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CJC, I'm interested in the JD450 Tiller that you have for sale. Can you email me the particulars on it - specs, what it includes, what you're asking for it, etc. ? Also, the 54" Front Blade that you have for sale, is it the JD model one that goes on the front quick-tatch hitch? TIA, Dave Wells

John Deere Accessories
John Deere Tractors
Replies 5 Post by Dave Wells

Hi Kevin,
I have a 4100hydro also, purchased in July of 2000. Sounds like you did okay getting yours. Good luck, and happy tractoring. You're gonna enjoy it! And, with a horse, you're gonna find having that l'il compact to be extremely useful. I live in NH also - western part, a little village called Unity. I have 3.5 acres, and the 4100 is perfect for taking care of it. Hope to see you around!

Dave Wells

JD 4100 price check
John Deere Tractors
Replies 6 Post by Dave Wells

I'm interested in getting a Kelley B'Hoe for my JD4100. I had their website, but I can't seem to access it anymore. Does anyone know where their website is now? Any dealers out there?

Kelley Backhoes
Loaders Back Hoes
Replies 6 Post by Dave Wells

Murf, I'm interested in acquiring a 3-Pt Cement Mixer too - can you tell me what brand & where you purchased your HDPE type mixer ? TIA, Dave

PTO Cement Mixers
Operating and Attachments
Replies 5 Post by Dave Wells

Mark, I purchased a set of gauges from Walmart to add to my JD4100Hydro. It's one of those three-in-one sets, has water temp, oil pressure, charging current. I got busy with other projects, haven't had a chance to install them yet. I did very thoroughly check where they are going, the range of the gauges, etc. so I won't have any problem installing them or with them operating properly. I do plan to remove them from the litle metal bracket that came with them, and mount them individually. They are typical automotive type gauges, 2 inch diameter, and as I recall, the set cost about $20. Looks like they have all the Tee fittings, etc. so I don't expect to spend any more putting them in, other than my time. It's a pretty straight-forward project, with the exception perhaps of cutting the mounting holes. If you don't want to cut holes, you can just leave them in the metal bracket they come with and find a good place to mount it. Visit WalMart, and look in the Automotive accessories (running lights, switches, etc.) department. HTH

Installation of gauges on a JD-950
John Deere Tractors
Replies 3 Post by Dave Wells

David, I BELIEVE (but am not sure - verify this with a dealer) that the auxiliary hydraulic kit is what you are after. The auxiliary hyd. kit gives you a seperate hyd. connector for a top link, etc. - depending on just what you get and how it's plumbed. The rear hydraulic kit basically puts a another quick-connect from the dual SCV (the one that controls the FEL) on the back of the tractor. With the rear hydraulic kit, when you use the FEL, a hose is connected across the rear connectors to route the fluid back up to the front quick-connects, so the FEL is controlled by the Dual SCV. As I understand, the rear hydraulic kit was offered for people using the hydraulic dump bagger - it allowed the Dual SCV joystick to control the lift and dump of the bagger. Obviously you couldn't use the FEL with it. BTW, I have a 4100hydro, and am contemplating adding another dual SCV to give me a hydraulic Top Link and Side Adjust Link. Sounds like essentially what you want to do. HTH

Differences Between Aux Hydro Rear Hydro Kits
John Deere Tractors
Replies 2 Post by Dave Wells

Neil, I recently purchased a QH15 from LandPride, and I'm not satisfied with it. The spec's indicate that the unit is 26" wide - that's the distance inside the frame; the distance between the hooks is 3/4"-1" greater than that. Not much, but my Ballast Box (which DOES measure 26" between the pin shoulders) pins don't even extend all the way through the hooks. Also, the top hook is not in line with the bottom hooks - top hook extends beyond the bottom hooks, so the QH15 has to be tilted to get the hooks to line up. And pins were missing, Floating top link (which I didn't order) was included. Seems like they have poor quality control and engineering. I'd recommend the Worksaver unit, which I believe is the one sold by Northern Tool, if you want to try a one-piece style Quick-Hitch, or look at the 2-piece units (Freedom, Jiffy). As someone pointed out earlier, the problem is that many implements that are "supposedly" Category I ain't - the pin spacing is different, etc...Keep in mind that the beauty and benefit of a 3-Point hitch is it's ability to adapt to different implements - the price of a 3-Point is that you have to adjust it when you hook it up. I have a "Quick-tatch" front hitch on my JD4100, which hooks up to 3 different implements, all made by JD. Works like a charm - but it should, since the same company designed both the hitch and the implements.

