790

[FordTruckGuy]

R1 tires.

[daTeacha]

Before mixing tire types, check the rolling radius. The 4wd systems are usually designed so the front wheels have a very slightly faster ground speed than the rears. Mixing tire types and therefore sizes can lead to some serious driveline stresses if you aren't careful about your homework.

[tarscraper]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I've had a 790 for about two years now...and you're right on all your observations.
These are nice tractors...quite robust and simple to work on.

As far as the transmission...one thing you cannot do is shift on the go. The collarshift transmission has to be stopped to shift up or down. This never bothered me, even though I mow with this tractor (although I must admit, I recently priced a 3320 with Power Reverser...but going in debt for another 5 years...I'll stick with the 790).
Another thing...reverse gear is either way too slow (in low range) or way too fast (in high) if you intend to use a rear snow blower (which I'm not...).

If you buy a 790 with loader, get those tires loaded and make sure the dealer includes a ballast box with the deal. The loaded tires help with stability, the ballast box helps with loader work (increased traction as well as stability). I got a ballast box recently and is does make quite a difference when you drive into a pile of clumpy material.

As far as the rear mower...I use a 5' unit. I'd love a 6' mower (tractor can easily handle a 6' mower...I just don't want to spend the money).
If you're going to get a rotary cutter, a 5' unit works quite well.

Other implements? Well, I don't have any experience (other then a rear blade for snow plowing) but the 790 is a light weight...take that in account if you're considering a tiller or other implement. Now, I bought the 790 to run a chipper (which I've not purchased yet), but a smaller Valby or Woods should work fine.

Nice tractor...I'm sure you'll really enjoy one, if you buy it. )</font>

Roy priced a 3320!!!??? Is this the same Roy that gave me advice on the 990? Say it isn't so...Roy can't be leaving gears behind!!!

[RoyJackson]

"Roy priced a 3320!!!??? Is this the same Roy that gave me advice on the 990? Say it isn't so...Roy can't be leaving gears behind!!! "

Nope...looked at one with a Power Reverser. Still a gear tranny, just easier to reverse. Also, better control of the speed in reverse operations.

Doubt if I do it...the 790 runs great..has just 100 hours on it..and, I'm only caring for a total of between 5 and 6 acres.

But I do like to kick the tires now and then...

[tarscraper]

I forgot the 790 has 2 ranges not 3. I found that to be an issue for me with the Kubota B7500 I had.

[randy_berger]

hey i just bought a 790 (attached) on saturday and spent the day sun moving wood around. love the way it feels with the gears and all. its a lot like my 84 shovelhead (harley) actually. getting the tires ballasted soon and hopefully that solves my concerns about the 790. tires spun trying to drag a (maybe 600 lb) footbridge bridge away with a chain. was also a little bugged by the fact that the loader couldn't lift the big pile of ice on my driveway. maybe that's just a breakaway strength issue since it was stuck frozen. i noticed the newer models (i.e., 4120) have a lot more 3-pt lifting power (1700 lbs versus 800). might not be enough to pull bushes out with it. anyone use a 790 for that? these power issues have me wondering if maybe i should have a 990 instead. might be too big for mowing though, which is what i'll be doing mostly once the land is cleared. my 790 is the 81 cu in model (almost exactly the same displacement as the shovelhead!) so maybe some of this is the smaller engine.

[RobS]

Great looking tractor Randy! Welcome to TBN and you're off to a great start with a picture in your first post!

I've got a 790 a couple years older than yours (mine has the 70 loader). It's a super tractor but pretty light. You'll likely run out of traction well before power in most situations. Getting your tires loaded will certainly help. I've even considered wheel weights.

Sounds (and looks) like you're enjoying it. Keep those pictures coming [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[RoyJackson]

Hi Randy!
Most of the issues you'll have with the tractor will be due to it's light weight. The ballast in the tires helps some, but a ballast box with 600# of sand (or something else) really helps traction! If you add a toothbar and plan to move any materials that have been setting for a while (clumpy now), the ballast box is essential. You can use an implement, but in my case the rotary cutter is the only one heavy enough, but it's really to long to use as ballast (and, that could lead to a tail wagging the dog situation if you turned too quickly).

I don't have chains...got stuck several times while plowing my and my neighbor's drive. Normally, I got out for the first passes when the snow is 8-10" deep. This time I waited until it was 15". That was a mistake on my part.

As far as dragging things...well, it's still a 2100 pound machine and that's kind of light. You may have to reduce your load a bit...make a few extra trips. Of course, that's more seat time, isn't it?

As far as the 3PH and loader capacities...well, how much do you really need to lift? My cutter is my heaviest implement (other then the ballast box, but that's not really an implement). The cutter weighs about 625#, so I have plenty of lifting capacity.

If you're planning to pull bushes out using the 3PH...make sure your loader is installed and you have yr seat belt on! Yanking stuff like that is a recipe` for a rear rollover. I'd try hitching to the draw bar first. I do think you'd run out of traction trying to pull a bush out...if it has any kind of root system.

Good luck with your new tractor!

[HRS]

Ok guys, I've given some consideration to the weight concern several have mentioned, and I'm curious as to how much weight loaded tires, water, will add to the tractor. Now I have never tried a 790, so I have no idea how it will perform. However, I have used another cut out in a field. This one weighs in at 2,474 lbs. With tires loaded and equipped with R4's, it pulled a 5,500 lb spreader all around a plowed field and even up a slight grade in one particular place. No kidding, I was the driver. It actually did as well, maybe better, than a 2wd F 2000 that weighs in at 3600 lbs dry weight. I have no idea how much the thing actually weighs as it has its tires loaded also. Needless to say, I was very impressed with this cut. The only thing I didn't like about it were the R4 tires. Its tires slipped some, but it kept going. My 2000 actually stopped and started spinning. I felt that with R1 tires, this CUT would have truly been a wolf in sheep's clothing. By the way, this CUT was not carrying its FEL at this time.

So I did the Math, We are looking at a 374 lb difference between these two CUTs. That just doesn't seem like that great of a difference. But I don't know, I haven't used the 790. Maybe an extra 200 or so lbs will make a world of difference.

So I pulled up John Deere to see what a little extra weight would cost. Wow $$$$!!!
I'm not sure how many plates can be added to each tire, but 100 lbs can be added to each rear tire for a little more than $200 per tire. The front bracket with around 168 lbs can be added for a little over $298. So to get this tractor's traction equal to one that I know, it will cost me nearly $700.

The 790's price might have just gone up. But then again, maybe not. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[FordTruckGuy]

HRS, you have to indicate the brand/model of CUT that pulled all that weight. I would be highly skeptical that the 790 could equal that in performance.

I went through the 790 versus 990 questions all the same, and have had my doubts form time to time about sticking with the 790, but in the end, the 990 is just out of my needs. There might be a rare occasion when the 790 wont' "cut" it, and I wish I had the 990, but for what I paid and what I use it for the majority of the time, it's really a no-brainer.