Just Ordered My TC45D

TexasZman · Dec 3, 2002

Hi everyone. I have been reading all comments on Green, Orange, and Blue for over a year and half...Blue has won me over.

I have just ordered my tractor as follows:

TC45D 4wd Hydrostat with SuperSteer
R4s
17LA Loader with Quick Attach
HD Bucket
Bolt on cutting edge for bucket
2 Pairs of wheel weights for rears
Grill Guard
Triple Rear Remotes
Rear Work Light
Arm Rests
BH SQ84T twin spindle offset mower

The tractor will be used to mow and maintain 8+ acres of pasture and 1200 feet of roadside, as well as for removal of hundreds of dead trees from 9 acres of woods.

It has been twenty years since I was in the seat of a tractor on my parents farm. (Kansas wheat farmers) Now it is my turn to play. This tractor is smaller than any that I used before, but should easily do what I need it for.

Why did I buy New Holland, well here goes:

1. ergonomics - everything was right where it should be
2. features - the D version has most everything standard
3. Sensitrac - 4wd when needed
4. SuperSteer - Turns on a dime so I can avoid all my trees
5. price - less than Green and Orange
6. dealer - I was just plain more comfortable with him

I wish to thank everyone who has posted over the last 18 months, because I learned a lot about the different tractors. Things you would never know or find out from a dealer.

Now I just have to wait for my tractor to arrive...

TexasZman

grainger12002 · Dec 3, 2002

You are going to love it-Enjoy, and have a good holiday season from Connecticut (lloyd)

BigDave · Dec 3, 2002

Congrats. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif IMHO, it looks like you have pretty good match between property & tractor. Have fun.

hazmat · Dec 4, 2002

Congratulations. I'm sure you'll be very happy with the tractor. I've enjoyed my pint sized version.

jinman · Dec 4, 2002

Sounds like you've got quite a nice rig on order. Can you give us a clue where your dealer is? Just curious... I live in Wise County and work near DFW airport. There are several good dealers around here. I hope you have a good one. I know you can't wait to get going on your TC45D. My dealer in Decatur seems to have sold most of his Boomers and suddenly has lots of TNs, TLs, and a few TMs on his lot. Maybe it's the season for larger tractors around here.

TexasZman · Dec 5, 2002

Jinman,

Imagine that, my dealer is in Decatur as well! McMaster New Holland Tractor. I have been dealing with Steve McMaster, great guy-easy to deal with. I had checked into other dealers in the area, and McMaster was more willing to deal. I was there last weekend, and they had just received about a half dozen TCs. They were parked back behind the 'big' machines.

Interesting that you work near DFW, how long is your commute? I know that traffic is a pain and getting worse. Lucky me, I only have 6 miles each way.

TexasZman

jinman · Dec 6, 2002

It's a small world isn't it. I have 360 hours on my TC45D I bought from Steve and he has been a great dealer. I just built a new house in Sunset (north of Decatur near the Montague Co. line) and I drive 70 miles one way to DFW each day. The drive isn't as bad as you might think since Hwy 287 and 114 move pretty quickly. It takes me a little over 1 hour, but it's a pleasant drive. When is your tractor due to arrive? What is your primary use for it? See, I have no shortage of questions./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Hightech · Dec 8, 2002

Congratulations!
You're gonna' love it.
I love mine.
Danny

TexasZman · Dec 17, 2002

Jinman, Congrats on the new house - Steve told me you have done a lot of work at your site with the tractor. This is kind of the same situation that I am in. I am using the tractor to cleanup, prepare, and maintain the site that me and the missus will be building our "dream house" on at some time. I have an unbelievable amount of dead trees - both standing and dead fall that I have to clean up. I am also going to be mowing the 8 acres of pasture to keep the weeds in check.

That 70 miles one way transit to work makes we weary just hearing it! But Hey!, if you enjoy/tolerate it, then great.

The tractor arrived at the dealership last week, and they have installed all the options, except 2 rear remotes that have not yet arrived. My tractor was to be delivered on 12/16, but still no rear remotes. So I guess I will have to wait a bit more...

jinman · Dec 18, 2002

The new house is a big job, but I still have my old house in the Dallas area too. So I not only drive 70 miles one way, but a couple of nights per week I have to stay over and work on my old house so I can get it sold. Understand that I'm not complaining. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif I'd have to be really silly to complain about having two houses, 33 acres in the country, and a nice tractor. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif I also guess the drive doesn't bother me because I really enjoy my job and the traffic is not bad.

