succumbed to fever

[eteagle]

I'm now convinced that tractor flu fever is real. I've been browsing this post for a year and just went out and bought a JD 4300, rops, loader (430), R4 tires, HST, 4WD. I say "flu" because the fever you engender is contagious even over the web.

Any advice would be appreciated. I've been using a wonderful Ferguson TO 30 since l958 but am getting to old and skinny of butt to continue.

Is there any use for the mid PTO other than belly mower?

I will need rear ballast box but don't want to pay the JD price.

Would like to learn more about hydraulics. Other than loader, BH what equipment can I use that needs hyraulics?

By the way, on this groups advice, I visited over 12 local dealers. The starting price was 19K but within a month down to 18.1 with all dealers coming down to within $50 of each other. I really appreciate all the help.

Ernie

 

[Anonymous Poster]

There are a couple of cheaper solutions to the ballast box.
If you go to www.wallacemfg.com you'll see something called a lift frame or some similar name. You could use that as a starting point for a ballast box of your own. They are sold at farm stores near me. Or you can buy a straight bar that connects across the lower links of the 3 pt hitch. Slide that bar through cuts in the sidewall of an appropriate container/form for concrete, such as a barrel. Put some concrete in, stick so rebar or angle iron etc in for reinforcing. More concrete, then insert a top link for the upper mount.
That should do it, I think.
BTW concrete weighs ~150 lbs per cu ft. A cu ft is ~7.5 gals. So a 55 gal drum is ~1100 lbs. You can scale down to other containers from there.

PS: What did Deere want for the ballast box?

-Don M

 

[doctordeere]

Ernie.

Welcome to the Land of Green .

Mid PTO can be used for a belly mower, snowblower, front mounted rotary broom, etc. Down here in Georgia, we don't have much need for a snowblower.

The hydraulics can be used for many things. We sell these tractors for golf course use and they have a long list of equipment requiring hydraulics. A few that come to mind are top dressers, coring aerators (Hyd top link), core harvesters, trailers (Hyd. dump), gang mowers, vacuums, and a multitude of others.

Holler at me if you have any problems with the tractor. That's what I do for my keep.

"Doc"