Another "How Big" Tractor request!!!!
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Bob_Skurka
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
Stonebase . . . I think you'd be well off with a TC24D sized tractor and if Andy will let you play with his TC18 I'm sure you'll see that it is a nice size tractor. The 18 & 24 are near twins, with the 24 giving you a bit more hp. I use my TC24 mostly for mowing and use a 60" Befco finish mower. The deck is heavy so I put some EZ-weights on the front wheels and they helped a lot. 24hp is a nice size tractor (from most brands), with a nice turning radius for mowing. It has enough power to handle a 60" deck. Buy the HST transmission. And if you think you want a loader, buy it when you buy the tractor. In any case, a 24hp tractor will give you all you could ask for unless you have plans to dig a 2 acre pond, and build the Hoover dam.
As for brand, disregard it. Look at the dealer if they treat you right, and they are competitive with their price, then go with them. I like blue and orange, but that is just me. My opinion, and those of us on this board with our favorite tractors, should not matter one bit to your behind because your rear end is what is going in the seat and you have to be comfortable with the tractor and the dealer.
Stonebase . . . I think you'd be well off with a TC24D sized tractor and if Andy will let you play with his TC18 I'm sure you'll see that it is a nice size tractor. The 18 & 24 are near twins, with the 24 giving you a bit more hp. I use my TC24 mostly for mowing and use a 60" Befco finish mower. The deck is heavy so I put some EZ-weights on the front wheels and they helped a lot. 24hp is a nice size tractor (from most brands), with a nice turning radius for mowing. It has enough power to handle a 60" deck. Buy the HST transmission. And if you think you want a loader, buy it when you buy the tractor. In any case, a 24hp tractor will give you all you could ask for unless you have plans to dig a 2 acre pond, and build the Hoover dam.
As for brand, disregard it. Look at the dealer if they treat you right, and they are competitive with their price, then go with them. I like blue and orange, but that is just me. My opinion, and those of us on this board with our favorite tractors, should not matter one bit to your behind because your rear end is what is going in the seat and you have to be comfortable with the tractor and the dealer.
AndyM
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
The Class I's are certainly light in the front. My front wheels lift off the ground when I'm transporting my mower deck. Haven't gotten around to buying any weights yet, but it's on my list. I haven't needed more than the 18 hp so far, but I'm sure there's times when the 24 hp would come in handy. If the decesion is between the TC21 and TC24, go with the TC24, since it's only a few hundred dollars more...
The Class I's are certainly light in the front. My front wheels lift off the ground when I'm transporting my mower deck. Haven't gotten around to buying any weights yet, but it's on my list. I haven't needed more than the 18 hp so far, but I'm sure there's times when the 24 hp would come in handy. If the decesion is between the TC21 and TC24, go with the TC24, since it's only a few hundred dollars more...
Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Stonebase . . . I think you'd be well off with a TC24D sized tractor and if Andy will let you play with his TC18 I'm sure you'll see that it is a nice size tractor. The 18 & 24 are near twins, with the 24 giving you a bit more hp. I use my TC24 mostly for mowing and use a 60" Befco finish mower. The deck is heavy so I put some EZ-weights on the front wheels and they helped a lot. 24hp is a nice size tractor (from most brands), with a nice turning radius for mowing. It has enough power to handle a 60" deck. Buy the HST transmission. And if you think you want a loader, buy it when you buy the tractor. In any case, a 24hp tractor will give you all you could ask for unless you have plans to dig a 2 acre pond. )</font>
Bob,
Appreciate the input. One thing I'm finding is that the 2 NH dealers I checked out did not have anything smaller than a TC29 on their lot. I dont know what the reason is, maybe the time of year, maybe they concentrate on larger Ag sales? How available were the 24's in your area when you decided to buy? I guess if I can "test drive" Andy's 18 I can get a pretty good idea and probably have one located from another dealer.
