So, I'm on my third JD tractor so far........

[fattyfat1]

started with a 4010 18hp which had pitifully weak hydraulics, stepped up to the 4310 to do tractor work as a side biz, great hyd. system, plenty of power, but unfortunately it turned into too much work, and with a 40hr gig already + being an instructor for my unions apprenticeship program, time for my kids and sanity was at a premium. sold the 4310 to a friend, and with equity bought a 06 2305. absolutely wonderful machine! smaller than the 4010 in stature, but waaayyy more powerful, and i don't have to work it so i feel like it is paying for itself! heres my gripe. the lighting systems on all three of these machines is horrible. with a FEL, forget seeing anything unless the bucket is so low, it drags every bump you hit. i can't mount lights to ROPS because i removed it. orchard trees + ROPS = impossible! also, why in the heck can you activate the lights w/out the key. tractor crazy 2 & 4 year olds love to push buttons and turn dials while daddy's at work, so he can come home to a dead tractor. no tool box! i had to mount ammo boxes using the holes where my ROPS was. why don't the buckets come w/hooks? how come Deere doesn't have a clamshell bucket option or offer a grapple of some sort, a toothbar? just down the road i could have bought a Tytan int. for almost half the price of the Deere. the tranny's drop out after 12 hrs, and the wiring harnesses melt down at twenty, but at least they come w/ clamshell bucket on the FEL!

 

[Thomas]

Lights...if JD has fel maybe install lights on the inside of loader arms???

 

[Oleozz]

Lots of companies offer well built toothbars and grapples for sale. Bought my toothbar from Maine and my grapple from the midwest, both easy to install for a total price with shipping at about $650.

 

[NoMo]

Lighting on most small tractors is hindered by a FEL, so it's not just a Deere thing. Only thing you can do is try to find an alternate mount point for aux. lights since you removed the item designed to carry the aux. lights.

In regards to the lights working with no key, I find it to be a handy thing. Your best bet is to teach your kids to not mess with the tractor. A run-down battery would be the least of my worries when kids are playing on equipment.

The lack of desired attachments from Deere can probably be attributed to a lack of demand and/or design limitations for that model of tractor.

 

[GATOR445]

hello

mount some lights on the post of the fel. you can make a wiring harness to plug in to the rear work light plug behind seat. Then make quick disconnect at lights so when you take the loader off you can just unplug.

As for the rops please get in touch with your ins. agent to make sure your life ins. is up to date. Then don't let your kids drive the tractor please.

 

[fattyfat1]

I know i'm gonna get alot of flak over the no ROPS thing. WA state is the apple capital of the WORLD. have any of you ever seen an orchard tractor w/anything sticking up in the air that can catch on branches.... NO I didn't think so. Also, my children are NOT allowed near the tractor unless ALL hydraulics are down, pressure relieved, and locked out, parking brake set, and the key out. what little boy doesn't want to sit on daddy's tractor? what two year old doesn't push buttons and turn levers. when i'm at work and the wife grabs something out of the garage, the little guy must run over and turn on the lights. believe me, this is not a safety issue. The tractor is completely dead. thank you to those who had helpful advice on lights and bucket options, to those who are more concerned about what i teach my children, and how much life insurance i carry, the safety forum is just a few clicks away. i appreciate your concern, but if i wanted that kind of advice, i would have posted there instead. now, back to the ROPS thing. I have literally agonized over removing that thing. even folding ROPS sticks up higher than my head when i'm ducking under branches. trust me when i say that catching a branch in the face from springing off the ROPS is THE most dangerous senario in the orchard.

 

[Egon]

On my little tractor the lights are also useless.

Have you considered a helmet mounted head lamp. It may not be the best but it shines in the direction you look. The helmet may also save you from the odd back slap. The ones I hate are Hawthorn. They really hurt.

It may be possible to mount a small 12 volt light on a hard hat or climbing helmet that plugs into the tractors electric system.

And Oh, there is no ROPS on my tractor either. In some of the places I work the tractor it could be a liability. A cage would be the only alternative and that will not happen.

But I do agree that in most instances a ROPS is a good safety device.

 

[AlanB]

I would not have thought of it, but as Egon brought it up, some of the guys I ride motorcycles with have gotten some kind of new strap on headlight (as in for your head) that has something like a Luxon or Luxor or something or another light in it and a battery pack they wear.

They say (I have never tried it) but they say that these things are bright enough to ride with. As a general statement, on the tractor you are probably going fairly slow at night, and really only need to see I would think 10 feet or so in front of your FEL, they just may work.

I can ask the guys the name brand or model of the one they were talking about if it interests you. They were pretty specific that it was "that" one, not just all the helmet lights that let you do that.

I would suggest you put in a battery disconnect switch under the hood or something. A cheap one from HF is probably less then $5 and a premium quality one from Napa is probably about $25. It would be one more step you would need to do when parking your tractor, but too me, the aggravation saved and the wear on your battery from having it totally flat for extended periods of time would be worth it.

 

[GIJOE]

Locate the hot wire that feeds the light switch and add a relay in line. Wire the relay to the ignition so when you turn the ignition off the relay opens and prevents current to the lighting circuit.

 

[john_bud]

also, why in the heck can you activate the lights w/out the key. tractor crazy 2 & 4 year olds love to push buttons and turn dials while daddy's at work, so he can come home to a dead tractor. !

Well the fact you come home to a dead tractor isn't the point (just an evil bonus). The light are wired the same as your car. It's thought to be the best way to do it. The suggestion to rewire the lights is ok, but if you go to Summit racing dot com you can get a battery disconnect switch pretty cheap. They are mandatory on race cars. It's just a rotary switch that can take full cranking amps. Other suggestion would be to use a marine battery disconnect switch. I feeeeel that it a better solution as you aren't diddling with the wiring as much so there is less chance of other problems being caused by the solution.

My son used to turn on the key for the lawnmower (wouldn't start as it has clutch and seat interlock). The down side is that the hour meter would rack up time until the battery went dead. He's better trained now.

jb