# Bi Directional tractors



## 7090

I have always wanted to try one of the new holland bi directional tractors but have never found one set up the way i wanted it or the right price but was wondering how u guys that have them like them. Are they a good dependable tractor or are they a money pit? Would like one with pto and 3 point on both ends. How are the hydraulics, do they have enough horsepower? How about electrical problems? Is the loader a good one? Do you feel a MFWD is a better chore tractor?


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## slowzuki

What age are you talking? The TV140's are expensive. They are popular here for commercial snow removal with a blower. The old Versitile bidi's get used for r.o.w. mowing and forestry use quite often and seem to make out ok. I've seen the loaders in ads for them but never seen one mounted here.


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## JD3430

I, too have had an interest in one of them for my "big" tractor. The thing I like is that you can mount a discbine on the front and 2 wing discbines on the back if one wanted a super wide cut. I thought it might be kind of like a poor mans "Krone" and also a regular tractor.
Also I could mount a forrestry type cutter on the front to clear brush, which I do quite a bit of.
I saw a CaseIH 7120 with a front PTO and 3 point, but it was before I was really looking for a tractor.


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## swmnhay

_One of my customers has a TV 140.He has center section disc cutter then has a regular type disc cuter to one side.It only cuts about 12' per pass.It overlaps slightly.He cuts alot of road ditches for hay and says it works great for that.Not sure if they would have enough power to pull 2 wing mowers??_

_Another one of my customers had a older one that I got stuck useing to unload.It was a wore out POS.But had a ton of hrs on it.Mostly loader/snowblower._


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## JD3430

There's 2 or 3 of them for sale here locally with well over 10K hours on them. Even that many hours, I still can't afford... lol.
I can't believe guys buy new tractors of that size and can afford them. I'm not exactly poor, but $125,000 for a tractor full of electronics and computers that might go Kaplooee at any time????? No way Jose`.
Older, simpler tractors never looked better.


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## carcajou

i had a tv 140 for a while and didn't like it. Way to unreliable for me. It was ok but not great as a loader tractor, poor on the round baler and hard as hell on fuel. Always something that needed fixing on that one but maybe the newer models are better.


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## mlappin

Mostly I hear about them they are short on HP, on hot day overheating can also be a problem. Turn the smoke screw up a bit for more HP then overheating is a consistent problem, least that's what I've heard on other forums.


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## CockrellHillFarms

JD3430 said:


> There's 2 or 3 of them for sale here locally with well over 10K hours on them. Even that many hours, I still can't afford... lol.
> I can't believe guys buy new tractors of that size and can afford them. I'm not exactly poor, but $125,000 for a tractor full of electronics and computers that might go Kaplooee at any time????? No way Jose`.
> Older, simpler tractors never looked better.


I agree with you about the electronics part. No doubt about that. I had your line of thinking for most of my life. But not any more. Older tractors are too expensive and most are wore out. A 20k, 30k, or 40k older tractor can become a HUGE liability in operations. And you have to have consistent cash set aside for major repairs. At any time that older tractor can drop an engine or hydraulic pump etc. That's an easy 10k or so for repairs. Its just not worth it to me any more. Spend the money, trade them in on new ones. At least u have warranty for part of the time. And hopefully u get rid of it before the computer goes ka plunk!


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## JD3430

I see what you mean, but no way I can't afford $100,000+ for a tractor. Don't want the loan, either. Hats off to guys who can-I admire your success, I really do.

When you start a hay operation on your own like me with no mentor, father, family farm, etc., you need a tractor. I can only afford an older tractor (for now). I'll have to take my chances on repairs.
My tractor is an '07, not exactly a relic ready to blow a motor, but not an electronic computer posing as a tractor that will have electronic nightmares once the warranty expires, either (just like the TV140 Mike spoke of).
Don't even get me started on pollution controls.....ugh.
To your credit, I do like warranties, but they're too short. they only cover the tractor when it dont break.
How about a 10 yr, 5,000 hour warranty? Then I might be a buyer !!!


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## Teslan

I think an 07 probably has almost as much electronics as a new tractor JD depending on it's size.. Especially depending on how fancy of a transmission yours has.


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## JD3430

No pollution crap, though. Not even a turbocharger. Hydraulic shuttle is the same as my older tractor. I think the new stuff has DPF's and all that nonsense, too. All that started coming into play about '08-'10.
I got the last year of tractors without the newer pollution controls. The '08 version of my tractor has a turbo to help clean-up the exhaust.


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## JoshA

7090 said:


> I have always wanted to try one of the new holland bi directional tractors but have never found one set up the way i wanted it or the right price but was wondering how u guys that have them like them. (1)Are they a good dependable tractor or are they a money pit? (2)Would like one with pto and 3 point on both ends. (3)How are the hydraulics, do they have enough horsepower? (4)How about electrical problems? (5)Is the loader a good one? (6)Do you feel a MFWD is a better chore tractor?


