4400 problems

tractorhal · Dec 28, 2002

4400S245046 S# 260 hrs.
1. Inst. panel fogs
2.front tires hit mid mower deck(bad)
3. brakes grab (lock up) other than panic stop rt. tire most
4. backhoe leaks down on and off tractor,to where you can't hook up to it with out connecting hyd. lines,if you can
5. if you want 4th.& 5th. remotes you loose the 3rd. spool
6.front tires dig up lawn, DTACsays if front axel is changed makes tire, mower deck more of a problem
7.if lifting heavy load with bucket,joystick is had to move to operate slow and smooth
8. JD list items on web site that are no longer available
9. any solutions or help

Anonymous Poster · Dec 29, 2002

My JD 4400 problems.
2nd day of operation leaking hydraulic oil from under the seat,dealer came down found loose fitting under seat.2 weeks time 513 rotary cutter falling apart.

1st trip to shop for repairs less than a year old.
1.Would not start 1/2 the time.They installed a new solenoid and starter.
2.Differental lock failure.
3.Hydro tranny had to be replaced.
4. Lost nut on steering brake.
Tractor in shop for 3 weeks during spring planting season.
Tractor returned to my home,next day I tried to start it would not start,took about 15 minutes to get started this is a reoccuring problem that they finally got fixed about a year later.Also looking under tractor noticed leaking hydraulic oil where tractor was put back together from repairs.(small leak)
I decide I can live with leak until fall of year because I do not want to give tractor up for another 3 weeks during growing season.
I also decide I need to replace R-4 tires with R-1 tires because R-4 tires failed miserably during my 1st winter of using the tractor. I installed tires and rims myself,so I have a set of R-4 tires and rims in the barn,that I have no need for and John Deere has no need for,you think John Deere would have given me a break on the price since I asked for R-1 tires when I bought the tractor new and my dealer said they had no R-1 tires to put on the tractor and it would be a month before they could have any? No price break....After I bought the R-1 tires and told the salesman about the poor performance of the R-4 tires he said"We are still learning".

The fall of 2001 comes around and I decide I better get the hydraulic leak from the 1st warranty repair imperfection fixed,while the tractor is still under warranty.I take the tractor back to the shop and they repair(I have never had a loose wheel bolt problem yet)and also I want them to address the hard starting issue.
The tractor is brought home...leak repaired,still will not start 1/2 the time.I use the tractor a few months and I start having loose wheel bolt problems,I have to keep a socket in my toolbox to tighten the lug nuts when using the tractor.
Dealer comes to my house to install an inline electrical piece in the fuse box which finally solves the starting problem after a 1 1/2 years.I tell the field technician that I am having trouble keeping the wheel lug nuts tightened,he says we need to get this tractor in the shop.I say fine.While the tractor is in the shop I tell the dealer I would like to have a 4 in 1 loader installed,with all of the SCVs installed, ok...right at $6000.While the tractor is in the shop the dealer calls me and says the wheels centers and axles need replace and John Deere will not cover this because I field installed the wheels myself...Well I get to thinking I never had this problem before the fall of 2001 when the dealer had the tractor in the shop to fix the hydraulic leak,my point being the dealer was the last ones to have taken the wheels off and reinstalled them,I said tell the JD field rep the loose wheel bolts were not a problem until after a John Deere dealer worked on the tractor and I am not going to pay for the wheel centers/axles and labor.So they let me off the hook on this one and I have the old wheel centers and axles in my barn and I will be darned if I can see anything wrong with them compared to the new ones that were installed.Here is the kicker......After my tractor was returned I had another hydraulic leak in the same area of the original one from the hydro repair that the dealer repaired in the fall of 2001 and after about 2 HOURS of operation(day the tractor was returned to me) the freaking wheel bolts start loosening up again,I call the dealer.....they do not know what to do.... I am needing this tractor to use...I stop by the Kubota dealership to see how Kubota puts the wheels on they have a stud installed from the backside and a nut and lockwasher on the outside,I stop at my John Deere dealer and tell them what Kubota has done to there wheels,they say wow that is a good idea,I say do you have any bolts/nuts and washers that are threaded the same as the lug nuts but longer so I can fix it myself? They say no,but they(the dealer) make a few phone calls to the local auto parts stores and they cannot help me... So I drive all over 2 cities trying to find a bolt that will fit..I finally found 2 at an Auto Zone and I purchase a bottle of thread lock(blue color) and go home and make the fix....at least with 2 bolts I know the wheel will not fall of completely,periodically I have to back the bolts out with my craftsmen and put thread lock on (blue color)and re-install them and the last a little longer this way.Well in the mean time my 2 year warranty expires my differental lock fails again and I still have the small hydraulic leak and the wheel bolts stay tighter longer than they use too but still come loose. Early on in the game(1st year) my JD rep called me and told me it was "an embarasment to John Deere"for me to have had all these problems. Later on during the warranty period John Deere assigned a new field rep to my area(Marietta Ohio)and he NEVER has called me and I sent a letter to head office and no reply....So thats the way it goes the working man gets the shaft.......I have always been courteous and polite with my dealer....they give me credit and I am always paid up...Early on John Deere sent me a voucher/coupon to trade my JD 4400 in,a common voucher sent out to JD 4000 series owners when they were getting ready to introduce the new 4010 series...I talked to my dealer about trading and the voucher/coupon would not even come close to the difference they wanted on trade in....the salesman said he did not want anymore of the 4000 series setting around on the lot.....so anyway the JD 4400 still leaks a little hydro oil and I still keep my craftsmen socket in the tool box and I keep a close eye on the wheel bolts....Thanks for listening.

