Going from Blue to Red

mccormickDave · Apr 19, 2004

After a year of daily TBN reading/research, dad and I finally traded in old blue. We traded our Ford 3600 in for a new McCormick GX 50. Since we have stopped haying, we have decided a compact would be much more productive than the old 3600. We considered the big 3 and I have plenty of experience with a JD 4300 HST and Dad's work tractor is a JD 4600 PowerShift, so it will be interseting to see how we accept the new McCormick having so much past experience with Blue and Green.
Our decission was based on local dealer involvement. Our local dealer who we have done business with for the past 25 plus years is now an authorized McCormick dealer. He has always provided great service and offered a great deal for the McCormick. Hopefully, the new McCormick will be delivered some time this week. We are having six inch spacers manufactured to widen the rear end, and waiting on the new 84" Bush Hog RFM to arrive at the dealer before we take delivery. The liftmaster loader is in stock and should be on the tractor early this week. The one thing I have noticed with the new compact McCormick is the lack of telescopic link ends and stabilizers /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. In my thoughts, a small trade off for the many other standard features on these McCormicks.

Once little red arrives I will be sure to provide pics and reviews in the "other brand" discussion group, as I feel this group needs a McCormick representative. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

markie61 · Apr 19, 2004

Nice! Congratulations on your new purchase. The dealer means alot, doesnt he? There aren't too many new McCormicks yet, so be sure to post pictures!

( The one thing I have noticed with the new compact McCormick is the lack of telescopic link ends and stabilizers )

A Quick-Hitch could help ( or the Pats' Easy Change ends, too.)

Mark

lablovers · Apr 19, 2004

Congratulations Big Red. I looked at them at the Tulare World Ag Expo. Very nice tractors. Best of luck with and looking forward to the pictures. Oh, and welcome to TBN, all colors are welcome. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

mccormickDave · Jul 20, 2004

First off, let me appoligize for taking so long to post pics and reviews of the new purchase. My home computer crashed (for third time /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif) and I just got around to purchasing a replacement and adding the software to download the digital pics. The good news is I can provide some insight on the McCormick as I now have 78 hours of seat time on our GX 50, the bad news, I have been so busy and not having a home computer, I do not have any pics of the new machine yet. I promise now that I have a computer that pics of the tractor and recent projects will be coming shortly.
My opinions on the McCormick GX 50. Overall I am satisfied with the tractor. As I mentioned the tractor now has 78 hours on it and it has been to the shop once. Around 20 hours a linkage in the shuttle shifter (roll pin) came out and rendered the tractor useless. Up until this point the shuttle shifting had always been less than smooth. Going from forward to reverse was very easy with just the slightest pressure required to shift. However, going from reverse to forward often required finessing the shuttle shifter. The gears would not rake, it was just difficult and required more pressure on the shifter. Watching my father operate the shuttle shifter I think I understand why the linkage came lose. My father operates a JD 4600 power reverser daily at his work and is used to just hitting the shifter on the JD as easy or as hard as he feels like it. As I watched him perform the same slam on the shuttle shifter of the McCormick, my hypothesis was that the shifting on the McCormick was less than smooth as a result of being new and my fathers aggressive shifting may have caused the roll pin to come out. Anyway, the good news is we called the dealer on the Saturday that this occured and explained that we needed a tractor for seeding a new lawn on Monday. On Monday morning the dealer picked up our tractor and dropped off a loaner Ford 4000 for us to use until we got the McCormick back. Since we have gotten the McCormick back the shuttle shifting is much smoother and I honestly believe it gets better as it continues to get broken in.
One area that I am somewhat dissapointed with is the loader. The lift on the loader is weak to say the least. When I talked with the dealer about this he did check the psi and it was operating at about 1800 psi. The dealer increased the psi to 2000 psi and it has improved some, but is still is lacking. I will probably check with the dealer to see what the max operating psi is and if I can't operate safely at much higher psi, then I will seriously look at an aftermarket loader (woods etc.)
The list of additions to the tractor are: A set of rear wheel spacers that were fabricated by the dealer (very professional job and I will be sure to provide pics), a tiltmeter, bradco HD toothbar.
The usage of the tractor so far have been grass cutting, moving gravel and road grading for my drive, and assisting with the construction of 2 retaining walls. Currently my lawn is about 6 acres and I have been cutting it weekly. The tractor handles the 84 inch bush hog finish mower nicely (the mower weighs approx 900 lbs). The 84 inches of mower combined with the wheel spacers helps stability tremondously. I have been routinly mowing across slopes between 20 and 25 as indicated by the tiltmeter, with no hint of instability. Depending on grass conditions the weight of the finish mower will sometimes want to pull the rear of the tractor down the hill slightly, making it necessary to use 4wd. The tires are R4s and the rears are filled.
One thing that has skocked me, is the price of parts and fluids for this tractor. At 50 hours I was sure to change the oil, oil filter, and transmission filter. The oil filter was $15 and it is no bigger than the one on the wife's impala. The transmission filter looks like the oil filter for my powerstroke but cost $28. Thank goodness this filter doesn't need changing for awhile.
Overall impressions: I am happy with the tractor and the mower, I just would like a little more muscle from the loader. Most importantly, I was very satisfied with the deal we got from the dealer (who is local by the way), and I am very satisfied with the support the dealer provides. Although when asked if he could bring down a new 75 hp with air conditioning for a loaner he decided on a good used ford 4000 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. Oh well, at that point in time it wasn't too hot anyway.
Pics of tractor, mower, and projects will soon follow. Thanks all TBNers for making this a great source of information.
Happy playing, I mean working /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