(1) Ours is a TV145 with only 4k hours on it. Won't really say ours has been either, few nickels an dimes keep it going. Ours has not had an easy life, and very very few bidirectionals have! They stand up well considering they are treated like an industrial machine.

(2) Ours has a hitch and PTO on both ends, no 3pt, wish we did have the 3pt though.

(3) I feel the hydraulics are slower than I would like, but I seem to be the only one. All the other operators and neighbors of ours are happy with it. Horsepower for what? It will lift plenty, it will push plenty, turn plenty (pto) but it is not meant for pulling stuff. In general for me it is underpowered simply because I would like it to be 150+ Hp, not 105Hp lol

(4) A few gremlins, lights that have shorted out, etc.

(5) The loader is long, it has a lot of swing that gets getting used to. However, that is part of what makes it so useful, reaching over corral fences to dump hay into feeders, reaching across truck decks, further into a stack of bales, etc. Our loader gets used hard and has held up well. Buckets need welding and straightening, but the loader does not. Always amazes me when I see these loaders elsewhere with welds all over, and wonder just what the operator did, cause ours has seen it all, worked to the point of hydraulic lines blowing apart, and the loader has walked away just fine.

(6) I feel the TV145 is the ideal chore tractor, with the only complaint being entry/exiting the cab in a hurry, something we often do to close gates to keep cows in their corral! We have 4 MFWD loader tractors on our cattle farm, ranging from 85 PTO Hp to 170 PTO Hp, and the TV145 is always being used.

What do you want to use it for?

Best if you just plan on using it as a loader, in which case, for the amount of money spent on a TV series, new or used, you could buy a hell of an industrial wheel loader for the same price. Otherwise, for a tractor, though it is rated at 105 PTO Hp, treat it as an 85 PTO Hp tractor when finding implements for it. It has good PTO power, however the hydrostatic transmission is not meant to be pulling anything. Even pulling my empty round baler home from the field, a job I normally do with an F350, I lost 2mph off my top speed of 18mph, just because of the increased load on it. And the hills just killed it, though even my 7830 moans an groans on these hills! Do not plan on using it for field work in terms of tillage. For cutting hay, one discbine is sufficient, or two haybines. If I find the right deal I would buy a NH discbine to mount on the front of it, but otherwise I would just as soon use a different tractor for pulling a discbine.

We bought a TV145 shortly after they came out, had tried a couple 9030s and a TV140 prior to that. We use our TV145 for everything around our cattle farm. It's our skid steer. Used for everything from pallet work to pushing/piling/loading manure with an 8ft bucket and grapple, use it for picking rocks with a rock bucket, for feeding cows with a bale processor on the engine end, raking hay a bit, pulling a discbine a bit, small square baling a bit, pushing snow ----does lots of that up north here! , and most of all moving bales, 3 at a time. Unloading trucks and stacking. For what we use it for, it's perfect, and irreplaceable. We have tried to replace it over the years, with telehandlers and wheel loaders. Each have their downfalls that keep this bidirectional at home on our farm. As said, for us it's a really big skid steer, and that's what it's used like. But having the ability to use it as a tractor from time to time has proved very useful!


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## JD3430

[sub]Nic e read. Thanks for the info! [/sub]


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## 7090

Thank you for all the usefull information. How come they are not an ideal baling tractor? Seems the hydro would be excellent for that. I have a neighbor that has the new 6070 and they say it has the hydraulics and lifting capacity of a payloader. Also say they will always have a bidirectional. I have heard they are not for pulling in the field. Mainly i am looking for a 140 or 145 for loader work and pulling a discbine and raking also, definately want 3 point one the engine end and pto on both ends and hydraulics on both ends. I would also agree the entry door is small for gettiing in and out quick. How many hours will these engines go befor needing an overhaul? Keep the comments coming.


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## ihsalesman

JD3430 said:


> No pollution crap, though. Not even a turbocharger. Hydraulic shuttle is the same as my older tractor. I think the new stuff has DPF's and all that nonsense, too. All that started coming into play about '08-'10.
> I got the last year of tractors without the newer pollution controls. The '08 version of my tractor has a turbo to help clean-up the exhaust.


what tractor do you have that is an 07 with no turbo?


