John Deere 4300 complete rebuild

[dfkrug]

Where did this latest 4300 come from?

This unit came from the same rental company that I got the other 4300
from. This is the source of JPINCA's unit, too, but his was sold to him
fully working. I buy them DOA. Except my first units from them, way
back in the 90s....Kubotas back then.

Anyway, I have now got them fully converted over to Bobcat CT335s. I am
watching to see how they hold up to rental service.

 

[arrabil]

Anyway, I have now got them fully converted over to Bobcat CT335s. I am
watching to see how they hold up to rental service.

Keep us posted. I'd like to know that too. You could likely single-handedly affect all of their resale values by posting that info.

 

[dfkrug]

Keep us posted. I'd like to know that too. You could likely single-handedly affect all of their resale values by posting that info.

I have seen one unit with a bashed in rear fender and taillight (fixed by
the mechanic), and one unit reportedly had some hydraulics ripped out
underneath as the user went "cross-country". It is a bit painful to see
those shiny new units age so quickly.....

 

[kebo]

I have seen one unit with a bashed in rear fender and taillight (fixed by
the mechanic), and one unit reportedly had some hydraulics ripped out
underneath as the user went "cross-country". It is a bit painful to see
those shiny new units age so quickly.....

Two thing rentals suffer from is that oftentimes the users who rent them have little or no experience with tractors, and then the attitude of "it's not mine so I don't anything invested in it" seems to take over. Both of these combined make for some tractors that don't have as long a lifespan as ones that are owned by people that use them frequently/daily.

 

[RoyJackson]

Two thing rentals suffer from is that oftentimes the users who rent them have little or no experience with tractors, and then the attitude of "it's not mine so I don't anything invested in it" seems to take over. Both of these combined make for some tractors that don't have as long a lifespan as ones that are owned by people that use them frequently/daily.

Those reasons, and the fact the rental costs/time limits don't allow for much learning curve.
Some rental companies charge for damages beyond the normal wear and tear which may make some operators a bit more cautious.

This entire thread has been really interesting and informative!

 

[dcyrilc]

This entire thread has been really interesting and informative!

Ditto.:thumbsup:

 

[arrabil]

Both of these combined make for some tractors that don't have as long a lifespan as ones that are owned by people that use them frequently/daily.

Absolutely. But the rental units also get a lot of hours racked up quickly and may reveal common problems amongst them far more quickly than from private anecdotals.

I would like to know how they do long term under difficult conditions. I really like the Kioti/Bobcat machines. I'm pretty much set on Deere but the price and initial build quality of the Korean machines are very persuasive.

 

[dfkrug]

Some rental companies charge for damages beyond the normal wear and tear which may make some operators a bit more cautious.

I could tell you stories....

What kills me is that many many times the person that checks in the
equipment at the rental yard does not note the damage, so the perpetrator
gets away scott-free.

Rental insurance is offered, but often declined. If it is purchased, then
any kind of damage (including abuse or stupidity) is not charged to the
customer.

I have rented from these guys in past years, and they have always been
a very fair and honest company. If the renter has any problem with the
equipment, the rental fees are quickly refunded, without even asking.

 

[dfkrug]

Here is the first serious failure I have seen in the plastic rear fenders.

On these 4300s, like most CUTs, you have to lean on the left fender to
get off and on. Eventually, that can cause damage to the fender. My
first rental tractors had all-steel fenders, and flexing had caused fatigue
in the metal in multiple locations. These Kubotas had anywhere from
1700 to 2300 hours on them. I removed the fenders and welded them,
adding some more steel in critical locations.

Plastic fenders won't be fixable that way, but I am happy to say that
all the other 4300s at the rental yard (one with as many as 2700 hrs) had
no serious rear fender failures.

This particular unit, with 2019 hrs failed more due to being improperly
secured to a trailer. You can see the marks of a chain that went between
the fender and the ROPS. One of the large washers has almost pulled
all the way though. Another mounting point is seriously challenged.

I will fabricate some large steel backing plates to replace the washers.

 

[dcyrilc]

You have to wonder about some people when you see a machine's been chained down using the plastic fenders.:confused2: