Curved VS Straight Loaders: PHOTOS

MadReferee · Oct 9, 2004

Bob, I think you are missing my point. Comparing a larger frame tractor to a smaller frame tractor is like comparing an apple to an orange. A more appropriate comparison might have been between the TC24 and a B2410 family tractor or some other similar sized tractor. A "real world" experiment would have done this since in a "real world" those are the ones a buyer would be comparing. Additionally, I think you may have described your experiment in such a way as to skew the results in favor of one over the other.

Your testing methodology is fine, it's just the parameters you used that are at fault.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 9, 2004

I was just wondering if NH had designed a higher seat, maybe for that reason, in addition to the sloped hood.


ns_in_tx: I won't claim to know why NH did anything, but the seat is on an incline so as the operator moves the seat to the rear, it also goes up. Just my guess, but I suspect it has more to do with giving a taller operator more legroom than to increasing the visibility???

PineRidge: regarding starting another debate about HST vs GEAR . . . I might have been dumb enough to get diesel on my daughter's school uniforms, but I'm not dumb enough to stand in front of EITHER a gear or an HST tractor while an angry mob has the keys.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 9, 2004

A more appropriate comparison might have been between the TC24 and a B2410 family tractor or some other similar sized tractor. A "real world" experiment would have done this since in a "real world" those are the ones a buyer would be comparing. 

Mad, we will have to agree to disagree on this. I think the B2410 is not comparable simply because the loader is so much weaker than the NH loader. The loader on the B2910 and the TC24 are nearly identical. The loader on the B2410 is a weak little sister by comparision. Further, you can see from the pictures that while the B2910 is longer, the two machines are basically very similar in size in other dimensions including having identically sized front wheels/tires, similar weights, etc. Sure, one is a bit longer but functionally they are similar. So similar in fact that someone who considers one machine might very well consider the other, or maybe do as I did and buy both.

Alan L. · Oct 9, 2004

Its obvious the slope hood gives better visability, but I wonder how long the Kubota is out to the front of the hood, compared to the TC24? If you have more tractor in front of you, its obviously going to block more of your view.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 9, 2004

Alan, I did not take this picture so it has a different perspective, but this is a shot of a NH TC40 with a loader.

NH TC40 with loader, a view from the driver's seat.

Now bear in mind that this tractor would be significantly larger than the B2910.

Zork · Oct 10, 2004

Yes, thank you for taking the time to check this out. Can you get one of those rear view video thingies that you put on cars for the front of that tractor? Would it come as standard equipment from the factory for those of us with kids under 21? The sloped hood and arms truly make a diffrence. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

MadReferee · Oct 10, 2004

( Mad, we will have to agree to disagree on this. I think the B2410 is not comparable simply because the loader is so much weaker than the NH loader. The loader on the B2910 and the TC24 are nearly identical. The loader on the B2410 is a weak little sister by comparison. Further, you can see from the pictures that while the B2910 is longer, the two machines are basically very similar in size in other dimensions including having identically sized front wheels/tires, similar weights, etc. Sure, one is a bit longer but functionally they are similar. So similar in fact that someone who considers one machine might very well consider the other, or maybe do as I did and buy both. )

Yes, we can agree to disagree.

However, based on what has been posted here on TBN (which is far from scientific /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif) most people who are looking at TC24's are also looking at the B2410 family not the B2910 family. Why? Probably because of size, weight, maneuverability and not just the loader. The B2410 is 7.5" shorter, 7.5" narrower, has a wheelbase that is 6.5" shorter, and is almost 300 lbs lighter (without loader) than the B2910.

I do not have the TC24 specs so I can't do a valid comparison, but I still get back to my apples to apples analogy. You are comparing 2 different classes of tractors, one of which happens to have a better loader with better visibility.

PineRidge · Oct 10, 2004

I do not have the TC24 specs so I can't do a valid comparison, but I still get back to my apples to apples analogy. You are comparing 2 different classes of tractors, one of which happens to have a better loader with better visibility. 

Mad I think that the better loader and higher visibility is the point of this whole topic. Anyone that thinks the squared off hood and loader arms might afford more visibility than the pictures that Bob posted using any other make or model tractor are more than welcome to post the picture(s) for comparison purposes. Most of us here would also love to see them. But I think that you'll not find a better view over the hood than New Holland affords IMHO.

Bob_Skurka · Oct 10, 2004

PineRidge we can't forget the Kioti CK series tractors and the 120 & 130 loaders. While they are only a very small % of the total tractor sales, they also have the sloped/curved hoods and curved loader arms (the LK and DK machines are traditional style tractors with flat hoods/dogleg loader arms). The one CK series I saw had visibility on par with the New Holland machines. There have been a couple posts by people who compared NH and Kioti and said the Kioti was not quite as good (in terms of visibility) as the NH units, but was still much better than a traditional tractor.

The curved/sloped hood with curved loader arms is validated in all sizes of the NH CUT line as is illustrated by the TC40 picture posted above. Other than Case/Farmall, the sister company to NH tractors, no other brand offers a line up of curved armed loaders that competes with the visibility that has been illustrated in this thread.

Even JD is starting to work on visibility, while they still have some work to do with their long & wide hoods, they are tapering them and working to increase visibility. As JD rolls out their new tractors, they have been reshaping their hoods to give better forward visibility. They started this trend with their larger CUTs and seem to be rolling it through their product line. The JD 400x loaders are a COSMETIC attempt to make a curved arm loader, but they have not actually built a true curved arm loader yet. So JD has apparently finished about 1/2 of the puzzle, but should probably be considered a work in progress.

shoppintractors · Oct 10, 2004

From a 'front end loader' perspective there is not an apples to apples comparison based on frame sizes/HP between class I & II New Hollands and the 'B' series Kubota's. From my view, the specifications will show the 12LA(TC24) and the LA402(B2910) loaders are as close as it gets.

It depends on what the priorities are. You can compare Loader specs......or....your can compare by tractor frame size/HP. In this instance you can't have it both ways. It will be interesting to see what Kubota has in store for the rumored B2910 redesign.

After test driving tractors with the curved arm loaders and sloped hoods.....I keyed in on the better visibility immediately.

Don