4400 controls

Ok, guys I need some help here. I feel like I am asking some dumb questions and ask for your patience. I am going to look at the JD 4400 diesel gear shift combine I was asking you guys for the dimensions before. Currently I only farm with a pull type combine and pick my ear corn with a new idea picker. I haven't been in a real combine since I was a little kid before my dad lost the farm. I have no idea what anything does in the cab and am looking for your help describing what control is what. Like how you turn the seperator on, what lever lifts the head,there are 3 control on the steering wheel council what do they do, where is the throttle, what is the yellow lever on the right side infront of the council. This is embarrassing to be asking these questions, but I need to start some where. I have run tractors, bobcats, backhoes, etc, but never a combine. I know I will eventually figure it out, am trying to avoid the embarrasment when I look at the combine. I have farmed with my pull-type for a while so I understand how to set a combine up for the crop intented, just don't know how to run a real combine. Thanks for your advice and please be patient with my quesitons.

You ask honest questions. Order a owners manual and spend some time with it in the evenings after supper, and also out at the combine during fair weather with lots of sun shine. Look things over and then do it again multiple times, become aquainted so to speek, youll learn more this way.It has automotive style hydralic breaks, offten times not maintained very well, also the main drive clutch should or may need to be adjusted.

Explain your inexperience to the owner and have him explain all that. He should have the operator manual- one came with each machine. Ask him about finding reverse- a friend had a 4400 and said you have to go thru one gear to get to reverse (???). Wasn"t the easiest to find. IDK- I just rode with him. Any SP is a large machine- have plenty of space to practice driving in at first.

last time I was in 4400 was in 1974 so I hope I get this close (I also highly recommend the ops manual) the levers by the steering wheel left side was header raise and lower and the right ones (I think that side has two) was variable speed for ground speed and reel height I hope I have these correct others here will correct me if I am wrong, the yellow knob on the console should be engine speed/throttle if my mind is thinking right good luck with your possible purchase from what I remember of that machine it was a good running/working unit the one I ran had a dsl engine and had a button you had to hold in until it got oil pressure to start, the thresher control seems to me was to the right of the seat but I can not remember if it was in front of it or beside
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The yellow lever engages the seperator, the throttle is on the right side of your seat, the three levers on the column are; left side is reel height, right side black one lifts the head, red one is variable speed.

Just replaced my old 4400 this fall. Very easy machine to run and the controls are all pretty handy. As already said you need an operators manual to show all the controls. others have alreay told how to raise and lower the heady and vary the ground speed and reel speed but you will need to know how to set the cylinder speed and the concave spacing.
One note the hydraulics may take a few moments before they are working and you will not have power steering and head lifting until then. Someone mentioned shifting into reverse but this is pretty easy as the gears are marked and reverseis straight back in the middle although you need to be sure you are in neutral.

My advice is to look under the combine for rust holes especially the grain shoe augers which are located from the front, just behind the feeder house and running back under the middle of the machine. They are difficult to patch and very hard an expensive to replace. Also make sure that the unloading auger is working right and easy to swing into the unloading position.

When you are sitting in the seat, short orange knobbed lever by your right knee is throttle. Big yellow knobbed lever by right front windo kicks in the threshing unit. Orange knobbed lever on steering column right side is your variable speed for driving, black lever on steering column right side is header lift, black lever on left side of steering column is variable speed feeder house or real height. There is a round black knob on right dash toward the rear, this is your variable speed for your reels or pickup belts on pikup platform. To start the machine make sure shift lever is in neutral, and fuel shutoff is pushed in. The fuel shutoff is an orange or yellow knob on the right rear of dash. Start engine with the key, shut it off with the fuel shut off by pulling the knob out. There is also a small yellow button on right dash towards the front, when pulled out it kicks the feeder house in and when pushed in shuts the feeder house off. To shift in reverse you pull it into second gear, twist knob and pull straight back into reverse. If shift cables have been kept oiled it will shift nice, if cables are rusty it will shift hard. Look under combine behind rear axle and make sure the auger pans aren't rusted out, there are also 4 bearings on the end of those augers above the front axle you need to look at. Hopefully they opened the clean out door under those bearings to clean out auger pan. Good luck with it, it is a very good little combine, but the 6600 and 7700 will have a lot more capacity.

Auger pan is behind front axle not back axle as I mistyped it.

