improving tractor seat

[spo307]

anyone replace or modify the seat for a smother ride, or added on with arm rests, my L4400 after disking for a couple hours, my back feels like I have been horseback riding, was looking for a sizzor type base or shock absorber

 

[Chilly807]

I'm not sure, but I think your L4400 has a suspension seat already. However, if it's like 90% of the L3400 seats it's stuck solid. Mine never moved from day one, I finally saw a thread here about suspension seats and looked closely at mine.

If you flip the seat up, look underneath the seat base. There should be a scissors arrangement and springs under there, and a T-handle on the back. The T-handle is supposed to set the spring tension to adjust for your weight.

Mine was stuck firmly in the down position, the only movement was the foam in the seat. Like riding a jackhammer over a rough field, but I haven't got to tell YOU that..

If yours has the scissors, take a prybar and try to raise the seat base. Mine took quite a pry to get it to move the first time, then the dam* thing wouldn't go back down ! The wife arrived home about this time, noticed me jumping up and down on the seat base like Wile E. Coyote on the catapult cartoon, and asked, "Honey, I'm pretty sure there's a reason you're doing that, but just what it might be escapes me..?"

I made a muttered comment about Japanese engineers and suspension seats and her ears perked. " We have a suspension seat?"

I replied "Maybe."

Anyway, after about a dozen up and down cycles of prying and leaping on the base, mixed with spraying lubricant in there on the pivot pins, it started to move more freely. Now it actually works the way it's supposed to, the spring tension is set properly, and I bounce up and down a couple times every time I get on to make sure it's still free. Must be funny to watch.

Feels odd going across a rough field and feeling the seat move. Short of having an air-ride seat, or a shock absorber, it's not bad at all.

Now, after I've typed all this, your L4400 probably doesn't have the same kind of seat. Both tractors are 09's, so I'm guessing they're the same, but I've been wrong before. Today even.

Good luck.

Sean

 

[GuglioLS]

Checkout this thread CLICK HERE

Larry

 

[twarr1]

My Deere has a spring dampened seat. But when you reach the end of the spring compression... it's like someone hitting you in the back with a sledge hammer

 

[spo307]

Chilly807 thanks I will take a closer look. The set flips foward and there are 2 springs sticking up. I think I might have a basic seat. When I bought the ttractor, I was so conserned about remotes, 4 in 1 bucket etc. I forgot all about the most inportant thing ur arse..

 

[Chilly807]

Chilly807 thanks I will take a closer look. The set flips foward and there are 2 springs sticking up. I think I might have a basic seat. When I bought the ttractor, I was so conserned about remotes, 4 in 1 bucket etc. I forgot all about the most inportant thing ur arse..

I'm willing to bet (not much though ) that yours has the same arrangement mine does. I have the two springs sticking up as well, they are there to raise the seat enough to open (or close ?) the operator presence switch. The bits you're looking for are underneath the base that has the two small vertical springs.

If you have the T-handle sticking out the back and two fairly heavy springs running at an angle up under the seat base you have the suspension seat. Whether it's working or not is a 90/10 chance, 90 being the odds of it not working.. yet.

I'll take a pic of mine when I get home tonight, it's one of the few things I've fiddled with that I have no pics of, and one of the most rewarding to get right. I was plowing our garden yesterday, and having it working makes a big difference in the way my back feels when I'm done doing any field work.

I think when they plowed and re-seeded the fields I have, the guy running the harrow took the last day off.

Sean

 

[Chilly807]

Have a look at these. If your seat base looks like this from the back, you have the suspension seat. This is in the fully raised position with no weight in the seat.

Sean

 

[spo307]

I will look this weekend. Thanks for the pics

 

[czechsonofagun]

The wife arrived home about this time, noticed me jumping up and down on the seat base like Wile E. Coyote on the catapult cartoon, and asked, "Honey, I'm pretty sure there's a reason you're doing that, but just what it might be escapes me..?"

That is an excellent example of Prokop's first law: Every crazy action has at least one perfectly valid explanations.

 

[Ford tractor]

That is an excellent example of Prokop's first law: Every crazy action has at least one perfectly valid explanations.

Never heard that one before! Sounds valid -- at least around here.