John /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Stonebase . . . I think you'd be well off with a TC24D sized tractor and if Andy will let you play with his TC18 I'm sure you'll see that it is a nice size tractor. The 18 & 24 are near twins, with the 24 giving you a bit more hp. I use my TC24 mostly for mowing and use a 60" Befco finish mower. The deck is heavy so I put some EZ-weights on the front wheels and they helped a lot. 24hp is a nice size tractor (from most brands), with a nice turning radius for mowing. It has enough power to handle a 60" deck. Buy the HST transmission. And if you think you want a loader, buy it when you buy the tractor. In any case, a 24hp tractor will give you all you could ask for unless you have plans to dig a 2 acre pond. )</font>
Bob,
Appreciate the input. One thing I'm finding is that the 2 NH dealers I checked out did not have anything smaller than a TC29 on their lot. I dont know what the reason is, maybe the time of year, maybe they concentrate on larger Ag sales? How available were the 24's in your area when you decided to buy? I guess if I can "test drive" Andy's 18 I can get a pretty good idea and probably have one located from another dealer.
John /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
The issue of tractor weight has come up a few times and being somewhat new to the tractor industry I'm not quite sure how to correlate the HP vs. gross weight vs. need....
What I dont understand for example is Kubota makes a 2910 that is nearly 30HP but a small frame weighing about 1700 lbs and also a L3130 @ 32 HP weighing about 3300 lbs. What is the advantage / disadvantage of this power to weight ratio difference???
Andy and Bob talk about the front ends of their tractors lifting, is this to be expected for the typical field mower??? Yet the comment was made that you do not want to buy too large of a tractor for alot of field mowing??
If anyone would care to comment and put into perspective I would greatly appreciate.....
John /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
The issue of tractor weight has come up a few times and being somewhat new to the tractor industry I'm not quite sure how to correlate the HP vs. gross weight vs. need....
What I dont understand for example is Kubota makes a 2910 that is nearly 30HP but a small frame weighing about 1700 lbs and also a L3130 @ 32 HP weighing about 3300 lbs. What is the advantage / disadvantage of this power to weight ratio difference???
Andy and Bob talk about the front ends of their tractors lifting, is this to be expected for the typical field mower??? Yet the comment was made that you do not want to buy too large of a tractor for alot of field mowing??
If anyone would care to comment and put into perspective I would greatly appreciate.....
John /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
MarkV
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
John, Even the smallest of the diesel compacts rarely runs out of power, they run out of traction to transmit the power to the ground. That is where the weight comes into play. Many of us will fill the rear tires with liquid to add more weight and therefore more traction and stability. If your primary use is finish mowing the weight may not be a good thing. In most other cases it is an advantage.
MarkV
John, Even the smallest of the diesel compacts rarely runs out of power, they run out of traction to transmit the power to the ground. That is where the weight comes into play. Many of us will fill the rear tires with liquid to add more weight and therefore more traction and stability. If your primary use is finish mowing the weight may not be a good thing. In most other cases it is an advantage.
MarkV
Bob_Skurka
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
Stonebase. . . I had to order my TC24D because the dealer didn't have any in stock. He did have an 18. I wanted to use an existing 60" finish mower and I did not think the 18hp tractor would have enough power for the 60" deck, especially since I usually wait too long to mow so my grass often is a little bit too high. It was early summer when I ordered my tractor, mine arrived in less than a week.
As for weight of the tractor, if you are PLOWING a field like a real farmer, more weight will generally give you more traction. However, in terms of what Andy & I are referring to is more of a balance issue. I added 100# of EZ-Weights to the front wheels of my tractor because 2 of my implements are very heavy and cause the front end to lift under certain conditions. My 60" Befco mower and my 60" Farm King snowblower are both so heavy that they cause the front end to lift. This is not really a big problem on flat property, I have some very steep hills so I feel much more comfortable with added weight. On a side note, it does show the strength of the 3 point hydraulics, basically it proves that the 3pt is strong enough to lift the front end of the tractor.
For a tractor that is mostly going to be mowing and doing light duty, you don't want more weight than necessary because a heavy tractor can more easily damage the lawn.
