My new 4300 project

[beenthere]

My Deere dealer sells the paint, in addition to the rattle cans. Maybe they can order for you...

 

[TSO]

I have had really good luck with the Majic brand tractor paint... in the big cans. The rattle cans, my experience is about the same add any other rattle can paint. But the big can stuff, that I put thru my own sprayer, really looks and finishes nice and strong.

 

[larboc]

I have had really good luck with the Majic brand tractor paint... in the big cans. The rattle cans, my experience is about the same add any other rattle can paint. But the big can stuff, that I put thru my own sprayer, really looks and finishes nice and strong.

Interesting, how long have you seen it stand up? We don't get that much sun here and most of my stuff gets stored inside year round anyway.
I just bought 4 cans of green and 2 cans of yellow OEM paint from my JD dealer. That wasn't cheap (~$80) and I'm really considering returning them and just using the Majic paint.

 

[TSO]

I slapped it on my big Ford Rotary mower 2 years ago with a brush and that still looks really good.

I sprayed it on my seeder last year and it's sat outside all winter and still looks fresh.

I'll try to snap pics when I get a chance.

If it were me, I'd just make sure I viewed it as a total repaint, and not by trying to match the original, or even the new JD paint... Because regardless, I assume there will always be differences on how it finishes and ages.

 

[larboc]

Well I brushed on the Majic this weekend. Mixed results. Being able to cut in the difficult to get to areas without spending all day masking was nice, but on the large sections the brush streaks are unacceptable. I should have waited till it warmed up outside, reduced it, and run in through the gun.
On the bright side it's all one color now and has a thick layer of green on now. I'll give it a couple weeks to fully harden and sand it all flush. The thick layer of green will be kind of nice in a way because I can sand out some of the imperfections coming through. Using the hardener definitely helped, but the OEM Valspar JD yellow I sprayed on the wheels still dried quicker.
Once I've sanded the visible areas of the cab I'll mask it off and paint with rattle cans of the Valspar JD green. The OEM JD paint comes in a valspar box from valspar so I'm going to guess that the Valspar brand from Fleet Farm is going to be just about the same stuff as long as I can find it. I think the Majic paint is good stuff, I just didn't apply it right and it's taking a long time to dry in the cold.
No pictures of the paint because I am so unhappy with the application of it.

While the paint was drying I pulled the roll bar and right fender off to replace the hydraulic lines. No problems, dealer lines were a perfect fit-just expensive.

The last major issue I need to deal with is my missing right side rear three point arm/links. I'm missing the right side draft link, adjustable lift link, and stabilizer. That's $666.93+s&h in dealer parts and I've struck completely out finding used ones. All the generic arms I find don't have holes in the right places and seem somewhat flimsy. I'm debating buying the complete $200 kit from weavers with the arms that match the closest, or make my own draft link and stabilizer, and buy a TSC adjustable link.
Right now I'm leaning toward building my own arm using some 3/4" x 2-3/8" bar stock and welding repair ends on.

 

[larboc]

Been stupid busy at work, haven't had a chance to play with the tractor much. It's been snowing a lot recently so I've been back at it in the evenings. Made some pallet forks and started making a new 3-point arm to replace my missing one after giving up the search for a used one. Should be pretty simple and a whole lot cheaper than new from deere. None of the aftermarket ones were very close to being the same so I figured I'd be better off making my own so it's exactly the same (or better) than factory.

 

[larboc]

Got the draft link done. Turned out pretty good. I ended up breaking the tack welds from above and grinding the tip of the bar stock at an angle. It now is identical to the dimensions of the JD link. Ball centerline and angles are the same. It also has more freedom in the transmission ears than the stock arm and more room to the inside of the arm to the attachment. I'm not sure why the stock arms had such strange offset ends.
I made mine from a 24" piece of 2.5" x 3/4" bar stock, bent it with a 50 ton press, welded on ball ends from agri supply that were $5 a piece, and drill the holes in the same spots as the original. I also made the lift link from a $15 agri supply link and cut off the top and welded a ball on that. >$500 savings over JD. I haven't made a stabalizer yet, not sure if I want to duplicate the pin hole thing that is stock, I haven't used it much but I think I'd prefer to have a chain and bell crank. I find the multipin hole link unnecessarily complicated.

 

[beenthere]

Comment: Your welds look great as does your build/fab job. :thumbsup:

Suggestion, if you are going to use this rig in brush, change out the quick clips (shown in pic #3) with bolt/lock nuts or you risk losing that arm and some serious damage to casting can happen.

Also, with using the quick hitch you show, then the need for frequent changes in the stabilizers is reduced considerably. I only have one 3 pt attachment now that isn't iMatch ready to hook up and go.

 

[larboc]

Thanks!

That's actually a pallet carrier that I'm using to carry a pallet with weight on it in lieu of a weight box (next thing to build). I don't have a quick hitch but that's on my list, I'll probably wait for a 25% off coupon and get one from harbor freight. It seems like they are the same as all the rest unless you buck up for the deere brand. I guess I've been lucky enough to not lose those clips on tractors in the past. Usually I rotate the pins so that gravity is helping the pin stay in. At the very least I replace those pins when they don't spring as well any more, but I'll probably take your advice and use bolts when I get a quick hitch.

 

[beenthere]

K on the carry all... see it now.

And only takes one well placed stick to rip off the bail on the pins.. regardless of how much spring is left. So rare that those arms are ever removed.. unless you exchange with a backhoe. Good on your builds.