Go BottomLooking for Input on JD4200 JD4400
 | Robert Patrick
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2000-03-15 13777
I'm considering either a 4200 or 4400 HST w/60" belly mower and am looking for opinions from owners.1. This will mainly be a mowing machine. Got 1 acre to finish mow and need to cut part of a 5 acre field (neighbor cuts other part.) I know either 4200 or 4400 is WAY overkill for mowing, but want a larger tractor for clearing snow, light groundskeeping, etc. My main fear is that I'll end up fighting the tractor to maneuver it around the yard. I drove a 4400 HST today w/o mower and it seemed surprisingly nimble. Any coments on maneuverability?2. Is the mower on either of these lifted by a dedicated hydro cylinder or are they rigged up to the 3pt hitch?3. How are these on slopes? Part of the yard is at a 40 degree angle. My father in law has cut this area before on an old JD 318 and mowed across it w/o problems but I'm concerned about the higher COG on the 4000's. Can somebody with an owner's manual check this for me? The JD web site doesn't say anything and I want to keep the dealer honest.
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| Larry in MI.
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2000-03-15 13780
I can not answer all of your questions but on the 4100 the mower is tied to the 3pt. Before the 4100 I owned a 318. I always felt more comfortable on slopes with the 318. Just my .5 cents worth. ....
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| Jim Youtz
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2000-03-15 13783
I have a 4100 that I use for just the purposes you describe and also some dirt work with a blade. Never felt like I needed anything larger. My tractor handles the following attachments just fine: 56" mid-mount mower, 5' rear blade, subsoiler, one bottom plow, 52" rototiller, rear dirt scoop. Plowed 18" of heavy wet snow last week, no problem. I would say that unless you have more in mind than you mentioned, it would be overkill for you to get anything larger than a 4100. ....
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| Mike S.
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2000-03-15 13787
Robert--IMHO the 4200 is somewhat underpowered. One person mentioned that they could not use highrange axle (roadgear) if the highway was not level. I have experience with a 4400HST (loader, belly mower, etc.). The belly mower can be outfitted with its own lift cylinder as an option to answer one of your questions.
May I suggest going back and reading some past postings about this line of tractors--particularly the turf-tearing. Allegedly the newest models have had this and some other issues fixed, but earlier models are still awaiting their fixes for the turf-tearing. This line of JD compact diesels have a very tight turning radius, but many of us found that if we made a slow turn at less than half way to steering lock, the grass was literally peeled out of the ground by the front tires. A retro fix for this condition has been promised, but there has been no postings to indicate that any of us have had the front axles replaced yet. It would be worth your while to use the search capability of this fine Web site to help you come up with the answers you seek. Good luck. ....
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| Terry Weivoda
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2000-03-16 13788
If you decide on one of the Deere 4200-4400 tractors I would suggest that you look for a tractor with the new front axle (assuming you want MFWD). I haven't driven a tractor with the new front axle but a local dealer just received a 4400 this week. You can tell the difference easily by looking at the power steering cylinder under the tractor. The old style (turf destroyers) has a piston exiting both ends of the power steering cylinder. The power steering cylinder on the new axle has a single piston that connects to the right hand front spindle with a connecting tie rod to the left spindle.
I think you will save yourself considerable grief if you demand a tractor with the new style front axle. Your post said that you plan to use this tractor for mowing. Your turf will look like you ran a disk accross it if you try to turn at more than about 35 degree angle. The old style MFWD axle is a bad design in my opinion. You probably can spend more time mowing, and less time trying to convince your dealer's service manager that there is front axle problem, if you look for a tractor with the new front axle. ....
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| Robert Patrick
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2000-03-16 13793
Mike and Terry - Believe me, I'm well aware of the scuffing problem! I started looking at JD and Boomers last fall and almost went with the Booomer because of the scuffing. Decided to wait out the winter to see if JD fixed the problem and was delighted to see they had. The local dealer has about a dozen 4000's on the lot which he says all came in after Jan 1 and all of them have the double piston steering cylinder. Needless to say, thanks to this board, I'll be waiting for the new front axle!