KiotiJohn · Jul 20, 2004

( As I watched him perform the same slam on the shuttle shifter of the McCormick, my hypothesis was that the shifting on the McCormick was less than smooth as a result of being new and my fathers aggressive shifting may have caused the roll pin to come out. )
Sounds to me as though the roll pin was not in all the way to begin with and that going forward was hitting it in the right spot to move the lever, but that going in reverse was pushing against the weak end of the pin. I doubt your father's style did anything more than make it happen maybe sooner than later, which was probably a good thing. Now it's out of the way.
My dealer was talking about maybe getting McCormicks as a second line so he could have some large two wheel drivers. Does yours have a Perkins diesel? I've heard these are very good tractors. If that loader doesn't work out, you may indeed like the Woods better. My dealer has placed them on a lot of Kioti models and they sure look good, sturdy, and strong. Thanks for the review, and I look forward to lots of pictures. Make some of them action shots, okay? John

Ben_W · Jul 20, 2004

Hi, Dave. I received my GXH 45 in July of last year. Since it was late showing up the dealer allowed me to use a GX 45 for 6 months. (Brand new loaner, I couldn't complain!) I don't know if just any dealer would do that. Sounds like yours might. The GXH had to go into the shop for a PTO problem, which ended up being a recall. Anyway here comes back the same GX I put 40 some hours on while mine was in the shop. There are things I like about both tractors. I like the manually engaged PTO on the GX better. I like the speed control better on the GHX for mowing around obstacles. One thing I had happen on BOTH that people that own them should be aware of. The range selector cable where it attaches to the transmission has had the nut back off and actually fall off on the loaner. I used lock-tite on them after that.
I haven't had to buy any of the filters you mentioned yet. Sound a bit pricey for the ones you mentioned.
The Yanmar engine has been a bright point for both. Runs great.
MaybeTBN could start a new section for McCormick so posts would be easier to find!! Ben

JayC · Jul 20, 2004

Does the GX hydro use a two pedal system or single pedal?

Ben_W · Jul 20, 2004

Two pedal.

mccormickDave · Jul 20, 2004

I agree John, better the roll pin happened under warranty. The McCormick compacts (40, 45, and 50 hp) have Yanmar engines and from my understanding are made in Spain and are basically the same tractor as the Landinis. The replacement gear filter I bought actually is labled Landini. The larger McCormick utility tractors I think are built in England and might have the Perkins. When I was shopping I looked very hard at the Kioti DK55 with the Perkins and absolutely loved that tractor. I just couldn't justify that big of a tractor, that is one big 55 hp compact. In addition, there is not a Kioti dealer within reasonable distance from me. My McCormick dealer is about 20 miles away, and the Kioti dealer that I looked at the DK 55 was about 75 miles away. Hopefully this weekend I will get some action photos as the second retaining wall is being constructed.

