Is this JD Quality?

[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.