Advice on 4600 - First Tractor

[DaddyBooks]

Hi All...

First post here so hello to all of you. I am enjoying all the info.

I am looking for a first tractor for my 10 acre property. Use will be for light-ag, hauling dirt, boulders, trenching, post hole / fence work, etc.

I would like to go with an "experienced" tractor with FEL and BH. There seem to be very few used tractors available with a BH.

I located a 4600 (model year 2000) with a 460 loader (73" bucket), cab, and a 48 backhoe. Price is $17,900.

The unit has 3,657 hours. The FEL looks well used from the pics I have seen online as does the seat. I'm thinking about driving the 90 minutes needed to take a look as I can always prime, paint, replace seat, etc.

Before I go there, do any of you experienced folk have feedback on this model? Should I worry about hours? It seems that many FEL only tractors are much lower hours. Is the price okay given the BH, cab and FEL?

I will ask the dealer if he has maintained the unit personally. What else should I be looking at? Concerns would be whether a major mechanical item is in my future with these hours.

Thanks much in advance...

...Robert

 

[AKfish]

Welcome to TBN! First blush - that's a fair number of hours - for the price! IMO - there should be some "wiggle room" there. What transmission type - reverser or eHydro? The eHydro will add to the cost of the tractor. Also, does the machine come with all the 3pt hardware? You're gonna need that for any rear attachment work - and it's expensive to replace.
Without seeing the machine - but, with those hours - I'd bet that every pin on the loader and the backhoe is tired and could do with a replacement.

If it's a dealer; I'd ask about repair/maintenance records. He might be able to track down some of that history from the tractor's SN#.

IIRC - the 00 series had a fuel pump or fuel system problem that Deere fixed with a design change and provided a retro solution. A search here on TBN in the JD forum should turn up some info.

Standard protocol with any piece of used equipment - welds, breaks, bends (where they shouldn't be) and leaks, smokes, unusual noises - grinds, clunks, fluids for contaminants or metal shaving's. Work all the control surfaces - knobs, dials, lights, brakes, transmission. Make sure everything works. Drive it - stop it - turn it. Ball joints, tie rods, tires.

Minnesota is a great place to be if you're looking for a tractor! Short hop to Wisconsin, SD, ND, Iowa. And, if you're really "hungry"; Indiana, Illinois, Ohio is not that far and there's a whole lotta iron over there!

Good luck.

AKfish

 

[mfreund]

It should have a 460 loader, the mounts are known for being loose. It is a easy fix with welding shims, there are a few posts on that if you search. I would check for loose pins and bushings in the back hoe. That seems like a great price for a loader, cab, and backhoe. You absolutely need to drive and operate the unit before comitting to buy. Any pictures??

 

[Bogaat]

I just bought a 4600 this afternoon with 2800 hours for $8,500. It has a fel, HST and box blade...no backhoe. I feel like I got a great deal to say the least. My 5 year old son and I have already run around the property and it runs great...good sized tractor. I would certainly push on that price. I think you could find something better priced for sure. Mine is a little beat up, but nothing that is not cosmetic...

 

[AKfish]

I just bought a 4600 this afternoon with 2800 hours for $8,500. It has a fel, HST and box blade...no backhoe. I feel like I got a great deal to say the least. My 5 year old son and I have already run around the property and it runs great...good sized tractor. I would certainly push on that price. I think you could find something better priced for sure. Mine is a little beat up, but nothing that is not cosmetic...
View attachment 309675

Quite a score, there - YES! Tractor looks used - not abused, though. Bucket is still in great shape and the tractor looks to be taken care of as well! You done good. Enjoy your new machine.

AKfish

 

[mjncad]

Welcome to TBN Daddy. The BH is what is driving up the price on the unit you're looking at. How bad do you need a hoe? If not very often, find a rig with lower hours and price, and then rent a mini-excavator when you need to do hoe work.

The cab on the 4600 is an aftermarket or homemade as Deere only offered cabs for the 4200 - 4700 models in Europe. In Minnesota winters, any cab is better than no cab. I have a 4200 and the comment about loader mast mounts getting sloppy is correct. Also, I suspect the 4500 - 4700 series had the same battery issues the 4200 - 4400 did in that the old fashioned non-sealed batteries would leak and corrode the hydraulic system oil cooler. By now that 4600 should be on a sealed battery; but I'd check on whether the oil cooler was repaired under warranty because of the battery problem. Also, I suspect the 4500 - 4700 use the same goofy battery size that requires a trip to the dealer for a new battery, unless the previous owner fabricated new battery mounts for a more standard battery group size.

HST's in the 4200 - 4700 series of that era are not eHydro's. Personally I think you can do better and I'd check http://www.tractorhouse.com/ and Used Farm & Agricultural Equipment - John Deere MachineFinder to see what's out there in the used world relatively near you.

 

[AKfish]

Welcome to TBN Daddy. The BH is what is driving up the price on the unit you're looking at. How bad do you need a hoe? If not very often, find a rig with lower hours and price, and then rent a mini-excavator when you need to do hoe work.

The cab on the 4600 is an aftermarket or homemade as Deere only offered cabs for the 4200 - 4700 models in Europe. In Minnesota winters, any cab is better than no cab. I have a 4200 and the comment about loader mast mounts getting sloppy is correct. Also, I suspect the 4500 - 4700 series had the same battery issues the 4200 - 4400 did in that the old fashioned non-sealed batteries would leak and corrode the hydraulic system oil cooler. By now that 4600 should be on a sealed battery; but I'd check on whether the oil cooler was repaired under warranty because of the battery problem. Also, I suspect the 4500 - 4700 use the same goofy battery size that requires a trip to the dealer for a new battery, unless the previous owner fabricated new battery mounts for a more standard battery group size.

HST's in the 4200 - 4700 series of that era are not eHydro's. Personally I think you can do better and I'd check http://www.tractorhouse.com/ and Used Farm & Agricultural Equipment - John Deere MachineFinder to see what's out there in the used world relatively near you.

Yep... the hoe is an expensive option - certainly not worth nearly ~$10K. JD has had battery issues with several different series of tractors - up to and including the early 4x20 series. There a many posts here on TBN regarding Optima batteries (sealed battery) and retrofitting the '00, '10, '20 machines.

The HST in the '00 tractors is a hydrostatic transmission - it does not have electronic controls, however. IIRC - the control linkages to manage forward and reverse are direct (manual) and not "fly by wire" poteniometer's.

That said, you can likely do better with ~$18K than a '00 series TLB with 3,500 hours.

AKfish

 

[DennisFolsom]

I have owned a JD 4600 HST, with 460 loader and 48 backhoe for a year and a half now. Mine had quite low hours (435) when I got it. I have put on over 200 hours since. I love mine. It was a good choice for me. Mine was more money ($20,000), but I felt it was worth it for the low hours and very good condition.

I have had no major issues. The float detent position on my loader joystick didn't work (gummed up from non-use apparently). I disassembled, cleaned and reassembled. That, combined with use for snowplowing duty, has the joystick working nearly normal.

While the e-hydro of later modes has some nice features, I like the simplicity of the older direct-controlled hydrostatic drive.

For me, the backhoe is the second most important attachment. In the warm months, I may use it more than the loader. I pull out rocks and stumps with it. When I am reshaping uneven ground, I rough it out with the hoe, then smooth it up with the loader. Any tough digging gets done with the hoe.

As others have said, be wary of the condition of a machine that has so many hours. However, if it's in good shape, I wouldn't hesitate to buy this model.

Good luck in your tractor quest!