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JD 4430 Questions

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JLC

10-14-2002 14:22:37




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I recently looked a a JD 4430 for sale and not being familiar with John Deeres I have a few questions. First off is there anything I really need to look for on the tractor? Any weak spots? Second, what is the rated HP of this tractor? Third what is this tractor worth? It is a diesel, has about 4300 hours on it. Less than 1500 on engine OH. It has new paint and great tires. I am located in Northern Iowa. Thanks in advance for any information you might be able to give me.

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Mark

10-16-2002 07:06:41




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
Last year at two different auctions here in Western Nebraska high houred 4430's went for under 12,000.00. They had good rubber but each had over 7000 hrs. No overhauls on those.

I have a good friend that has farmed 700 acres with a 4430 for over 15 years and it is still going strong with no major work. I would agree that a 4440 would be a much better choice but it doesnt hurt to look for a good deal.

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Emerald

10-16-2002 02:59:48




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
Some things I would check: Number one; Engine lube oil pump drive gear wear on the camshaft. This can be quick-checked at the tachometer drive where the tach cable screws on. With the engine warm, simply remove the tach cable and using a small screwdriver, check for backlash in the gears. You should feel two distinct contacts. The first is the tach gear to the oil pump gear and takes very little effort to feel. The second is the oil pump gear to the camshaft gear and takes more effort. If, at the second contact you feel much more back lash than at the first contact, then check with the special tool that actually clamps to the oil pump gear and accurately checks backlash. This requires removal of the tachometer drive gear housing. If the backlash at both contacts is similar, the gears have many more hours of wear. The above check is an important one on all cam-driven oil pump, Deere engines. I would call this an "inherent weakness" in the 4430. Number two; Rear axle end play. Simply jack up the rear of the tractor and check for vertical movement of the axles in the area of the outboard axle seals. Measuring as close to the seal as possible, I consider 0.005" vertical movement to be the limit for continued operation for these "small-frame" tractors. This is most accurately checked with a dial indicator. Repair of this "inherent-weakness" can range from merely tightening the axle bearings to replacement of the axles and much more.

These are just two things I would want to be sure of when considering investing in a 4430. Another post stated, "get a 4440". Easier said than done! Granted, they (the 40 series) pretty much were the remedy to most of the 30 series problems, the 4440 has always commanded almost rediculous prices on the used tractor lots. A 4430 is more of a gamble, but there are many still being called "our big tractor".

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G-MAN

10-17-2002 16:30:00




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 Re: Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to Emerald, 10-16-2002 02:59:48  
Good point about the oil pump gear. We usually see a lot more of this problem on "chore" tractors that are started everyday with cold oil, as the load on the oil pump with cold oil at startup is what tends to wipe those gears out. Tractors that are used primarily for warmer weather field work seem to have far fewer problems with the cam gears. I recently overhauled a 4840 with the cam drive oil pump. It had in excess of 8000 hours on the original cam, and the gear lash was still well within spec. I wouldn't expect that to be the case on one that was used daily throughout the winter. As far as checking the axle play, that can be a challenge in and of itself, especially if the tractor is on 30 inch rows and has inner wheel weights. We had been trying to check play on 8000 series tractors, and were told by Deere that unless you want to completely strip the axle down (remove the entire wheel assemblies), it was pointless to try and measure it, as the axles will flex enough to show endplay when in fact there is none. This also holds true on the older tractors. We have much better results just feeling for play between the axle and housing using our hands, than trying to setup a dial indicator and measure it. It sounds a little crude, but we check a lot of tractors that way, and haven't had any problems. It's also not uncommon for customers to decide to run them one more year even when there is some noticeable play. Once again, we don't see those bearings fail in that year time period, even with heavy mounted equipment. I think things have to go pretty drastically wrong in the axle housings before you see any major failures.

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popper boy

10-14-2002 21:33:06




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
If the 4430 would be a '77 model year, then you will have the updated model concerning the rear end. The '77 models had some updates verses previous model years.



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BMAN

10-14-2002 18:51:03




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
How much are they asking for the 4430? I have one I bought new and it has over 10,000 hours with original engine and clutch.



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mike

10-14-2002 16:07:59




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
Step up to a 4440,not much more money and a lot
better tractor.Some of the early 4430 tractors
had rear end problems,and the rest were known
for leaks.The 40 series solved these problems.



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G-MAN

10-14-2002 15:45:26




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 Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 14:22:37  
There are no real inherent weaknesses in the 4430, but there are things to look for. First, rated horsepower is 126, although most will probably be a little closer to 140, even at stock fuel settings. Depending on transmission type (quad-range or powershift), you'll want to operate the tractor and listen for unusual noises. If it's a powershift, put the tractor in neutral and rev up the engine. If there is any warpage of the disks and plates in the cluth pack, the tractor will tend to creep forward. If there is severe damage, it may drive away like it's in gear. Drive it and use the brakes to load the transmission to check for slippage. Don't get carried away, but the brakes should be able to kill the engine in any gear at around 1500 rpm. The factory engine in that tractor is the 6404T (404 cubic inches), not the 6466T found in 4440s and later tractors, so it won't have the low-end torque and lugging ability of the newer series. Check the condition of the coolant and lubricants. I would ask what the situation is with the engine being overhauled at 2800 hours, as that is really low for an overhaul. Perhaps maintenance wasn't good on the tractor. A lot of guys will keep the paint and interior looking great, but neglect maintenance of the powertrain. Obviously not a good deal. Check to see how the engine starts when cold. Look for excessive smoke or blowby at the tube at the rear of the RH frame rail. Make sure the hitch operates correctly. Make sure the PTO clutch and brake are operating correctly, also. Make sure that the tie rod ends, steering motor arm, and spindles are tight. If possible, jack up the front end (not under the axle) and look for slop at the axle pivot pins. Look for leaks at the hydraulic pump, SCVs and so on. Basically just look at the same things you would on a used car, and don't be fooled by a new good paint job and nice tires, as those items are relatively cheap compared to major mechanical work. If you don't have much JD experience, I highly recommend taking along someone you know and trust that is familiar with JDs, as they may see things I have missed in this post. It's hard to make a good determination without actually being able to see the tractor. Value could range from around $8,000 or less for one that is really rough with no Sound-Gard, etc to $15,000 or more for one that is in mint condition. Good luck with the 4430.

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JLC

10-14-2002 18:50:52




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 Re: Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to G-MAN, 10-14-2002 15:45:26  
You may think of this as a little strange, but the man who currently owns the tractor is a mechanic by profession and he dicided one winter that he didn't have anything to do so he just overhauled the engine in the tractor. Just goes to show how long and boring Iowa winters can get.



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G-MAN

10-15-2002 17:26:10




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 Re: Re: Re: JD 4430 Questions in reply to JLC, 10-14-2002 18:50:52  
I guess, lol. And I thought winters in Nebraska could get boring. I have heard of preventive maintenance underhauls before, but not overhauls. I see that 4440s were mentioned once or twice in other posts. They are definitely more tractor than a 4430, but are also going to cost you quite a bit more for one in similar condition. Nice 4440s are bringing more than good 4840s in this area, due to the high demand and perfect size for a lot of smaller operations.

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