My orange review and bad mood

[Anonymous Poster]

I just spent 2 hours at the dealer with blue and orange. I finally seen a BX series tractor I couldn't stop laughing at this tiny wimpy thing! it looks like a Murray 20hp rider mower from Kmart painted orange. I moved to the B7500 with turf tires and stood on the side of it with one hand I grabbed the rops and started rocking the tractor and easily wobbling it to the point of the rear tires coming off the ground! A B2410 was sitting on the side of that with bar turf tires and loader. I asked the dealer if I could pull my dump body pickup in the yard and see what tractors can load it he said no problem. 5'8" is the height of the side rails of my truck. The little B2410 could not raise high enough to clear the 5'8" side! He raised the bucket as high as it could go and it was about 2" shy. Before he parked the tractor I asked him what I ased many people "can you lower the bucket and dig into the ground like 2 0r 3 inch and drive forward and make a path or trench" he said ohh yeah no problem (like most people I asked replied) I said please show me so he lowered the bucket and raised the front tires off the ground and barely cut 1/4 inch scrape in the dirt parking lot possably flattened an ant hill. I said laughing I seen enough. I was upset there were no B2710 or B2910 with a loader in stock to try but he said next week to come back for them. The next tractor he fired up was the L3010 it seems like what I may want. He drove the 3010 it sounded nice and quiet and ran smooth. He raised the loader all the way and it cleared the side of my truck no problem and seemed to reach close enough to the center of the bed to load my truck fairly easy but he was only 1 or 2 inches from hitting the side of my truck. I was happy with the 3010 for that but when I asked if he could demonstrate lowering the bucket to see if it could take a bite out of the ground he said he didn't want to scratch the paint of the bucket because that tractor was shiny new. The next tractor was the used TC25D the best looking and most comfortable of the bunch but the engine sounded rough compared to the kubota. He raised the bucket as high as it could go and demonstrated the reach into my truck and it was about the same as the L3010 I asked for a demonstration if he would lower the bucket (this bucket was well worn so scratches were no excuse) and take a bite out of the dirt parking lot or give me a quick example of the power. He said no he didn't want to gouge up the parking lot. This is a 400' x 400' pothole riddled dirt well worn by heavy equiptment parking lot and I said are you serious? There were no bad vibes between me and the salesperson we got along fine I think he was afraid to demonstrate that these little tractors are wimpy. I think if a little 2" maple tree sapling stump was on my lawn it would stop the B7500 dead in its tracks with the loader down. I need to check out a B2910 against a L3010 and TC25D so far I think the L3010 but how the heck can I see one in action?

 

[Bird]

Franco, I'm guessing that the L3010 (or even bigger) would probably be the best tractor for you, based on what you say you want it to do. However, if you're wanting a tractor with which you can dig the front edge of the bucket 2" to 3" into the ground and drive forward cutting a trench, I think you may be in for a disappointment. Sure, my B2710 will do that in loose or soft dirt, but if you try it on hard ground, like the parking lot you mentioned, you'll either just scratch the surface, or else you'll just spin your tires. I've cut a lot of such trenches in the last 5 years, sometimes to make a trench; sometimes to get a bucketful of dirt to move elsewhere. And I'd say about 75% of the time, I either need to run over that ground first with the tiller to loosen it up, or else I use the box blade. Good luck with your tractor shopping.

Bird

 

[Wheeldog]

Franco,

I had picked up a brochure on the B-series the other day, and they've got some pretty detailed information on the different loaders. Sounds like you saw a demonstration of how the loaders on the B7500 and B2410 would come up short in loading your truck. For the LA402 loader (used on the B2710/2910), the listed maximum lift height is 82.3 in. to bucket pivot and the clearance w/bucket dumped is 65.5 in.

I've been comparing the NH TC21 w/ the B7500, and the bucket height caught my eye also. The larger NH tractors (TC25/29/33) use the 7308 loader, which has a clearance with bucket dumped of 83.3 inches. Max. lift height is 101 in.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Franco, seems like you have set your expectations to high for the compact tractor. It's called compact for a reason.I suggest buying a 963 CAT if you are planning on digging hard packed ground. For their size, the compact tractors are very strong. Try operating one and you will see for yourself. A lot of guys on this forum have the tractors you call wimpy and enjoy their investments. It's not smart to put down other peoples equipment.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Try an L48 with a tooth bar, it will dig the road albeit slowly. It is a terrible use for ANY tractor, even a Case 580 TLB. A road gets a compacted crust on it. If you really want to dig it with no strain on the equipment (and still stay with something small) check out the KX161 Kubota excavator! I watched a guy tearing up a road with a 50,000 dozer, it was a struggle for THAT to get through the crust.

A bigger excavator, Cat 312 (26,000) lbs on up is the easiest, or a big track loader with teeth on the bucket.

If you break the crust with a rear box scraper with scarifier tips, even the little compacts can do the job, I have done that with my 5000LB Ford NH TLB, but it is not an efficient use of equipment.

I have a BX and an L35 1800lbs and 6200lbs. Both have their uses that a bigger piece of equipment cannot handle, space, convenience and fun wise.

 

[art]

I'd love to see you in a car lot. Or was it just the salesperson. Knowing what you need and want to do you could have kept the chase a lot shorter. Didn't they ask what size you were looking for?

 

[roysallis]

Franco,
Are you stuck on orange or blue? If not then you might want to look at the John Deere 4700. I think it is the largest of compact tractors. It is 48 hp (40 hp @ PTO with HST), 4wd, tilt wheel, cruise,and more, and I think it will handle 4 SCVs.

 

[JerryG]

Art,
I know that you have been the business for quite some time. I also appears that you try to work with your customers to get them the tractor that they need and also within the parameters that they want. It is strange to me that this is not what some dealers do. Even it you go in and all you need is to know how much for the tractor and you know all of the options that you want. Talk price and delivery date. In other works you know exactly what you want before you go to see them. I did all this. I went to my area NH dealer to make a purchase…. All I could get out of the salesman was that “YOU DON’T WANT A TC 33: You want and need the size I want you to have”. After about 30 to 45 minutes of that I had all I was going to take and got in the truck and left.
The next day I bought a new MF 1250-4. I am glad that I did. I got more tractor for quite a bit less money. I have put 600 hours on it sense last 13 months.
All dealers don’t listen to their potential customers………..
JerryG

 

[Thomas]

Franco,
I'm little confused about how you express yourself about the BX mostly also the B7500&B2410,than you were upset for the dealer had no B2710&B2910 on the lot.
If the L3010 was only 1 or 2 inches away from hitting the side of your truck than why do you want to check out a B2910???
I do understand when tractor shopping one likes to ask questions also see the tractor in actions...but...lets not forget about the dealer plus other customers which maybe watching or listening,no matter if its K,NH,J.D.etc..

I don't mean to rough up some feathers,just my 2 cents worth. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

The L3010 he drove up to my truck about 2 inches from "hitting it" because he had to get the tractor front grill right up against the truck to reach in towards the center of the truck bed to demonstrate that if you dump material it would fall close to the center of the bed where you want it not at the sides. The lift of the L3010 bucket can go about 2 feet higher than the side of my truck so a B2910 could maybe load it also. A B7500 or B2410 could never load a dump body pickup truck.