When the New Holland T1510 rolled off the trailer we all had an interesting first impression. The design of this unit seems old, outdated, and even “boxy” we mused. The old adage of “Don’t judge a book by its cover” came to mind shortly after we started working with the 1510.
What this unit lacked in flashy headlights, contoured hood, and molded fenders it made up for with work abilities. This compact tractor shares elements with its larger siblings in the 2500 and 3500 tractor series like heavier gauge castings for the engine, transmission and rear axles. All this translates into more strength for those tough jobs.
Starting under the hood the T1510 has a three cylinder Shibaura 30-horsepower engine. This 91.3 cu. in. motor has a very smooth throttle control that makes tiny adjustments up and down simple.
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We noticed this most while using our PTO driven wood-chipper to clean up a pile of brush which we had cut down weeks previously. Our chipper is fickle; if the RPM’s are too high it is hard to feed and keeps spitting logs back out the chute. On the flipside, if they’re too low then the machine gets jammed – this has stalled a number of Tractors before. With the responsive and precise throttle control we were able to find that “perfect” setting to run our unit without too much trial and error.
The T1510’s PTO turns 24 hp at the drive shaft. This is plenty of power to run your implements and get the work done with the rear PTO’s performance rating of 540 RPM. This unit gives you options for places to take power off the motor with the rear independent PTO and the mid-mount PTO.
The mid-mount is perfect for running implements such as mowers and snow removal equipment and in both instances it can operate at 2000 rpm. This is possible thanks to what New Holland claims to be the best-in-class power transfer system which captures up to 85 percent of the power from the driveline. Translation – More power for your work.
How does the unit pick up those implements you ask? With its 1,635 lb lift capacity three-point hitch of course. This means that the T1510 can handle larger heavier implements and, ultimately, save you time and money.
That’s not all this machine has packed into its arsenal though. The high-capacity hydraulic system can deliver up to 6.2 gpm. We found that to be more than enough to operate the loader and another hydraulically powered implement at the same time without a feeling like the unit was “struggling”. This output from the pump isn’t affected by the Hydrostatic Power Steering either.
A separate pump solely powers the steering box on this unit. The 3.8 gpm pump ensures that you’ll have responsive steering even while operating other hydraulic systems on the tractor.
Speaking of steering brings us up to the driver’s operation station. We found the lack of “cluttered” space in the driver’s area to be great for both comfort as well as climbing on and off the unit.
Aside from the location of the parking brake lever, of course. Placed on the floor of the unit we found that it was hard to reach and engage (especially while holding the foot brake) and we were prone to hitting it accidentally. This resulted in disengaging the parking brake when we really didn’t want too.
Looking past this little annoyance though we found an ergonomic cab designed for long hours of work. The well-padded contoured seat offers you plenty of adjustment options to find the most comfortable position. This seat takes advantage of the obstruction free view design of the T1510. New Holland moved parts under the hood on this model (like the muffler) to help you see more of the ground around and in front of the unit.
Also from that seat you can operate the unit’s 9×3 gear transmission which has controls mounted on the dashboard. Traditionally you’d see these sorts of levers on the floor or center console. We found this to be a nice touch as it frees up more room to move around on the machines running boards. On those running boards you’ll find a standard anti-slip rubber floor mat which prevents dust and debris from coming up from the ground.
Beyond the comfort and convenience of the T1510 we found plenty of design features which focused on safety and storage. The folding ROPS (roll over protection system) will keep you safe if the machine tips over and it also folds to allow you to maneuver or store the tractor in places with low clearances.
The instrument cluster has a simple layout and provides you with all the necessary information to operate the tractor. While you’re checking the tractor’s temperature why not check your own and then grab your drink from the fender-mounted cup holder? Great for those long days out in the sun.
From your seat you control the operation of the cab and New Holland has given you the option of either a 9×3 gear or Hydrostatic transmission on the T1510. Our test unit had the 9×3 and we were quite impressed with its operation. This gave us the option of either high, medium, or low ranges as well as three forward and one reverse gear in each range.
The placement of the “H” pattern shift lever beside the steering wheel was a feature we really liked. During constant forward and backward movements we found that being able to quickly shift gears while keeping your hand close to (or even on) the wheel was an excellent time-saver.
The Hydrostatic transmission comes with a right side floor mounted heel-toe pedal. This allows you to select an infinite amount of speeds in both forward and reverse quickly.
Both of these transmissions put power to the ground with two and optional four-wheel drive systems. Either of these drive set-ups link to a locking rear-differential to provide that bit of extra traction when you may need it in slippery conditions. Getting you stopped in those same conditions are the long-life sealed wet disc brakes.
The T1510 is ready to work. Its features and power make it a perfect option for someone with a larger property and a lot of work to do. If you don’t need all that capacity it might be an option to have this unit around, you know, just in case.
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