normal???</font color=blue>

I'd say so./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif With a riding mower, if you hang on something, it may just stop you right there. With the power of a tractor, you keep goin' and sumpin's gotta give./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

And I take my FEL off for mowing; better visibility, shorter overall unit for maneuvering, etc., but if you have plenty of room, it really doesn't matter a whole lot.

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Everybody makes fun of me on my lowly Kubota. They say it just isn't big enough.

That is until they drive it. Then they say "Wow, I didn't think it would be that powerful. One of these would be really handy to have around!"

So, yes it is. Just don't let anybody drive it though or they will go from making fun of you to trying to borrow it.

 

[MikePA]

Thanks for the encouragement!

 

[Wheeldog]

Mike,

Welcome to compact diesel culture shock/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. When I went from a 20 year old Simplicity (18 hp) tractor to my Kubota, it really felt like a huge leap. Like Bird had mentioned, you've now got much more inertia working for you. (Just ask the door casing on my garage where I've hit it with the ROPS/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif). Sorry to hear about your caster wheel.

As for the FEL and mowing - I always leave it off, because it is very convenient to do so and because the tractor becomes pretty long with it and my 3ph mower on.

Rob

 

[Gatorboy]

Mike,

Just take things S L O W until you feel comfortable. After you get a couple hours in the seat, it will all feel like second nature.



Regards,
Dave "Gatorboy" Hoffmann
Fallston, Maryland

 

[pwp]

I had the same kind of feeling when I was looking for my tractor I went from owning an 11 hp lawn tractor to being interested in a tc18 hydro and then for the small price diff. I went into looking at and then buying a tc25d with FEL, r4"s, and a woods 65"" box scraper and what a machine I have done more work/play with this tc25d in 1 summer than I could have in 10 summers by hand,shovel and wheel barrow.Good luck with your machine I"m almost at my 50 hr service w/o any problems. have fun!!!

 

[ForceTen]

I have just passed 10 hours on my TC35D, and am enjoying myself so much my teeth have sunburn....

There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are very, very few old bold pilots. And they get scarcer every day.

 

[rmorgan]

Mike--

I never mow with the FEL on; it's very simple on and off, it adds weight and takes away a lot of maneuverability, and can play hell with trees and bushes (not to mention buildings). Don't worry, you'll get used to the size; I drove out the driveway yesterday, caught sight of our 33D and thought it looked pretty small (I'd been admiring a picture of a new TC45 someone had posted).

Rick

 

[MikePA]

Thanks for the advice re: mowing. I'll practice taking the FEL on and off.

Also, I took my broken caster wheel (the spindle had snapped) to my dealer (Messicks in Elizabethtown, PA) intending to buy a new spindle and replace it. The guy behind the parts counter looked at both pieces to make sure he was going to sell me the right part.

While he was inspecting the pieces, I told him how I broke the spindle and that it happened 2 hours after the tractor was delivered. He then said he didn't think it should have snapped. So he took the new spindle and the rest of the caster assembly back to the shop, 5 minutes later I had a repaired, greased caster assembly at no charge!