Well, my place has a lot of dead trees because of the bad dry spell we had three years ago. I don't have a lot of fallen timber, but of course blackjack and postoak trees do drop a lot of limbs. I'd say that one out of every 25 trees was pretty badly damaged by the drought, but I'll cut them for firewood. I think you will find your TC45D will work pretty good. You may need a little more oomph, if you have standing trees greater than 12 inches in diameter. That has been my experience, but there are so many types of land and trees that every place is different. Which way from Decatur is your place? I grew up in Denton, so I'm pretty familiar with that area. You said you have 1200 feet of frontage to maintain, but is it on a county gravel or paved road? I have about that much toi maintain too, but my road is gravel and also a dead end, so I don't deal with a lot of traffic. I hope you get your remotes installed soon because I know you are "itching" to get to work. Surely it will not be too long.

TexasZman · Dec 19, 2002

Jinman, most of the dead trees are 4-10" diameter, although there are some around 16-20" - better get the chainsaw ready for those. A lot of the trees can be toppled by rocking the base of the tree by hand, so I should be able to push over 90+% of the trees.

You ask where my place is - it is located in Colleyville on a dead end paved road about 6 miles from DFW airport. I may not be in the "country", but this is about as close to the country as you can get and still be in town. My wife and I had pondered where to build the dream house, and since her family is from this area, she wants to stay close by.

As for the tractor, 2 remotes are installed and am waiting on the 3rd. Yeah, you could say I am itching to get to work!

markie61 · Dec 19, 2002

I once saw my father-in-law fill up his loader bucket with dirt, lift it 4-6 feet, and then push it against trees. They'd fall right over and the root balls would pop right up. Of course, they were Virginia pine (trash pines, we call 'em - 40' tall and 3' roots). I think the extra weight/mass helped with the pushing.
Mark

jinman · Dec 20, 2002

Well Jeff, for a moment I was beginning to think that we might have more in common than the TC45Ds and McMaster New Holland. I work down at the airport end of Glade Road at CAE SimuFlite and you live at the other end in Colleyville. Until I read your bio and discovered you are a small business owner, I was beginning to think you might be a pilot. Anyway, It's a great area and I love working there as long as I can get away to my place in the country on a regular basis.

I hope you don't have to wait on your tractor much longer. Are you going to haul it yourself or get it delivered? I've hauled mine behind my 3/4 ton Dodge Diesel, but not on a regular basis. With a 3/4 ton truck you should be able to haul it just fine if you need to do it.

TexasZman · Dec 22, 2002

TaDa! My tractor arrived the afternoon of Friday 12/20. Within minutes I had pushed over half a dozen dead 6-8" diameter dead trees, and put the bucket of the loader under a large 20" diameter and about 16-18 foot long log. I was able to pick it up and shove it back with ease. Then I put put her away till Saturday.

Saturday 12/21. Fired up the BushHog 84" mower and cut about 3 acres of pasture. It was awfully slow going because of the countless stops to pick up deadfall limbs and debris that had washed and fallen into the pasture.

Sunday 12/22. Mowed another 2 acres of pasture and 'bulldozed' a lot of logs and other deadfall into a pile. I then proceeded to knock over about a dozen dead trees while the mower was still on the 3pt. I removed the mower, and then knocked over another dozen or so trees.

Here's the gist, this tractor has more power than I thought it would have. It barely makes a grunt when engaging the PTO for the mower, and knocks over the trees with ease. I was only able to spin the tires one time, and that was after I removed the mower. Hmmm - sounds like I may still need a little more rear weight even though I already have 420 pounds of rear wheel weights. I think I will look into the 3pt suitcase weights as they will add an additional 600 pounds without having the bulkiness of the mower.

SuperSteer - marvelous - I was able to maneuver around trees and fences and such that would have been difficult otherwise, and have on demand FWD when needed!

Jinman - I had the tractor delivered because my truck is too wimpy to pull a large enough trailer.

Check out the attached photo - do you think the black rear wheel weights are sexy?

I guess I will now move over to the "owning" forum since I have my tractor.

TexasZman

grainger12002 · Dec 23, 2002

nice,nice,nice,........Aint nothin like a new tractor-tis' a thing of beauty !! Enjoy& ahppy holidays.... The Grainger

jinman · Dec 23, 2002

Great looking tractor, Jeff. It looks like Santa came a few days early. He definitely left you some nice toys. /w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif Enjoy! Of course, there's not much you can do about the rain,/w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif but if you park it where you can see it, you can sit inside and drink coffee while "...visions of jobs done dance in your head." /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Happy Holidays!