Trev · Dec 29, 2002

Is there the equivalent of a "Lemon Law" for tractors???

Anonymous Poster · Dec 29, 2002

I really do not know about a lemon law,not worth pursuing...once I get the wheel bolt problem taken care of it will be satisfactory,I can live without the differental lock,I could not sell it straight out to the public without telling an individual about it,I am not into ripping people off,so I will trade it in when I am ready,and yes I will inform the dealer of the differental lock problem whenever and wherever I trade it.

Gary_in_Indiana · Dec 30, 2002

<font color=blue>"4. backhoe leaks down on and off tractor,to where you can't hook up to it with out connecting hyd. lines,if you can"</font color=blue>

My Deere model 47 backhoe on my 4200 tends to leak down after a period of time. I think virtually anything hydraulic will. At least that's my experience. I always thought that's why you should release the pressure on the hydraulics (let everything down) before shutting your tractor off. I always lower my loader bucket, backhoe and supports when I put mine to bed at night.

I have some fairly rough terrain I bounce around and usually leave the backhoe on so it can take quite a bit of jostling in the average day. My backhoe came with a couple of large pins. One locks the backhoe in the center position eliminating the movement to the sides. The other locks the upper portion of the backhoe in place so the bucket can't fall. Of course, while this is no help with the supports, it should be an improvement for you, anyhow. Good luck. I hope this helps. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

tractorhal · Dec 31, 2002

Gary,
I agree with you on some hudraulic leakage. On tips and troubleshooting on JD web they give you what they say is acceptable in inches and time for each backhoe function. I don't agree that when you take the backhoe off the tractor that it should bypass in the cylinders to where you cann't get to the backhoe to pick it up with the rockshaft,and both swing and boom pins are installed. The cylinders have to be leaking by,because there is no place the oil can go being diconnected from the tractor. When warm weather comes I will do more testing, any suggestions accepted.

Cracker · Jan 16, 2003

Sounds like a lemon. Sorry you're having the problems,I've got a 4400 with about 55hrs. on it and no problems at all. I can't even think of anything bad to say. I've got the baloon Galaxy tires and no tearing up of lawn at all.

