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tc40d w ss

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Bill F
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2002-08-20          41444

I have decided to purchase the TC40D, but can't decide if I should get the Supersteer. I have read nothing but good thing here, but I have spoken with several local boys and they are not sold. I will be working in a very hilly area and they believe the SS could cause problems when maneuvering on steep grades. What do ya'll think?

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TC33
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2002-08-21          41449

Why would SS cause issues? It's only steering.. any tractor steered incorrectly on a angled hill would be an issue if done incorrectly. It's all in the approach. Wouldn't you think so? Or am I missing something here about SS that makes it a un-common sense issue. Otherwise SS is great wouldn't be without it. Then again I use it to move around a lot of obstacles. If you are just cutting straight lines and not a lot of trees or manuvering through the woods then you probably won't need it. But issues with SS on hills... Where did you get that info.. especially when you say they don't sell them in your area.. how would they know... I always have dislike people not trying to sell something because they don't have it on the sales room floor. ....

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TCowner
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2002-08-21          41452

Bill, if at all possible try to get one with Supersteer to use at your place before you buy, especially if you plan to purchase a loader. I bought a TC40D in May with Supersteer. With the loader unattached I absolutely love the tractor. The tight turning radius is incredible. The sensitrac feature disengages the front wheel drive in tight turns so there is no damage to your turf during turns. However, the design of the Supersteer causing an interesting quirk. When you start your turn the front end of the tractor actually turns in the opposite direction. Again, without the loader you don't notice it. The 17A loader is long. When attached that long front loader moves a significant distance when you start your turn. It can be frustrating. I was moving some crushed rock around a deck for my neighbor and had to position the bucket between two posts with about 3 inches to spare on each side. It was a real challenge to back out without hitting one of the posts. You have to get the wheels centered in a straight line before you back out. If you don't you will be going through a non stop right to left motion trying to correct for the Supersteer's quirk. Now, with practice you get better and you know what to expect to limit the problem but it does not go away completely. Occasionaly I still get caught in a position where I get frustrated. I have a few nicks in my pole barn shed posts to prove it. Most of the folks like SuperSteer. I'm somewhat split on it. My 12 year old son refuses to use it and wants me to go back to a Deere. But if you are going to use a loader where precise bucket work is required I strongly recommend you try one out. Driving up and down the dealership's driveway is not enough. Tell him you need one for an hour with a loader (even if you don't plan to purchase the loader now) and go move some dirt. In the end you probably would opt for SuperSteer. My dealer sells the Supersteer option by about 4 to 1. There is another disadvantage to the Supersteer feature. It requires the 17A loader over the 16A. It looks to be about 10" longer. ....

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Bill F
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2002-08-21          41459

Thanks for the suggestions. I had heard about the quirks with the SS. I believe the problem with the hilly operating is that the tight steering might put the wheels in a bind on steep slopes. I am not convinced, and a little bit of common sense while driving on slopes goes a long way. I am going to try one before I make the purchase. Thanks again. ....

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Buckeye
Join Date: Jul 2003
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2002-08-21          41469

I would look really hard about getting the SS if you have lots of hilly land to work on. The New Holland Dealer around here will only get SS if the customer expressly orders it. He thinks it is too dangerous for use on hills, especially by persons who may not have that much experience with a tractor, let alone one on a hill. It all comes down to how fast you make the turn and at what angle. Sometimes, we all forget and turn too hard. With SS, they feel that too hard can be too much.

I currently have a TC40 with no SS, and am amazed at how tight the regular steering performs. I cannot imagine how tight the SS is, although the Boomer literature does a good job of showing.

As for the loader, I have a 16LA loader and it seems long to me as well. I know the 17LA has some modifications to deal with SS, but either way, the 16LA or the 17LA is very long on this tractor. However, I think the loader has exceptional performance. Also, the loader tractor combo is one of the best looking duos in the business! It does not look added on as an afterthought like some other brands.

Basically, I think your idea of trying it out before buying is a good one. Best of luck and keep us informed. ....

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TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002
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2002-08-22          41505

I don't think I have a complete grasp of how SS works. I've heard about its quirk before, and now I'm wondering why? I think I heard that with SS the wheels turn to lock before the axle starts swinging. That may be wrong, but if it's right, I can't visualize the geometry that would swing the front end to the opposite side.

I'll take a shot at the stability issue. In a thread a month or so ago the idea of a 'plane of support' was discussed. The discussion was mostly about centers of gravity of stationary tractors.

