JD tractor guys- transmission

[Texas97]

Need help deciding what's better in either a 4440, 4450, or 4455. 15 speed powershift or quad range?

Some tractors list having a "power quad". Is that actually a different transmission or is it the same as the quad range transmission?

I'll be plowing with it and pulling a big shredder.

 

[Baconator]

Go with the 55 series if you can.
15 speed powershift is a nice trans, but they do need rebuilds after a while depending upon what they are used for. If you are looking at higher houred machines be ready to need to rebuild it. They arent terrible to do, however it requires pulling the cab and splitting the trans case. Parts are spendy too, I dont think there is much aftermarket, so most needs to come from Deere.

Quad Range and Power quad are the same. They are stout transmissions, rarely have I seen one with issues, most of the time its just shift linage loosening up and making them hard to shift.

If you can swing it go to a 7000 series, much better tractor all around. 7800/7810 is one of my favorites Ive ever run.

 

[Texas97]

Go with the 55 series if you can.
15 speed powershift is a nice trans, but they do need rebuilds after a while depending upon what they are used for. If you are looking at higher houred machines be ready to need to rebuild it. They arent terrible to do, however it requires pulling the cab and splitting the trans case. Parts are spendy too, I dont think there is much aftermarket, so most needs to come from Deere.

Quad Range and Power quad are the same. They are stout transmissions, rarely have I seen one with issues, most of the time its just shift linage loosening up and making them hard to shift.

If you can swing it go to a 7000 series, much better tractor all around. 7800/7810 is one of my favorites Ive ever run.

I don't think I can swing it price wise and it's getting into some electronics I'd like to avoid with that series. Why I'm looking at the 80s model range of tractors

 

[bigun]

I have no direct knowledge but from what I have seen in videos, John Deere parts costs are figured by their weight in gold!

 

[1oddtech]

Powrquad is a later model tractor transmission, 6000 and 7000 models. The quad range transmission can't be beat for durability. A buddy of mine has a 4440 making 250hp thru a quad range with over 20k hours on it. It's been rebuilt a few times tho.

 

[Baconator]

I have no direct knowledge but from what I have seen in videos, John Deere parts costs are figured by their weight in gold!

I am constantly surprised by it, some stuff that I expect to be $$$ is cheap, and other stuff that I expect to be cheap is $$$.
Kubota stuff in my opinion is about the same, the difference is that the Deere stuff comes within a day or 2, the kubota stuff takes weeks though

 

[Aggie06]

JD parts are stupid expensive.

 

[OutlawRider]

Go with the 55 series if you can.
15 speed powershift is a nice trans, but they do need rebuilds after a while depending upon what they are used for. If you are looking at higher houred machines be ready to need to rebuild it. They arent terrible to do, however it requires pulling the cab and splitting the trans case. Parts are spendy too, I dont think there is much aftermarket, so most needs to come from Deere.

Quad Range and Power quad are the same. They are stout transmissions, rarely have I seen one with issues, most of the time its just shift linage loosening up and making them hard to shift.

If you can swing it go to a 7000 series, much better tractor all around. 7800/7810 is one of my favorites Ive ever run.

The 7800 is by far the worst tractor I have ever driven hands down. Granted we had a lot of bigger tractors but also had some smaller ones too. That thing was underpowered for the size and road rougher than any of the other tractors I drove. I would not own one unless it was given to me.

 

[Texas97]

Looking really for a 4450 or 4455. More to offer than the 4440. I was pretty set on going with the powershift but now leaning towards the quad trans

 

[grumpy356]

The 7800 is by far the worst tractor I have ever driven hands down. Granted we had a lot of bigger tractors but also had some smaller ones too. That thing was underpowered for the size and road rougher than any of the other tractors I drove. I would not own one unless it was given to me.

I have a 5105 and won’t own another one unless its given to me.

 

[Baconator]

The 7800 is by far the worst tractor I have ever driven hands down. Granted we had a lot of bigger tractors but also had some smaller ones too. That thing was underpowered for the size and road rougher than any of the other tractors I drove. I would not own one unless it was given to me.

The one Ive run has likely been tuned up a bit. Pulled a loaded grain cart pretty well.
Its pretty damn comparable to a 4455 and a bit more than a 4440 in the HP department.

 

[OutlawRider]

I have a 5105 and won’t own another one unless its given to me.

I have no personal experience in the 5000 series. We had a 4000 series and it was great for smaller stuff. We ran a planter on it but that pushed the limits of the 3 point hitch. It had a bucket as well so was just handy around the shop. Maneuverable and pretty stout. But you also didn’t expect it to pull a big disk or land plane.

 

[OutlawRider]

The one Ive run has likely been tuned up a bit. Pulled a loaded grain cart pretty well.
Its pretty damn comparable to a 4455 and a bit more than a 4440 in the HP department.

The 7800 to me was an oversized tractor made to run in hay fields. That is only my opinion. The transmission sucked as well. We had 8300s and over the years various other 8000 series tractors. They just ran circles around that 7800. It was good for planting with a tool bar and running a spray rig from a 3 point hitch (until we bought a stand alone spray rig). After that, it got sold. It was worked hard, but everyone hated getting stuck in it. The one positive was the windows opened so when the AC would ever quit, Atleast you could get some airflow.

 

[TRINDU]

While were just throwing out numbers... I ran a 6410 for a few years and had zero complaints. I just changed the oil and abused it. The shuttle was badass.

