What should I buy a TC40 or TC45?

Ryang · Jun 14, 2006

I currently own a Kubota L3400 with a LA463 and really like the tractor, but it's time to upgrade for some field mowing part time. Will either choice be the right one for 20/35 acres jobs? I've been told by the dealer that I will need LA16 or the LA17 FEL for this size tractor. Can anyone tell me what time frame it will take cutting with a 6ft bush hogg for large properties mentioned above? It take me about 4hrs now with my 5ft.

Thanks for the advise.

Ryan G

dknarnd · Jun 15, 2006

Four hours to do 20/30 acres with a 5' cutter is really moving...takes me much longer to do the same amount with a 5'...probably about 4 days. I'm not sure you will be able to go much larger than 6' with either of those tractors, maybe a 7' light duty.

jinman · Jun 15, 2006

Ryan, if you are going to mow 20-35 acres as a part-time job, you need much more than a 7' cutter in my opinion. Unless the properties are covered with trees or other obstacles, you are going to be much better buying a large 2wd tractor and pull a small batwing mower. If a job takes you 4 hours with a 5' cutter, I think a 7' cutter will only give you about a 1 hour improvement to 3 hours. This will be due to areas you will have to slow down much more than if you are pulling a 5' cutter. I don't know that you will make the kind of gains you are wanting by going to the TC40/TC45 size tractor. Those are great utility tractors, but your mowing jobs sound like you need more tractor than either of these.

IH3444 · Jun 15, 2006

Wanted to comment earlier this morning, but Jinman and I are in complete agreement. Get a larger tractor for that amount of mowing. A TC48/55, or larger TN60-75. Even 2wd, large size with a pull behind Vopper 8 to 10ft mower. Soundguy cuts a lot, and he has some huge Ford 7600.

Ryang · Jun 15, 2006

Sorry I forgot to mention it takes me 4 hrs to cut 5 acres with my Kubota.

Ryan

dknarnd · Jun 15, 2006

That sounds better...I was about on target with my 4 days /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif.

One of these days I will get another tractor to mow that acerage but I only mow it once a year so can't justify a large tractor for that specific job. What ever I get will be large enough to handle a 7" cutter, so maybe it cuts the mowing down to 3 days.

AndyMA · Jun 17, 2006

Always go for the hp. If you're going with a 40/45 choice, go for the 45. Better yet go for a TC55 or a T75. Brush hogging is a hp intensive game.

Andy

Tractorganic · Jun 26, 2006

One difference between the TC40 and TC45 is that the TC45 can't take a midmount mower. That is one of the reasons I chose the 40. I hate to be locked out of options.
But; no, I haven't bought a mower for the tractor yet. I worry about the weight of bigger models causing soil compaction. Even though I own a TC40D, I use my walk behind BCS mower on my fields to avoid compaction. All it takes is driving the 40D though the orchard a day after rain to make ruts; or, driving it over a recently tilled patch to make hard pan. Maybe ruts and hard pan are acceptible on larger farms but I need all the arrable surface I can get, and I'm still looking for ways to fix the ruts I have so my BCS doesn't go airborne and try to break my arms when I run over them (the ruts not the arms). All that said, I crave more lifting capacity and beefier hydraulics etc. that come with the TN and up.

GATC35 · Jun 27, 2006

I upgraded from a TC-35D to a TC45D and saw a big difference in the PTO HP. I have never even driven a TC-40 so I can't comment on that. Of course going from the 35 to 45 I picked up one more cylinder. It's amazing how much smoother the 4 cylinder runs compared to the 3 cylinder. I'm running a Rhino SE-7 rotary cutter behind the 45 and it handles it well 90% of the time.