We've got a New Holland TC30. Bought it new in 1998. Haven't done a single solitary thing to it. The front tires have dry rotted to the point where they don't hold air, but they're about worn slick anyway. Don't know what the current version of a TC30 would be, but I wouldn't want anything smaller unless you absolutely need to fit in small places and/or haul it on a smallish trailer.
The smaller they are the narrower they get and the easier they want to tip. The rear tires get real light with a full scoop of dry dirt on any tractor though. The way the setup the lifting arms just don't keep the COG down like an actual loader does. Even my buddy's 100hp MF gets light in the ass with a full bucket. Keeping a bushhog or something heavy on the back is almost necessary if you are using the bucket a lot away from flat ground.
For reference, using the TC30 to pull a 7.3 IDI out of a pickup pretty much maxed out the lifting height and weight capacity of that tractor. Seems like a pretty simple ask of something with a front end loader, but it's easy to forget just how light small tractors actually are. We were stacking cinder blocks on the bushhog for that one 😁
I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, though. It takes exactly 5 gallons of fuel when the needle hits low, so it's easy to just dump a jug of fuel in without having to worry about overflowing. Sounds dumb, but when you're hot and tired it's a pain trying to stretch over the lifting arms with a heavy fuel jug and a funnel. It's not being able to just plop it on the hood and wait for it to drain. It's got more power than the chassis can use and it's still damn easy on fuel. It'll run the bushhog all day for several days on a 5 gallon tank of fuel. Fires up instantly in the cold as well. Glow plugs, or whatever it has, works flawlessly. If you can find a clean used one I'd say you'd be getting a helluva machine ( with zero electronics) and save a ton over buying new.
Mine's a Casco(?) brand. way way old, and out of business I think in the early 2000s.My assumption is the std FEL that comes with a tractor package is not SSQA, correct ?
IOW, if a SSQA bucket is needed, then need to work that into any deal.?.
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We've got a New Holland TC30. Bought it new in 1998. Haven't done a single solitary thing to it. The front tires have dry rotted to the point where they don't hold air, but they're about worn slick anyway. Don't know what the current version of a TC30 would be, but I wouldn't want anything smaller unless you absolutely need to fit in small places and/or haul it on a smallish trailer.
The smaller they are the narrower they get and the easier they want to tip. The rear tires get real light with a full scoop of dry dirt on any tractor though. The way the setup the lifting arms just don't keep the COG down like an actual loader does. Even my buddy's 100hp MF gets light in the ass with a full bucket. Keeping a bushhog or something heavy on the back is almost necessary if you are using the bucket a lot away from flat ground.
For reference, using the TC30 to pull a 7.3 IDI out of a pickup pretty much maxed out the lifting height and weight capacity of that tractor. Seems like a pretty simple ask of something with a front end loader, but it's easy to forget just how light small tractors actually are. We were stacking cinder blocks on the bushhog for that one 😁
I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, though. It takes exactly 5 gallons of fuel when the needle hits low, so it's easy to just dump a jug of fuel in without having to worry about overflowing. Sounds dumb, but when you're hot and tired it's a pain trying to stretch over the lifting arms with a heavy fuel jug and a funnel. It's not being able to just plop it on the hood and wait for it to drain. It's got more power than the chassis can use and it's still damn easy on fuel. It'll run the bushhog all day for several days on a 5 gallon tank of fuel. Fires up instantly in the cold as well. Glow plugs, or whatever it has, works flawlessly. If you can find a clean used one I'd say you'd be getting a helluva machine ( with zero electronics) and save a ton over buying new.
Keep in mind, post hole diggers on a 3-pt don't have any down force capability. 3Pt hitches have lot of lift, but no down pressure. If you have rocky soil, you may want to find a way to add weight to the top of the attachment. Skid steers can exert downforce, obviously, but I find Skids to be overall more expensive, units and attachments, than typical tractors/ag attachments.
Backhoes make nice rear ballast. My Neighbor across the street has a Kubota B series, and he uses the hoe for just that when lugging things around with the FEL.
You may also want to look into a 3rd function/grapple for the front end in lieu of a thumb on the hoe. I have a lot of brush and downed trees to clear, so that's my next acquisition. Much easier to scoop up and hold with the grapple. I should have bonfire material for the next few years, if I can get to it and haul it out of the woods.
After mowing last year, as well as having clearance issues with the chains last winter, I put 2" spacers on my rear wheels to gain a bit more stability. I can't say I notice anything (aside from the chains not slapping the cab mount) in terms of tip over stability, but it's nice knowing I have a bit more margin. Some of the slopes I mow are 10-12% grades, which I mow straight up/down, however you have to turn somewhere, or just zigzag backwards/forwards across the hill. I can manage the turns now.
Bucket capacity is usually stated as breakout weight at the pins, but you have to pay attention to how they spec it across brands. I'd be very cautious lifting that much weight to full height in one of these little tractors.
Mine's a Casco(?) brand. way way old, and out of business I think in the early 2000s.
that pic there looks to be a SSQA setup though, yes. Someone smarter than I will have to confirm.
My assumption is the std FEL that comes with a tractor package is not SSQA, correct ?
IOW, if a SSQA bucket is needed, then need to work that into any deal.?.
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