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## ihsalesman

7090 said:


> Thank you for all the usefull information. How come they are not an ideal baling tractor? Seems the hydro would be excellent for that. I have a neighbor that has the new 6070 and they say it has the hydraulics and lifting capacity of a payloader. Also say they will always have a bidirectional. I have heard they are not for pulling in the field. Mainly i am looking for a 140 or 145 for loader work and pulling a discbine and raking also, definately want 3 point one the engine end and pto on both ends and hydraulics on both ends. I would also agree the entry door is small for gettiing in and out quick. How many hours will these engines go befor needing an overhaul? Keep the comments coming.


i sell for a dual branded case ih and new holland store... and from my experience on a tv140 if its over 3500 hrs i wouldnt own it... the tv145 are pretty solid up to 5000-6000 unless they have pushed a swather head very much... seems to cut the hydraulic life in half... stay away from a 6070 or any of the newer ones for swathing, and no discbine heads they are seriously under powered and will cause hydraulic heating and will need a $10,000.00 dollar kit to be put on and only gives you a 50/50 chance of curing the heating problems... just a suggestion...


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## ihsalesman

JoshA said:


> (1) Ours is a TV145 with only 4k hours on it. Won't really say ours has been either, few nickels an dimes keep it going. Ours has not had an easy life, and very very few bidirectionals have! They stand up well considering they are treated like an industrial machine.
> 
> (2) Ours has a hitch and PTO on both ends, no 3pt, wish we did have the 3pt though.
> 
> (3) I feel the hydraulics are slower than I would like, but I seem to be the only one. All the other operators and neighbors of ours are happy with it. Horsepower for what? It will lift plenty, it will push plenty, turn plenty (pto) but it is not meant for pulling stuff. In general for me it is underpowered simply because I would like it to be 150+ Hp, not 105Hp lol
> 
> (4) A few gremlins, lights that have shorted out, etc.
> 
> (5) The loader is long, it has a lot of swing that gets getting used to. However, that is part of what makes it so useful, reaching over corral fences to dump hay into feeders, reaching across truck decks, further into a stack of bales, etc. Our loader gets used hard and has held up well. Buckets need welding and straightening, but the loader does not. Always amazes me when I see these loaders elsewhere with welds all over, and wonder just what the operator did, cause ours has seen it all, worked to the point of hydraulic lines blowing apart, and the loader has walked away just fine.
> 
> (6) I feel the TV145 is the ideal chore tractor, with the only complaint being entry/exiting the cab in a hurry, something we often do to close gates to keep cows in their corral! We have 4 MFWD loader tractors on our cattle farm, ranging from 85 PTO Hp to 170 PTO Hp, and the TV145 is always being used.
> 
> What do you want to use it for?
> 
> Best if you just plan on using it as a loader, in which case, for the amount of money spent on a TV series, new or used, you could buy a hell of an industrial wheel loader for the same price. Otherwise, for a tractor, though it is rated at 105 PTO Hp, treat it as an 85 PTO Hp tractor when finding implements for it. It has good PTO power, however the hydrostatic transmission is not meant to be pulling anything. Even pulling my empty round baler home from the field, a job I normally do with an F350, I lost 2mph off my top speed of 18mph, just because of the increased load on it. And the hills just killed it, though even my 7830 moans an groans on these hills! Do not plan on using it for field work in terms of tillage. For cutting hay, one discbine is sufficient, or two haybines. If I find the right deal I would buy a NH discbine to mount on the front of it, but otherwise I would just as soon use a different tractor for pulling a discbine.
> 
> We bought a TV145 shortly after they came out, had tried a couple 9030s and a TV140 prior to that. We use our TV145 for everything around our cattle farm. It's our skid steer. Used for everything from pallet work to pushing/piling/loading manure with an 8ft bucket and grapple, use it for picking rocks with a rock bucket, for feeding cows with a bale processor on the engine end, raking hay a bit, pulling a discbine a bit, small square baling a bit, pushing snow ----does lots of that up north here! , and most of all moving bales, 3 at a time. Unloading trucks and stacking. For what we use it for, it's perfect, and irreplaceable. We have tried to replace it over the years, with telehandlers and wheel loaders. Each have their downfalls that keep this bidirectional at home on our farm. As said, for us it's a really big skid steer, and that's what it's used like. But having the ability to use it as a tractor from time to time has proved very useful!


i wouldnt suggest the discbine head for your 145... from what a few of my customers have told me you will be pretty disappointed... if you can make it work great but it hasnt worked well for a bunch of my customers... and nh knows it thats why they stopped making them for thr tv series...


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## Teslan

ihsalesman said:


> i wouldnt suggest the discbine head for your 145... from what a few of my customers have told me you will be pretty disappointed... if you can make it work great but it hasnt worked well for a bunch of my customers... and nh knows it thats why they stopped making them for thr tv series...


Hi IHsalesman. Where in Colorado are you?


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## JD3430

ihsalesman said:


> what tractor do you have that is an 07 with no turbo?


