TC40D-newbie questions

   / TC40D-newbie questions #1  

Blue Planet

New member
Joined
May 21, 2011
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20
Hey All,

New member here and rookie tractor owner/operator. As in "never have" though am a boat fanatic and have owned way too many; mechanically pretty inclined.

Considering a 2004 TC40D with about 1,450 hours. Has a 17LA loader and is offered with several implements. A few questions:

1. What should I carefully check out if I go to see it (long distance away)?
2. Any way to add or modify so that I can quickly change out bucket to pallet forks?
3. Can I quickly and easily tell if the loader joystick is joyous (new design that won't break!)?
4. General advice/opinions about this model? Use is on a farm. Flat ground, sandy loam soil. Discing, bed shaping, etc.
5. Any comparisons against Kubota M series, for example? Maybe MX5100 or M6040? (I know, HP range isn't apples to apples.)

Thanks SO much for some wisdom and advice!
 
   / TC40D-newbie questions #2  
Welcome to TBN.

1. What should I carefully check out if I go to see it (long distance away)?
a. MOST IMPORTANT! - BIG CONCERN! - NUMBER 1! Read the entire thread: ARRRRRRGH!!!!!!! Broke my tractor.... Engine Block went SNAP... This was a Class II tractor - but there have been other threads. Check the loader subframe to be sure it is VERY SECURE. Check the bell housing bolts. I have nothing else to add to this thread. I'll probably have nightmares tonight just writing about it.
b. Look for battery corrosion damage.
c. Tractors exposed to a lot of water get corrosion in the tilt wheel mechanism: Tilt Steering Lever Missing Something
d. The "No Joy Joystick" isn't too hard of a fix.
e. JInman's hydraulic plate syndrome is well described in Where the TC45D is NOT deluxe . I think 2004 tractors were built with better welding than Jim's original since my 2003 tractor had a MUCH better welding job.
f. If you are not experienced with Hydrostatic Transmissions, you need to know that you need to run with high enough RPMs to get your pressures up, and that the HST "go pedals" are not accelerators. They are really infinitely adjustable torque adjusters. It you want maximimum torque at the wheels, you must be in the lowest gear range, RPM at ~2600, and the slightest pressure on the pedal - you will move slowly, but you'll be amazed at how much torque you can get. If you reflexly "give it more gas" to try and power your way out of a too-low power state, you will start to get black smoke and lug the diesel. It is not good for diesel engines to be bogged down so much that they "cut out."
g. This is a SuperSteer tractor - difficult to explain, but once you ride on one and see the axle rotate you will understand. Also, the supersteer option does add some increased maneuverability for the tractor, but does come at a cost. Supersteer causes a paradoxical motion of the tractor FEL when turning the steering wheel at rest. This is best learned by trying out a SS tractor with a FEL, and I would not recommend purchasing a SS tractor without doing so. The SS option also requires the 17LA FEL arms to extend out a few more inches further than the 16LA arms to allow for tire clearance.
g. Make sure the Rabbit/Turtle switch on the joystick and the redundant button for the same function on the fender work.
h. Check the cruise control function.
i. The SuperSteer tractors come with automatic 4WD. With the silver metal lever below your left hip (while sitting) pulled up, the tractor will automatically engage the front wheels if a rear wheel slips. Also, with the silver lever down, the automatic 4WD is locked out. There is also a manditory 4WD lever on the left fender that should function.
j. This model tractor has a PTO brake. With the tractor off, you should not be able to rotate the PTO. Also, when shutting down a PTO implement, drop the tractor down to idle, count to four to let the implement slow down, and then turn the PTO lever off. Never suddenly cut off the PTO lever for a high-inertia implement such as a brushhog while running at PTO RPMs - your PTO brake will not be happy.

2. Any way to add or modify so that I can quickly change out bucket to pallet forks?
a. There was a QuikTach option used on the 16 and 17LA loaders that allowed buckets and other skidsteer standard implements to be attached using two levers to drive pins to lock the implement,

3. Can I quickly and easily tell if the loader joystick is joyous (new design that won't break!)?
a. Don't know how to tell, but my 2003 loader control has held up well.

4. General advice/opinions about this model? Use is on a farm. Flat ground, sandy loam soil. Discing, bed shaping, etc.
a. I've run a Landpride FDR2584 Grooming mower, pull a 16" subsoiler through clay, and use a 72" tiller in that same clay without problems. I won't enter the whole ground implement use with Hydro vs. Gear argument. This tractor is GREAT for loader work.
 
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   / TC40D-newbie questions
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Wow Chris--thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough reply. And I did read all of the long thread (novel!).

If anyone else has thoughts . . . would love to hear them.
 
   / TC40D-newbie questions #4  
Blue Planet, Chris has covered most of the problem areas. I doubt you will have any problems with many of those things if this tractor is truly a 2004 model. Here's the problem. The TC40D was NOT built after October 2003. It may have been sold in 2004, but it is NOT a 2004 tractor unless it says TC40DA on it. The TC40 "DA" models were improved in the area of the battery, the joystick was stronger, and the biggest obvious difference is in the design of the hood and lights.

The easiest way to tell what is the year model of a tractor is to look at the ID plate under the left operator's platform (behind the step on the transmission). That plate will have a serial number and a unit number. The serial number will start in "G", but you want to look at the unit number. The first number in the unit number is the year of manufacture. If it is a 3, then the tractor is a 2003 model. If it is a 4 and the model decals say TC40DA, then it is a real 2004 model. Lots of folks don't have any idea what year their tractor is, so don't make a big deal of it. Just state the facts and why you know them to be true.

Finally, you just cannot compare this tractor to a Kubota M-series tractor. Those M-series tractors are not HST models and they are considerably bigger. This is a large compact tractor that is like a Swiss Army Knife. It's good at lots of utility jobs and very flexible because of size and features. The M-Series Kubotas are more specific in their purpose with their specialty being bigger ag and livestock operation jobs. You should compare the TC40D to the Grand-L or other L-series of Kubotas.
 
   / TC40D-newbie questions #5  
One area Chris had missed was the cooling system bugs. I bought by TC45D used in 2007, but it was an early version. It had the bad thermostat(a little pin would get under the thermostat and hold it open), as well as the drain house that bypassed the thermostat. These items are well documented here, and are easily fixed. Apparently, they are not commonly fixed. The symptom is that the tractor won't heat up to normal operating temperatures.

Chris
 

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