Go BottomJD 870 price
 | Ed Calkins
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2002-08-31 41867
I am close to buying a 1998 JD 870 with 500 hrs, excellent condition, 4WD, power steering, 9 speed 3 range trans, JD loader, 60" rear scrapper with hydraulic tilt etc. controls.
The party is firm at $12,950. (in California) How does that sound? I know little about tractors and can hardly justify owning one but from reading your excellent forum I think I can use this to develop my property for a few years and be able to recover a good part of the investment (or decide to keep it forever). Thank You, Ed
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada 
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2002-08-31 41872
That is what I am asking for my 4100 and 410 loader with only 70 hours and still under warranty. Look for my ad in the CTB classifieds. I bet we are just a few hours apart. ....
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| Ed Calkins
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2002-08-31 41880
Thanks Mark, sounds like a nice unit. I want (was advised) to get a tractor in approx the 30 HP range for the work I have planned and for later resale. Ed ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2002-08-31 41882
Darn. Missed it by only 10 horsepower. ....
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| Fitch
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Southern California High Desert
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2002-09-01 41896
The 870 is a real nice tractor. Very reliable, and quite reasonable rear hitch lift capacity - enough so you can make good use of a pair of 3 point forks on it. Check this board looking for problems with the 870 and you won't find many.
If I didn't have the 2600 Ford, I'd have bought the 870 instead of the 770 to get the increased rear lift capacity.
If the tractor is in good shape, that seems like a reasonable price to me.
I'm also in CA.
Fitch ....
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| Ed Calkins
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2002-09-01 41901
Thanks for the insight Fitch. I'm not sure what "three point forks" are?? I also want to move some trailers around and launch a boat with the tractor so I assume I can rig up a trailer hitch to the three point aparatus also. We just closed the deal at $12,800. so I are a tractor jockey now and better quickly learn how to run the thing. ....
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2002-09-01 41903
Ed
Unless you trailering only on flat ground such as a trailer yard I would not recommend trailering off the 3 pt hitch. The arms must be tied down or they will lift. Look through the index there has been a lot of discussion on it.
If possible it is best to use the tow bar. Make sure he has a tow bar with the tractor you will be shocked at the JD price. ....
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| Fitch
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Southern California High Desert
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2002-09-02 41909
Ed, Congratulations and welcome to the wonderful world of tractor ownership. You will be amazed an how useful (and just plain fun to use) they are. You are new to tractors, so go slow, and take your time with it. Read the manual from cover to cover, including all the safety warnings.
A few suggestions for your consideration:
1) Check with the previous owner and get the maintenance records if he still has them (he may not if he has done it himself, which is common). In any event, find out if the 500 hour maintainable (the details are in your owners manual) has been done. If not, get the materials and do it your self. Then I'd review the owners manual and check over the items mentioned at other maintainable intervals. Check the air cleaner, change the engine oil and filter, look at the fuel filter and see if their is any sediment in it, check the radiator coolant level in the catch tank, remove and clean the radiator pre screen, etc. It will be a good way to get more familiar with your new tool. It will also baseline the fluids and filters so you can establish a good maintainable routine.
2) Read the discussion "subject: counter weight" that is on this board. It is really important for safety and performance reasons to properly counterweight the tractor before using it with the loader. The easiest way to get some initial counterweight is to fill the rear tires with fluid - this is described in the owners manual and probably has already been done, but it is a very good idea to check that it has been done. If it hasn't, do it. You can buy an attachment for a garden hose that will let you do it your self. Its not difficult. The JD dealer put the fluid in the rear tires of my 770, I filled the tires of my 2600 myself.
3) One very important safety rule. Never, ever, get off the tractor with out locking the brakes. Do it every time, it will get to be a habit, a very good habit.
You have an excellent machine. It will last a long time, and do a lot of very useful work for your. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy mine.
Fitch ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2002-09-02 41910
Putting water in the tires assumes, that like Fitch, you live in a part of California where freezing is a seldom thing or you plan to keep it in a heated garage. If you do have freezing and snow you will need to add Cacl to the water to prevent having donut shaped ice cubes. In any case inner tubes are advisable if there are not already onboard.
A viable, but somewhat expensive, alternative to the to the fluid/tire mess would be wheel weights. Then you don't have to ever be concerned about rusty rims and it makes tire repair when you get a flat a whole bunch easier. ....
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| Fitch
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 23 Southern California High Desert
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2002-09-02 41917
Good input Mark.
Actually, it freezes where I am, elevation 3,000 feet, even snows here couple of times a year. It doesn't freeze "hard" (like below zero F) more than once in about every 10 years - but it does get into the "teens" quite often. The JD dealer is familiar with the area, so when he filled my rear tires he said he put in an anti-freeze and water solution. I don't know the ratio he used, or what antifreeze he used.
The rear wheel weights are very good, the best. But they are also very expensive compared to fluid.
As I've said on here before, if I had a box scraper for the 770, I would have 3 rear wheel weights on each side just like the loader manual says to use.
Fitch ....
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| Ed Calkins
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2002-09-02 41921
Fitch/Mark/Peters, thanks for taking the time to share your experience and knowledge with me -- it seems like I should spend some valuable time researching several topics on this forum. FYI, I am in Lake County at about 1350 ft elevation so some freezing takes place and I will use antifreeze. The tractor has a 72" box scraper with hydraulic tilt etc. that I may try to swap for a 60" unit depending on how the access works out on some areas of my property. I will know more when I get it here and log a few hours. ....
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| DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2002-09-02 41934
There is a downside to everything. If (actually when) your calcium or antifreeze filled tires leak, the fluid will kill all plant life for several seasons in the area of the spill and may poison Bowser and Fluffy. ....
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