Quick Hitches
Operating and Attachments
Replies 19 Post by Dave Wells

Norm & Dave, thanks for your responses - I thought just hooking it to the FEL QC's would be the easiest way to go. Both my wife and I use the tractor to cut grass, and we have several trees to get around, so we both found out quickly about watching the backswing! My unit came with the Honda engine also, which seems to be a pretty good engine - starts easily, runs well, the only complaint I can think of is it being hard to change the little air filter on the 5.5 hp. Dave, I'd looked for an electric starter for the Honda engine, but couldn't find one. Can you tell me what kind of engine you're getting for your MCS? My wife is handicapped, got artificial shoulder joints, and often even she can start the engine - like I said, it generally starts easily. But, I'd really like to make the Vacumn engine an electric start so she can easily use it. Frees me up to go trout fishing :) Thanks again, Dave Wells

hoses
Operating and Attachments
Replies 15 Post by Dave Wells

Chris, I got mine through Trottier & Sons in White River Junction, Vermont. I think Steve makes a good point - the dealers seem to get weekly/monthly/etc. shipments, and if you can let something come in on one of those shipments, you can often get a better price. If you (and the dealer) have to "special order" something, it seems like everybody's cost's go up. I've also noticed that prices vary widely from area to area - the best price I've been able to find for a Land Pride QH-15 Quick-Hitch is $300 in the New England area; out in Arizona a guy told me he got one for about $225. And of course, if you can find something that's been sitting on the dealer's lot for a while, you can usually get that at a much better price.

Loader forks
Loaders Back Hoes
Replies 14 Post by Dave Wells

Kelly, a couple of thoughts that might be helpful to you... I have a JD4100Hydro with turf tires, and I have a JD 47" snowblower mounted on the front via a quick-tach hitch. The snowblower has hydraulic chute angling, and remote discharge cap control (via cable). I live here in western NH, and was fortunate enough to get to experience some of this winter's snow! <grin> I'd really suggest that you get a front-mounted snowblower - you're gonna be doing enough snowblowing that operating in a half-way turned around position will get very difficult after a while. It's a lot easier to operate, especially if you're trying to get up close to something, when you are looking ahead - not behind. I'd also strongly recommend that you get the controls for both chute angling and discharge - whether the controls are hydraulic, cable, etc. It's makes all the difference in the world to be able to change where you're blowing snow without getting off the seat. Not only does it remove a large "Pain-in-the-a.." factor, but you'll get done a lot faster too. Another suggestion I'd make is to get a snowblower that is JUST a little wider than your tractor - you want it wide enough to cover your wheel tracks, any FEL mounting arms that extend out, etc. By getting one just wider than your tractor, you maximize your tractor's maneuverability. Of course, a snowblower isn't as fast as a plow under most circumstances - but a good one is still pretty fast, and you don't end up with huge piles that take until June to melt, either! And, personally, I think that it makes your place look a lot better - once again, the snow you've removed is spread out over a large area, no big piles of slush, etc. I'm not really familiar with your tractor, and I don't know what a good snowblower for your machine will cost you. I strongly suggest that you get a 2-stage snowblower - stage 1 is the auger that feeds the snow to stage 2, which is the fan that blows the snow out the discharge chute. I strongly suggest that you get a shaft driven, not a belt driven unit. (You'll probably find that any you look at will be shaft driven, but I don't know for sure...) Belts are notorious for stretching and slipping, which translates into loss of power. Finally, if you are comparing two units with a different fan speed, the one with the higher fan speed will probably work better - all other things being equal. I'm really impressed with how well mine works - it has all the characteristics that I suggested to you. I ended up doing a lot of snowthrowing for myself and the neighbors that required me to cut through some pretty deep drifts. And, while most of the snow was nice easy-to-blow powder, the last 2 storms (8-10 inches and 14-16 inches) left a lot of wet heavy stuff. Not once did I have to get off the tractor to unclog the discharge chute! Hope this helps - Dave Wells

