Re: TC18 vs TC21
David USMC,
When I bought, June of 1999, my goal was to replace a 1978 Allis Chalmers 16 hp gas garden tractor with a 48" mowing deck and 47" dozer/snow blade.
When I started looking I was mainly looking to get a 60" finish mowing capacity and 60" snow blade/blower. I considered ZTR's, large garden tractors like the Wheel Horse 20 hp gas, John Deere 400 series...stuff like that.
When I was shocked by the pricing on the John Deere's, I figured why not look into small diesel compact tractors.
Since I had been following the previous versions of this board, I went straight to Kubota and looked at their smallest compact, the
B7300. Even conversed with a guy that used to frequent the previous board, a GeneBinNJ, that loves his
B7300. I set out to get prices and drive them, the prices I got were $9,300 for tractor only in my area, while Steve Carver was listing $8,400. This tractor has no power steering and no position control and specs out much lower than the TC18, but was a nice unit to drive. I got a price on the
B1700 also but it was much higher. These prices were higher than I had originally wanted to spend so I was already over budget. One of the Kubota dealers that I visited was in Coldwater, MI my hometown and right next door was a New Holland dealer (he since relocated nearby since Wal-Mart paid good money to buy the land for a new Super Wal-Mart).
Anyway, the New Holland dealer had a TC18 on the lot that was more tractor than the
B7300 for less money. I got to talking to the salesman, the owner's brother-in-law, and got prices for the TC18 Hydro 4x4 without power steering, TC21D and some prices of some used units that they had. I paid $9,200 for the TC18 Hydro 4x4 no power steering, $1,300 for a Woods RD6000 rear finish mower, and $240 for a Woods RB60 rear blade...out the door price with taxes of $11,409 one year no interest. The TC21D was over this amount for tractor alone.
I also got a price on the JD4100 Hydro 4x4 of about $12,500 for tractor only. Also got Cub Cadet prices but also higher than I wanted to spend.
I am extremely happy with the TC18, the only thing that I would have done differently is to get power steering which would have been a lenghthy wait at the time. I also wish that the swivel seat was available on the TC18 since I can get a sore back when working in reverse with the rear scoop or the back blade. My garden tractor was hydro so I didn't want to even look at gear models. This 18.5 hp diesel will do ten times the work of my old Allis Chalmers and many things that the Allis could never have done. I don't plan on a front end loader and the rear scoop works great as a large wheelbarrow and digging/moving tool. I heard that Ford N's used to use rear scoops to dig out basements!
I have had my TC18 for just over a year now and only have about 85+ hours on it, so it is definitely not a high use unit. It's mainly to mow and move snow but I've also moved tons of fill sand for a pole barn I had constructed last summer and removed and moved top soil where needed.
In addition, if you compare the TC18 Hydro and the TC21D, the 18 can do anything that the 21 can do (as listed in the New Holland brochure) but power steering is a $650 option on the 18 and the 21D has more creature comforts and a little more hydraulic flow. My guesstimate of the price difference between a TC18 Hydro with power steering and the TC21D is about $2000, maybe someone else has a more accurate comparison. Also, I would not have even considered a TC25D or larger at the time due to weight and price. Since I mainly mow lawn, I thought that 1,500 lbs. was much better than 2,500 lbs., although my neighbor mows his lawn with the same rear mower as me, with a New Holland 1720 (27.7 hp) with Ag tires and doesn't seem to hurt his lawn!
Hope I answered your question! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
JimBinMI
We boys and our toys!
P.S. - Just reread where you said a lot more tractor for little bucks...I guess our definitions of "a lot" and "little" vary!?! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif