NH TC33DA vs. JD 4310

[VTer]

Hi - I'm considering purchasing one of these two tractors soon. I'm looking for a 30+hp tractor for brushhogging about 8 acres and grading/snowremoval a 1000+ foot driveway. I could also see doing wood chipping now and then. Also, I want to make sure its easy for my older children to use...ages 12+.

Therefore, I'm looking to get a tractor, loader, brushhogger, box scrapper, and blade with skids to mount on the loader. The bottom line is that I can get the NH tractor with all of this for about 21-22K (with the 0%/4 year financing) and the JD at 25-26K. Does not seem to be worth the extra $$$ although I think I like the JD better. I think I prefer the eHydro and it appears that the lift capacity is greater - but I don't think the spec sheets are easy to compare "apples to apples".

Thoughts on pros/cons of either tractor? Thank you.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Here is sort of my idea of a rundown of the roughly 30hp tractors. You say you are looking for something easy to operate, especially for you older kids, that said, I think you can skip down my list a bit to the more deluxe tractors because they will be easier to use for a kid than any gear tractor.

The Deere 790, New Holland TC30 Gear, and MF1233 fill in the value end of the market for 30hp tractors. These machines provide good power and value. This is possible by going with an inexpensive gear boxes for the transmission and PTO and only basic features.  

The Mahindra 3015, Kubota B7800, and the TC30 HST provide value and are a step up in price, they have more advanced transmissions for easier loader work and independent PTO's for running rotary cutters.

The next step up would be Deere's 4310 and Kubota's B2910, these tractors have all the "whistles & bells" available on a 30HP tractor but are still on a very compact body. Their spec's are on the light side, but they offer many convienances & lots of comfort. I use a B2910 and can attest to the fact that it is one of the deluxe machine in terms of comfort and ease of use.

Kioti's CK30 and New Holland's TC29 & TC33 tractors are on larger frames than the rest of this class, they target customers looking for a slightly larger tractor with higher loader performance. Both offer lots of comfort and features and are considered deluxe tractors, the NH has the stronger loader with higher lift and is slighly more compact. In some regions the Kioti is priced lower, it is also a large machine for the power class. Case DX29 and Case DX33 are twin tractors to the New Holland machines except Case is painted red (both are made by Case-New Holland Corp)

Kubota's L3130 fills the extreme high end of the class; it out specs ever other machine by a large margin. This is also a large machine for the class.

My assessment of the machines is as objective as I can make it. There are some options on some basic machines that can make them more like the more deluxe machines. My observations are based on some first hand knowledge and some spec sheets from the manufacturers. Using both the New Holland curved arm loaders and the traditional Dog Leg style loaders offered by JD, Kubota, etc, I can tell you that I STRONGLY PREFER the New Holland loaders. You may want to go to the PHOTO section of this website and look up my Photo Gallery. In there is a side by side comparison picture set of New Holland & Kubota and the visibility difference the loaders offer. Nobody has the visibility that NH has!

 

[thcri]

I guess I would realy have to do a lot of thinking to spend the extra mnney for the Deere. Your experience is about the same as mine. When looking I started out for a Kubota, the dealer was arrogant. I then looked at Deere and New Holland. The Deere was $2500.00 more for basically the same machine. I actually like the New Holland as far as comfort and ease of use and the dealer really was great.

For you, take a second look at both machines, get to know the dealers a bit more and get a comfort level with one or the other, then redecide if the Deere and the dealer is worth the extra. You might even want to through in some curves and look at some of the other tractors out there such as Kubota. If you got a Case dealer around just for price comparisons even though it is the same as New Holland. Take your time and have fun.

murph

 

[VTer]

Thank you for your replies. I was considering the Kubota B2910 as well but our local dealer tells me he can't get them anymore because they are going to be replaced by a new model. I was looking for something a little bit more than the B7800, which he has one left. My first impression of the L3130 is that it was physically bigger than I needed but upon a second look I may be more favorable to it. The price does not seem much higher.

