Go BottomBuying a loader JD or Great Bend
 | Jim Youtz
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2001-01-06 23151
I've been considering the purchase of a Great Bend 220 loader for my JD4100. The specs seem to be the same as the JD 410 loader, but the price is $500 less. I will be using the original JD SCV valve and joystick that was factory installed. My dealer tells me that even though he's a Deere dealer, he sells a lot of Great Bend loaders due to price. According to him, he's had no quality complaints, and the only real difference is that the JD loader detatches a little quicker with pins, while the Great Bend requires the removal of 2 bolts. Great Bend is a subsidiary of Bush Hog company. Any thoughts on this? Anyone have a Great Bend loader?
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| mark
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 188 Virginia
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2001-01-07 23156
Jim, Can't offer you much help in the GB loader question but wanted to ask you ball-park what the price quote was that you received for the Great Bend loader? I am presently looking to purchase a new loader for my JD-1070 and was wondering how Great Bend's stack up with JD's price/features. Will be following your post in the coming days to see other JPLAN'ers weigh-in on your post.... P.S: Do you think the purchase of a non-JD loader would effect resale/trade-in value of a JD tractor five or ten years down the road? This is one concern of mine. Courious what others on the list might think. Thanks and good luck!
....
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| Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2001-01-07 23157
A buddy of mine put a Great Bend on his IH424. He uses it hard and likes it. I tried a number of GBs before recommending it. Looking at the GB up close, it does look like it is good quality. I called the factory to ask some technical questions and found them easy to talk with. I can not fault their loaders. In fact, I might be more critical of the original JD loader....wanting to know exactly what the $500 was buying.
On a more general note, I have been looking at loaders and collecting literature on them for a long time, and I currently own 3 loaders. They are very different in design and construction, but there doesn't seem to be a penny's worth of difference as far as reliability when using them. In fact, I don't think I've ever used a poorly designed loader....or an extremely good one for that matter. They are all much the same. What one notices is not the overall durability so much as the way that the loader looks on the machine, the quality of the spool valves, the bucket shape, the visibility over the hood, and whether it interferes or helps when getting on and off of the tractor. These are the things that you will notice about your loader. As you might expect, I have my opinions on all of these things! :-)
As far as the resale, original equipment loaders always add more to the value.....but given the difference in purchase price it looks like a horse race.
....
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| mike dewald
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2001-01-07 23158
I agree with Roger Loving. There are many good aftermarket loader companies. Great Bend, Westendorf, Allied, Woods and Koyker to name a few. I have used Great Bend, Westendorf and Koyker, as well as John Deere and Kubota. Sometimes having the same brand as the tractor allows the loader to fit slightly better. Aftermarket brands use the same loader for different makes of tractors and sometimes the fit, operator friendliness and speed the loader of is different. As far a durability between different companies I don't have any complaints. An issued your should be aware of is sometimes using an aftermarket loader on a tractor may void the tractor warranty if the loader damages the tractor. My Kubota dealer told me a story of a guy using a Westendorf loader on a L7310 and the tractor broke in half. Kubota fixed that tractor but told the dealer they would no longer honor any other warranties for damage done by other loaders. They stated the mountings were different than used by Kubota and that resulted in the failure. ....
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| DanaT
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 138 Clay Center,Ks
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2001-01-07 23183
I ordered a GB 260 loader for my 4300. I felt the GB was heaver built ( due to the shipping weight difference) aswell as an extra torque tube. And it's hard to beat a two year warranty with a 30 day money back guarantee. But the main decideing point for me is the 260 is alittle stronger than the JD 430 loader. It was great talking to a engineer at GB to fing out lift cap. diffrences between JD ans NH I live about 2 1/2 hours from them. I have allways heard good things about GB loaders since I can remeber. There is alot of farm tractors with GB loaders on them in my area. To each his own.
Dana ....
