John_Mc
Elite Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2001
- Messages
- 4,045
- Location
- Monkton, Vermont
- Tractor
- NH TC33D Modified with belly pan, limb risers & FOPS. Honda Pioneer 520 & antique Coot UTV
I got some bad news about my NH TC33D yesterday.
Two weeks ago, I was out working on the far corner of my property when I heard a POP! Engine was still running fine, but I lost all power to the wheels. Shifting into various ranges did nothing. I decide to push myself backwards enough to get the tractor to the trail intersection a short distance behind me, where it would be easier to get to to tow the tractor home. I pushed back about 2 feet, when all of the sudden, the wheels started working again. I drove it back home and called the dealer to pick it up to check it over in case something serious had happened
With the holiday weekend, deer season in full swing, and some jobs ahead of me in their line-up, they were not able to get to it until yesterday. I got a call from the service department guy, who explained that the transmission housing had cracked. I went down there today to check it out and speak to the service tech who had looked at it. He said that the backhoe subframe and the limb-risers and falling object protection I had added were the only reason the tractor was still in one piece.
He estimated that the repairs could run around $6-7000, and that was IF everything came apart and went back together easily. If they found other damage when they got in to it, it could be more. (This is using new parts. They have not yet looked for a used housing. The new housing runs about $2700, if I'm correctly remembering what they told me. That's included in the $6-7000 rough estimate.)
So now I'm faced with a dilemma: do I repair the tractor (and hope there isn't more about to go one a 20+ year old tractor), or do a go for a new one and jump up a size to what I probably should have been using all along for my work in the woods?
New tractors are pretty darn expensive these days. My TC 33D was running well otherwise.
Any guesses as to what a 2001 NH TC33D with loader would be worth if it did not have this major issue? If I thought I could get my money back out of it, I might repair it, run it for a bit, and then sell it in a year or so and get a new one then. That's assuming I could expect to get at least the repair cost back out of it when I sold. It does have some nice modifications for working in the forest, which might add value for the right buyer.
Two weeks ago, I was out working on the far corner of my property when I heard a POP! Engine was still running fine, but I lost all power to the wheels. Shifting into various ranges did nothing. I decide to push myself backwards enough to get the tractor to the trail intersection a short distance behind me, where it would be easier to get to to tow the tractor home. I pushed back about 2 feet, when all of the sudden, the wheels started working again. I drove it back home and called the dealer to pick it up to check it over in case something serious had happened
With the holiday weekend, deer season in full swing, and some jobs ahead of me in their line-up, they were not able to get to it until yesterday. I got a call from the service department guy, who explained that the transmission housing had cracked. I went down there today to check it out and speak to the service tech who had looked at it. He said that the backhoe subframe and the limb-risers and falling object protection I had added were the only reason the tractor was still in one piece.
He estimated that the repairs could run around $6-7000, and that was IF everything came apart and went back together easily. If they found other damage when they got in to it, it could be more. (This is using new parts. They have not yet looked for a used housing. The new housing runs about $2700, if I'm correctly remembering what they told me. That's included in the $6-7000 rough estimate.)
So now I'm faced with a dilemma: do I repair the tractor (and hope there isn't more about to go one a 20+ year old tractor), or do a go for a new one and jump up a size to what I probably should have been using all along for my work in the woods?
New tractors are pretty darn expensive these days. My TC 33D was running well otherwise.
Any guesses as to what a 2001 NH TC33D with loader would be worth if it did not have this major issue? If I thought I could get my money back out of it, I might repair it, run it for a bit, and then sell it in a year or so and get a new one then. That's assuming I could expect to get at least the repair cost back out of it when I sold. It does have some nice modifications for working in the forest, which might add value for the right buyer.
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