Thank you so much for the help. You guys are a good bunch. This is a 2200 hour machine with really nice heads. How does the variable speed drive lever work? I farm with mostly bigger Oliver tractors, so is it like the 3 speed olivers? You had 3 speeds in each gear with the hydraul. Or can you feather a little faster or slower in each gear? How do you use that when going down the road?

I might add that the right-left turn signal is on the center post, left side of the steering wheel. One thing to checkbefore purchaseingis on the primary counter shaft- on the engine side. Grab the pulley that drives the cylinder and try to rock it back and forth. If there is play between the pulley and cylinder shaft you should be able to buy the combine at scrap price since the repair/fix at JD will be way more than it will ever be worth. However, with an afternoon and a $3 over size key you can have it as good as new, take the pulley off, grind / fit the new key to the shaft and pulley. It'll be good for another couple thousand hours. I hope no one ever needs this info, but just incase...

The variable speed drive is just like the name ...rabbit is faster/ turtle is slower and you can adjust it anywhere between as you need. I usually combine in first gear for beans, second in corn,local conditions will dictate how fast you should be going. Some local guys are useing the #216 bean head and they claim it handles it, but I feel the 13 foot head is plenty big enough.

ok, so if I understand correctly you have variable speed in any gear. Does it click into place or do you have to hold the lever at the variable speed you want or does it hold itself were ever you put the lever, I'm talking either while combine or going down the road.

You can feather it in any gear

pic from a early 4400 [gas] ; 75-or newer diesel will have some anded things...

Thanks guys for your help. I have been in a 4400 before at a dealer lot, so the levers you are talking about are familiar. I just didn't know what they all do. It is starting to make a little more sense. Wish me luck. This will be a big step up from the pull type combine. Just nervous about the million things extra that can go wrong with a self propelled.

thanks long green line man a picture is worth a thousand words

Bring a friend with you that knows combines to help you look it over..

VS means you can vary ground speed from top to bottom in each gear....move the VS lever fwd to spd up, back to slow down. Works at any position between fastest and slowest. Just a hyd cyl that moves the VS sheaves in and out.

I'll take a shot at it.
On steering column;
LH lever w/Blk knob...reel height and/or feeder house speed. (corn and soybean combine)

RH red, variable speed for ground speed, forward to go fast, rearward to go slow, works in any gear.

RH Blk, header raise/lower

Yellow button just to right of header raise lever, electric clutch for feeder house on/off.

Long yellow gripped lever coming out of front of console, separator engage.

Lever with red knob and black rubber boot at the bottom, gear shift, 4 forward, 1 reverse.

Short red lever at the corner of the console.... throttle.

Round thing just below throttle, concave adjustment...open or close by cranking around.

Round black knob by operator's pant leg (crossed leg) unload auger swing out. (if equipped)

Black lever at shoe laces of crossed leg....unload auger on/off.

Another place to look that can rust thru is under the unloading auger in the grain bin. That can be patched kinda easy.
Also, Look at the main counter shaft that drives the thresher, the one that moves forwards & back a little . It puts the thresher in gear
That big shaft and bearings with the holders can/ does wear out.BTDT & very hi $$ repair.
I assume that the 4400 has that same shaft as my 7700 had.machine. Good luck with your 4400. clint

Thanks again guys. This was a very helpful start. I really appreciate your patience. That was a great picture heat houser, thank you. I have one more question. If for some reason I do buy it, can it be towed if it ends up breaking down? I know, I know, it better make it home. I imagine the main problem will be it has no brakes or steering because they are hydraulic right? I have a lot to learn, but I will make it all work. I was born with a love of farming, but have started with no help and no farm to start with. My dad lost it all farming and has no interest in helping me financially. That is why I farm with the old stuff, but still love it. So everything is baby steps for me and have to learn it all on my own. Thanks a bunch guys.

I think you will be happy with a 4400 for a small farm. We use a later model diesel on my dads farm of 80 acres. We run a 216 flex head and it handles it ok. Once your in the drivers seat so to speak, you can see that it is a pretty simple machine really. They can just look intimidating. I drove ours home 3 hrs and had no problems. I would suggest "lot" driving it some to test brake function and to get the feel for steering it before hitting the road.

all very good advise ( well except for my incorrect stuff LOL sorry) I would advise to make sure all tires are at correct and even pressures as this does affect steering a lot on the road