I think we figured out that the front wheels provide little support since they float up and down on a pivot point. The front wheel width would make little difference to stability on a tractor that has a front axle pivot point (I assume that a SS axle both swings and pivots). If true, then the SS axle shouldn't affect stability much when it swings.

The stability issues with SS probably have to do with speed in sharp turns and a related issue of centre of gravity shifts when turning into or away from a hill. I guess it's obvious that many tractor over-turns happen from turning too sharp and something that allows a sharper turn could result in more over-turns. If I recall a rule of thumb, it's that turning into a hill shifts the CG and can reduce stability. Turning downhill also shifts the CG but may increase stability. Hope I haven't got this backwards. Anyway, something that allowed sharper turns when on side hills may give an operator less time to react if the tractor starts feeling unstable.

Guess I need a conclusion. SS seems like a good idea if extreme maneuvering is required. There are some safety issues and safe operation with SS would depend on greater operator skill than w/o SS. Of course, you can upset a tractor with conventional axles easy enough too.
....

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LenK
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2002-08-22          41515

I have a TC40D with 16LA Loader and no SS. I have to say I get around great without it and if I was buying another one now I would not buy SS. I have 10 acres with pond, woods, and 5 acres of lawn to mess around in and I have never had any problems. I know that some SS owners swear by them, but for my money I would buy another attachment or two for my tractor before I would bother buying SS. ....

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AC5ZO
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2002-08-22          41520

I have a TC45 4wd without SS. I grew up on a farm and I like the manual transmission and steering brakes. I live in NM where it is very hilly (mountainous) and with loose soil.

SS works by moving the front axle to tighten the turns and pushes one wheel forward from the opposite side of your turn direction. This will narrow the footprint of the front axle and could affect stability on a hill. The same argument could be applied to wide front and narrow front tractors. Either one can work well or be misapplied.

If I was working around a LOT of tight obstacles on turf, I would get SS. But, I work on sandy soil and don't care what happens when I use my steering brakes. Also, my FEL has a quick attach universal bucket mount. When I change buckets, I drive into it on the ground. I have to be accurate with front end placement to better than an inch. But, I can change from bucket to pallet forks in about a minute or less. ....

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Tom Kopf
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2002-08-22          41531

I've had my TC40D with SS and 17LA loader about 1 1/2 years now, and I've said this here before.-I wouldn't change one thing about my purchase. I have about 50 acres with slopes,flat areas,woods,fields,mud,lawns,just about everything. No regrets on the extra $1000 or so. My closest dealer also talked down SS.(He had none to sell.)I drove a bit further to test drive it and bought it right then. I won't repeat what the others have already said, but I can tell you that I've always kept the blue side up. Good Luck. ....

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TomG
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2002-08-23          41540

AC: My point about stability may have been missed or just may be of minor interest. I used to think that front wheel width added to stability and the swinging SS axle would reduce the footprint and therefore stability.

I've changed my mind unless there are convincing comments to the contrary. I don't think that the wheels on axles that have a pivot, which allows the axles to move up and down independent of the rear axle, slope are going to provide much support. The rear wheels provide support, and the front support is the pivot point itself. It does make a difference how high off the ground the pivot is. The closer it is to the plane he CG is in, the more stable. I know this may be an overly technical issue. There is a long thread about it that probably would make tedious reading for most people, but I'm interested in this kind of stuff

However, this idea is a static centre of gravity perspective. A swinging SS axle on a side hill may well reduce the resistance of a tractor’s front end to a side-slope and result in an uncontrolled turn downhill. All this may seem just an intellectual exercise. However, I have some faith that knowledge of such mechanisms affects how a tractor should be operated and that it’s good to think about this sort of thing.
....

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AC5ZO
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2002-08-25          41616

Years ago, I sold farm equipment. I have seen many operators with varying levels of experience use tractors that I sold them.

Many of the older tractors had narrow front ends (tricycle style). I do not see narrow front tractors being made anymore, but I am by no means an expert in the current market and I no longer sell farm equipment. I suspect that we can thank the product liability lawyers for the change to wide front tractors.

I sold farm equipment while working my way through college getting a degree in Mechanical Engineeering. I have not done a detailed analysis, but even though the front axle pivots, there are stops and it cannot pivot indefinitely.

