Bought My First JD, Any Last Word of Advice?

[ebeb]

On saturday I signed the papers for a new 4410 (430fel, 48bh, 72"mmm).

A year ago we moved into our new house on 20 wooded acres. I bot the tractor to mow the 5-6 acres of grass, and to help clean up the balance of the land. Some areas we are clearing, others we are simply clearing up. Lots of fun along the way.

I will get a delivery date from my local dealer tomorrow afternoon, probably gonna be 7 days as they have the machine in stock.

My question: any advice you give to a first time tractor owner on other things I will need?

1-Know I need to get a couple big chains to use to drag trees/etc.

2-Will I need chains for the tires (r4's) when I am plowing the driveway (pretty serious hill on my 1200' drive).

3-Anything special I need to get in terms of grease/etc to maintain the machine?

I am looking for real basic advice. Picture yourself when you bought your first tractor, and remember all the things you figured out in the first month that you needed/wanted to make your tractor more useful/productive.

I want to put this list together now, get the dealer to send me this grocery list of things now, rather than figure them out one by one over the next month.

Thanks for the advice again?

Eric

 

[JDgreen227]

Congrats on the purchase, sounds really impressive. As I don't know if you are the mechanical type who already has a supply of tools, etc. it's difficult to answer your post. Yes, you will need chains for pulling things, plus get at least one clevis to attach to your drawbar. Get one chain with a grab hook at one end and another with a slip hook at one end. Ask the dealer to install grab hooks on the FEL bucket and I hope you are getting the HD bucket instead of the standard light duty one.

If you don't have any fuel cans for diesel buy some yellow 5 gallon containers or get new red ones and mark them "diesel" so you know what is in them. I've been very happy with the JD greases so get a tube or two and a grease gun if you don't already have one.

Not knowing where you reside I can't answer your question about chains, but with 4wd you can climb some really steep hills in bad weather without them. I don't know if you are getting the rear tires loaded with ballast but if you want that done NOW is the time.

You might ask your dealer to give you a second set of manuals for the tractor and attachments so you can keep a set in the shop and a set in the house, my shop set gets dirty and the others stay pristine. Hopefully, this information will help. Enjoy the new tractor.

Bill

 

[dmp437]

I've had mine since July 03 and one of the most useful things I've added are extra lights. JD makes auxiliary lights that mount on brackets that go around the flashers on the ROPS. Very handy during the winter months for clearing snow out after sundown.
Another useful thing is a tube of Loctite Blue, used in re-attaching hardware that falls off. Last season the right rear wheel on the 72" MMM must have come off 4 times. Sometimes you find the hardware , sometimes you don't.
Get a pressure gauge for the tires, I assume yours are loaded?
Make sure to have a grease gun with a flexible hose on it; makes the job much easier. There are 14-16 grease points on the FEL, another 10 or so on the MMM.
Be sure to pick up some diesel fuel conditioner if you don't already have some and use it according to the directions. Using fuel conditioner, if nothing else, protects and prolongs the injection pump, a VERY pricey repair.

 

[cadblaster]

I actully like having two grease guns, one with a flexible hose, and another pistol grip type with a rigid pipe. It's sometimes hard to get a flex hose type to push on to the fittings when in tight locations.
For bearings, get the JD grease that's listed in the book. It's got a higher operating temperature that any other grease I've found.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

A socket big enough for those wheel lug nuts. Check them EVERY use at first!!

A good wax, clean and wax it well before you get it dirty, if you never wax it ever again, you'll still be way ahead.

Have you checked on top and tilt? That would be a big help with that drive and cheaper to at least get the plumbing NOW!

Get an assortment of pins to keep in that little toolbox.

A nice bright thermal mug for the cupholder...

 

[Egon]

If you are changing your own fluids get proper containers.

Wrenchs and sockets to tighten loose bolts/nuts come in handy

figure out how to clean the radiator exterior.

Learn how to service the air cleaner.

Check again for loose nuts and bolts.

Steep-snow- ice - chains go together.

A drawbar on the three point is nice.

Note where all things that could be attacked by trees or bushes are located.

Egon

 

[ebeb]

Really helpful stuff. A couple questions:

1-What is a clevis (sounds like a guy from andy griffeth)

2-What is a drawbar for a 3 point?

3-A bit concerned with tire prints in my lawns (that is why i got 4410 not 4710). Will tire ballast make it worse and/or be incrementally more helpful getting up hills and when using loader/bh?

Great suggestions I will pursue:
1-Hooks on HD bucket
2-Buy JD grease
3-2cd set of manuals
4-grease gun with flexible hose
5-tire chains (buy from JD or farm and fleet?)
6-diesel conditioner
7-wax machine right away

Thanks for help on this list!!

Eric

 

[cadblaster]

1. clevis, I think he means shackle.
2. Drawbar, a "heavy" bar that mounts between your 3 pt. lift arms that has a series of holes in it to attach shakles, or pin hitch towed items.

 

[JayC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( 3-A bit concerned with tire prints in my lawns (that is why i got 4410 not 4710). )</font>

Are you getting the R4s? They are pretty wide to begin with. Being they are pretty wide (the rears), I wouldn't think that loading them would increase the pressure exerted on the ground that much. I don't know how true this is, but I remember hearing something to the effect of, "A 25,000 pound dozer doesn't exert any more pressure on the ground than a 250 pound man." If you do get the rears loaded, I would recommend Rim Guard . It is non-corrosive to the rims and safe for the environment. Other liquids that are put in tires like calcium is highly corrosive and if you spill it, it will kill any vegetation on the spot. I have heard that if calcium does spill on some vegetation, it will be a very long time before anything grows in that spot again. People also fill their tires with other liquids too like windshield washer fluid, water (depending on your location, water will freeze up depending on how cold it gets), and some put foam in their tires.

 

[jimmo]

Also, get a spinner for the steering wheel. With a 4410 and a 72 inch deck its worth it. Think about a 4 in 1 bucket with a toothbar. Think FEL on steriods.
jimmo