New 4300 is dead! :-(

[Jag]

Bob, oh Bob, "But I just can't justify the cost for this one job." Listen to the people on the board....... The FEL is the most used equipment on the tractor... Everyone that has not had one before always says I can not believe I every got by without one....

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...The FEL is the most used equipment on the tractor...</font color=blue>

Bob...

Well... when they take your 'girl' to the shop and repair/replace the wiring harness underneath your tractor from "brush-hogging"...

While it's there... have them install a brand new Loader before they deliver it back... and just tell the Mrs... "Honey... you won't believe what the starting problem was all along..."

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

John,

<font color=blue>...Well... when they take your 'girl' to the shop and repair/replace the wiring harness underneath your tractor from "brush-hogging"...</font color=blue>

They say that some relay or switch failed, and that rather than running back and forth between their shop and my field, it makes more sense to bring the baby in there and figure it out. They have already ordered the parts they think may have failed.

The one thing I'm not sure of.. they said it was all covered by the warranty except for the charge for picking it up and delivering it again. Does this seem fair to you guys? I don't know what's common in these situations.

<font color=blue>While it's there... have them install a brand new Loader before they deliver it back... and just tell the Mrs... "Honey... you won't believe what the starting problem was all along..."</font color=blue>

Might work! But I don't know.. everybody tells me here that their FEL just sits around collecting dust.. can't ever find a use for it. Or maybe I mis-read their posts. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...the charge for picking it up and delivering it again. Does this seem fair to you guys?...</font color=blue>

Yes, that's normal...

But... exactly what "parts" did they order...?

No offense... but did the road guy get the tractor running in your field...? {switches/relays are easily bypassed for testing purposes and no guessing involved...}(you don't randomly just order a bunch of parts... especially JD parts...}

By chance did you mention to them the possibility of hitting something underneath prior to the "dead" issue? {I know you don't want to have a "non-warranty" issue on your hands... but it may be cheaper to reveal now than pay ~$100-150. for pickup/delivery fees...?}(and it eliminates alot of guessing and poking around and "tearing things apart" with your tractor if you can help narrow it down and give a few more clues)

Good luck Bob...

 

[TerryinMD]

<font color=blue>The dealer will be coming out today, and I sincerely hope my wife will be awake to give him the keys.</font color=blue>

Bob, don't know if you aware of this, but I can come up to your house and start (if it was running /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif) your 4300. The JD dealer has keys to your tractor, and mine, and John's, and Nuru's, and.... you get the picture./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

However, I hope that your problem is solved soon. Sounds like a head scratcher to me...

Terry

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Bob, don't know if you aware of this, but I can come up to your house and start (if it was running /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif) your 4300. The JD dealer has keys to your tractor, and mine, and John's, and Nuru's, and.... you get the picture. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif</font color=blue>

Oh, now that's reassuring to hear! One key fits all? What are they nuts? /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Maybe I should think more about an auxiliary ignition switch hidden somewhere. sigh.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...

No offense... but did the road guy get the tractor running in your field...?</font color=blue>

Nope. They said they thought they knew what parts may have gone bad.. and were ordering them immediately. I said, duh, okay. Think they should have had that baby running in no time, eh? Everybody around here swears by this dealer.. says they are the absolute best. I dunno, John.. maybe I'm being taken for a ride. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif

 

[Egon]

Bob:
Most of us with the loader use it for front ballast so we can pull larger loads uphill.

Egon

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...By chance did you mention to them the possibility of hitting something underneath prior to the "dead" issue? {I know you don't want to have a "non-warranty" issue on your hands... </font color=blue>

Well, yeah, I told them what I was doing.. but you have to remember, the tractor is sitting right in the midst of what I was doing. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

If this does turn out to be something I caused, I'll pay for the repair without feeling ripped off.. although I don't know how confident I'd be about this tractor in the future. Maybe I was doing something dumb, but I think I'll look underneath and find a way to protect vital dangling thingys if that turns out to be the case. There was nothing I could see except some branches wedged up in the framework, and I just pulled them out.

I keep you posted. They don't think it's anything like that, is my impression. They just think an interlock switch failed.. or something like that.

We'll see! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[TerryinMD]

Bob,

The dealers only keep a minimal amount of parts around. Especially those that move fast. You got bit by JIT - just-in-time. Not your time - the dealers. In most cases, the dealers have the parts the next day. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Look at this way, you may not have to have the tractor hauled back and forth to the dealer and save you the hauling costs. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Terry

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...I was trying to push down brush and small trees with the front blade. This resulted in a lot of small tree wood getting jammed into the underside of the tractor. ...</font color=blue>

Bob,

I had to go back and reread your post... to make sure I didn't miss anything...

That's very normal what you are doing... as long as you don't back up with the brush/debris underneath the tractor...... that's when you get into trouble...

Mother Nature will use that brush and rip and tear at your fuel lines and wiring underneath... and also pop out wiring plugs on the switches... {and pull out clips that hold your clutch and brake linkage together, and hydraulic lines it loves...etc.etc.etc.}

Take a real close look in daylight and comb the bottom of your tractor from from front to back... crawl under the tractor and lie on your back in a snowsuit and inspect the harness and plugs underneath...

 

[Boondox]

Bob, the suspense is killing me! /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Pete

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

The dealor came and took the machine today. That's all I know at this point. The suspense is killing me too!! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[hermit]

Speaking of keys, just got back from the JD dealer after picking up a new set of keys. There seems to be about 10 different types of keys for these tractors and they just looked through their bins until he came up with one that fit. I broke one off in the ignition when I had to bail off to break up a dog fight. The problem I had with my 4300 was with the neutral switch on the reverser lever. The 2 little screws that hold it in position were loose and when I got to working the lever back and forth the switch moved and couldn't close it in neutral to let it start. Good luck. Contrary to what I've seen and heard my 4300 has been a good piece of equipment. No major problems and very few minor ones.

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...That's very normal what you are doing... as long as you don't back up with the brush/debris underneath the tractor...... that's when you get into trouble... </font color=blue>

Well, yep.. that's what I did alrighty. Although the Deere dealer still says it wasn't anything that was my fault. In other words, I got lucky. He says one relay and one interlock switch went bad. He suggested some caution when I wash the tractor with water.. although I hadn't done that for weeks because it wasn't dirty. Unfortunately, the guy I spoke to couldn't tell me precisely which relay or switch bit the big one, but I asked them I they felt I had done something wrong, and, if so, to please tell me so I don't repeat the mistake. They said no, it just failed.

Go Figger. I'll pick their brains more once they get the parts in and actually make sure that's what the problem is/was.

Thanks for the info guys!! Oh, they were very insensitive.. I asked for an address where I could send a get-well card and flowers, and they laughed!

/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...tell me precisely which relay or switch bit the big one...</font color=blue>

Bob...

I just gots to know.../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>I just gots to know...</font color=blue>

Dirty Harry movies...Gotta luv 'em.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

<font color=blue>...Dirty Harry movies...Gotta luv 'em. ...</font color=blue> {and I do...!}

It's funny you say that...

The other night, my wife says..."Who do you think is a better actor... Clint Eastwood or Tom Cruise...?"

I answered, "They have different styles... I like them both..."

I just smelt one of the moods coming up like "Do I look fat in this...? {a no win situation for me...} /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[MikePA]

And you say you're not a genius! Pretty quick thinking! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Buck]

{a no win situation for me...}

or, for any earthbound male.