OK....I admit it....I grind my gears.

[RoyJackson]

There's always something like the 870 4x4.

Yep...but 870's and 970's (which have more in common with the newer 990's and 4005s) are hard to find and sell quickly when they come on the market.

If the OP continues to do loader work, and cannot control his impatience...well, there's a number of used 3320's on the market. Some are available with power-reverser which would be a great tranny for loader work. There was one locally (southern York County, PA) I looked at, but since my 790 is paid off, I just didn't want to go back in to debt for the benefit of easier reversing. Anyway, I'm just not in that big a hurry...

 

[foggy1111]

Yep...but 870's and 970's (which have more in common with the newer 990's and 4005s) are hard to find and sell quickly when they come on the market.

If the OP continues to do loader work, and cannot control his impatience...well, there's a number of used 3320's on the market. Some are available with power-reverser which would be a great tranny for loader work. There was one locally (southern York County, PA) I looked at, but since my 790 is paid off, I just didn't want to go back in to debt for the benefit of easier reversing. Anyway, I'm just not in that big a hurry...

Yeah....I keep telling myself "what's the rush"...and "take your time". But...I have this productivity and efficiency streak in me....and I'm always trying to accomplish a little more and a little faster...especilly during loader work. Therefore I am destined to be a gear grinder methinks.

While the 790 has proven to be the right size tractor for me...(I really like the way I can maneuver around and through tight spots in the timber)...I sense that a power reverser or a hydro is in my future.

My tractor and implement size selection has proven to be what I need.....but alas.....I keep looking at hydro models....not that I am ready to pull the trigger.

 

[RoyJackson]

Yeah....I keep telling myself "what's the rush"...and "take your time". But...I have this productivity and efficiency streak in me....and I'm always trying to accomplish a little more and a little faster...especilly during loader work. Therefore I am destined to be a gear grinder methinks.

While the 790 has proven to be the right size tractor for me...(I really like the way I can maneuver around and through tight spots in the timber)...I sense that a power reverser or a hydro is in my future.

My tractor and implement size selection has proven to be what I need.....but alas.....I keep looking at hydro models....not that I am ready to pull the trigger.

Yeah...when you get a $2000 bill for rebuilding the tranny, you'll think about that bolded statement (above).
If you can't slow down, at least change your tranny fluid (shares the same reservoir with the hydraulic system) fairly frequently...a couple times a year at least. Same applies to the filter.

 

[soulasphil]

Buy a Hydro or sync-reverser

That's exactly my experience. After over 10 000 hours of grinding gears on my Massey 35 I got a JD 3520 power reverser and no more grinding. Much more efficient with the FEL too.

 

[estim8rjackie]

My JD 650 grinds every time the first time I put it in gear every time. While in use going forward and reverse no issues. But if I get off for a minute or 2 with it running it does it again.

 

[Industrial Toys]

^^ Probably the synchro stops spinning.

Get a Hydro? Now you just grind your teeth listenting to Hydro Whine.

 

[k0ua]

^^ Probably the synchro stops spinning.

Get a Hydro? Now you just grind your teeth listenting to Hydro Whine.

My hydro tractor doesn't whine unless you do something stupid like try to do loader work in HI range, or it is very cold and the oil doesn't have time to warm up yet. (Kubota SUDT II pretty well solves that too) Not all hydro's whine.

 

[beenthere]

My hydro tractor doesn't whine unless you do something stupid like try to do loader work in HI range, or it is very cold and the oil doesn't have time to warm up yet. (Kubota SUDT II pretty well solves that too) Not all hydro's whine.

My JD 4300 does not whine either. No experience with other tractors, but several GT size that do not whine. I'd suspect something wrong, if they did.

 

[k0ua]

My JD 4300 does not whine either. No experience with other tractors, but several GT size that do not whine. I'd suspect something wrong, if they did.

It has been my experience that the smaller the tractor (think Kubota BX series) the louder the whine. But even my L3400 had a bit more noise than my Kioti. Every Kubota BX I have seen whined pretty bad. Perhaps others owners can chime in with their experience. Louder whine and relief valve opening is usually a sign you are in too tall of a range for the heavy work (like pushing into a pile) that you are trying to do.

 

[stuckmotor]

I can't say what caused the need for a bungee cord on a gear shift or two on tractors I've seen at auction but, suspect gear grinding.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yeah, what do I know about trannies? Just figured that since it is a timing issue, sompum stopped spiinin.

FWIW. You people do know that older people loose their high frequency hearing.

 

[RoyJackson]

The 790 has a non-synchro gearbox. I owned one several years ago and it was a nice tractor. I did learn how to shift up through the forward gears with no grinding, and IIRC, I could downshift with minimal grinding. But, going from a forward gear to reverse always required stopping

 

[CADplans]

My JD 650 grinds every time the first time I put it in gear every time. While in use going forward and reverse no issues. But if I get off for a minute or 2 with it running it does it again.

I do not know if other gear tractors have this,, but, I found the trick to NOT grinding the gears on my JD 650,,
The shift pattern has a "blank" location across from the highest speed.
(in the case of the 650, it is across from 8th gear)

Well,, you push in the clutch, try to shift into that "blank" location for about one second,,
the transmission gears stop spinning,,
It is like that blank location is a brake for the spinning gears.

I have owned this tractor since 2016,, and just randomly discovered this "gear brake" in the last year.

It makes driving the 650 similar to using a hydro,,
(as far as listening to gear grinding!! )

 

[CADplans]

It has been 50 years since I drove a car with a 3 speed transmission,,
What I remember is,,
when you tried to shift into the unsynchronized first gear,, or unsynchronized reverse, the gears would grind.
BUT, when at a dead stop, you would push in the clutch, attempt to shift into second gear,
the attempt to shift into second (or third) gear would cause the synchronizer to stop the gear rotation.
Then, after attempting to shift into second, you move the gearshift to first (or reverse) without grinding.

OR,, you could sit ,, waiting for the light to change,, with the clutch pedal depressed,,
that would keep the transmission not rotating,,
BUT,, your dad would jump all over you as to how holding the clutch pedal down would quickly wear out the clutch throwout bearing,,,

 

[RoyJackson]

They used to call that "double Clutching"...fairly common with older (1950's) sports cars

 

[PILOON]

They used to call that "double Clutching"...fairly common with older (1950's) sports cars

Yep!
Had a few, MG TD's, and a few B's.
Fun days!

 

[RobS]

I had my 790 for 15+ years and admit to my share of gear grinding. No issues, and ran/operated perfectly well when we sold the place. I don't remember how many hours on the tractor.

 

[deezler]

I had a white garden tractor with a snow-plow setup that I used for plowing the driveway and parking area setup in a rental house some years back. Having a couple good winters of frequent plowing, who has time to fully stop for every reversal? The gears started grinding more and more. Then the transaxle blew up (internally) and the shifter went limp, and the tractor couldn't even roll; rear wheels locked up.

My $300 investment was lost, and she went off to the scrap yard. The former owner made me promise to be good to her. I failed.