Go BottomNew John Deere 4400
 | Jeff
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2000-07-15 17975
Greetings,I am new to this board I just bought a new John Deere 4400 4wd HST,16 days ago,along with the tractor I got 440 pounds of weight for the front, JD 513 (60") rotary mower,the JD 45 (7ft) scraper blade and today after being back ordered I recieved my JD 660 (60") rotary tiller.The tractor came with the R4 industrial tires(filled),I would have preferred the R1 bar tires since they have a more aggressive tread design,I live in West Virginia and the terrain is really steep in places and I am not afraid to test the limits either.The dealer didnt have any of the R1 tread designs to trade me and said they were 45 to 50 days away from getting any delivered.I just found this message board 2 days ago,I wish I had known about it before I bought the tractor,due to the fact I see a lot of people really know a lot on this board and find it very informative reading what everyone has to say.I was wondering how in some of your opinions how these John Deere implements compare to other implements that are available.I have already dented the back of my 513 rotary mower (brush hog in West Virginia)which is no big problem it can be straightened and I will add reinforcement,you can excpect this to happen when cutting brush,this hydrostat really saves a lot of gear shifting in tight places on hill sides when mowing around steep drop offs and inclines.I always have the tractor in 4wd drive,it is just as well,because if you didnt, in about 5 minutes I would be having to engage the 4wd.Does anyone have an idea what the front blade would cost?I really like this tractor so far,it is an awesome piece of equipment.Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated!!Thanks againJeff
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| Chuck Westerfield
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-07-15 17981
I've also got a 4400, purchased in December and had to get the company provide the new front end. Hope your unit has that. About the tires. You can only get the wheels out about 2 inches with the industrial rims. I didn't even bother to reverse mine. You can buy the ag rims and get your tires out considerably. I've got mixed emotion about your terrain. I've tested mine and the R4 will slide sideways. I doubt that the R1 will and you'll probably be in a roll over situation. Wear that belt and keep the implements on the ground. I think my 4400 is a good tractor but I don't believe your transmission or drive train is as heavy as you might think. If you don't use a good slip clutch and an override I bet you'll be visiting the rear end if your using it to cut sapplings. I wouldn't use any mower for this. Good luck with your tractor. ....
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| Jeff
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-07-15 17990
Chuck,
Is this axle problem your are telling me about,the(scuffing issue?)I have been reading about, or is this a reliability issue such as possible mechanical failure?
Thanks
Jeff ....
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| Chuck Westerfield
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2000-07-15 17993
this is the axle design problem....has the cross cylinder tied both ends to the outter hubs and does not have the tie rod...poor design ....
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| Jeff
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2000-07-16 18000
Chuck,
I have the old designed axle,other than the scuffing problem which is not a major issue for me,is there a mechanical reliability issue as well, such as partial or total steering failure?
Thanks again
Jeff ....
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| Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2000-07-17 18053
Thinking back on the many front axle threads, I don't remember there being much mention of reliability problems. There are two things you might want to consider: The first is that scuffing does put some additional stress on some of the steering components, and the front spindle bearings, plus wears the tires. After all, the forces that cause the scuffing have to also be pushing against something on the front axle. These forces are present whether you care about them or not. But are they significantly large to cause wear? Other than rapid tire wear I can't recall that anyone mentioned anything mechanical.
The other thing is resale value. Hopefully you will keep the JD and pass it on to the next generation...But we have already heard where the old axle reduced one fellow's trade in value. I thought that the upgrade was free to the original owner?? But I could be mistaken....you might want to check into it. ....
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