Exercised the L4400 today.

[challengertn]

I took the L4400 out into the bean field today to kinda' give it a little break in. It walks the dog with the 7 ft. 3ph disk. It actually will pull it too fast. I got up to high 2nd gear with very little strain and finally backed off to keep the dirt from flying across the field. My first observations other than the obvious power difference between it and the 135 MF is that the bull gears are significantly louder, (annoying actually) in the higher gears especially on the road, than the planetary drive gears in the larger tractors. Also, what I was expecting to be better fuel economy is not the case at this point. Any thoughts?

 

[Bob_Young]

RPM? What RPM were you turning while discing? If you're running close to the RPM it's rated at, it'll use fuel. Gotta expect 45HP to be thirsty.

I haven't done any ground engagement work yet with the new L4300. That's coming in a month or two. My 3ph disc is 6'6" and I'll probably try to find a gear that pulls it easily using 1500-1800RPM...hopefully at a decent pace. I'm not out to set speed records. Even my 200cu. in. Ford 4000 is pretty frugal if I keep the Revs down. Maybe I'm fooling myself.

Yeah the gears are noisy aren't they. I've only noticed it when operating in High Range; but it's always there to some extent. It hasn't bothered me yet but on an extended road trip it might.

Keep the updates coming. I'll read 'em even if no one else does /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
Bob

 

[dknarnd]

Any new reports on this tractor? Anyone using a 6' cutter(bush hog) on this tractor? Are you experiencing the "jerky" up travel on the 3ph?

 

[familyman]

When I first got my L2800 a year ago, I posted a question about gear noise and replies said that gear noise was a part of life with straight-cut gears.

 

[ArkCivEngr]

High-range gears on my L3400 are also very loud. About once or twice a month I "road" mine (about 3 miles) over to the house of a guy who owns a tree service, and load my truck up with free tree bark/mulch. My ears are usually black and blue by the time I get back home.