Never once thought the electronics were detrimental. No more than running a late 90s truck.

 

[MuntCuffin]

We have a fleet a 4wd's with power shifts and quadrange.

I much prefer the old quadrange in our old 8630's over the new shit.

Of course I'm usually the guy that has to work on the stuff, so there is that.

 

[Texas97]

Well I bought a mid 80s model 4450 with the quad. 5500 hours, front and rear weight sets and duals. We'll see how it goes

 

[87manche]

JD parts are stupid expensive.

but they are always available.

it sucks to have a machine down for a month while you wait on a part from the dealer tat isn't in stock anywhere.


new holland I'm looking at you.

 

[MuntCuffin]

Well I bought a mid 80s model 4450 with the quad. 5500 hours, front and rear weight sets and duals. We'll see how it goes

We have 3 of those. 1 never comes unattached from a roadside mower, the other 2 are on swing away bin augers and sometimes gets a grading blade put on it. They get beat on and hardly ever maintained. No real problems with them. Its an old mechanical diesel tractor with linkage transmission shifting. It should serve you for a very long time.

 

[larboc]

Looking really for a 4450 or 4455. More to offer than the 4440. I was pretty set on going with the powershift but now leaning towards the quad trans

My old man had a 4440 he farmed with for years when I was a kid, even the AC worked. It was pretty much the only 100% reliable piece of equipment we had so of course he sold it.

When I was farming I never cared for the powershift transmissions I ran in some larger Case tractors only because it seemed so unnatural having the thing go to neutral and then slam into a gear, it probably makes sense but a clutch seemed more natural.

 

[Texas97]

Alright, got another question. Wanting to see if I can pull a 27' field cultivator, 3 rows of shovels. 55 shovels total on the 3 rows, which I think would be 6" spacing.

Will my 4450 pull it about 4" deep?

 

[Aggie06]

Alright, got another question. Wanting to see if I can pull a 27' field cultivator, 3 rows of shovels. 55 shovels total on the 3 rows, which I think would be 6" spacing.

Will my 4450 pull it about 4" deep?

Sweeps or furrowed shovels? Is this previously worked ground or raw pasture that’s been grazed for years?

I’ve seen it estimated that it takes between 4-8 hp/ft of cultivator for a tractor to pull it. My guess is you’re closer to the 4 hp/ft. It might do it on sandier soils, but if you get into heavy clays you might not be able to.

 

[IGT]

Alright, got another question. Wanting to see if I can pull a 27' field cultivator, 3 rows of shovels. 55 shovels total on the 3 rows, which I think would be 6" spacing.

Will my 4450 pull it about 4" deep?

In clay or tight soil you might need to add weight to your rear and run in a lower gear
Sandy soil probably.

27 ft IH Field Cultivator we used was pulled with a 160 HP tractor that weighed 15K

 

[Texas97]

Sweeps or furrowed shovels? Is this previously worked ground or raw pasture that’s been grazed for years?

I’ve seen it estimated that it takes between 4-8 hp/ft of cultivator for a tractor to pull it. My guess is you’re closer to the 4 hp/ft. It might do it on sandier soils, but if you get into heavy clays you might not be able to.

These are the sweeps, but I call them shovels. Different than the twisted point chisels.

It will be pulled over worked ground and most of it is heavy clays, that does have gravel in it. Now, I wouldn't mind being able to run it over unworked pasture land.

I think I'm right on the border line of it being too wide a plow. I'm torn either way. I'm fully weighted on the tractor and can run my duals.

 

[Juztyn00]

JD parts are stupid expensive.

All big tractor parts are stupid expensive... Put a lot of hours disking on a 4440 with a quad range.. Was one of the most reliable machines on the farm and a lot of farmers still covet them. From what I seen one that's been maintained still brings good money. Not a modern machine but it will do the job just the same.

 

[Baconator]

Alright, got another question. Wanting to see if I can pull a 27' field cultivator, 3 rows of shovels. 55 shovels total on the 3 rows, which I think would be 6" spacing.

Will my 4450 pull it about 4" deep?

Thats a bit much for it, especially if there are any hills

 

[Texas97]

Thats a bit much for it, especially if there are any hills

Damn. I feared that. It's a good price at a local equipment dealer. Used equipment is hard to come by

 

[Tiha]

Geez, we call that a chisel plow here.

So uhm, just don't un fold it if you can't pull the full width. We do this all the time with a disk or other equiptment. When we either don't have the traction, horsepower, or need it to go deeper.

 

[Aggie06]

Geez, we call that a chisel plow here.

So uhm, just don't un fold it if you can't pull the full width. We do this all the time with a disk or other equiptment. When we either don't have the traction, horsepower, or need it to go deeper.

That was going to be my suggestion if it was a great price.

 

[Texas97]

Geez, we call that a chisel plow here.

So uhm, just don't un fold it if you can't pull the full width. We do this all the time with a disk or other equiptment. When we either don't have the traction, horsepower, or need it to go deeper.

yeah, i have called it that too before, but its actual name is a field cultivator with a rear tine drag behind it. Yesterday i pulled a non-offset disk 22' wide

 

[Baconator]

Damn. I feared that. It's a good price at a local equipment dealer. Used equipment is hard to come by

Tell me about it. People are paying stupid prices for junk right now.
Check out the classifieds on agtalk, there are some decent deals there occasionally. http://newagtalk.com/