First tractor, a John Deere 970, purchased 4 days ago. New owner intro & questions.
Hi Gang,
Last Thursday I purchased a used JD 970. The tractor has 165 hours on it and I am the second owner. The original owner purchased it in 1994 and used it to pull a finish mower at his home. The tractor came with no attachments and looks brand new. The only item that shows any wear is the three point hitch, which is a little scuffed. Even the floorboards where the operator's feet rests are still painted and scratch free. The tractor is four wheel drive (MFWD?) and was garage kept. The tractor has a manual transmission. I paid $12,900 for the tractor. This was at the high end of the spectrum of used 970s I found for sale on the web, but it was the nicest, lowest hour 970 I could find and I thought it was worth it.
Some backbround on me so you can understand a bit of my skillset which may help you generate a response to my questions. I am 55 years old and am a Professor in the University of North Carolina system. This is my third invention of myself. I started life as a diesel mechanic in the Army back in the late 70s. Obtained my electrical engineering degree in the 80s, working for Motorola, Intel, and NASA (among other companies). After 25 or so years as an engineer, I obtained my MBA and a Ph.D. As it turns out, the Ph.D. led me from Arizona to North Carolina where my wife and I purchased a 22 acre property. The property has a 2 acre pasture, a 3 acre pond, and the remainder of the property is old growth forest,,, most of it so thick with trees that walking through the forest can be difficult. There is so much work that needs to be done here.
I purchasd the tractor to mow the pasture and area around the pond, move gravel (more on this later), horse manure, and round bales of hay, pull small trees, etc.
On Friday and Saturday, I went through the tractor, inspecting it and servicing it. I ordered the service manual, but it has not yet arrived so the maintenance I have done is simple: lubrication (primarily) and systems functionality. Here is what my inspection produced: Front and rear axles appear to have never had the oil changed. Drain plugs are virgin (still painted with no marks). Fluid in the axles is clear and looks brand new (clear). Air filter appears to be original and is clean. Fuel filters (one by tank and one in engine compartment) look brown and need to be changed. Everything else on the tractor looks new and untouched. Every bolt is shiny and untouched. You could eat off the undercarriage it is so clean. Not a spec of stray oil or grease to be found.
For maintenance, I have checked all the fluid levels, greased the chassis (every grease point I could find ) and oiled every linkage I could find. I adjusted the brakes (they were about .5" out of spec on pedal movement), and surprisingly, the clutch was in-spec for pedal freeplay.
My experience as a mechanic suggests that I should replace all the filters and fluids in the entire tractor. Given how good the axle fluids are, it may be overkill to replace them. Engine oil needs to be changed, but I need to wait until my local John Deere dealer opens so I can purchase the filters and supplies I need.
So... after this very long introduction, here are my questions:
1. Is there anything I need to know about the 970? Potential systemic problems? I know that it was produced by Yanmar and badged as John Deere, but I have searched the web high and low and have found little "real world" user comments about it.
2. I plan to replace all the fluids and filters. With 165 hours on the tractor, would it be a waste to do so? Maybe an oil change would suffice?
3. Attachments. I really need a front end loader, but I have searched the web and have not found a single new or used John Deere 440 or 70 series FEL. Any suggestions on where I might find one?
4. Rear Wheels. They are set at their widest setting (lowest CG). I do not have any hills on my property where I am worried about tipping over, and setting the rear wheels on their narrowest setting would make getting through the forest and around on the paths easier. Should I leave them as they are for stability or do you think I should move them in. I suspect moving them in will be fine, but I do not know how "tippy" these tractors are.
5. I am looking at a used John Deere MX5 rotary cutter. Do you think my tractor can handle this cutter or would I be better off getting a lighter duty 4' cutter? I have some bamboo on my property that runs 1" to 3" in diameter, but most of it is 1" or smaller. There are LOTS of small trees growing around the edge of the pond that are in the same size range and I would like to cut them down if possible.
6. Anything else I am forgetting? Is there other maintenance items you would perform?
Thanks for bearing with me on this long post... and most of all, thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to offer on one or more of my questions.
Best,
Joe
) and leave an arm slipping off and a potential for breaking a casting. Very little occasion to have to remove those 3 ph arms so having quick lock pins there doesn't seem like the best idea. 
