John Deere JD4300 Reviews
My Experience with My 2000 JD 4300
Model Year: 2000
I purchase a new John Deere believing they were the best, but is guess I was wrong. 091000 $18,500.00 new John Deere 4300 4WD Hydro, John Deere front Loader & Bush Hog RZ60 Rotary Cutter 092906 $1,947.74 Rear Brake Lockup Repair 031610 $2,074.90 3 Point Hitch Repair 051511 $2,182.20 Range Shifter broke off at Transmission $ 400.00 Also, repaired myself 2 fuel pumps, and fuel solenoids ----------- $25,104.84 Total with 1800 Tractor Hours, computes to $13.95 per hour for equipment Bonnet and most of the other plastic totally destroyed, quick fix - hack on a piece of 24 inch metal roofing and paint it yellow with black lettering ”John Deere Lemon”.
Pros: Very good tractor when it is running.
Cons: Repairs make it expensive to operate.
Model Year: 2000
I purchase a new John Deere believing they were the best, but is guess I was wrong. 091000 $18,500.00 new John Deere 4300 4WD Hydro, John Deere front Loader & Bush Hog RZ60 Rotary Cutter 092906 $1,947.74 Rear Brake Lockup Repair 031610 $2,074.90 3 Point Hitch Repair 051511 $2,182.20 Range Shifter broke off at Transmission $ 400.00 Also, repaired myself 2 fuel pumps, and fuel solenoids ----------- $25,104.84 Total with 1800 Tractor Hours, computes to $13.95 per hour for equipment Bonnet and most of the other plastic totally destroyed, quick fix - hack on a piece of 24 inch metal roofing and paint it yellow with black lettering ”John Deere Lemon”.
Pros: Very good tractor when it is running.
Cons: Repairs make it expensive to operate.
Breakdowns
Model Year: 2001
So far have spent too much on repairs. The rear PTO roller bearing pushed out plug ran all the fluidout on floor. The front hub seal went out and ran fluid all floor. The snow blower propeller block that holds sheer bolt split before JD sheer bolt gave out. The belly mower hyd. cylinder mount not marked well enough if you put i wrong hole breaks side out of transmission housing very expensive! The reverse peddle is to far to right so it's hard to push and bends becouse of angle. The quick attach front attachments are not quick if you have a belly mower. need to disassemble mower mounts to use front attachments. 4 hand job to reassemble.
Pros: Size is nice; front mount blower is nice, but maybe I should have looked around more.
Cons: Too much money to put so much money and time into in 326 hours.
Model Year: 2001
So far have spent too much on repairs. The rear PTO roller bearing pushed out plug ran all the fluidout on floor. The front hub seal went out and ran fluid all floor. The snow blower propeller block that holds sheer bolt split before JD sheer bolt gave out. The belly mower hyd. cylinder mount not marked well enough if you put i wrong hole breaks side out of transmission housing very expensive! The reverse peddle is to far to right so it's hard to push and bends becouse of angle. The quick attach front attachments are not quick if you have a belly mower. need to disassemble mower mounts to use front attachments. 4 hand job to reassemble.
Pros: Size is nice; front mount blower is nice, but maybe I should have looked around more.
Cons: Too much money to put so much money and time into in 326 hours.
JD 4300 review
Model Year: 2000
This tractor was purchased used with about 300 hours on it a few years ago. I traded in my JD 755 for this much larger and newer 4300. It is a good tractor, but every time I get on it, I can't help but feel it is a little cheaper build than the 755. It is a much bigger and more powerful machine, but I just don't feel it is made as well as the 755. I had that for 10 years, put well over 500 hours on it and absolutely nothing went wrong with it. This 4300 has an intermittent problem where it won't start after it cools down. There is a supposed fix, which I just found on this site of replacing the thermistor, which I am about to try. The second problem is with the 760 loader. Twice I have had to rebuild the cylinders due to excessive bucket drift. 2 times in under 200 hours. Its a good tractor, but not a great one.
Pros: Very user friendly and ergonomically designed.
Cons: Some reliability issues.
Model Year: 2000
This tractor was purchased used with about 300 hours on it a few years ago. I traded in my JD 755 for this much larger and newer 4300. It is a good tractor, but every time I get on it, I can't help but feel it is a little cheaper build than the 755. It is a much bigger and more powerful machine, but I just don't feel it is made as well as the 755. I had that for 10 years, put well over 500 hours on it and absolutely nothing went wrong with it. This 4300 has an intermittent problem where it won't start after it cools down. There is a supposed fix, which I just found on this site of replacing the thermistor, which I am about to try. The second problem is with the 760 loader. Twice I have had to rebuild the cylinders due to excessive bucket drift. 2 times in under 200 hours. Its a good tractor, but not a great one.
Pros: Very user friendly and ergonomically designed.
Cons: Some reliability issues.
John Deere Compact Tractor
Model Year: 1999
I bought my 4 wheel drive 4300 to help cultivate a 2 acre garden for my mother. To help lift/move large and heavy objects I added a 420 front loader. Both have been used frequently by myself and my neighbors, but none of us farm seriously. all my rolling stock (and most everything else) was flooded by hurricane Katrina so when I needed it most it was not available. However I did get it rebuilt and except for some body rust it's been working ever since. My one regret is not getting a hydrostatic transmission. I would have gotten a more powerful unit but this was the largest I could fit in my shop garage.
Pros: does everything I want and is trailerable with an F150
Cons: gear shifting can be difficult; too light for a serious backhoe.
Model Year: 1999
I bought my 4 wheel drive 4300 to help cultivate a 2 acre garden for my mother. To help lift/move large and heavy objects I added a 420 front loader. Both have been used frequently by myself and my neighbors, but none of us farm seriously. all my rolling stock (and most everything else) was flooded by hurricane Katrina so when I needed it most it was not available. However I did get it rebuilt and except for some body rust it's been working ever since. My one regret is not getting a hydrostatic transmission. I would have gotten a more powerful unit but this was the largest I could fit in my shop garage.
Pros: does everything I want and is trailerable with an F150
Cons: gear shifting can be difficult; too light for a serious backhoe.
John Deere 4300 Syncreverser With 420 Loader
Model Year: 2000
Overall I feel the quality and design of the 4300 model is pretty good. I went with the Syncreverser transmission because that is what the dealer had on the lot from the leftover model year and I was looking for a reasonable deal. I have found this transmission to be the weak link on the tractor. It has been torn apart twice. Other than that it has performed extremely well for its size and does a lot of jobs that I would have never imagined it would be capable of.
Pros: Overall quality, reliable engine, easy detach loader
Cons: Syncreverser transmission, great when it works but not as reliable as the rest of the package
Model Year: 2000
Overall I feel the quality and design of the 4300 model is pretty good. I went with the Syncreverser transmission because that is what the dealer had on the lot from the leftover model year and I was looking for a reasonable deal. I have found this transmission to be the weak link on the tractor. It has been torn apart twice. Other than that it has performed extremely well for its size and does a lot of jobs that I would have never imagined it would be capable of.
Pros: Overall quality, reliable engine, easy detach loader
Cons: Syncreverser transmission, great when it works but not as reliable as the rest of the package
First Tractor
Model Year: 2001
Needed a tractor to help clear wooded area, grade road, cut weeds and many other tasks on 40 acres. Since purchase have has a recall for the plastic glass that covers gauges. My model already had the axle change when I purchased it. I have done all maintenance to t over the years. Had battery replaced by JD after it began to leak and did slight damage to the battery tray. Aware of problem so I caught it before it damages oil cooler and radiator.
Pros: Very reliable. 4 wd model/ easy to work on/ No major problems I could not repair
Cons: Battery leaked/ heat from tractor on pedal foot area/ replace dashboard glass/plastic but still fogs a bit/ Had to make metal clamp to keep hydraulic lines from right front wheel
Photo Uploads:
Model Year: 2001
Needed a tractor to help clear wooded area, grade road, cut weeds and many other tasks on 40 acres. Since purchase have has a recall for the plastic glass that covers gauges. My model already had the axle change when I purchased it. I have done all maintenance to t over the years. Had battery replaced by JD after it began to leak and did slight damage to the battery tray. Aware of problem so I caught it before it damages oil cooler and radiator.
Pros: Very reliable. 4 wd model/ easy to work on/ No major problems I could not repair
Cons: Battery leaked/ heat from tractor on pedal foot area/ replace dashboard glass/plastic but still fogs a bit/ Had to make metal clamp to keep hydraulic lines from right front wheel
Photo Uploads:
Great except the plastic body parts.
