790 questions

[RussfromIA]

I just purchased an '04 790 with 158 hours on it. I purchased it at a private sale for $9500 with a 300 loader. It also came with a 5' JD rotary mower that looks like around the same year. However, the mower has been ran through the ringer. It actually has a circular groove wore into the top of the deck from the blades going around and one blades is missing. The rest of the mower is shot except for the gear box. I could care less about the mower since I have an older 5' IH bush hog that works fine. My concern is how much the tractor was abused. It has the r4 tires which I like and the rears are filled with fluid. All of the tires have spin cuts all over them but still have plenty of traction. Just not the prettiest looking things. After reading alot of threads I see these are pretty rugged tractors so, I am not as concerned about the prior use of the tractor as I was at first. Other than changing the oil, oil filter, fuel filter what would anyone suggest to check or change? I have ran it a couple hours since buying it to move some dirt with the loader and mow my ditch. Everything seems fine to me otherwise.

Thanks,

Russ

P.S. Anyone know where to get new decals for the 790's that are reasonable?

 

[26m10]

at 158 hours it should look brand spanking new...

 

[RoyJackson]

$9500 is a really good price!

Since it appears the previous owner must have thrown a blade (on the cutter) and kept on running it...that doesn't bode well for the maintenance on the tractor.
Since you're changing the rest of the fluids, you may as well change the hydraulic fluid and front axle fluid too. That can't hurt... At least check the radiator fluid level...

The 790's are quite tough. I doubt if there's any damage.
Since it seems to run well, other then changing the fluids, I'd just run it.

You got it for a good price and if it looks a bit ragged...well that's why the good price.

As far as the decals, the local Deere store will probably be your only option.

Deere has a pretty nice workshop manual on CD-ROM for the 790 series (mine also covers the older Deeres; 670, 770, 870, 970 and 1070. The 790's are covered in adendums (since the 670 and 770 are basically the same tractor except for the engine). This cost me about $50 a few years back. It's a worthwhile purchase.

If you didn't get the owner's manual with your tractor, Deere has it on their web site. You can view it here.
I think you'll want the latest one (LV790G-790001). They're all pretty similar though. The only major changes on the tractor since 1999 has been the engine.

 

[gordon21]

Great deal at that price.

Change all fluids and filters (battery, front end, tranny, engine, radiator). Look to see if the tranny filter screen was ever cleaned. Crawl underneath and you will be able to see from the paint on the bolts if it was ever removed. Make sure to change the diesel filter that looks like an oil filter canister. If it is like mine, it is very hard to get off. Check the battery connections for corrosion. Check tire pressure and lug nut tightness. Grease everything in site.

If you do all this yourself, plan on $125 for the various filters and fluids. Your tractor will then be good for another 100+ hours which could be 1-2 years depending upon your usage.

The 790 is simple, reliable and easy to fix if anything goes wrong. It is basically technology from the 70's with modern quality control and materials. With proper care, you can pass it on to your grandkids.

Decals can be bought at the dealer or possibly on e-bay if you don't mind them being an exact replacement. Many JD decals are similar. You can probably find some of the racing stripes with the name from another model.