Cedarman,
I think I'm the Craig you are talking about. My dealer did come through for me. It took a little time but that was also partially my fault. I could have pressed the issue harder than I did and earlier than I did. I am very happy with my 4310 now. I, like you, went back and forth between the different tractors; orange, blue, or green. I had my heart set on one color and then decided that another was a better choice. In the end all the tractors are very good machines. Some features are better on one color and other features are better on another. If you take too much time to decide you will end up like me last year. By the time I made up my mind and ordered the tractor I wanted set up like I wanted it, most of the summer was already gone. I did not get much done before fall. I think the most important factor in picking the tractor is the dealer. You need a dealership that will support you in the years after you buy the tractor no matter what color it ends up being. I know for me, if I ever do buy another tractor(hope I don't have to) I don't care what color it is as long as I buy it from K.C. Canary. Chances are it will be green though. For me the closest dealers sell NH and Kubota. I did think about this when I bought. I ended up going with the dealer that made me feel the most comfortable, and I'm glad I did. K.C. Canary is not even my closest JD dealer, there are 2 closer. This has not been a problem for me even with all the times my tractor was in the shop. They would come and get the tractor the next day. Even times I have needed parts or little accessories from JD they sent it overnight to my house.
Just a couple of things I would/would not do if I did it over again...
1. For one thing, tractors of this size are not finish mowers. I don't even know why they sell the MMM for these tractors. I wanted to mow with mine and it just never worked out for me. I know that alot of members here will say they are great finish mowers but I disagree. I'm talking about ballpark finish mowing, they do mow pastures great though. These tractors are too heavy even with non loaded turf tires. I had problems with the tires set to the wide position for my hills hitting the MMM when I turned. I ended up returning the deck. My yard would take seven hours to mow with a 21" walk behind, cut this to 45 min with a 48"zero turn I demoed at my house, the tractor bumped this back up to 3 hours. Also not nearly as easy to get the MMM on and off as you would think. Keep this in mind when you spec your machine.
2. I would not have gotten the mid pto. This is an expensive option that can only be used for the MMM, Front broom, and front snowblower. Never could see using the broom. The MMM issues I layed out above. JD's 59" front blower is very expensive and too narrow for this tractor. I ended up getting a wider 3pt snowblower at a fraction of the cost. I think it is easier to see with it mounted on the 3pt. Also you can keep the FEL on for other uses in winter.
3. I got the 4 in 1 bucket. Probally the handiest attachment out there. I think of new uses for this every day. Grading, turf removal, grabbing small trees out of the ground stump and all, crushing things going into the dumpster, picking up just about anything, using it as a bulldozer blade, grabbing roots, you can have a toothbar on one edge and open the bucket and now you have a smooth edge. The only draw back is that it is small. It holds much less volume than the regular or HD bucket. Now I would get both buckets.
3. I would get the power beyond and 48BH from the start. It is going to cost me alot more to do it now. .
4. Get the fiberglass canopy. Keeps the sun, snow and small falling objects off of your head. I have found that you can still fold the ROPS with the canopy on. That is how it fits in my garage.
Go with the dealer you know will treat you right. One that will give you outstanding service when you need it. And one that will go to bat for you if it is ever needed. Alot of members here say that all tractors will have some problems. My first had way too many and my current has not had any. I don't think you should base your purchase on the problems I had with my old tractor, but you can look at how JD and their dealer network came through for me. Think hard about the intended use of the tractor and get the larger options with the tractor. They can be costly after the sale.
Good luck with what ever color tractor you choose. They are all great machines. Remember the dealer is the most important option.
Craig