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| JeffM
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2000-03-16 13815
Back in January I test drove 2 new 4400's on the same day at different dealerships. Neither had the newest axle design with the conventional tie-rod. One of these 4400's scuffed unacceptably (it was several months old) while the other 4400 was just fine (it had just arrived at the dealer that week). I was driving both on hard surfaces that had light snow cover so I could see any front tire lateral movement that would cause scuffing. I have a new 4400 on order but would suggest from my experience that NOT ALL the older 4400's had a scuffing problem. A buyer "might" be able to negotiate a better price on an "old" axle tractor, but be sure that you drive it first to ensure that it does not scuff unacceptably. ....
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| Mike
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2000-03-17 13853
WAY overkill indeed.Why such a small mower deck on such big tractors?If your stuck on Deere,the 4100 will do anything and everthing you ask of it,and for a lot less money.The lighter the tractor,the easier on your lawn,load the smaller tractor with weights to push snow and other tasks that ask for extra weight.If your not stuck on Deere,might check out the B-Sieres Kubota line.The smaller units still offer Bi-speed turn,a great feature for mowing. ....
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| Jack in IL
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2000-03-18 13883
The deck on a 4100 is controled by the 3 point hitch, but on 4200 and up it is controlled by a dedicated hydraulic cylinder under the tractor. This has to be removed when you use a front mount snow blower. Since you are going to be on slopes, the wheels should be set in the widest position for stability. There is only one approved position available with turf tires on a 4100 and it is rather narrow (Overall tractor width of about 48 inches). All others can be set out wider. The wheelbase on the 4200 is shorter than on the 43 and 44. There are some restrictions on combinations of tires, wheel spacings and mower deck sizes that your dealer can provide. Compacts are generally not as stable on side slopes as garden tractors. If you could mow a certain slope safely with a 318, there is no guarantee that you could take a compact tractor and mid-mount mower on it. You might want to invest a couple of bucks in a carpenters pendulum protractor to measure your slope---40 degrees is steeper than most people could walk on. Maybe you could get your dealer to provide a demonstration on your property before you decide between a large garden tractor and a compact tractor. ....
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| Robert Patrick
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2000-03-18 13894
To All - Thanks for the info. The specs on the 4300 and 4400 are virtually identical except for the HP. And the only difference between the 4200 and the 4300/4400 (besides HP) is 4200 wheelbase is 3" shorter (overall length is the same), ROPS is 3" shorter (not really much of an issue), tires are slightly smaller and the 4200 is 125 lbs. lighter (not a lot for a 2900 lb. tractor.) The 4200 just looks a lot more compact on the dealer's lot. Given this similarity, I've decided to go for the 4400 - I've never heard anybody complain, "I just hate that tractor because it has too much power." Anyway, I'm going to try to get the dealer to haul the 4400 he's got out to my place for a test drive. If I like it, I'll order on (in order to get the new front axle...) Thanks again - Rob ....
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| Eddie Watkins
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2000-03-24 14116
I went to the JD dealer yesterday and he had a new 4300 and 4400. Both had the new style axle on them. He also had an older model and the difference was obvious. THanks to some feedback here on the board, I was able to recognize the difference. ....
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York 
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2000-03-24 14126
For what you have why not the BX kubota and then you don't need to worry about the overkill! ....
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| Chuck Westerfield
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2000-04-19 14952
I've been on the scuff board and am waiting on my new front end. The dealer advised that the factory is sending, however I have encountered another problem that could be an accident situation. Was mowing today and noted that the lift would not work...in examining the control bracket had loosened from the lift arm on the left side. Upon future examination I noticed that it was held on by an e key and the lift is very small. If this arm pops off the lift will fall. I drilled a hole and put a kotter key with washer. This is a riskey item. Please check yours. ....
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