HELP NEEDED from New Holland TC-30 experts! HELP!

[Whistle Pig]

I'm a rookie farmer-in-waiting who knows ZIP! Any and all counsel VERY MUCH VALUED and APPRECIATED.

I'm buying a small farmette, 20 acres with about 10 acres of fenced pasture and growing field.

The previous owner is offering a 1998 T-30 New Holland and several attachments (bucket, snow plow, 2 bottom plough, disc, wagon, belly mower, brush hog) for 9K. 2800 hours on the tractor. Has not sat out.

I plan to mow, cut wood, till a few acres, move round bales for beef cows, etc.

I've been told this is NOT the perfect tractor. That noted, will it work for me? Is it enough.

Thanks in advance for any, all counsel.

blessings!

 

[almaryholm]

Bought a TC 30 new in 2003 for $10,400 ( no loader)... mostly used for winter snow removal and summer road main. , but kinda light weight for plowing private road with a steep hill section with 7' back blade and had 5' Buhler snow blower for DEEP snow( had about 200# of lead on front and chains all around)

 

[Rock knocker]

That is a fine size for a starter tractor and will work fine, and with time you may want to buy another additional tractor, because twenty acres is a bit of land. The price seems kind of high for a machine with that many hours, but not terribly so and you are getting a good bunch of implements.

Tractordata shows the TC-30 as starting production in 2001, not 1998

 

[McREBEL]

I am not a TC 30 owner but own a similar sized tractor. The thing on your "to do" list that catches my attention is moving round bales with it. Has the owner been using it for this? Depending on the round bale, that could be a struggle.

 

[Rock knocker]

The TPH will do 1600#s. Will that pick a round bale?

 

[Soundguy]

The TPH will do 1600#s. Will that pick a round bale?

for that size tractor, you can pickup a bale on a rear spear as big as you should be moving.

What may or may not happen is lifting one on a bucket spear. If the bales are small 4x5 or 5x5 and dry, you might get them on a front spear. bales can run 700# and up. the drier, the better.

 

[Walkin Horse]

There's a pucker factor when moving round bales thru the mud and over any rough or hilly ground.

 

[McREBEL]

The TPH will do 1600#s. Will that pick a round bale?

Minus about 100# for a spear that should handle quite a lot of them. I have an old set of hay forks that weigh a good bit more than 100#.

Whistle Pig, bale weight varies a lot depending on baling density, moisture, and size. I just want to make sure you are aware there are some bales out there that weigh more than 1500#'s.

Also, that tractor will get very light in the front end with no FEL or weights on the front with a big bale on the back.

 

[Walkin Horse]

I used a 30 hp shibaru until I got my new one. During the winter with mud and ruts it was iffy. I stacked it close to the fence and that way if it was bad I could get it in the fence. Before I had a tractor I would push it off and cut it up with a chainsaw.

I weigh my first couple of loads now to keep the hay man honest. 4x5s average a little over 700#.

 

[Soundguy]

Minus about 100# for a spear that should handle quite a lot of them. I have an old set of hay forks that weigh a good bit more than 100#.

Whistle Pig, bale weight varies a lot depending on baling density, moisture, and size. I just want to make sure you are aware there are some bales out there that weigh more than 1500#'s.

Also, that tractor will get very light in the front end with no FEL or weights on the front with a big bale on the back.

agreed, a moist 6x6 will be huge n heavy. and very -ditto- on needing front ballast.