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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Glen Schattner
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2000-08-26          19136

I am looking at purchasing either a JD 4100 HST or a JD 790 w/4 WD...both would have live pto....I know this issue has been dealt with before in previous posts....in regards to which is best tractor , etc......One of my main concerns is pto horsepower....or lack of it.... from specs I have seen..looks like the 790 has about 25 pto and the 4100 has 17 or so....I want to do snowblowing and tilling..do any board memebers have any advice as to my concerns.??? so long as implement is matched to tractor size...should I be too concerned with actual pto output.????with the 790 being a bigger tractor physically and an extra 500 or so lbs heavier...is it all sort of relative.???any and all input appreciated...thx...Glen

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Jim Youtz
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2000-08-27          19164

Glen, I have a 4100 and this tractor is perfect for my use. I have a belly mower, rear scoop, 5' blade, 52 rototiller and one bottom plow. I can use all of these implements very easily with the 4100. The 4100 handles the 52" tiller with very little effort. I've also borrowed and used a 4 foot box scraper and this tractor handles it very well, and I think it would also do a good job with a 5' box. What I think you should do is to decide what size implement you primarily need to use and then base your tractor size accordingly. For example, with a rotary mower: the 4100 will do a good job handling a 4' model but I don't think a 5' is advised, the 790 will handle a 5' rotary cutter. On the other hand, the 4100 is more manuverable for mowing and is a better choice for close-in work. I looked at the 790 and really liked what I saw, but it seemed a little large for my needs. The 790 is a lot of tractor for the money. You can't really go wrong with either unit, providing you size the tractor and implements accordingly. ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Glen Schattner
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2000-08-27          19167

Jim,
Thanks for the info...in my first posting I neglected to be more specific..in regards to the 4100 HST....my father in law has a used John Deere tiller..which is 60 inches or 5 feet wide..not sure of the weight.....he uses it behind his JD 950.... so...will I be able to make use of this tiller behind a 4100 HST ????
I was looking at the 3 pt hitch lift capacity for the 4100.....which incidently is more than the 790....and I would think...that lifting the 60 inch tiller would be no problem.....just wondering if I could turn the tines in soil with 16 or 17 pto horsepower.????
any thoughts, suggestions....would the 790 handle this tiller .????

thx
glen ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Steve in Buffalo NY
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2000-08-27          19169

As I recall, the 790 is a fair bit bigger than the 4100. I think that 5 ft tiller might be too much for the 4100 but probably fine with the 790. And when it comes to weight in tractors, more is usually better. It's not like power/weight ratio determining how fast a car will go. The heavier 790 will pull more, throw more, and dig more BECAUSE it's heavier and more powerful. ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Larry in MI.
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2000-08-27          19181

I have a 58" tiller that I bought from TSC. It works great on the 4100. It weighs about 450 lbs. The 4100 never even labors when I bury the tiller. For the money I would have gone with the 790 if it had a hydro trans. ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Glen Schattner
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2000-08-28          19188

I was kind of afraid you might say that....in regards to 60 inch tiller.......
and yet Larry in MI says he has 58 inch tiller..that works just fine...?????

I will say the 16/17 pto horsepower scares me a little on the 4100 HST...as say opposed to the 25 pto at rear of the 790...

One of my other concerns is doing lawn cutting around the house with the 790..?? With the weight being the chief villian here... I can see myself leaving two sets of wheel marks with every pass.!!!If I was cutting a field..no problem...but the lawns around the house may take a beating.??? yes/no ??? anyone can comment...

the gear vs hydro doesn't bother me in the least...and from what I have seen of the previous postings on this subject......the general consensus is that with both tractors being almost identical in price.....you are getting more tractor for your money with the 790 and that fit and finish seem to be better on the 790.........

And with regards to mowers.....mid mount or rear 3 pt mount.....which should I go with.????

thx for all your comments..need to find out as much as I can about these two great machines....

glen



....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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bud in oh.
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2000-08-28          19193

Glen, I have a 60" JD tiller on my 4600 and it always handles it fairly easily which it should. I almost always run it as deep as it will go be it in loose dirt or hard untouched dirt. In my clay soil I would not recomend a 4100 and a 60" tiller, in fact a 50" would be pushing it. Keep in mind that when you buy a tiller you want your tractor to be able to handle it in all conditions, hard soil, deep or shallow. The Deere 50"& 60" tillers will till up to 8" deep, some other tillers only 4"-6" so keep this in mind when buying. I owned a 970 before my 4600 with a 6' belly mower which I highly recomend and as far as weight the 970 is quite a bit more tractor than the 790 and I had no damage what so ever to my lawn. Rear mount or belly is a to each his own decision, I tried a 72" rear mount after two years of mowing with my belly mount it did not give me near the cut that the belly mount did and it's easier to see what you are doing with a belly mower like when mowing around trees and etc. If I had big open areas to mow with no obstacles and completly level maybe a rear mount but in my opinion the only advantage with a rear mount is ease of hook up if you remove deck often like I do. I kept my belly mount and took the LandPride back. Hope this helps budinohio. ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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droz
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2000-08-28          19214

