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Scott, I'll be real curious to hear how you like it. Just for info, that's the same way I like my own tractors equipped: Power steering, standard transmission, and something less aggressive than an Ag tire. Sounds like you have the right implements as well. Now you can just sit back and enjoy the tractoring.

Do I want a Massey
Massey Ferguson Tractors
Replies 23 Post by Roger L.

Some of the shuttle shifts have internal clutch packs right where you would expect the syncros to be. Instead of shifting the cogs, the shuttle lever actuates one or the other of the internal clutches. Larger tractors use that system and call it "power shift".
I've experienced Tom's mental fog when looking at transmissions myself. A trick that helps me is to remember that whenever you have two gears on one shaft driving two gears on another shaft then one of those shafts is not solid clear through. The two piece shaft is typically joined by a bearing somewhere in its length between its two gears so that each end can rotate at a different speed.
In designing transmissions a lot of attention is paid to "spin down rate". That determines how long a shaft and gear will go on spinning when it is no longer driven, and has a large effect of how the tranny shifts.

Live PTO
John Deere Tractors
Replies 15 Post by Roger L.

Be sure you are looking at PTO HP and not engine HP when you look up the power of the tractor. A common rule of thumb is to allow two tractor PTO HP for every 1000 watts of electrical power. (the actual scientific conversion says that you can get 50% more electricity out of your two hp, but you probably don't want to work your tractor that hard).
Remember that we are talking maximums here. In actual home use, a 15000 watt generator is rarely asked to put out that much constant power, so it doesn't always need full tractor hp to turn it...only when all the circuits are loaded.
More commonly you will be drawing perhaps 5000 watts, and the governor on the tractor will automatically reduce the throttle so that the engine is only working at a proportionately reduced hp rate.

pto generator
John Deere Tractors
Replies 4 Post by Roger L.

Well, you'll get no argument from me with that philosophy.
A question often asked is "How long do they last?". From what I've seen in the last 25 years, it is beginning to look as though one compact tractor - regularly maintained - will last a person most of his working life. Because of this durability, and because design changes have been slow in the tractor world, then tractor value doesn't change much either. It isn't unusual for a used one to be worth exactly what it cost new a couple of decades later.
Given all the above, it seems reasonable to buy as good as one can afford instead of looking for a bargain.

Honda Compact tractor
Other Tractor Brands
Replies 37 Post by Roger L.

I don't know about that joystick, but lots of control valves have relief valves built into them. Not uncommon at all. It sounds like your MMM lift mechanism is binding.

Hydraulic problem on MMM
Cub Cadet
Replies 33 Post by Roger L.

With the price that those JD430W are bringing it must have paid for some of that new tractor. That's a very collectable model. It is nice to think that a guy could have bought that tractor brand new in 1960, used it for 40 years, and probably sold it at a profit. With any luck, we will be doing the same thing 40 years from now.

Deere 4600 purchase
John Deere Tractors
Replies 18 Post by Roger L.

Tom, the welding gauge will work, although I use a fluid-damped one myself.
As for the threads, fluid thread types is a universe all its own. There are lots of competing "standards". For example, even though there is a metric thread specifically for tapered pipe fittings, it is rarely used. Instead, many of the Japanese manufacturers are still using the old British Standard Tapered Pipe specification complete with the 55 degree included angle and with the pitch in "threads per inch"!
I haven't the slightest idea what the European metric manufacturers use. BTW, where was that NH loader made? Last I looked, some of European fluid containment mfg. was using an ultra fine metric thread not found anywhere else except for aviation.
Bottom line on hydraulic fittings is either get ready to do a lot of self-education or just buy the part.

hydraulic fitting size
Parts and Repair
Replies 3 Post by Roger L.

A few years back I had to dig a shallow trench about 75 feet in very rocky ground. It wasn't much of a trench, but the rocks made hand digging a real chore. Way too rocky to pull any type of ground breaker. After some head scratching I bolted an old backhoe bucket backwards onto the bottom of my loader bucket. Called it a "halfback". It works like a very small loader bucket, but in reverse. Hard to explain, but if anyone is interested I can send a e-photo that shows the rig. It is crude and digs slowly....but then it only cost me an old backhoe bucket and an hour with some scrap metal. Sure beat doing it by hand.

Implement to dig a shallow irrigation trench
Operating and Attachments
Replies 16 Post by Roger L.

cutter, am I missing something? It seems to me that Kubota has a heavy duty part available which you can choose to buy if you want one. Sounds like a good deal, not a bad deal. Or are you saying that their standard 3pt top link will not stand up to their own specifications?

Top link breakage
Kubota Tractors
Replies 4 Post by Roger L.

Do what every one else does: get a spreader and fling it onto a field that needs improving. Horse manure is not sloppy like cow manure. It is mostly fiber and will go back into the soil and bulk it up as well.