Hoeman00 · Jan 16, 2003

Most of all the bypass occurs in the control
valves.
That is why even when machine is running
things still drift down.
Of all the farm, construction, truck equipment
I have used and owned ALL leak down eventually.
Rapid leakdown means something is wrong.

rdbrumfield · Jan 16, 2003

About the wheel stud problem. I had the problem too with my 5300. The next year they came out with a ring that went over the inner dish and was then bolted. Seems to cure the problem. I too was always checking for loose nuts after I ruined one of the discs. And like you JD wouldn't stand behind it, even though it was obviously an upgrade to fix a design flaw.
These are some of the things that they did fix though.
Replaced the hyd pump in the tranny, before I took possession, replaced the 4X4 gears, as they kicked out in reverse, replaced third gear, as it had welded itself to the pinion, so the pinion and ring also were replaced, the hyd oil strainer was replaced because the holes were in the back instead of the front causing the pump to starve when going downhill.
The first week it froze in park. The parking pawl would not release. Went to the shop several times with this problem on warrantee. The last time it stuck it took out the creep gears when it released, whiplash I guess. That tear down was 6000$. I put up a pretty good arguement as it was a design flaw and figured that I had paid for R&D when I bought the tractor. Came down to JD, the dealer, and I each paid a third of the bill, what crap that was. Well 2yrs later I get a recall to replace the parking pawl cable and shifter. Still have an ongoing case with JD, figure they owe for the past problem now that they have admitted that it was onother design flaw. Even with all this, I am very impressed with the power and agility of this tractor. Only thing I would change is put a 2sp pto in and PUT A SEAT BETWEEN THE FENDERS THAT WON'T FALL APART, BOTH CARRIAGE AND COVERS, IN 3 yrs.

rdbrumfield · Jan 17, 2003

Just had to let you folks know that JD came clean and they are sending me a check for the work on the faulty parking pawl problem. I guess I will go to JD the next time I need one.

TCowner · Jan 17, 2003

Glad to see Deere came through. I suspect you are like most consumers. You realize that a compact tractor is a rather complex piece of equipment and may be subject to some problems but you expect the company to stand behind their product even if it means going out beyond the warranty period. Most of will reward the company if they make a real effort to satisfy us. My experience with Deere was always excellent. There are a few reasons I now own a NewHolland. I believe the TC series are excellent tractors. But what drove me to give NewHolland a serious look was a "jerk" of a salesman at a Deere dealership. I still own a Deere in fact I bought a new X595 garden tractor (bought from a different dealership) last spring. But for now, I am happy enough with my TC40D to stay with NewHolland for the forseeable future. Its all about customer service. Treat the customer with respect and you will usually be rewarded with repeat business.

rdbrumfield · Jan 19, 2003

You are certainly 100% on that.
The one thing about the dealership I work with is that they did stand behind me in this endeavor.
I will say though, it only takes once with me and I'm on to onother dealer and make of tractor. There have been a few take it or go without jerks and they sure lost a lot of business and not just from me. We are down to just one dealer within 60 miles, and attitude is why they are still here.

TCowner · Jan 19, 2003

It's just amazing to me what some of today's business people think of what good customer service is. I understand that there are some people that you can't please no matter how hard they try. But for most of us we simply ask that you work with us to resolve the problem and not treat us as if we are wasting your time now that the purchase is over. I've seen this time and time again when purchasing a new car/truck. The salesman offers you coffee, popcorn, perhaps a free hot dog, appears to be interested in your family, offers to babysit your children, anything to make the deal and then God help us when we own the thing. How quickly they forget. There are some exceptions of course. There was a salesman at one dealership that was completely different and would go to bat for me with the service department and make sure I had a loaner vehicle if needed. My story of the Deere salesman that lead me to the NewHolland dealership is an interesting one. But believe me, I have related my story to dozens of people and have directed at least two compact tractor deals to another dealer (the one I purchased my X595 from). Dealerships spend tons of money advertising to get new customers and repeat customers back. Yet all it takes is one "jerk" and all that advertising money ends up a waste. I was trading Deere compact tractors every 1 to 2 years back to the first 855 in 1986. I had the service department do all of the 50 hour services and purchased all parts, accessories, etc., from the Deere dealerships. I directed new customers who asked where I purchased tractors. I always directed them to John Deere. That has changed now. I still think the Deere 4000 and 4000Ten series tractors are excellent tractors. But one JD salesman sent me to the competition and it may be hard to get me back. I'm sure John Deere will survive nicely without my compact utility business. But if enough customers, like me who are fed up with the arrogance of some Deere dealerships, decide to look elsewhere Deere may begin to feel it where it hurts.

