Should Have Bought A Kubota Also
Model Year: 1999
I have had several JD garden tractors and loved them. I had bought a mid 70s Allis Chalmers medium sized 2 wheel drive tractor. It was well used. but with maintenance it did the job, so after about ten years I decided to upgrade. I researched my options for about two months, it came down to JD vs Kubota. My determining factor was , except for the motor on the JD, it was American made. I am sad to say I made the wrong choice. I have had numerous issues with it. My biggest issue is the plastic It started when I raised the hood, very gingerly,which I had done without issue for some time. I kept everything lubed. As it hood reached the latch which holds it up, the hood cracked. Ridiculous. I have done a lot of body and fender work. I tried everything to find a repair , from epoxies, fiberglass, and so on and roughed up the surface for better adhesion. Nothing worked. Within weeks the hood was in pieces from vibration. I broke down bought a new hood. At about 500 hours just about every piece of body panels on the tractor have either broken or cracked, to some extent or another. This is not from abuse!. I have had other issues from the neutral safety switch to the seat falling apart after a few years. Ball joints and tie rod ends are sloppy at a few hundred hours. with front knuckle joint seals leaking around the same time. I have put more money into cosmetics than mechanical issues. The best part of the tractor is the Japanese motor. I am disgusted. As far as service goes, parts are ridiculously over priced, and most I have found are proprietary. Our local service manager is a moron, and I haven't had much better luck with the techs, a general consensus, for our area.( I talk to a lot of other JD owners ). There is plenty more , but I'm tired of typing. As soon as it is feasible I am going to replace the tractor. Also my father and I bought a new 4400, we made a deal and saved cash , this is my only benefit I had with buying this model. My father passed away with about 100 hrs on his tractor. When I went to sell , it had been stored in a insulated garage. The pto wouldn't engage and it had hydraulic issues which weren't there when parked. I have more hours in repairs on these two hours than I can remember and I have a lot more to go. It is a sad state of affairs for America.
Pros: Engine
Cons: In general, but pretty much everything