As for rear weights, if you use a Front End Loader (FEL) then you really NEED to add rear weight. Again, this is a balance issue. You can easily lift 500 to 800# in a FEL and that is lifted a couple feet in front of your tractor, which throws off the balance. There are 3 simple ways to add weight to the rear end. #1) Wheel weights from the factory or from EZ Weights. #2) FILLED rear tires, basically a solution that won't freeze filled up to about 80% of the tire's air space. #3) A rear ballast box. IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE A TRACTOR WITH A FEL IF YOU DO NOT HAVE REAR WEIGHTS TO BALANCE THE TRACTOR.
If you only occasionally use a FEL and you take it off much of the time, I would opt for a ballast box or maybe EZ Weights. Both can be removed when not needed. Some people will use a Box Blade instead of a Ballast Box, but they are not as heavy as Ballast Boxes, so if you use a Box Blade, throw a couple sand bags on top of the box blade and you should be pretty well ballanced. Again, you need to be balanced, and that translates into safety. You can flip a tractor on its side if you are not balanced (Don't ask how I almost learned that lesson /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )
Remember, these are big useful, but potentially dangerous tools. Properly used they are a lot of fun and will save you hours, if not days of hard labor. They should not be feared, but they should be respected and safe operation should be the rule. Comfort becomes an issue with safety, so buy the tractor you are comfortable with.
Stonebase. . . I had to order my TC24D because the dealer didn't have any in stock. He did have an 18. I wanted to use an existing 60" finish mower and I did not think the 18hp tractor would have enough power for the 60" deck, especially since I usually wait too long to mow so my grass often is a little bit too high. It was early summer when I ordered my tractor, mine arrived in less than a week.
As for weight of the tractor, if you are PLOWING a field like a real farmer, more weight will generally give you more traction. However, in terms of what Andy & I are referring to is more of a balance issue. I added 100# of EZ-Weights to the front wheels of my tractor because 2 of my implements are very heavy and cause the front end to lift under certain conditions. My 60" Befco mower and my 60" Farm King snowblower are both so heavy that they cause the front end to lift. This is not really a big problem on flat property, I have some very steep hills so I feel much more comfortable with added weight. On a side note, it does show the strength of the 3 point hydraulics, basically it proves that the 3pt is strong enough to lift the front end of the tractor.
For a tractor that is mostly going to be mowing and doing light duty, you don't want more weight than necessary because a heavy tractor can more easily damage the lawn.
As for rear weights, if you use a Front End Loader (FEL) then you really NEED to add rear weight. Again, this is a balance issue. You can easily lift 500 to 800# in a FEL and that is lifted a couple feet in front of your tractor, which throws off the balance. There are 3 simple ways to add weight to the rear end. #1) Wheel weights from the factory or from EZ Weights. #2) FILLED rear tires, basically a solution that won't freeze filled up to about 80% of the tire's air space. #3) A rear ballast box. IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE A TRACTOR WITH A FEL IF YOU DO NOT HAVE REAR WEIGHTS TO BALANCE THE TRACTOR.
If you only occasionally use a FEL and you take it off much of the time, I would opt for a ballast box or maybe EZ Weights. Both can be removed when not needed. Some people will use a Box Blade instead of a Ballast Box, but they are not as heavy as Ballast Boxes, so if you use a Box Blade, throw a couple sand bags on top of the box blade and you should be pretty well ballanced. Again, you need to be balanced, and that translates into safety. You can flip a tractor on its side if you are not balanced (Don't ask how I almost learned that lesson /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif )
Remember, these are big useful, but potentially dangerous tools. Properly used they are a lot of fun and will save you hours, if not days of hard labor. They should not be feared, but they should be respected and safe operation should be the rule. Comfort becomes an issue with safety, so buy the tractor you are comfortable with.