I have used a 5' tiller with my 4100 and it works but you have to move slowly and it obviously isn't really proper use. My 43 HP Kubota is the better choice. But I don't want to cut around my lawn and trees with the Kubota. Sometimes smaller is better, sometimes it isn't. ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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KlayW in MI
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2000-08-28          19216

Glen, what do you use now to mow? HST, GST? For ease of use an HST is my preferance. It's too easy to slow, turn, reverse, forward where needed and haven't driven a GST since high school. (too many years ago) Many tiller owners also swear by HST since you can creep very, very slow in tough soil. If you plan to blow some snow around wouldn't the constant engine rpm and HST work better? Never used one so some yuper might help me out here. How bout the 4200, more HP and bigger? ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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JonB
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2000-08-29          19227

Glen, your success with the tiller will vary depending on soil moisture and soil type. Last year I started working my "concrete clay" with a 4100. After watering the ground, I used a box scraper with just a couple of rippers set deep (the box weight helped rip deeper into the ground). After watering more, a single ripper (middle buster/subsoiler) helped me go deeper. A tiller wouldn't have scratched my soil--whether 4 or 5 foot. After a few years of improving the soil quality I'll be able to use the tiller without ripping it first. If you have rich loam for soil, you can probably go right to a larger tiller without problem. Otherwise, working hard ground with a light tractor requires a longer process. Best of luck. JonB ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Jim Youtz
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2000-08-29          19229

Glen, one other thing about tiller use. I'm not sure how big is too big for the 4100. I do know that it handles my 52" tiller very easily. But, if you should ever have ground that's too tough to till then either till with more soil moisture or use a moldboard plow or ripper to break up the ground before you till. I use front weights and the 4100 handles a 14" plow just fine. I do this every year anyway to reduce deep compaction (deeper than the tiller will go). For what its worth I have a 4100 gear model with a non-live PTO. Everyone cautioned that mowing would be a problem, yet I've never had a problem with either mowing or tilling. It's really a matter of being willing to clutch and find the correct gear for the job. As to the hydro being able to creep more slowly with a tiller- I don't know why anyone would want to go slower than 1st gear/low range. Any slower and you wouldn't be moving at all. Having said all of this-yes more HP and weight does make things go better, but the 790 was just too large to manuver around things on my lawn. The 790 tractor is very nice though, but I don't think fit or finish is any different than my 4100. (I do think that 790 fit and finish is far better than the larger 4000 series tractors. The 4100 didn't get in on the problems of the 4000 series like the other models did-different engineering and assembly location). ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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Glen Schattner
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2000-08-29          19248

I think from an operational viewpoint...I would probably side with the 4100 HST...smaller in size/weight..and I think would be easier to get around all the trees and shrubs on the lawn......and as for tilling...this would be for an established garden..nice well worked soil....not for sod busting....so I am hoping I can get by with the 60 inch tiller...I realize I am kinda going about it backwards,,,,buying tractor to match implements...but..when someone says...here..take this 60 inch JD tiller for free !! well...what can I say..I guess if I don't try to bust sod..or till hard packed clay...hopefully ..it will work......
on another topic....does the fact that the 4100 has indirect injection as opposed to direct injection on the 790.....mean anything significant?????
harder starting or not as good fuel consumption...don't know much at all about diesel motors.....from these small tractors....

glen ....

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JD 4100 vs JD 790

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JonB
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2000-08-30          19279

Glen, this board has a thread called "Horse Power to Horse Power" containing a technical discussion way over my head on a number of things, including direct and indirect injection. My take on the discussion is that direct is slightly more efficient/powerful, but indirect is quieter. You can find the thread under the 30 day index. I think it began around August 8. I'll try to post a link to the thread with this message--and hopefully will work. BTW, I also chose the 4100 because the others seemed too heavy and too big for the majority of my jobs. And if someone offered to give me a tiller, I'd accept. No questions asked. Best of luck. JonB ....


Link:   Horse Power to Horse Power

 
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