I guess I need to wonder why the salesman didn't know that about the light. Every time I've talked with them, the sales guys say to just hold the key 'til the light goes out and then start the tractor. You're telling me something different. Is there any indicator for when the glow plugs are hot enough? On my 'bota, the indicator is more or less a 4th glow plug in the dash. It's a thick wire that glows red as the current flows through it. You hold the key in the preheat position, wait for the thing to glow, count to 20 or 30 or so if it's cold, then crank it. I guess I don't understand the reason for the light if it goes out at a preset time and doesn't let you know the engine is ready to start.
I think I'm trying to convince myself the Case is the way I should jump, despite what you thought about my post. When I started this adventure, I was more or less convinced that I just wanted a bigger Kubota, but I seem to be finding out that the more I learn, the less I know. All the ergonomic things were not part of the picture at the start. The differences in weight for tractors of about the same size was not something I thought about, either. In truth, I had originally started out just looking for a used machine a bit bigger and more stable than what I have, but around here there is no such thing. Everyone that has a compact with a loader keeps it! The dealers have 20 or 30 people on lists waiting for something used to come along. So, I found myself thinking new tractor and then the fun began!
The dealer is one with whom I've worked for years with my Cadet mower and Kubota
B7100. I can get "A" plan pricing on a Case or NH, so that swayed me away from Kubota, especially after I sat on a couple tractors and played with controls. I think more than anything else I was expressing my disappointment at the faults I noticed in the Cases and was hoping someone would be able to explain them away.
The pedal thing is a major problem, enough to make me think gear tractor instead of HST if I go with Case. I use the steering brakes quite a bit, and would like to be able to modify my ground speed while turning and using the brake. If I go gear drive, shuttle shift would be very nice since I do a lot with the loader. Right now, I shift from 2nd to R low, to R high, to 4th every time I pick up a load from a pile.
The steering was just a surprize. I just figured a power steering system should be able to break the tires free from being frozen into the sod. With the non-assisted mechanical steering on my Kubota or Cadet, I just crank the wheel harder and the tires turn. The fact that the steering wheel turned and the tires didn't was just odd. Having since learned that tractors use a purely hydraulic system instead of power assist on a mechanical system explains why it happens that way, but still leaves me wondering about getting the wheels stuck between two logs or something while not wanting to go straight forward or backward.
I have strict height limits in a situation where a folding ROPS would have to be up, unless placing a secondary cross bar just below the hinge point would keep the thing from bending in case the unthinkable awful happened while it was folded. The topography in question would land the tractor on its side, but not on its top, so a reinforced folding ROPS might work. I'm sure the manufacturer would have all kinds of reasons to not do something like that, however. What do you guys think?
