TC35 Questions by new owner

[jxw]

Hello fellow tractor owners:

I just brought home my new (used) TC 35 hydro with 16LA loader. It has 630 hours on it and there are no service records available at this time.

I changed the fuel filter right way because it was unsatisfactory.

I would like to know if you can decode the serial number: G501573

Also at 630 hours what services are recommended?

After three hours of running the loader and box blade I have a hydro leak on the right side just over the front axle.

Lastly I would like to know where to find manuals etc. and how much is typical to pay for them?

Thanks gents!

 

[jinman]

Welcome to TBN and the wonderful world of the Class III NH Boomer.:thumbsup: I think you will find the TC35D with 16LA loader to be a marvelous addition.

Lift the hood and look on the bottom for a decal with the maintenance intervals. At just over 600 hours, your hydraulic fluid should have been changed once and it is ready to be changed the second time. You'll need 7.5 gallons (not 10) to do this job, plus one hydraulic filter and one HST filter. NAPA and O'Reilly Auto carry filters. Wix makes filters that will save you a few dollars over NH filters, but I use NH filters on my tractor. You should also do a check of the fluid level in the front axle. The front axle and drop boxes should probably be drained and fresh fluid added. If the engine oil looks okay, you might wait on that change, but the safe way is to change the engine oil and filter.

Look on the tractor ID plate on the left side under the operator platform and get the Unit Number instead of the Serial Number. The Unit Number identifies when the tractor was built. With your serial number, I'd guess it's probably built in 2001 to 2003. The total hours is a whole lot more important number than when the tractor was built.

If you are getting oil on top of your front axle, it is probably coming from your HST cooler or the lines going to the cooler that sits right in front of your radiator. Some of this model tractor had horrible problems with battery acid damage to the radiator, HST cooler, or fluid lines. Some HST coolers were not built well and develop cracks around the hose connections on top. Investigate the cooler as your most likely source of leaking fluid.

A second place that can leak is the power steering hydraulic pump and lines over the front axle. Your reservoir is under the hood on the right side of the tractor and has a dipstick when you remove the lid. Inspect the reservoir area and hydraulic lines for leaks.

You can find manuals on eBay from time-to-time, but I think the Tractor Operator's Manual and the 16LA Loader Manual are each less than $40 when ordered from your NH dealer. The Repair Manuals will set you back over $300. There is a CD available with non-paper manuals for a significant savings over the paper manuals.

Hopefully some other Class III owners will post and give you their thoughts. I sometimes feel guilty for dominating Class III discussions, but I do it just because I love mine so much and want everyone else to have a similar good experience.

Here's a link to a thread describing the structure of the Unit No.

 

[jxw]

Thanks for the information Jim. In addition to the things I outlined in my first post--I also have a difficult time with the hydro on the 3PH.

Symptoms: Lever is VERY hard to move either direction and the resulting action from the 3PH is anything but exact.

I have a TC18HST and the 3PH works pretty smooth and much more controllable than the TC35.

Help?

 

[jinman]

Read this thread. This will take care of your stiff lever problem.

 

[LarryD]

I sometimes feel guilty for dominating Class III discussions, but I do it just because I love mine so much and want everyone else to have a similar good experience.

Well you just need to get over that right now. Even though I have a 33D, you're posts have saved me both time and money.

Thank You

 

[Unitedcs]

Hello, I just bought the same setup but had 2600 hours. fortunately the previous owner kept pretty good service records but from memory. I called the local New Holland dealer and went with their advice and changed all the fluids and filters. I was ready to shell out some serious bucks but was surprised to find that it only cost about me about 150 for all filters and fluids. Its was worth piece of mind to have a good starting point. Whats really nice is the same hyd fluid is used for everything- power steering, front diff, lift, etc.. (except motor oil of course). The only other thing I had to do was make a bracket backstop for the battery. I used a piece of 2"x2" angle and welded it down. There was a design flaw with the battery plate that caused problems with the radiator. (make sure you have a good battery that doesnt seep acid or you'll also have issues with the lines under the battery plate being eaten up)
The only other issue I found was that the bucket position guide bar was starting to ware a hole in one of the hyd lines so you might want to check it for clearance.
Its a great machine, good luck

 

[fishpick]

@jwx - You got a nice machine there. I have the TC45DA and love every minute of it. SOunds like you are going in the right direction with all the fluids and jinman DOES dominate the conversation because he KNOWS the material... take his lead and maybe some of the rest of us can offer a little comic relief in between his real answers.
That lever trick was the best 10 minutes I ever spent "fixing" something that wasn't really broken on anything I have ever owned!

 

[CentralNC]

Welcome to the forum!! I have the exact same tractor and loader. Mine only has about 200 hrs on it, but I am going to be working with it pretty heavily this Fall and Winter building a new house and clearing some land.

I visited the local New Holland dealership and asked them about the 300 hr hydraulic fluid service. They told me that New Holland is now recommending that owners change the filter at 300 hours and only change the fluid if it looks or smells dirty/contaminated. They suggest re-evaluating every 50 hrs and changing the fluid when it looks bad. I think it is a good idea to change all the fluids now.

I used Jinman's link to adjust the stiff 3 pt lever. It worked like a champ.

I really like the size of the TC35/40/45 tractors. They aren't too big to use around trees and in the forest. Their size makes them manueverable, but big enough to do some serious FEL work. I sometimes wish that I had bit the bullet and bought the TC45A to get the extra horsepower, but I have only found 1 huge rock that I could not lift with the bucket on my FEL. I have cut hundreds of trees and picked them up using a set of forks on the FEL. The TC35A will be a good tool for many years.

I just saw a manual for the TC35/40/45 on eBay along with a manual for the 16LA FEL. I think they were both selling in that $10 range.