JayC · Jul 20, 2004

Look forward to the photos. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I still haven't seen any good pictures, yet. The website photo isn't that good.

( When I was shopping I looked very hard at the Kioti DK55 with the Perkins and absolutely loved that tractor. )

The only Kioti with a Perkins engine is the DK65. The DK55 has the Daedong diesel.

KiotiJohn · Jul 20, 2004

( When I was shopping I looked very hard at the Kioti DK55 with the Perkins and absolutely loved that tractor. ) You must mean the DK65 as the DK55 has the Daedong 4A220T engine. They are both pretty good sized tractors and I'd love to have one, but I would not be able to do much turning around here! Thanks for the info on the McCormicks, I hadn't really looked at many yet. My dealer was only interested in the larger ones with Perkins. John

mccormickDave · Jul 20, 2004

Ben, sounds like you have a good McCormick dealer as well. Perhaps the new McCormick dealers will develop a reputation for great customer service. I am glad to hear some reviews on the hydro models, as I was very much interested in the hydro, but our local dealer likes to carry the gear model, and I wasn't dead set on a hydro. Having spent many hours on a JD 4400 hydro I can honestly say I prefer the hydros for loader work. Don't get me wrong and I don't want to start another heated gear vs hydro discussion, personally, when strictly doing loader work I am much more efficient and quicker with the hydro. The gear model does a fine job for mowing, as I do not have many obstacles to mow around. It is interesting that you prefer the manual pto engagement on the gear. My father absolutly hates the manual pto engagement on the GX. I believe his frustration comes from the fact there are 3 levers for the pto. I have explained that he really does not need to use the pto clutch engagement, but I think he just finds the system complicated having spent all his time on the JD 4600 and just having one pto lever to deal with.
Thanks for the heads up on the range selector nut backing off. I will be sure to get some lock-tite on them. I agree, it would be nice to have a McCormick discussion section. Dave

mccormickDave · Jul 20, 2004

The website is lacking to say the least. Product walkaround for the GX and GXH has been "coming soon" for over a year now /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif. I don't know why I was thinking the DK 55 had a perkins, maybe because it is turbo. Sorry for the mistake.

KiotiJohn · Jul 20, 2004

( Sorry for the mistake. )
Not a problem. Maybe the dealer was talking about the Perkins in the DK65 at the same time you were looking. You heard it somewhere after all! Keep us posted on how the McCormick is doing and you all know how we love pix tures. John

JayC · Jul 21, 2004

I agree, the website could be better. I kinda wish McCormick had the Farmall brand again. After all, they're the ones who created the legend. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Btw, still look forward to the pics. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Ben_W · Jul 21, 2004

Dave, the GX & GXH models are actually made in Italy by Landini to McCormick specs. The larger ones are probably made in England. A guy I know in the area just bought a 120 HP McCormick last week. He had it in a local parade this last weekend. Good looking tractor. Huge!
...I would have looked at Kioti but, at the time no dealer close and no hydro in the size I was looking for.
...Sometimes the PTO select levers to the left of the seat are a bit hard to engage on either tractor. They may get better with time. Ben

mccormickDave · Jul 21, 2004

( ...Sometimes the PTO select levers to the left of the seat are a bit hard to engage on either tractor. They may get better with time. Ben )
Ben, I have noticed the same thing and mine does appear to be getting better with time. The safety mechanism on the pto levers seem to be rather sensitive as well. There have been a couple of times when the tractor would not start because the pto engagement lever was not completely in neutral. No big deal once I figured out that was the problem. Dave

Ben_W · Jul 21, 2004

You're right the limit switches are pretty sensitive. ... As far as engine filters go if you don't mind a non-McCormick brand the Baldwin website http://catalog.baldwinfilter.com/)] has a cross reference for ones that will work. Baldwin around here is about $6. The fuel filter I found at a Kubota dealer for $3.90. Some places wanted over $9. The transmission and hydraulic filters may a bit more of a challenge to find. The dealer put Landini filters on it the last time it was there.

JayC · Aug 1, 2004

I ordered some McCormick brochures off their website about a week and a half ago. They still haven't showed up. I'm looking forward to learning more about the GX. I also ordered some brochures of the larger McCormicks to show a friend. I sure wish they'd get here. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Btw, where are the pics? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif