John Deere 790 4.60 star(s) (63)

Excellent tractor
Model Year: 1999

This has been an excellent tractor.Starts on first try every time.Has great power for its size.

Pros: Has had no problems
Cons: Could have used mid-range:Low is Slow- High is fast

Reliable, good power,good on hills and tight tough terrain.
Model Year: 2007

Accessories: 4wd, R4 tires, JD 300 loader, 4' BB, 4' RC, 6" limb grinder and a subsoiler. Modifications: Hydraulic "Top", Shimmed the hydraulic system for more pressure, loaded the rear tires and added a plastic battery box. Issues: Stock battery leaks and makes a mess. One of the quick disconnects on the loader messed up. 1st year I used if for a fair size landscaping project. Moved a lot of dirt, dug up a lot of stumps and did a lot of grading. Geared tractors and not the best for this and finding the right gear is the only compliant I have. I use the RC for cutting the underbrush in an area that is hilly with gullies. It's really good at this. Stable on hills, climbs good and has a tight turning radius. With the hydraulic "top" I can raise the RC and get through some very tough terrain. For limb grinding it does fine up to about 4", then you have to limit the feed rate else you'll bog the engine, but it has good PTO power for it's size. Overall it does everything I need. I wouldn't want a bigger or smaller tractor for the areas I use it most. If I had more land and it was more open and level I might want something bigger.

Pros: Low center of gravity, good power
Cons: Needs mid-range tranny, or 1st granny gear

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little dynamite
Model Year: 2001

I first bought the 790 to use as a loader tractor for horse lot and barn. I have since dug a 6 foot deep valley through a hill for a drive way and built up slope for my sons fort. I also use it to get the wood for our out door wood stove. I use it to lift trees to cut them up and sometimes to pull them down if they don't fall.

Pros: small size wrks well in trees and inside buildings, sips fuel, good power,
Cons: too light for power, could use a gear range between high and low.

The little mule
Model Year: 2001

I just recently sold this machine, and I miss it.Replaced with a 4310. Very solid machine started every time even the coldest wheather. I used it to mow five acres with a six foot Frontier finish mower. Had no problems pulling that. Tilled my garden with a five foot Frontier tiller and did it well. Used it to split wood with the Speeco splitter and the only complaint was that it was slow, no lack of power. The only problem with this tractor is the weight. I lost traction way before I lost power. Fill the tires and get chains!!! Of course the last snows we had were of epic proportions. All in all great machine. I think they will last forever if you don't mind shifting.

Pros: Plenty of power,nimble,fun to drive!
Cons: Weight

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Reliable, Fits in tight places, More hp than others in size
Model Year: 0

I use my 790 to maintain most of 25+ acres of tree farm/ nursery. Dealer was able to narrow the rear tires to just over 48 inches wide for farming in between rows of trees with r-1 tires. Was hard to find a tractor to fit that spec with over 25 hp. Lacks the bells and whistles of other models, but that what makes it so good is the simplicity of the tractor. The dealer shimmed the hydraulic relief for better performance from the 300 loader and 3pt, and can now lift 1000 lb. bag of fertilizer with the loader enough to unload from the pick-up. The only real thing missing from the 790 for me is a reverser for easier direction changes when working with the loader.

Pros: Exellent dealer support, power and size, simplicity of tractor
Cons: No power reverser, Tight, awkward engine acces when loader is installed

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I would buy it again
Model Year: 2004

790, 4WD (mechanical front wheel assist) with 410 FEL (Front End Loader) and R4 (industrial tread) tires. The tires are the right compromise between turf and bar cleats as we use it on both lawn and rugged jobs. If you are going to buy a FEL (and I HIGHLY recommend you do), pay attention to weight on the rear end, which you will need, be it a ballast box, an implement, or wheel weights. Also, I would never use a FEL withOUT 4WD. This model has a conventional gear transmission which is proven technology and the most value per dollar. I avoided hydro due to costs. For a 1 tractor property, the 790 is a little big for some jobs, a little small for others, and just right for most jobs. If I had it to do all over, I would still buy the 790.

Pros: Very versatile, nimble, and VERY reliable. Will fit through a normal 9x7 garage door.
Cons: Traction on snow. Traction on ice is difficult for anything without chains so that's off the table here. However, traction on snow has occasionally been difficult especially on a grade. Save yourself the grief and get chains. I did need to replace one oil seal behind a brake drum which I feel it should not have occured so soon. Perhaps it was just a fluke.

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JD 790, front loader, backhoe, 60 inch under belly mower,hydraulic bagger, plow and, box scraper.
Model Year: 2001

Very versatile machine, switching implements is very easy. Hydraulics are very weak. Out dug by a Kubota BX23. I got stuck in mud and was not able to pull the tractor with the backhoe. I bought this tractor with less than 25 hours on it. I was told that the original owner traded up to a bigger tractor. Now I see why! I could not even pull a small stump out of the ground. It would have been easier using a pick and shovel. 20 grand and I had to modify the hydraulic pumps myself. Pump pressure from factory was around 2100 PSI. I added shims to pumps and now pressure is 2500 PSI. Once pump pressure was turned up, I now have a tractor that does what it is supposed to do. Cutting grass with a 60 inch under belly mower is a breeze. Would I buy this tractor again? Probably not! Next time I will be looking at a Kubota.

Pros: Reasonably priced, cuts grass great.
Cons: Weak hydraulics.

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John Deere 790
Model Year: 2005

I bought the 790 with a front end loader and 5 foot rotary mower (bush hog). I've been extremely satisfied with the tractor. Over the years I've added a trim mower, grading blade and york rake. I own 20 acres, so the tractor is mainly used to mow pastures, but I've used it to move snow, blue stone, and brush. The only mildly negative comment is that it is a manual shift. While mowing, this is not an issue, however, if the user is going to move a lot of snow or dirt or gravel, the constant shifting while moving forward then backing up is a challenge. If you're going to do anything with a lot of back and forth movements, I suggest that you get a hydrostatic transmission. I selected this tractor with a manual transmission because of the cost and I had heard that the hydro tranny causes more maintenance expense as well as lowering the horsepower output by a few horses. Other than that, this is a wonderful utility tractor.

Pros: It's reliable, always starts & has low maintenance costs.
Cons: Low power for plowing more than a small garden.

JD 790
Model Year: 1999

My particular tractor was purchased as a package with my house and has a JD 70 loader and a Bush Hog finish mower on the back. I contacted John Deere to find the manufacture year based on the serial number. Two things I have run into with this machine: 1. The manual is available online and you are supposed to select a manual based on Serial Number. For example it will have the manual and description of the model with (000001-111111) to indicate the serial number range. My serial number falls into a manual that is not 100% applicable to my machine which is occasionally frustrating. 2. Clutch. I've been having some trouble with the clutch (I will see if it improves after all the transmission oil has been changed) and when I contacted the John Deere dealership they told me it's a common problem for the clutch to get caught on the flywheel and need to be replaced. This causes really jerky take off regardless of gear or RPMs. This is a compact/utility tractor and the model has been discontinued (now it's the 3000 series I believe). I use this machine for moving snow, moving wood, mowing several acres of field and will be using it to dig fence post holes in the spring. This machine was not well cared for prior to me getting it so I can't comment on longevity, other than to say even though this machine was not cared for well it still runs very well and I am not unhappy with the performance outside of the two instances noted above.

Pros: Size; adequate power for small applications.
Cons: Owners manual & clutch.

790
Model Year: 2001

My 790 has over 400 hours on it and has been a good tractor.

Pros: Good little tractor for the money. Basic so not much to go wrong.
Cons: 70 loader is a little weak.