Snowblower Suggestions
Snowblowers / Snow Plows
Replies 7 Post by Dave Wells

Gill, I have a small compact tractor (JD4100Hydro w/Turf Tires, FEL, Mower, etc. etc.) I think Roger makes a good point about bigger tractors being more appropriate for some jobs. I suspect they truly are more stable in certain situations. Sort of like a Cadillac versus a lil Toyota. But having said that, I've used (and will be using) my 4100 to do what you described - cutting a path through woods (second growth) on my property to make paths and a walkway around the perimeter. I'm using a scarifier, FEL, rake w/grader blade, pulling a dump cart and and 8-ft trailer in and out. Of course I also use it to mow, snowblow, sweep, etc. The benefit of a compact is it's manueverability. I get in and out and around things a lot easier than a 30-40 HP does. It mostly comes down to your experience and practice in operating your tractor. Most dealers have information (visit their websites) about the turning radius of their tractors. I don't know this for sure, but I believe the rule of thumb for any tractor is to not exceed about 18 degrees tilt left or right to prevent rollever. My place is pretty hilly, and I've gotten my tractor tilted pretty far over a time or to - but never rolled over yet. But I PAY ATTENTION, go slow, take my time, watch what I'm doing. There's nothing that I'm doing here that's worth rolling my tractor over. For that matter, there's nothing I'm doing here that's worth anyone getting even scratched. Another benefit of using a compact tractor is that it's "easier on the land", ie. doesn't tear the soil up as bad, cause ruts, etc.

Compact Tractor Stability
Tractor Projects
Replies 6 Post by Dave Wells

Alan, it's really very simple - get your wife interested in tractoring. That's what I did - and now I have more implements than you can shake a stick at. (See other posts of mine.) On top of that, she told me (and I swear this is true!) that "I should give her the JD4100, and go get myself a 4200/4300..." (Gosh I love that woman!) Seriously, I made sure that I got a tractor that she CAN and WIll operate (JD4100 Hydro), and took the time to show her how to run it. Also helped to take her shopping with me - she's a pretty good negotiator...Best of luck!!! Dave Wells

Wife vs Tractor
New Holland Tractors
Replies 31 Post by Dave Wells

Keith, I have recently purchased a Curtis Hard Side Cab for my JD4100Hydro. I also got the hot water heater. I haven't installed it yet, got tied up with other things, but I did go through and make sure I have all the parts. I did do a little test fitting, etc. and it occurred to me that a little extra fitting might be necessary. Can you tell me exactly where you had to make any adjustments on your setup? Also, are you anticipating removing the cab for summer? I thought I'd leave the cab on, maybe remove the doors... Thanks in advance for any advice. Dave Wells

curtis cab
John Deere Tractors
Replies 4 Post by Dave Wells

Turfman, I have a JD 51" Front-Mounted Rotary Broom that I use on my 4100Hydro. My cost on it was $2151, bought new in July 2000. It hangs on a front quick-tach hitch, which also is the mount for a SnowBlower and a 54" Blade. I'm very happy with it. I got it to help me keep clean a fair amount of paved driveway. I've used it for sweeping dirt, small gravel, snow, and it does a passable job of dethatching my lawn. There's some other posts on here descibing how it mounts, etc. (Look under my name for all my postings.) Let me know if I can tell you anything else. Dave Wells

