Questions about John Deere 790

[pretendfarmer]

I just purchased a beautiful JD 790 4x4. The tractor only has about 400 hours and came with a loader but no other attachments. I first want a back blade as I am going to be grading driveways. I was just assuming I should buy a 5' size since it is just wider than the rear wheels. But would 6' be better since this is in fact a 30hp tractor? I think my little 20 horse Yanmar had a 5' blade.

I'm looking for recommendations on rear blades and box scrapers. It seems inventory is kind of thin right now. The high quality, heavy rear blades seem to be out of stock in my area. Apparently Land Pride is 9 months out or something, according to the dealer.

 

[beenthere]

Congrats on the 790. Think 6' blade should work well for you. Good luck finding a used one in your area.

 

[loggin]

I just purchased a beautiful JD 790 4x4. The tractor only has about 400 hours and came with a loader but no other attachments. I first want a back blade as I am going to be grading driveways. I was just assuming I should buy a 5' size since it is just wider than the rear wheels. But would 6' be better since this is in fact a 30hp tractor? I think my little 20 horse Yanmar had a 5' blade.

I'm looking for recommendations on rear blades and box scrapers. It seems inventory is kind of thin right now. The high quality, heavy rear blades seem to be out of stock in my area. Apparently Land Pride is 9 months out or something, according to the dealer.

I would go with the 6 foot blade. There are likely more of them to find used and they tend to be a little heavier which helps to dig into the material. Your tractor should be plenty powerful to use it especially in lower gears.

As far as the box blade goes might be better to stick with a 5 footer. Box blades can become quite a load especially when you engage the ripper teeth and have some material built up.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[RoyJackson]

Having owned a 790 several years ago, I think the 5' blade would work better...depending on how much grading (and type of material) you want to grade. Tire type will count as well. Real light loose dirt, the 6' blade would likely work. Hard packed soil or gravel could be a bit much
The 790 is a pretty light tractor, weighing in a bit over a ton (not including the loader), and that may be the deciding factor.

 

[erikjohn67]

I have a 790 and a 5’ and 6’ box blade. It handles either one fine. The 6’ one is quite a bit beefier than the 5’ one. I will use the smaller one for fine grading but the larger one for tearing up the road to regrade it. FWIW My tractor has turf tires on it.

 

[pretendfarmer]

Something else I've been thinking about - the ROPS is about 4" too tall to fit into my enclosed trailer. I had to remove the top bar and let all the air out of the tires to clear the door. I'm thinking of cutting the steel and then installing a heavy sleeve inside where I can remove half of it for clearance purposes, then reinstall after moving it. It doesn't seem like this would interfere with the structural integrity at all. Any thoughts?

 

[jyoutz]

Something else I've been thinking about - the ROPS is about 4" too tall to fit into my enclosed trailer. I had to remove the top bar and let all the air out of the tires to clear the door. I'm thinking of cutting the steel and then installing a heavy sleeve inside where I can remove half of it for clearance purposes, then reinstall after moving it. It doesn't seem like this would interfere with the structural integrity at all. Any thoughts?

Cutting and messing with the ROPs is typically considered a big no-no that jeopardizes the integrity and safety of the ROPs. Some people do this but it’s never recommended.

 

[pretendfarmer]

Cutting and messing with the ROPs is typically considered a big no-no that jeopardizes the integrity and safety of the ROPs. Some people do this but it’s never recommended.

I understand that, and I don't want to do any modifications which would undermine the integrity. But it's all just steel, so no special sauce. The newer ones have folding ROPS. If they're strong enough, this would be plenty strong enough.

Another idea is to grab an extra set of smaller tires and wheels to throw on the rear when I'm ready to haul it. Then I wouldn't have to air down the tires and remove the top bar. I'm just trying to figure an easier way of getting this into my enclosed trailer.

 

[beenthere]

Something else I've been thinking about - the ROPS is about 4" too tall to fit into my enclosed trailer. I had to remove the top bar and let all the air out of the tires to clear the door. I'm thinking of cutting the steel and then installing a heavy sleeve inside where I can remove half of it for clearance purposes, then reinstall after moving it. It doesn't seem like this would interfere with the structural integrity at all. Any thoughts?

I would cut it down to fit. Might be a no-no to some, but it is your tractor and your convenience to consider here.

 

[Reddogs]

I just purchased a beautiful JD 790 4x4. The tractor only has about 400 hours and came with a loader but no other attachments. I first want a back blade as I am going to be grading driveways. I was just assuming I should buy a 5' size since it is just wider than the rear wheels. But would 6' be better since this is in fact a 30hp tractor? I think my little 20 horse Yanmar had a 5' blade.

I'm looking for recommendations on rear blades and box scrapers. It seems inventory is kind of thin right now. The high quality, heavy rear blades seem to be out of stock in my area. Apparently Land Pride is 9 months out or something, according to the dealer.

NO...., under no circumstances get a 6 foot on the 790. I made that mistake and it scraped both sides of my tires for the past 20 years when I turn..... If you want to try it come by and take mine and you will see...