AndyM
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( However, in terms of what Andy & I are referring to is more of a balance issue. I added 100# of EZ-Weights to the front wheels of my tractor because 2 of my implements are very heavy and cause the front end to lift under certain conditions. My 60" Befco mower and my 60" Farm King snowblower are both so heavy that they cause the front end to lift. This is not really a big problem on flat property, I have some very steep hills so I feel much more comfortable with added weight. )</font>
John, I think your property is pretty much flat like mine. The only time I have a problem with the front end lifting off the ground is when I have the mower deck lifted up and I begin moving from a complete stop. That's when I get a wheelie!
If you plan on getting a front end loader, a box blade is a useful thing to have, not only to use to grade your land, but to also use as weight while using the FEL. Two uses for one price! You need something on the back to act as a counterweight to your raised weight in the front. Too much weight in one end and not enough weight on the other end will make you end up like the photo! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
As far as weight of the tractor goes, I actually wanted to get the lightest tractor I could find and still be large enough to be useful. My ground is very soft clay and my 3000 pound 8N left ruts all over the place when the ground is wet. My 1400 pound TC18 isn't nearly as bad! Plus, I think nothing about mowing over my septic field in the TC18, because it's much lighter.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( However, in terms of what Andy & I are referring to is more of a balance issue. I added 100# of EZ-Weights to the front wheels of my tractor because 2 of my implements are very heavy and cause the front end to lift under certain conditions. My 60" Befco mower and my 60" Farm King snowblower are both so heavy that they cause the front end to lift. This is not really a big problem on flat property, I have some very steep hills so I feel much more comfortable with added weight. )</font>
John, I think your property is pretty much flat like mine. The only time I have a problem with the front end lifting off the ground is when I have the mower deck lifted up and I begin moving from a complete stop. That's when I get a wheelie!
If you plan on getting a front end loader, a box blade is a useful thing to have, not only to use to grade your land, but to also use as weight while using the FEL. Two uses for one price! You need something on the back to act as a counterweight to your raised weight in the front. Too much weight in one end and not enough weight on the other end will make you end up like the photo! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
As far as weight of the tractor goes, I actually wanted to get the lightest tractor I could find and still be large enough to be useful. My ground is very soft clay and my 3000 pound 8N left ruts all over the place when the ground is wet. My 1400 pound TC18 isn't nearly as bad! Plus, I think nothing about mowing over my septic field in the TC18, because it's much lighter.
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Bob_Skurka
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Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
AndyM . . . nice photo!!!
I totally agree with you on the light tractor for mowing issue.
My land is mostly clay. The hill tops have soil the color of a pair of khaki pants. I had to bring in 5 semi loads of topsoil just to have real gras around my house. The low lands and farm field is a heavy black clay. When I take any old iron out I make sure there has been no rain for at least a week or more. IF the ground is at all wet then I get deep ruts from the ribbed front tires and the big ag rears. On the other hand, my TC24D has R4 tires and it doesn't leave marks in the lawn unless the grass/soil is very wet.
AndyM . . . nice photo!!!
I totally agree with you on the light tractor for mowing issue.
My land is mostly clay. The hill tops have soil the color of a pair of khaki pants. I had to bring in 5 semi loads of topsoil just to have real gras around my house. The low lands and farm field is a heavy black clay. When I take any old iron out I make sure there has been no rain for at least a week or more. IF the ground is at all wet then I get deep ruts from the ribbed front tires and the big ag rears. On the other hand, my TC24D has R4 tires and it doesn't leave marks in the lawn unless the grass/soil is very wet.
Re: Another \"How Big\" Tractor request!!!!
Hey guys,
Thanks again for all the explanation about the weight distribution concerning the tractor choices. Not knowing any better, originally I assumed that bigger is better and that is not necessarily the case. It's great to be part of this community where everyone goes out of their way to help one another. Hopefully someday I'll acquire enough knowledge to pass along to others...
John
p.s. Andy, nice picture to illustrate your point!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Hey guys,
Thanks again for all the explanation about the weight distribution concerning the tractor choices. Not knowing any better, originally I assumed that bigger is better and that is not necessarily the case. It's great to be part of this community where everyone goes out of their way to help one another. Hopefully someday I'll acquire enough knowledge to pass along to others...
John
p.s. Andy, nice picture to illustrate your point!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
