Advice: should I trade my TC40DA for a Workmaster?

[WM75Guy]

Sometimes one tractor does not fit all needs. If the TC40DA is enough for loader work keep it. If plowing is where you need more HP go for a good used 2WD like was suggested. I was in the same situation. I got my Boomer 8N as I wanted something for mowing without an FEL. A 20% increase in HP and PTO HP made a difference on a 6 foot cutter. We kept the TC40DA for loader work.

 

[japody]

There's another thread here where a guy asks if the price ($7500, IIRC) on a 4000 hour Ford 5000 was too high. Plays well to the point here, as the 5000 and 4000 were probably 2 of the best tractors of their class ever built.

Amen. I can attest to that!

 

[Laminarman]

Sometimes one tractor does not fit all needs. If the TC40DA is enough for loader work keep it. If plowing is where you need more HP go for a good used 2WD like was suggested. I was in the same situation. I got my Boomer 8N as I wanted something for mowing without an FEL. A 20% increase in HP and PTO HP made a difference on a 6 foot cutter. We kept the TC40DA for loader work.

So I guess when a second tractor shows up I should point my wife your way? : )

 

[WM75Guy]

So I guess when a second tractor shows up I should point my wife your way? : )

Actually my wife was the one that suggested I get the Boomer 8N. A win - win situation.

 

[Laminarman]

In follow up to this topic which I am the original poster for:

In 14 years I have 810 hours on my TC40DA, so I'm not a heavy user by any means. I got the TC40 with bucket and industrial tires for mowing our six acre lawn, food plots and other chores. She's a great machine. I almost rolled her so put wheel weights on. Still unstable on our hills. Almost rolled her again. So had the wheels dished out. Now with the rears/fronts at different spacing made plowing impossible. So I filled the tires and had the tires put in on the rears again to line them up. MUCH better stability, but now the engine is severely underpowered for certain tasks. For example, I plowed 3 acres today and it took 5 hours. It was dog slow in the first range, and no way on Earth second range would pull the plow. Brush hogging uphill, very slow, about 1 to 2 mph, can't do sideways, too steep. I had it dyno tested to be sure it wasn't something else, the dealer said "Andy, you bought with good intentions for what you told us you were going to do, but you need a bigger squirrel and cage to run her for what you want to do now." So I have looked at the Workmaster as stated. I prefer Blue as the dealer is awesome. I can't "demo" one plowing but can drive it around. So my choices as they stand are trade in my whole TC40 with bucket and buy something else, or buy another tractor to plow and hog. NOTE: I don't want two tractors if I can avoid it. Dealer keeps telling me the T4.75 will be the last I'll ever own, but man is that a lot of dough with a loader. Also, I do NOT mow my lawn any longer with the TC40DA as I got a Deere 750 diesel lawn tractor that mows just awesome now. So I imagine moving forward I'm a 50 to 75 hour a year tractor owner and I'm wondering if that makes a difference when everyone keeps telling me that going to a Workmaster is a step down in comfort and amenities. I'm waiting for them to get a WM55 assembled to drive as he said a move from a loaded TC40 with hydrostatic transmission to a gear driven WM55 will be night and day as there's more HP on the ground (not sure I understand this.) I'm not sure I need the 65 or 75.

 

[RickB]

The difference in pulling power between a gear drive 55 hp tractor and a 40 hp hydrostatic tractor will be as said " like night & day". The gear drive tractor will have 37% more HP to begin with, and a drive train that is far, far more efficient in transforming mechanical energy into tractive effort. My WAG would be the WM55 has a minimum of 50% more pulling power than the TC40D. What is going to suck is the lack of reverse gear choices for loader work.

 

[Laminarman]

The difference in pulling power between a gear drive 55 hp tractor and a 40 hp hydrostatic tractor will be as said " like night & day". The gear drive tractor will have 37% more HP to begin with, and a drive train that is far, far more efficient in transforming mechanical energy into tractive effort. My WAG would be the WM55 has a minimum of 50% more pulling power than the TC40D. What is going to suck is the lack of reverse gear choices for loader work.

Thanks Rick. I'm not even familiar with what a "shuttle shift" is or synchronized shift and how a gear tractor works. Now, I don't have animals and don't load feed/manure...etc so I don't do a lot of loader work at all but it is a convenience. On that topic, am I naive, or does NH really miss the boat here offering a utility tractor with a nicer transmission? i.e. I know you give something up in shifting going to from the 55 to the 65/75 machines, I think no shuttle shift.

 

[RickB]

They missed the boat, then shot themselves in the foot while standing on the dock.

 

[Laminarman]

They missed the boat, then shot themselves in the foot while standing on the dock.

That's a shame because I love this dealership. I might have to look at green now : (

Nothing against Deere but it sucks when a brand you trust greatly makes stupid decisions.

 

[Laminarman]

Getting a price on a Deere 5055E with loader. Would come down to comparing that tractor to the WM55 with loader and the transmission differences. And cost of course. Would trade in my Blue which is sad. Don't want to sound like a sissy but I got attached to her, she was around when we built our house and was the tractor my kids always went on rides on.