Found a '97, JD 970 4x4

nisaacs · Sep 9, 2022

I have had my eye open for a 970/1070 4x4. I have a '94 970 4x2 that is an awesome tractor but won't pull the hat off your head. I picked it up at an auction. Kinda scary because all the items for sale were all non runners. Been parked for years. It is going to be a keeper. After several days of fixing the cobbled up mess, neglect and just unknowing mechanics that were in charge of Maintenance that wasn't being done. It is coming along fine. I have a large order of parts on the way. Pretty excited to get it all fixed up.

I also bid on a JD 5410 and 1600 series ll commercial mower, but let them both go because the 970 was my goal. Picture of the 4x4 and my 4x2. I will post more as I progress.

sandman2234 · Sep 9, 2022

You will be impressed with just how much difference the front wheel assists makes!
David from jax

nisaacs · Sep 13, 2022

Told you I had a bushel basket of parts ordered

Still need a few small items I overlooked and I want a canopy. I might go aftermarket or go oem for a newer model tractor. They are cheaper and more simple. The 970 oem is high dollar and fancy. Note the fan blades, with the right hand engine skirt missing the sun cooked it, the overflow bottle and the plastic fuel canister. They just crumble when you touch them. I need to run to Ace and get some JD green paint.

crashz · Sep 13, 2022

Those are some interesting rear tires. Was this a golf course machine?

nisaacs · Sep 13, 2022

crashz said:
Those are some interesting rear tires. Was this a golf course machine?

Yes, stock turf tire in 44/18x20 tubeless, front are stock 27/8.50x15.

bmaverick · Sep 13, 2022

nisaacs said:
I have had my eye open for a 970/1070 4x4. I have a '94 970 4x2 that is an awesome tractor but won't pull the hat off your head. I picked it up at an auction. Kinda scary because all the items for sale were all non runners. Been parked for years. It is going to be a keeper. After several days of fixing the cobbled up mess, neglect and just unknowing mechanics that were in charge of Maintenance that wasn't being done. It is coming along fine. I have a large order of parts on the way. Pretty excited to get it all fixed up.

I also bid on a JD 5410 and 1600 series ll commercial mower, but let them both go because the 970 was my goal. Picture of the 4x4 and my 4x2. I will post more as I progress.

View attachment 761698 View attachment 761699 View attachment 761700

Its a Yanmar kit tractor sent to Deere to assemble in their GA facility.

IF you can not find parts, please reach out to the Yanmar Tractor Owners Group as we have been helping Deere owners for the 50, 55, 70 and 90 Series machines now since the 2020 parts shortages hit. Deere has dropped all kinds of support. Thus, Yanmar has you covered to a degree.

The JD970 is based off of the Yanmar F & FX Series machines.

beenthere · Sep 13, 2022

nisaacs said:
Told you I had a bushel basket of parts ordered ............. I need to run to Ace and get some JD green paint.

Ace has paint marked as JD green, but you will in a short period of time end up with the blue showing through. Can spot non-John Deere paint from a long ways away when that blue color shows through.
Get the real John Deere paint if you want the green color to last. With all your work fixing this one up, hope you finish it right.

crashz · Sep 13, 2022

Really nice machine! bmaverick- that's good to know as my old 770 is still in the family and will eventually need some things.

loggin · Sep 15, 2022

nisaacs said:
Told you I had a bushel basket of parts ordered Still need a few small items I overlooked and I want a canopy. I might go aftermarket or go oem for a newer model tractor. They are cheaper and more simple. The 970 oem is high dollar and fancy. Note the fan blades, with the right hand engine skirt missing the sun cooked it, the overflow bottle and the plastic fuel canister. They just crumble when you touch them. I need to run to Ace and get some JD green paint.

View attachment 762306 View attachment 762307 View attachment 762308 View attachment 762309

Lookin good!! Had a 1070 that I really liked..

Jstpssng · Sep 15, 2022

That came a long ways in a short time... it's amazing what water and a little touchup paint will do.
I also noticed a couple of older Fords in the background. If you ever happened to post better pictures of those I wouldn't complain.
The dually looks like around '74 or '75?

nisaacs · Sep 16, 2022

Jstpssng said:
That came a long ways in a short time... it's amazing what water and a little touchup paint will do.
I also noticed a couple of older Fords in the background. If you ever happened to post better pictures of those I wouldn't complain.
The dually looks like around '74 or '75?

Good eye, the dually is a '74, the brown 4x4 is a '75. I built the dually in 1990 with a Cummins conversion. I sled pulled the brown truck for 3 years straight in the Rocky Mountain circuits, ('14-'16) in the 6500 lbs street class. The dually was my tow truck in the log woods, 13 years as a gasser 7 as a diesel.

Nick%252527s%252520Green%252520truck[1].jpg

nisaacs · Sep 16, 2022

After a lot of research on canopy's, I ordered one from this outfit, they are local to Arizona. It is very similar to the oem on my 4320 and less than half the cost of the oem 970 unit. They are the only aftermarket canopy manufacturer that supplies them to oem's.

- KIT: TAP101 Canopy Kit. Fits John Deere Compact & Utility

sandman2234 · Sep 16, 2022

Jstpssng said:
That came a long ways in a short time... it's amazing what water and a little touchup paint will do.
I also noticed a couple of older Fords in the background. If you ever happened to post better pictures of those I wouldn't complain.
The dually looks like around '74 or '75?

I was thinking 73 but I am not an expert in those years (although I have a 71 F350 sitting out back).
David from jax

nisaacs · Oct 13, 2022

Both JD 970's got chrome stacks yesterday

nisaacs · Oct 22, 2022

Installed the new canopy yesterday. Seems high quality, fiberglass not plastic. Looks good too.

nisaacs · Aug 20, 2023

Doing some work on a JD970 for a customer. First look appeared to be crack in a hydraulic line but after some clean up, it is a banjo bolt washer, I got lucky. The line is expensive and very labor intensive to change. If you look close, you can see the shinny spot on the bottom of the washer, where it was leaking. Note the paint still on the line connector. I will need to inspect the back side. I need to reseal the right bucket cylinder, I did the left side several years ago.

zzvyb6 · Aug 20, 2023

My 1070 has the 80 loader. I found out that there is a kit to convert the pinned on bucket to the JD QA bracket system. Everything works, even the bucket indicator. Now I have forks, a tree puller, bucket, and made a hydraulic post hole digger to attach to a loader arm.

nisaacs · Aug 21, 2023

zzvyb6 said:
My 1070 has the 80 loader. I found out that there is a kit to convert the pinned on bucket to the JD QA bracket system. Everything works, even the bucket indicator. Now I have forks, a tree puller, bucket, and made a hydraulic post hole digger to attach to a loader arm.

Thats good to know. I went from the JD quick attach to the skid steer on my 4320 so I could use my Bobcat loader attachments. Then I ended up with a new bucket and forks just for the tractor. The Bobcat bucket was a little too big and the forks are kinda worn out and hard to shift the forks. I went with the JD kit, so I didn't have to use an adapter, they add length to the system.

nisaacs · Aug 26, 2023

This is our monsoon season so the weeds are getting out of control. Using the spike teeth on my cultivator was not working very good so I switched to some duck feet. 2.75" v/s 1.3". Just a quick test, they appear to be going to work a lot better.