Kubota M7040. Newer version has turbo.


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## Cowman63

I have been reading the thread on TV140's. I have been looking for a tractor for a while trying to decide what I want. I have decided to check out a TV140 to see if that would work. I make about 600 bales/yr. I use a JD 530 and keep my bale size down around #1300. I am looking for a tractor with a loader, all-wheel drive and able to handle a baler. I'm not particularly scared of the articulation. I believe I can get used to that in a few minutes. Any thoughts?


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## mlappin

Articulated is no big deal, used to build ridges with a 8 row Hinker and a White 4-150, can cultivate right around corners once you're used to it.


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## Wethay

Haven't been around any newer than the 9030. Worked on more than a couple used with boom mounted brush cutters. If your interested in something that old I can give a little insight.


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## redranch

I have the TV145 and love it. Only have 1100 hrs on it but can do everything with it. Have a hay header for it so cut all the hay and feed some times with it if weather is bad.(have bale handler pickup) If your baler tractor brakes down you can remove the header and bale with it , just takes a few minutes to remove. So cut, bale, haul, feed, then haul manure, what could be better. Use swather for couple weeks then park it.


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## Want to be farmer

I am looking at an older bidirectional for around the yard. It's a 1983 Versatile 150 with a 70 hp Perkins diesel. Around 4000 hours and has a grapple on the loader. Comments about this machine I would find useful.


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## redranch

A friend of mine has a 150 with I would say 10,000 hrs, always sits outside, hardly any paint left on it. He has used it hard , starts right up in winter here in Mt. to feed with. That Perkins motor back then was a great motor, heard not so good now. They are small, can haul them easy. About the only thing I see worth mentioning is the cab is a little cramped but not that bad. Watch the hoses under the cab, dont want one to break, they have been known to burn up. Dont think you can go wrong on it, the 150s are hard to find especially with that low hrs.


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## Farmineer95

I would take a close look at everything that routes through the hinge area. Hoses, harnesses and control cables. Being hydro if you can run it and get it warmed up see if hydraulic system functions well at operating temp.


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## The saint

We had one on the sod farm I used to work for it was great for some things a not others we had the FEL on it and only three point on back. We also put turf tires on it and mostly used it to pull the 20 foot bat wing finish mower. And used the FEL with a tree spade in the winter. It would pull a baler very well I think but it was a handful to pull a trailer in a tight space as it never pivot where I thought it would. It also takes some time to get used to the swather style direction control but if you are running a swather then probably no big deal I do wonder about the longevity on the control system in the seat as it swiveling back and forth. We never had a problem but I could see it might show IP down the road. I enjoyed it and I think it could work well for hay but I would not want to try hard field work I think you might loose too much in the hydrostatic drive for that.


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## Gearclash

Just a thought. A bidi with a loader on it will be running with the cab on the front half of the machine. I have run a Case wheel loader with the cab on the front half, and a Volvo with the cab on the rear half. While the visibility is a little better with the cab on the front half, there is something unsettling about not seeing where the rest of the machine is headed. It's best described by a comment I saw once "you never quite get used to it".


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## JoshA

Gearclash said:


> Just a thought. A bidi with a loader on it will be running with the cab on the front half of the machine. I have run a Case wheel loader with the cab on the front half, and a Volvo with the cab on the rear half. While the visibility is a little better with the cab on the front half, there is something unsettling about not seeing where the rest of the machine is headed. It's best described by a comment I saw once "you never quite get used to it".


The back tires follow in the same tire tracks as the front, so there's nothing to worry about there.

We have the TV145 as well as the Volvo wheel loader, I'd have to say the bi-di is easier to train your mind on.


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## arie515

Better later than never.

It seems that NH no longer offers bi-directional tractor.

The only bi-directional tractor of this size on the market is MTZ 1523 (Former Belarus).

Plain mechanical design, no computers, no emissions stuff (Tier 3 is still available).

Prices are reasonable, starting at 83,800$ for 155 hp, demos available for less.


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## MT hayer

Bidirectional tractors are going fast since they quit making them. Most guys that have them, push and pull 16 ft sickle hay heads out here. 18 ft gets to be too much. They are not for pulling, just for haying and loader work. A big issue haying with them is the radiator plugging, due to no rotary screen to keep it clean. They need a radiator scoop that goes up, because the hay dust just swirls around it because it is behind you.
They are too much money for me too. I think once you get one paid for, they are fine. The newer ones really like fuel. I am a fan of the articulation and solid axles.
Quite a few use them in the winter with the loader and snow blower on the engine end. It looks clumsy to me, but it must work. They are like running a Detroit engine, they have to have a little pressure relief, "oil leak" it seems!


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