Buying Advice Buying a 2007 NH Tc40 DA w/ 250TL loader (today) ~ What to look for in assessing ???

[GrnMtnMan]

I'm thrilled w/ my purchase, however, my dad ~ who has used to my larger JD 'gear driven' tractors has been lamenting that my new TC40DA hydrostatic might be "slipping" or under powered.... I don't see it (not supposed to go uphill in hi-range)... Any anecdotal reports would be appreciated...

- no issues with PTO mowing
- my dad doesn't like the fact that he can't go "full bore" - range II in 'rabit' mode going up the road 'a hill' (in full trhottlle) ... I told him not to expect that; Am I wrong...? He is used to driving my 65 & 81 hp JD tractors...

 

[ch1ch2]

You are correct.

 

[mikester]

I had a 2007 TC55DA with EHSS. My biggest complaint was poor quality paint finish that let the paint peel off in large sheets. Poor factory metal prep and primer. All the blue and white paint peeled and rusted, especially around the wheels and all welds.

Pop off the plastic inspection covers for the loader frame mount and watch out for broken bolts. Pins and bushings on my machine were all worn badly.

Engine was great, tranny good but some electrical switch issues on the EHSS. I bought the machine used and it was stored out of doors in its previous life, so I found lots of water accumulated in odd areas over the years and hidden corrosion. Steering was very hard with a loaded bucket/forks, I suggest testing your machine with a full load to avoid surprises.

Parts are very expensive and had longer wait times compared to Kubota.

 

[mikester]

I'm thrilled w/ my purchase, however, my dad ~ who has used to my larger JD 'gear driven' tractors has been lamenting that my new TC40DA hydrostatic might be "slipping" or under powered.... I don't see it (not supposed to go uphill in hi-range)... Any anecdotal reports would be appreciated...

- no issues with PTO mowing
- my dad doesn't like the fact that he can't go "full bore" - range II in 'rabit' mode going up the road 'a hill' (in full trhottlle) ... I told him not to expect that; Am I wrong...? He is used to driving my 65 & 81 hp JD tractors...

I had a long weekend demo of a brand new 2004 TC40DA with hydro. I found that the machine couldnt climb hills vey well with a loaded bucket and my conclusion was that the hydro would be useless for trying to tow a heavy trailer. I ended up going with an EHSS later.

In comparison, the hydro on my M59 doesnt want to stop. I can drive into a pile with the loader and the wheels will spin until I give up. The NH hydro really lacked power in comparison and I avoided hydro tractors for that reason up until I got the M59.

 

[GrnMtnMan]

@mikester... I really appreciate your feedback & perhaps I should switch to the 'owner / operator' thread... As I now own the TC40DA. I appreciate the fact that I'm not necessarily buying a 'higher standard' in JD (green) paint & the painted blue plastic parts of my New Holland are relatively 'flimsy'... The NH TC series was Just a tractor that I always wanted to own - ergonomically, (my first luv as a teenager on the Ford & NH lot, lol...)... (pre- 2008 emmisions), an "itch I had to scratch" ~ & glad I did...

 

[GrnMtnMan]

So an update on the TC40DA...

- rear 3rd point hitch control arms are great (compared to my Jd's) they afford very little lateral movement (noticed most while mowing backwards - following that 'mow' line with the finish mower wheels... (FANTASTIC mowing machine)!!! (no comparison to the Ford 1720 that I initially bought my Woods 72" finish mower for)

- at proper throttle the hydro-static is great... just not used to being in a constant 'revved' throttle ~ fall below that & one gets that hydro 'whine'... I am sort of used to selecting the proper gear & idling my larger tractors toward their specific end before 'toeing' the throttle with my foot (PRN) / as needed...

- 'twitchy' (very sensitive / FEL response) when using the joystick... (could just be a NON comparative thing to my larger JD tractors) but it's a little too "twitchy" for my liking... (FEL work is not what I bought this tractor for so it's more of an 'fyi' for others...)

To be honest with you, with larger tractors on hand, I'm not sure that I'll ever put this NH TC40DA 'garage queen' threw her proper paces, lol... Perhaps come winter with my 'double decker' 66" Lorenz snow blower ~ attempting crusted 3-4' snow banks or with a 9' plow - I might report back more accurately. For the time being, it's just the 'runt of the litter' (based on hp) & there is no need to push it beyond mowing & the occasional load of light material in the bucket.

