The same old question

[dhjmdls]

OK, here I am, a new user to tractorbynet, but asking the same old question so many have evidently asked before me. I started out mowing about one acre with a four-wheeler and a 63" finish-cut trailmower. Then, my old lady starts having me put in all this landscaping, a play thing for the son, etc, etc...now there's talk of a pool and I was hoping for a deck sooner or later. All of a sudden, I find myself screaming obscenities while I'm mowing, because I can't maneuver this "18-wheeler" around anything in this f#$@!$% yard (I hope that doesn't qualify as true profanity, or I'll be kicked out before I get to ask the age-old question)!!! Long story short, I think I'm gonna break down and buy my first real tractor (what I wanted to do in the first place, but the wife said it was too much $$$). So, now I'm locked in a debate between the NH TC24DA and the JD 4115. I'll primarily use the tractor for finish mowing, but with all the work I've got to do in the back yard, I wanted something with some good power and variety of decent size implements (that's really why I gave up looking at the sub-compacts). Do I really need a larger compact tractor, well probably not, but I let my wife talk me out of it earlier and it will end up costing me hundreds of dollars and a lot of years off my life! Essentially, it will come down to cost, as I think these two units are really comparable. I'd probably want to equip it (regardless of brand) with minimum 60" MMM and 48" FEL. I've got to have hystat and I'm struggling with the Industrial vs. Turf tire question, as I want enough grip to move rock, or turf, or whatever I want, when the occasion comes up, and I'm not sure turf tires will get it done. At the same time, I don't really want to tear the heck out of my good grass during mowing either (which as I said, will be 90% of the usage this thing sees). Anyone offer any "words of wisdom"?
Thanks,
Derek /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[dhjmdls]

Guess I should have posted this in the General Buying/Pricing area, but I'm really leaning toward the NH so I was hoping this would generate more specific info regarding the NH.

 

[Inspector507]

Welcome to TBN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I have the TC18 with 60"MMM, 54" FEL and turfs. I have 2 acres more or less. I haven't seen a chore around here that the turfs did not perform as expected. Others are sold on the Industrials. Price both, get a keen outlook on the dealer and make a decision from there. Dealer support is everything.

 

[dhjmdls]

Thanks Inspector, I especially appreciate your thoughts on the turfs. As far as my local dealer goes, both the JD and the NH dealers stink, so service is all I'll be getting at either one (definitely not a sale), and perhaps I'll be taking it non-local should any service be required.
Thanks again,
Derek

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I've got a 2003 TC24D and it is my favorite tractor. I also use a Kubota B2910, Cub Cadet 1862 garden tractor, and a Ventrac 3000 as well as occasionally restoring antique tractors.

The TC is a great little tractor, it is probably as big as you want to get on a small piece of property, and will have more power than you need for most tasks. The R4 Industrial tires are pretty friendly on the lawn but provide a pretty good grip, I use them for mowing and FEL work. The new 24DA has some great improvements, and being a deluxe tractor might be more expensive than the JD you are looking at. I particularily like the 12-volt outlet they added this year to power things like a pump sprayer, I added one of those to each of my tractors and it too several hours of wiring plus some cash. The headlight configuration allows for regular and high beam lights which is nice for night mowing. The tool box is nice, but a bit small. The 3 point will lift more than the tractor is capable of lifting and the engine is smooth, economical and powerful.

As far as getting "at least a 60" deck" I think you will find that is the MAXIMUM size you will find for any brand of compact tractor in this size/power range.

On thing I can tell you about the New Holland versus the Deere, and I am absolutely certain about it, is that the NH 12LA loader is the best small loader on the market. It provides a greater degree of bucket visibility, combined with the curved and sloping hood of the TC24DA, than you will find on any conventional tractor. Deere has a flat & wide hood, and square loader arms, the combination makes for limited view of the bucket during loader work and slower work.

Please understand that the Deere is also an excellent tractor, either choice you make will be a good one.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

I'm thinking that for the land you have and the things you want to do, you should probably be looking at the JD 4110 rather than the JD 4115. There's more than enough power and it's a lot less money. It's really quite a leap from the 4110 to the 4115 (more than 10% extra, I think).

Yes I have a 4110, but I went for that because I am in much the same situation as you.

I have R4s and have not regreted it. They work fine on the lawn if you are not in 4 wheel.

Cliff

 

[OkeeDon]

I have a TC18 which I love, but it's not available as such any longer -- the TZ18 is a completely different unit, with less capability. I think you'd have to go to the TC24DA (do they make a TC21DA?). I have a 48" bucket on a 12LA loader; like Bob said, it's outstanding. Some folks have 54" buckets with no problems, but I wanted the bucket to be the same width as the tractor.

I don't have a finish mower, so can't comment. I have R4 tires, and they work really well -- I've never been stuck and never had the need for R1's -- but they do move mess up a lawn a little bit if you forget to come out of 4WD (since I don't have a lawn, yet, I never come out of 4WD, and I have forgotten about that a couple of times on my daughter's lawn, next door). However, there have been many times when I have wondered whether the turf tires would do as well in my conditions. I hope it never rains as hard again as it did last year, and that I have fixed most of my flooding problems, so I may never need the R4's again to avoid getting stuck.

There are a couple of people here, I know HazMat is one, who have both turfs and R4's for their small NH tractors. Maybe they could chime in on the tire situation.

 

[AndyM]

I use a TC18 with R4's and 60 inch rear finish mower as my primary mower on 3.6 acres. I think it does a great job (see attached photo from April 26). Even though the TC18 is no longer available, the TC21 and TC24 are essentially the same tractor, only with bigger engines.

I think it's the perfect sized tractor for my lot size, and it gets used for a little bit of everything else beside the mowing tasks. I can't say enough good things about it! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
I have several wetter area on my property, and I think if I had turf tires, I'd be spending too much time spinning my wheels! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[dhjmdls]

I want to thank all of you for your replies, I truly appreciate the opinions and feelings offered. To answer one of the questions, Yes, NH makes a TC21, but to find one seems a rarity.

Lastly, I wanted to throw something else out for opinion and this strictly has to do with price. I was quoted by my local dealer (even though I swore I wouldn't do business with them!) on a TC24DA with 914 60"MMM (rear-discharge) and 12LA FEL (54" bucket) for $17,334 + tax...anyone have any feelings on that number...high, low, about average????

Thanks again.
Derek

 

[hazmat]

Sounds average to me. I paid $15,000 for my TC18, MMM and FEL. The 21 was 2K more, the 24 (when it came out) was 2,300 more.

I'm in New England & we pay more for tractors. Don't know where you are located.