Is this JD Quality?

[Turkeyman]

After waiting 106 days to get my 4720 I am having some annoying but minor problems so far( 16hrs) with it. 1) dealer filled the fuel tank up about 6" from the fill spout and it leaked till it was 1/2 full. 2) right loader idler bolt fell off, bending both inner and outer arms with less then 8 hours on it after leaving the dealer. 3) It starts in gear ( e hydro). 4) Lights stay on even if I pull the key out of ignition. 5) Starting to get some white smoke with 16 hrs on the meter.

I ordered it with the electric diverter and T&T, but after 106 days, they were not sure when the diverter would be in. If JD can not get me a new diverter how are they going to get parts to fix the diverter if it breaks?

The engineers in Augusta said many things about Deere that have not been true, should I be getting worried?

 

[robison]

If it makes you feel any better, our shop has had to contend with far worse problems than this on brand new Rolls Royce automobiles over the years . . .

The loader problem is probably a dealer assembly issue . . . fuel tank leak and start in gear . . . those things are why we do pre delivery inspections.

We'd like to have perfect manufacturers but it does not happen. And some of your troubles sit squarely on the dealer's shoulders from the sound of it.

Odds are these issues will sort themselve out in the next 10-20 running hours and you will have a long lived and reliable machine from then on.

 

[timb]

As John said - at least two of those (your #1 and #3, if #3 is actually incorrect) should have been caught by the dealer on inspection and corrected before delivery - one IMO is actually their fault outright (#2) with setup - and the last (#4, the lights) may not be a 'problem'. If you're talking about the headlights/rear lights - at least on the 4000 and 4000-Tens - the light switch is independent of the key switch. You can run the lights whenever you like.

Nothing is perfect, but you should be able to expect that all of your issues will be corrected asap. Hopefully your dealer is a good one.

What did the Augusta engineers say?

 

[shoppintractors]

<font color="green"> .........should I be getting worried?</font>

I'm sorry to hear about the quality issues with your new John Deere.

Some folks would lead you to believe certain brands are infallable......immune from these types of issues. However, I see minor issues like these pop up across all the brands, regardless of color.

I'm sure your dealer will rectify the issues in short order and you'll be on your way to happy tractoring......


Don

 

[RogerH]

When you say the tractor starts in gear, does it actually move on startup?

I have driven an eHydro and it will start with the gear selector out of neutral, but it never moves. I have even tried starting the tractor with a foot pedal depressed, and it won't move until the foot pedal is first released all the way, then depressed again. The earlier 4000 HST tractors would also start with the gear selector in gear, but a switch on the HST linkage would keep it from starting and moving.

As noted in another reply above, the light switch is independent of the key switch. There are probably pros and cons to that, but it is nice once in a while to switch on the lights to illuminate your shed/garage/barn without having to run back to the house for the key. A side note, but on the Twenty Series, turning on the lights also turns on the hour meter on the instrument panel if you just want a quick look.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

It would be annoying if you had to shift to neutral everytime you want to start the engine. You'll agree when you end up turning it off to talk to someone or answer the cell phone.

The light switch is independent from the key switch. They have been this way for quite some time now on most JD's.

The rest of your problems sound like a new hired person set up your tractor. Get the dealer to fix everything.

The electric diverter is a bit of $$$ and not very common. I would guess many dealers don't have much experience with this. Especially a new hired set up person....Kyle

 

[DennoAce]

Just don't want someone to be mislead...but at least as far as a 4110 goes, the lights are wired to the key switch and most certainly will NOT come on if the key is off/out.

I'm sure other models' lights work independently as was said...dunno I don't own one (yet!)

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[beenthere]

I agree with others, that #1 and #2 are dealer fix's.

#3 and #4 are the way my 4300 operates, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I don't want to have to leave the tractor running to just keep the lights on. And I don't want to have to do anything but turn the ignition on to start the tractor engine. To move forward or reverse, there are pedals for that, and it won't move when started until the pedals are pushed.