lgjhn · Jan 21, 2003

I'm with you on "arrogant dealers". I'm going thru those pains right now. I bought a 4300 about a year ago while we were living in another state. We ended up back in our home state and ended up purchasing a small farm. Of course when we moved back here, the 4300 came with us. Over the past month, one of the FFL cylinders started leaking profusely....If you think it's tough getting warranty coverage where you bought the machine, try it somewhere where you didn't...just about impossible. Needless to say, I couldn't get any warranty coverage from local JD dealer so I had to shell out almost $300 for a new cylinder. This week, it appears that the SCV is also a mess (bucket literally falls down) and I know that is going to be another expensive repair. This tractor has not been abused...only has about 50 hours on it and the FFL less than 10!!! With the way JD has been here locally and the way this thing is just falling apart, that bright orange is looking better every second.....may just trade it off tomorrow....

rdbrumfield · Jan 21, 2003

Get hold of JD and find out who the district manager is and go for it. Just gets to a guy after they have your money and then don't know who you are.

CTyler · Jan 22, 2003

Warranty work is warranty work. It doesn't matter what JD dealer you bought it from. If the dealer is unwilling to perform the warranty work after talking with them then call JD's customer service. Be sure you have talked to the manager/owner of the dealership and gather the details as to why they will not perform the work. Give them the chance up front.

By saying no or its not covered they hope you'll just walk away and not question it. Its a pain in the but sometimes to get things done that are supposed to be covered.

TCowner · Jan 22, 2003

Yes, and don't be surprised if you get invited to their customer appreciation breakfast. Some of the attitudes of the dealers is amazing. THe effort put out to get business and then when it arrives at the door quickly stops. But you will continue to get invitations back to the dealership. There are good JD dealerships. The one where I bought my X595 and other JD compact utilities is an example. But is just appears to me that many of the JD guys are so convinced you will buy only green they offer you little time and courtesy if you suggest either another color or another dealer. Sometimes if the JD dealer is the only one close you have to bite the bullet and live with their arrogance. But if you have some choices either find one that understands customer service or change colors. I also think we should be sending letters to JD headquarters in Moline,IL letting them know what we experience. I know the dealerships are independent and that one letter complaining may go nowhere but if enough letters were sent (not e-mails) I think the JD corporate management can do something about it. I think everytime one of us changes colors the CEO of JD should know it. I need to write my letter. I might even include a picture of me on the the Newholland.

JerryT · Jan 22, 2003

If the FEL is less than 1 year old it is under JD warranty no matter where you are. You just have to fine the right strings to pull. On another issue - hydraulic cylinders are repairable. I had two fail on my JD FEL after warranty. I bought repair kits from JD, about $15.00 each (as I recall) and couldn't figure out how to take the cylinder apart. Found a small hydraulic repair shop, took them the parts and cylinders and they fixed them for $50.00 each. Wish I understood how to open the JD cylinders?

tractorhal · Jan 22, 2003

The more I talk to the dealer the more I find additional problems. The differential needs to be replaced,the rock shaft valve and who knows what else?

lgjhn · Jan 25, 2003

I've been to 5 dealerships with no assistance in getting actual warranty work performed. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so serious. However at the last dealership, they were the most helpful. They assured me that it was not the SCV, but probably an internal cylinder hydraulic leak. They explained and provided me a way to check it to make sure. I then got to talk to one of their mechanics. He told me exactly how to get the cylinders apart. I had the repair kits already. I came back home and sure enough, the other bucket cylinder showed bad. Within 10 minutes, I had that cylinder on my bench and completely apart. By the end of the afternoon, I had completely rebuilt all 3 cylinders on my FFL (I had already bought one new one). FFL works like new.
At this point, I'm just so glad it's back working and this is really a great little tractor otherwise, but the "dealer runaround" I have experienced regarding warranty issues the past few weeks has really left a terrible taste in my mouth regarding green/yellow.