The pivot or rollover axis for a tractor is going to be the line between the rear and front wheels. The further out that line is from the CG of the tractor, the more stable the tractor will be. For a tricycle gear tractor, the line extends from the rear wheel to the narrow front tricycle wheel(s) in the front. The point of critical stability will be when the CG of the tractor is directly over that line. That happens when a rear wheel drops into a hole or you are running around the slope of a steep hill. (a fairly steep hill by the way)

For a wide front tractor, like current modern Compact Tractors, the situation is similar but different. The pivot for the front axle keeps the wheels on the ground for more traction in uneven terrain. In a roll over situation, the axle will pivot to the stops and then the roll over line will be defined as the point between the rear wheel and the stopped downhill front wheel. This line is always going to be outside and further away from the CG of the tractor with a tricycle gear. Therefore the wide front tractor will be somewhat more stable. The degree of improvement in the stability is going to depend on a lot of things including how much pivot capability is designed into the front axle assembly.

Now back to the original point. Since SS pulls the wheels inward toward the Tractor Center of Gravity (CG), it may be somewhat lower in stability than a fixed angle pivoted front end. I suspect that this is more of an intellectual discussion than a practical one however. I have driven tricycle gear tractors in similar situations and I have never turned one over. My father did turn one over sideways on a steep hill, however. He also turned the same tractor over backwards by going straight up a steep slope. (The front end style does not matter at all in this latter case.) He encountered a lot of situations when he was farming full time for 50 years.

If I had bought a D series tractor, I personally would have considered the SuperSteer option. I think that it is a clever idea, and I trust my instincts with respect to slopes. I bought the 12 speed tractor, because I grew up on a farm using gear shift tractors, and I am comfortable with them. I like using brakes to enhance my steering and traction. The choice of the manual transmission was important enough to me to pass up the features of the D and that included the possibility of getting SS. I did drive a TC35D and a TC29D. They were wonderful tractors, but they were not what I wanted.

I stick by what I said earlier in the thread. SS will definitely enhance maneuverability. I also expect that it is easier on grass than without SS. So if you drive around a lot of things such as mowing, I think SS would be an outstanding option to have. I live in the high desert. When I use my steering brakes, I only make a track in the sand and I do not need SS. ....

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TomG
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2002-08-26          41643

Thanks. I always enjoy reading a good technical analysis. The other analysis used the idea of a 'triangular plane of support.' The points were the rear tires on the ground and the front pivot point. In this context, the tractor's CG can shift forwards or backwards and left or right depending on operating conditions. Operating conditions become critical if the CG moves outside the support triangle.

These analyses probably are similar in practical terms and both are interesting to think about. I'm not sure how far an axle can pivot before it hits the stops. Maybe not far since I have had on front tire off the ground when a rear wheel went up one hill and the opposite front wheel went up another. They do pivot enough so the axles have to be blocked when splitting a tractor.

There was an interesting wrinkle in the previous discussion. The idea was that the front support for a tricycle gear is nearly a point similar to a pivoting axle but it's a ground level. The support for a pivoting front axle is above ground level, which tilts the triangle up and increases stability.

In terms of things practical, thanks for the comment about brakes and traction. From habit I tend to use the diff lock, but I know that hitting the brakes on the side that a rear wheel is spinning often can pull a tractor out of the mire. Also in practical terms, I like the idea of SS. If I had it, I’d probably use the tractor rather than a riding mower for about 2-acres of lawn. There’s just too much landscaping and buildings to maneuver around and too much trimming left to use the tractor for mowing.
....

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mm from mi
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2002-08-26          41665

I JUST BOUGHT A TC40D WITH SUPER STEER 2 WEEKS AGO.THE SECOND DAY I GOT ON IT I WAS HAPPY I HAD SS.IF YOU ARE IN ANY KIND OF TIGHT AREAS CLOSE TO BUILDINGS FOREST ETC YOU WILL LOVE IT. ....

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TC33
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2002-08-27          41682

I just wanted to say... for those that don't have SS and and have never actually used it or seen it... If you have never been on a unit with SS and used it for a day then you will never be able to make a comparison to it with or without. The feature is worth more than the 1000.00 that pays for it. If you use a loader you will see that it does move however that is like riding a bike .. you figure it out and it still makes loader work a lot easier as you can manuever your load anywhere. Also.. take away the loader work and look at mmm work... what a GREAT way to move around trees and obstacles. ....

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Bill F
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2002-08-27          41703

Thanks for all of ya'lls help. When I purchase I will get the SS. I build houses for a living and I plan to use the tractor around the sites. The SS sounds like it will be a great help on small properties. ....

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LenK
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 6 Petersburg MI
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2002-08-27          41706

Bill - good luck with your new tractor. I have had my TC40D for just over a year now, and it is the coolest thing I ever bought in my life. Let us know how you like the SS option. ....

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