Hope you get to the point that you can enjoy your JD. Sounds like you are a bit dissapointed. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Hypernix]

Denno,

Glad you mentionned this! My 4110 has the same "feature". For a minute there I was starting to think that it was broken! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif (Turned the ignition off last night and the lights also turned off)

Hypernix

 

[ddivinia]

#3 is correct. It will start in gear, but it will not move. I read that in the manual for my 4720. Also, my lights work the same way on my 4720. My fuel sender was bad on my 4720, but it did not leak fuel.

Thanks,
D.

 

[4120]

You got white smoke too!

I got a JD 4120 with 40 hours and from day one it blows white smoke out of the exhaust when it starts up and it keeps getting worse day by day. I'm to the point now that if i start the tractor and it starts to smoke, i have to turn it off and back on to stop it from smoking. My local John Deere has had it for 3 weeks and no clue what is causing it.

That is just the start of the problems with my new JD. When trying to raise and lower the 3 point hitch arms a noise is produced that is nothing short of someone pulling teeth. By the way John Deere has no clue what is causing it.

And do you want to talk quality, when i took delivery the Fuel Cap wouldn't even screw on the fuel tank. Had to replace the whole fuel tank. QUALITY

This is very dissapointing, b/c i had a 1992 870 model and it ran flawless for me. I could have not been happier with that tractor. That is why i decided to buy another. Maybe i should have looked elsewhere.

 

[HGM]

Its a different animal but still JD. You should check my post on the Lawn and Garden section about LT150 vs LT160. I had several issues, and question their overal quality anymore.

 

[beenthere]

white smoke
I get that if I start and stop the diesel often and don't get the engine warmed up before shutting it off. Not that it is the same, but that is when I get white smoke on start-up.

Noise
Not sure if it is the same sound, but when new I would get a dull squeal from the hydraulics at the 3pt, and it had to do with engine rpm and a relief valve. Boost the engine rpm slightly and the noise would stop (it also would stop if doing nothing, but take a few seconds longer).

Fuel tank
Sounds like the cap was cross threaded at some point, and good that you managed to get it fixed by Deere.

And that Deere 'has no clue', I think this is a 'learned' or 'taught' answer for most all service managers, be it Deere or GM or whoever. Frustrating, but it is reality. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[4120]

The white smoke only happens when you perform a cold start. It white smoke just pours out of the exhaust for minutes. The only way i have found to stop it is to shut down the tractor and start it again. Then it runs fine no matter how much you start and stop the engine.

I have tired everything in my power to make the 3 point hitch stop making noise. High and low RPM, cold and hot, nothing works. JD thinks it may have something to do with the relief valve, but doesn't want to touch it untal they fix the engine.

 

[renz]

I'm no JD apologist, and I am sorry to hear about the problems experienced by Turkeyman and 4120, but just by way of balance: my new 4120 has been flawless, slight white smoke at startup ( as it's supposed to have) and then it disappears. Dealer setup (by a very reputable Gold Star dealer) was complete and accurate as far as I can tell through operation and my normal checking of the equipment. I agree with the cross-threaded cap idea - I do find that the threads on the fuel cap require that you be careful getting the cap on correctly. It's goes on a bit tight compared to most fuel caps, so you don't get that reassuring feeling of spinning it on and then feeling it tighten.

BTW, I've been using ( at pennies per tankful) a diesel conditioner since I first started adding fuel, and I find I have a smooth and quiet engine at anything above idle. And my understanding is that cold starts are supposed to be made at 1/3 throttle, if that helps anyone.

As has been said in other threads, we should all make sure that JD, not just the dealer, is aware of our problems as they occur. JD has made some changes along the way in their twenty series machines to solve some other issues. I've discovered from my serial number that my machine was the 8th 4120 off the line following some production changes they made to fix some known problems. If they are made aware of new issues I bet they'll continue to tweak their production. Not because they're saints, but because it's simple good business when they've got strong competition and are trying to build market share.