What to do with Horse manure pile
Parts and Repair
Replies 15 Post by Roger L.

We just bought a F250 4x4 extended cab Turbo-diesel...Its actually a work truck for us. Nice machine; but not quite the pep and smooth ride as the '95 model with the full time turbo and independent front suspension. Compared to the '95 model, this one has much nicer doors plus it has air bags. And we got this one with 390 rear gears rather than the 4.10:1.

My oppinion on my new 2002 f250 4x4
Pickup Trucks and Trailers
Replies 15 Post by Roger L.

With three tractors you wouldn't even have to change implements....roger

One machine or two
New Holland Tractors
Replies 12 Post by Roger L.

If you look at the literature closely, you will find that the 1710 Ford 3pt was rated at the ends of the 3pt links instead of two feet behind the link ends as is the standard today. That would account for the difference in lift capacity.
I think that 3pt lift capacity is rated by how much you can lift and maintain steering control with the standard weight distribution. Wheelbase and weight distribution are going to be big players when the manufacturer sets this spec.

John Deere 4100 with 410 loader
John Deere Tractors
Replies 12 Post by Roger L.

Hal, congratulations on your website. Getting the variety of Chinese tractors sorted out is an ambitious project. My hat is off to you.

Chinese Tractors
Other Tractor Brands
Replies 4 Post by Roger L.

I wouldn't make the assumption that the 650 front end is light duty. In fact, it is difficult to think of anything made of steel that is not quite a bit more capable than that. It could just as easily be that the spec is related to how much downforce that they manufacturer wants to keep on the rear wheels. Remember that the rear wheels are the ones with traction and brakes!
So they may also be telling us that the front ends are identical and that the 750 weighs more, or is rated to lift more counterweight on its 3pt hitch...or even that the 750 simply has a longer wheelbase. Roger L.

Loader for a JD 655 tractor
John Deere Tractors
Replies 7 Post by Roger L.

Yes, that is the same connection to the foxes that I made: specifically that 200 stumps a day requires sprinting between trees... even if they are in an orchard.
As for the pulley and mechanical advantage, I believe that the author has that part right. If I understand his explanation, you anchor the rope to one stump and then go around another to be pulled and end up pulling on the end of the line leading back toward the first stump. So that when the horse takes a step forward, the loop of rope around the stump only moves half a step in the horse's direction. That horse is as smart as our fox because he is trading distance for force.

Tractor Design
Yanmar Tractors
Replies 14 Post by Roger L.

Rob, I was looking at a 1050 owner's manual today, and notice that it does show a picture of tying the clutch down with a piece of string!
But here is a better way: Notice that as you push the clutch pedal down your instep comes even with a flange held by a couple of (14mm?) bolts. If you fabricate a pivoting "L" shaped piece of metal and attach it under one of those bolts, you can just swing it over to lock down the clutch. Its not an original idea, lots of compacts have this little pivoting latch mechanism. If you look at a few gear-drive compacts you are bound to see one.

info on a jd 1050
John Deere Tractors
Replies 16 Post by Roger L.

Most compacts use a standard rim and bolt circle. No need to buy by brand name and much cheaper. Most (not all) wheel offsets are standard as well. You might start by going to millertire.com and looking at the rims there. If yours is 4wd, be darn sure to match your existing front to back tire circumference ratio. You can probably do that on the 1210 by putting on the same Ag tires that were originally offered for that tractor. Tires are also standard size. The manufacturers typically did not change the front to back gearing when they went to turfs, they just matched the ag ratio from the selection of existing turf tires. You can do the same in reverse. But why go to ag tires at all? Seems like most go the other way?

Ag rims
Parts and Repair
Replies 3 Post by Roger L.

OK Dennis, now that is fast service! I do like the pop up window. Thanks. And now understand the compressed format....nope, I can't think of what else to call it, but I bet someone can. Roger L.

New CTB Version Needs Volunteers for Testing
Website Operations Howto
Replies 20 Post by Roger L.

Mark, I'm not surprised that the Japanese make a better compact tractor for JD. After all, they have all of the experience. JD just started domestic design and production of compacts here in the last few years. They will doubtless get better. I am a firm believer that we should encourage domestic manufacture in all fields - even though it means putting up with teething problems in the short term. After saying that, I should confess that I have owned an equal number of JDs and Yanmars over the years - wonder what that means?....if anything.
As for the service bulletins, they are closely guarded documents and I wish you best of luck getting a copy of them for anything currently produced. The manufacturer is in an impossible situation: on the one hand he needs to tell his dealers how to fix design problems, and on the other hand he can never admit that problems exist.

What every John Deere owner should know
John Deere Tractors
Replies 7 Post by Roger L.