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| Jim Youtz
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-01-07 23191
Thanks a lot for all of the good responses and lots of things to consider. I have talked to the Great Bend people and this is what I have been able to determine. The JD 410 loader for the JD4100 has a lift capacity of 875 pounds, while the Great Bend GB220 loader has a capacity of 810 pounds. The GB has about a 6" higher lift. All other specs seem very comparable. The JD410 loader detaches and parks in under 5 minutes with pins (no tools). The GB220 requires about 10 minutes to detach and park and requires the removal of 2 bolts. Otherwise, the Great Bend has an excellant reputation for toughness and durability. One comment I have to make is I am very impressed with the prompness and helpfulness of the GB staff. They didn't bad mouth the competition either, just gave me the facts and said that both would serve me well. One small thing: GB custom paints the loader to match any brand of tractor so that they don't stick out like a sore thumb. I have decided to ask the dealer (who sells both loaders)if he could demonstrate attachment and removal of both loaders on a JD 4000 series tractor, and see if the slight ease of the Deere is worth the extra money. The other thing I'm going to check is if the GB loader mounting frame portion that stays permanently attached to the tractor, will in any way conflict with my JD mid-mount mower. Well, I just received a more firm price quote and I guess that the difference is actually $600. The quotes I have are: JD410 ($2800 installed) and GB220 ($2200 installed). Both of these prices exclude the SCV valve and joystick, since I already have the factory installation of these. ....
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| Jim Youtz
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-01-09 23252
Well, My dealer is going to mount up a GB220 loader on a JD4100 and let me compare to another 4100 with the 410 loader. He says I can operate both of them and test them out on the dirtpile and detatch and attach both models. Pretty good dealer to work with. I'll do this next week and then post my thoughts. ....
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| judd
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-01-10 23282
You should make sure the mounting point on the GB loader is not very different than the 410 loader. Original equipment manufacturers try to balance the loads both fore and aft as well as laterally so as to keep the unit as stable as possible and also to equalize wear and tear on both axles. A loader that is not mounted this way (particulary to close to the front axle) will not have proper weight distribution. ....
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| Jim Youtz
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-01-19 23525
Well, I thought I would get back to everyone with my info regarding Great Bend loaders. I have a great JD dealer. He made a trip to my house today with a JD4100 with a Great Bend loader installed (he trailered it 125 miles) so that I could see the install and test performance. The GB220 loader is very well constructed and works well with the 4100. Construction seems very durable, lift and dump times are fast. Fits quite well on the tractor too-doesn't seem like the mismatch I have observed on other aftermarket loaders. BUT, LOOKS LIKE I WILL BE BUYING A JD 410 LOADER INSTEAD, EVEN IF IT DOES COST $600 MORE. MAJOR BUMMER- THE GREAT BEND SUBFRAME MOUNTS TO THE SAME FRAME LOCATION AS MY MID-MOUNT MOWER LINKAGE AND IT IS SIMPLY INCOMPATABLE WITH THE MOWER. I don't mind removing the loader to install the mower deck, but I'm not going to pull the subframe and retorque bolts every time I need to switch. The 410 loader can actually be used along with the mower deck installed (not that I would do this-but the subframe is compatable with the mower set-up). For anyone who doesn't need to use a mid-mount mower, I would recommend the GB loader as a very suitable and economical loader choice. ....
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| John McClure
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-03-08 25187
I have a JD 4300 and have decided to add a front loader. I really like the Great Bend 260. I am interested in hearing from anyone who might have this combination and how well this combination works togather. Also, how satisified are you with the Great Bend brand. Thanks alot John ....
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| DanaT
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 138 Clay Center,Ks
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2001-03-08 25188
I have a 4300 (new in jan) and got the GB 260 instead of the JD430. It takes a few more moments to remove or put on, there are two nuts to remove, I could not turn down the 2 year warrinty, more lift and bucket breakout cap.JD uses one cross member behind the bucket (loader frame) and GB uses two. The GB weighs about 100LBS more than JD 430. I got the heavy duty 60" bucket with quick tatch bucket. They are skid steer compatable, I found pallet forks for a bob cat that fits perfectly (cheaper than JD forks). I really like the GB, very soild loader,and since the GB is alittle less money that helped to. ....
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| John McClure
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2001-03-08 25216
Dana, Thanks for the reply. John ....
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| Jim Reichard
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2001-03-08 25220
Does any know if great bend has a pto driven pump style loader that might fit a J D 950?
THANKS!
JIM ....
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| DanaT
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 138 Clay Center,Ks
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2001-03-08 25230
I don't know why it can't be done. Go to there web page, ask questions
http://www.greatbendmfg.com/ ....
Link:
Click Here
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