Oh, btw I did just order a single rear remote from a PA company that located a 'new' overstocked valve kit sitting on their shelf # 7183340256 (OEM), though I know that this doesn't match with years old posts, what others have used, (R.I.P) Mr. @jinman. (p/n 84171956)...

Price before tax & shipping $770.00 ~ I'll keep all interested apprised...

In reflection, I'm so sorry that I never got to interact w/ Mr. Jinman from TX; so grateful that he has left a legacy of sincerity & beneficence toward his fellow man... & a blueprint of sorts for us 'newbs' to follow / exemplify...

 

[WM75Guy]

Congrats on the purchase. I bought my 2003 TC40DA in 2008 with 300 hours, it has been pretty bulletproof. Has just over 800 hours now. Other than routine maintenance the only repairs have been a new ignition switch and a fuel tank sending unit. For dirt work I prefer the TC40DA hydrostatic over the WM 75 gear tractor.

 

[dynasim]

I personally think the tc35/40/45da tractors were the best design concept I've seen. The 2 speed/2 range transmission is about perfect for all the things this size tractor is used for(mowing,dirt moving,maneuvering). I do things with it that I would never do with a tractor that required you to clutch. The beauty of this is that all the directional and speed variability are hydraulic(not electric, except for the speed solenoid). The competing tractors that are this capable have a mess of sensors and actuators. Good luck with it(and sorry for the plethora of safety switches that are going to bite you in the butt).

 

[GrnMtnMan]

It's been an incredibly dry / hot Summer here in the north east, however, I did have to do some mowing with the new TC40DA to propagate new pature growth for my cattle. I mowed for about 10hr or so the other day, swapping out my Woods 6' finish mower for my 7' King Kutter finish mower. The NH tractor is really a great mowing machine in general; but especially for some of the softer areas as it is tantamount to a 'hovercraft' compared to my larger JD tractors~ As mentioned earlier, the 3pt control arms are superior, allowing VERY little lateral drift - esp. when mowing in reverse.

On bumpy or uneven terrain, obviously, the relatively small-ish front tires 'OD' makes for a more painstaking slower & bumpier ride (comparatively speaking to much larger tractors), however, being a hydro one can sort of adjust speed extemporaneously w/o shifting gears (A big +). Visibility on these TC series is - bar none - phenomenal! Just take that big 6' bucket off w/ the skid steer disconnect & you're off, w/o much need to ever thinking about removing the loader arms (imho)... I have to admit that even after 10 + hours of mowing with a 7' deck behind me, the 'cut swath' of my mower is sort of an art of judgement (esp. on turns) - as to how far one is over in the 'unmowed lane'... not as simple as gauging based on front wheel width etc.

W/ the caveat of being a first time 'hydro' tractor owner, in an Ideal world, where I could engineer this tractor to suit my specific operational inclinations & muscle memory - I would create a foot throttle for this hydro tractor, lol... Even if it were on the left side (antithetical I know), just having some ability to throttle up momentarily w/o using the right hand leaver would be awesome. Undoubtedly, the more I get used to driving this new addition to the JD gear driven 'fleet', I'm sure that this inclination will diminish... By all means, for any perspective TC series buyers - I would suggest you buy now & don't hesitate to buy this series of tractor (I know that I'm way more happy w/ this purchase of a 2007 TC than I ever would have been with a spate of the newer NH / LS series of tractors) - but then again, that's just me... (& btw, when it's all said & done, - I didn't exactly save any appreciable $ by buying older & used in the 40hp category ~ personal preference I suppose in a upfront cash tansaction)

My tractor mechanic just installed a single rear remote yesterday, haven't tried it yet, but am optimistic that it will handle the conveyor belt / splitter on my Balfor firewood processor & that the PTO hp will handle the circular saw blade... - will keep y'all posted

P.S. - Also remains to be seen what this tractor can handle as far as snow blowing, plowing & round bale lifting... (w/ R4 tires I know that I'm going to have to start looking around for front & rear studded tractor chains)

P.S. - The recent dumping of TRILLIONS of fabricated 'funny money' into the US economy is only going to diminish our ability to get the same 'bang for our buck' in buying tractors etc... (imho, of course) Inflation is a Bi_ch!

 

[Haneyrm]

Had TC35DA and put 1600 trouble free hours on it. Sold and currently have TC33DA with 805 hours. These are excellent machines and the Shibaura engines have proven very reliable. Have also had Kubota, Kioti and JD. None compared to the TC series NH.