I find the NH difficult to compare to the others as the NH literature is not as detailed with regard to specs. I actually had to go the the JD website to get NH comparative spec info like weight and wheelbase! Is there another source for NH spec info besides their website and basic brochure?

Dealers for all three brands in Vermont seem great and are well established. I don't think this is an issue with respect to making a decision. They all seem so nice that you want to by a tractor from each of them!

 

[meledward23]

If you want to compare specs for NH. Just go to the dealer, tell them you want to look at the manual on the machine. Not a bad idea anyway. I ask for the owners manual about half the time before I buy anything. I get looked at funny sometimes, but I have never been refused.

The owners manual typically doesnt have all the marketing BS just facts. I presume for liability reasons.

I bought a NH because of the level of dealer service. That was my most important requirement. I know enough to get INTO trouble not out of trouble when it comes to breaking things...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

If it was me, I would sit on the tractors and see which one you (and your kids) think will be easy and safe to operate. Which one you/they are comfortable on. Which one the controls are laid out the best for your tastes. Which one functions logically for you. Which has the best view of the implements and controls and the ground.

As for the B7800 and the B2910, they are identical in size, but they have many different features. Seems like you are all over the map on your types of machines if you are also considering the L3130 as that is really the big brute of the class with capacities that are well beyond the B2910 and even beyond the TC33.

As for comparing the NH tractors, their literature stinks. In fact I think that my term is actually very kind, their literature is far worse that that! You can go to the CASE website and look up the specs on a CASE/Farmall DX33 and see more information. The tractor is a twin to the TC33 and what I have had to do is piece information from both Case & NH together to come up with a reasonable amount of information on the products. For a company that sells more tractors than anyone else in the world, they sure have a lousy website that is devoid of real and useful information. But the NH tractors are sure good machines.

 

[VTer]

Thanks - The only reason that the Kubota L3130 was being reconsidered was that I saw another fella in this forum comparing the NH TC33DA (which I am favoring) to this machine and ended up going with the Kubota. I liked the B2910 also, but as I said, it was no longer available. My dealer quotes the L3130 HST at 14.1K sans loader, which is not too different than the NH TC33DA at 18.3K with quick attach 14LA loader and front guard.

Thanks for confirming my view on the NH literature. As a newbie (and engineer who likes data!) it was starting to make me wonder if the NH tractors measured up to the others. The JD and Kubota literature is much more informative for specs. NH literature seems intent in showing attractive women having no problem handling a tractor. In fact, a guy I work with bought a JD over NH because of this, i.e., NH literature did not convince him the tractors were real work tractors.

Thanks again.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

I recently recieved a NH magazine that had an advertisement with an attractive woman holding an oil change kit. Another ad in the same magazine had a small NH parked next to a Porsche in a garage. To me, neither of those images suggests a rugged ability to work in the field, let alone my yard. While I appreciate good design and ergonomics, I also want something that will function. I am happy to say that I bought a NH before I saw those ads, and while my NH TC24 is smaller than what you are looking at, it performs as much work as my larger B2910. In fact when it comes to using the FEL the tractor of choice is the smaller tractor because visibility is so vastly superior and manuverability is also better that I can get more work done quicker. The typically shorter wheelbases on the NH tractors make for high manuverability and that is a big asset when mowing and when doing loader work.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hi - I'm considering purchasing one of these two tractors soon. I'm looking for a 30+hp tractor for brushhogging about 8 acres and grading/snowremoval a 1000+ foot driveway. I could also see doing wood chipping now and then. Also, I want to make sure its easy for my older children to use...ages 12+.)</font>

Basically, the Kubota L3130 weighs about 400 lbs more than a 4310. The power is almost exactly the same. The added weight is good for ground engaging work and bad for mowing on damp soil. (Leaves ruts). You can have the tires loaded for more weight if needed. Get the Hydro so that everyone can drive it easily.

 

[tc33brad]

I test drove the L3130, JD 4310, and the TC33D last year and all three machines have good features but in the end I chose the New Holland. All the controls on the 33 and laid out for easy and straight forward use, visibilty is great, and maneuverability is excellent. The tractor has done everything asked of it and I've not had one problem of any kind.