front brooms or sweepers
John Deere Tractors
Replies 4 Post by Dave Wells

Jeff,

I have a Bearcat model 70554 Chipper/Shredder. As I recall, it's the same as the 74554, except the 74554 is a Chipper only, whereas the 70554 is a Chipper/Shredder. I use it on a JD4100Hydro, which is a 20HP Engine /16HP PTO machine. I also have the single speed blower option for the 70554. I purchased the unit last September (2000) and consequently I haven't used it a lot yet. But I can tell you a few things about it. First off, it's a solid, heavy duty unit. I think the flywheel is about 140lbs - a lot of energy there to insure that it doesn't get bogged down when using it. There are two blower options available - a 1-speed and a 2-speed. I have the 1-speed, and I have used it to shred and blow straw over a freshly seeded area. As I recall, it would blow the straw about 20-30 feet pretty easily. There is also a vacumn kit available for it, but according to Bearcat, if you want to use that option you really should get the 2-speed blower. And in order to use the vacumn, you have to have one of the blower's installed - the blower is what actually creates the vacumn. I haven't done much chipping with it, and what I have done is small stuff - I don't plan to chip 5" logs (we call that firewood!) with it, even though it would handle those. The real benefit of that much capacity is that you don't have to trim branches as much - a real time and labor saver. I think the unit is "rated" for a 16HP PTO minimum - if you get the 2-speed blower, you might need a little more PTO HP to run it. Mine with the 1-speed blower runs okay with my tractor - it takes it a minute to come up to speed, and of course it also takes a minute to slow down after you stop the PTO. One thing I don't know about is whether or not it would be worth getting an "overrun clutch". I don't think that an overrun clutch for the PTO is very expensive, so I'll probably get one this year, thinking better safe than sorry. Bearcat also has different sized output screens available for it - allows you to change the size of the chips you create. I haven't priced those yet - the standard screen works just fine for what I want. Also, it looks like replacing the screen would take a little effort - it's bolted into the bottom of the frame. From reading other posts on Chipper/Shredders, a hydraulic infeed is really nice - and really expensive. I don't think that option is available for these units. BTW, when I priced the units, the price difference between the two models was only $100 - in other words I got the shredder for an additional $100. I would definitely suggest that you consider getting the 70554 Chipper/Shredder over the 74554 Chipper, if you can get it for that little a price difference. A few things to note: a "pushblock" for helping feed material into the shredder was not included - it was a purchase option. Given that Bearcat provided safety glasses, I think the pushblock should have been included for safety reasons. The chipper feed tube doesn't have any kind of flap to prevent material from being thrown back out - I cut a couple of pieces of thick rubber and made my own. Finally, I would have designed the ouput tube a little differently, to make it more easy to rotate and to tighten down once set. Keep in mind that Chipper/Shredders can be EXTREMELY dangerous, so make sure that you get into good safety habits with it. Overall, I'm satisfied with the unit, and given the same situation again, I'd buy it again. Hope that helps - Dave Wells

PTO Chippers
Operating and Attachments
Replies 4 Post by Dave Wells

Alan, at this point in your plans, I think Ted & Jeff have pretty much said it all - as someone once said, everything else is just rhetoric. I can assure you that you'll find a lot of useful insights. "None of us individually is as smart as all of us are together" - Dave Wells

what brand and size of compact tractor
Operating and Attachments
Replies 11 Post by Dave Wells

MC, Todd makes some good points. I'd also suggest that you look at the possibility of renting certain implements, f'r instance you might find that renting a tiller would be much more cost effective, especially if you only till your garden once a spring. It SEEMS that rentals in my area are pretty reasonable, but of course it might be different where you live. Some dealers rent all the implements they carry, some only rent certain ones, and some dealers don't - look around!!! And as Bird pointed out earlier, good used implements are definitely worth considering - they can be found at some good savings, if you're willing to look for them. Dave Wells

which brand and what size tractor
Operating and Attachments
Replies 10 Post by Dave Wells

Ron, good luck. Now the fun begins!!!
Dave Wells

broom for jd955
John Deere Tractors
Replies 7 Post by Dave Wells

Boondox, <laugh> I like your use of the tires to slow down tourists. Wonder if it works as well as frost heaves?

Should I get R-4 or AG tires
New Holland Tractors
Replies 15 Post by Dave Wells

Frank, thanks for your kind words. I really enjoy this - the wealth of information that is available is just amazing. The best thing is, it's real, thoughtful information, from people who use their tools in a variety of different ways - not sales hype designed to become between us and our allowance. "None of Us individually is as smart as all of Us are together" - and you can quote me on that! Dave Wells<br>

Help I need information
Mowers Field and Finish
Replies 21 Post by Dave Wells