P12JW, I have just picked up a JD450 '81 model and have put about 60 hours on it now... They are pretty simple to operate, maybe not correctly but getting it around. It should take about 4-8 hours to get tthings down and start doing something useful. Have used mine for mostly clearing brush and fence lines out. Dirt work is the hardest. Mine has four gears, with a H-L-R shifter High-Low-Reverse also a netural in there. Brake on right, clutch on left. The only time you use it is to shift gears like on the tractor. With the motor running the transmission is turing full time. It is hydro-static for H-L-R, no clutch used. To start motor be sure it is in N (mine has a non-nutrual lock out that works again), let it idle and bring it up to speed slowly. To start working set RPM to lowest green setting on tach(1500 or so) lift blade and drop H-L-R into L or R and you are off. To stop pull H-L-R back to N and hit brake if in a hurry to stop, they do not coast far. Fine a open place to play around a while. The levers go to clutch then brake the track on that side... going forward was easy backing is tricky for a while.. (turn the wrong way)... Operator's manual says not to load the motor too heavy for the first 15 minutes as the motor warms-up. Also let the motor idle for about 2 minutes cool down for the turbo. You can get call a 800 number and get a operator's manual and have it overnighted to you if you would like.. cost on manual will be less the $15... Let me know if you need anything else...