Model Year: 2001
This was basically a toy I just wanted. I wanted to clean the back yard that had become a forest and have always wanted to have a tractor. I bought this used from a tool rental place with 843 hours on it. It had been well-used, but they had taken good care of it. It came with a 430 front loader and the heavy duty John Deere backhoe, along with a John Deere bush hog. I always forget this is a tractor, as I have the hydrostatic transmission and 4 wheel drive. It had the R4 Industrial tires, which were well worn. But with the 4 wheel drive, I can usually pull down/move/push anything I have needed to. It sits for weeks/month at a time and always starts right up, runs great. I would definitely recommend this tractor. The only thing I would change is to make the body panels out of metal instead of plastic. I have used the bush hog twice, but it was extremely quick and easy to change between the bush hog, hook up the 3 point arms and then take them all off and put the backhoe back on. Took about 45 minutes the first time because I grew up in a farming area with tractor and did not believe it could be as easy as it was. The next time took 30 minutes to take it off and hook up the bush-hog, and 20 minutes to take off the bush hog and hook up the back-hoe. It has been great for me, except I parked it out back over the week one time and a large wind knocked a dead limb out of a tree onto the hood. It fractured it but it is still on and usable, you just have to be very careful when you open and close the hood.
Pros: Reliability, power, low maintenance, attachments.
Cons: Plastic body parts.
Model Year: 2001
This was basically a toy I just wanted. I wanted to clean the back yard that had become a forest and have always wanted to have a tractor. I bought this used from a tool rental place with 843 hours on it. It had been well-used, but they had taken good care of it. It came with a 430 front loader and the heavy duty John Deere backhoe, along with a John Deere bush hog. I always forget this is a tractor, as I have the hydrostatic transmission and 4 wheel drive. It had the R4 Industrial tires, which were well worn. But with the 4 wheel drive, I can usually pull down/move/push anything I have needed to. It sits for weeks/month at a time and always starts right up, runs great. I would definitely recommend this tractor. The only thing I would change is to make the body panels out of metal instead of plastic. I have used the bush hog twice, but it was extremely quick and easy to change between the bush hog, hook up the 3 point arms and then take them all off and put the backhoe back on. Took about 45 minutes the first time because I grew up in a farming area with tractor and did not believe it could be as easy as it was. The next time took 30 minutes to take it off and hook up the bush-hog, and 20 minutes to take off the bush hog and hook up the back-hoe. It has been great for me, except I parked it out back over the week one time and a large wind knocked a dead limb out of a tree onto the hood. It fractured it but it is still on and usable, you just have to be very careful when you open and close the hood.
Pros: Reliability, power, low maintenance, attachments.
Cons: Plastic body parts.
It's been a great workhorse.
Model Year: 2001
I just keep up with the maintenance, and fix the few things I have accidentally broken. This tractor has never let me down. It is in need of a couple hydraulic cylinders on the loader to be rebuilt as the leak-down has increased significantly, but that can happen with use (and possibly overexertion in my case). Plus a seal needs to be replaced on the power beyond kit. To me this is just wear and tear stuff.
Pros: Ease of use, well engineered.
Cons: I would have gone with R-1 tires if I did it again.
Model Year: 2001
I just keep up with the maintenance, and fix the few things I have accidentally broken. This tractor has never let me down. It is in need of a couple hydraulic cylinders on the loader to be rebuilt as the leak-down has increased significantly, but that can happen with use (and possibly overexertion in my case). Plus a seal needs to be replaced on the power beyond kit. To me this is just wear and tear stuff.
Pros: Ease of use, well engineered.
Cons: I would have gone with R-1 tires if I did it again.
John Deere 4300
Model Year: 2000
The tractor has performed flawlessly. The only thing I have done to it other than normal service is add extendable 3-point arms, a sun shade and a backhoe. I have also got a backhoe that can be hooked up or removed.
Pros: The tractor has done everything I have asked with no problems.
Cons: Some of the extras were so simple they should have been standard.
Model Year: 2000
The tractor has performed flawlessly. The only thing I have done to it other than normal service is add extendable 3-point arms, a sun shade and a backhoe. I have also got a backhoe that can be hooked up or removed.
Pros: The tractor has done everything I have asked with no problems.
Cons: Some of the extras were so simple they should have been standard.