Lower lift arms

[GhostWriter]

Any recommendations?

Purchased a set of lower lift arms from a company called NeatFarms (Neat Attachments) have had them a little over a month, and today they bent like a bow while pushing a 4 foot box-blade.



Neat Farms says they weren't made to handle a box-blade and suggested I have the arms modified and strengthened. The local weld shop says I'd be throwing good money after bad because the metal is soft and the cost would not be worth it.

Anyone recommend a place to purchase lower lift arms with decent quality and a reasonable price to fit a John Deere 4400 compact tractor. Neat Farms did try to sell me a replacement set, but obviously it will be a cold day in you know where, before I buy anything else from them.

 

[oosik]

Pushing any ground engagement implement is not the best thing to do regardless of the strength of your lower arms. While I think the answer - "they aren't made to handle a box blade" is a cop out - even the strongest lower lift arms can be damaged or the attachment points ripped off if you push too hard or should hit an immovable object. The 3-point system is designed to pull implements.

Enter "lower lift arms" into the Google Custom Search box - upper right corner of this page. There is a member of TBN who makes custom lower arms - everyone likes them.

 

[GhostWriter]

Thanks, can't really afford $286 per for JD original LVA18232 lift arms.

I agree, it was just clay soil (hard) but didn't hit anything

 

[oosik]

GhostWriter - when you are pushing it doesn't take much. Try that Google suggestion - the guy here on TBN makes up special lower arms and links - they are not JD OEM product.

Hey - I looked up OEM replacements for my M6040 - - almost had a heart attack. $527 each. If I have to level out a pile of dirt - I take the time to turn around and drive forward - pulling my rear blade rather than pushing. If I had to replace mine - there is a local metal working shop that could certainly make a new set out of hardened steel for less the $1000. Probably - $975.

 

[GhostWriter]

Enter "lower lift arms" into the Google Custom Search box - upper right corner of this page. There is a member of TBN who makes custom lower arms - everyone likes them.

Went back to 2015 and no luck. However, I did see where someone came up with the idea of welding a flat bar to the bottom of the lift arm (like an upside-down Tee). I will do that with my next set.

Re: pushing vs pulling. Normally I expect that would be true, but I received advice to do the opposite after fixing an axle housing. That's because JD 4400 has an aluminum axle housing and the lift arm connections break easily.

$527 each

dang - thought mine were expensive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's the problem with Junk, it always looks EXACTLY like the good stuff.

If the ends of the arms are held in place by the box blade, how could that happen? I would almost think the other one would have to bend in the same direction.

Are you sure your side adjustment shackles are not too tight and (ALL) your problems are not from raising the implement?

 

[GhostWriter]

Yep I'm sure. A 4' box-blade is not that heavy and I was pushing not lifting. Besides Rear lift (at 24") on a JD 4400 is only 2,200 lbs

According to the local weld shop the metal is soft. Suggested I not buy cheap and expect it to hold up. Didn't think I had enough umpf with my tractor to bend good quality arms.



If I could afford JD parts I would get them, unfortunately retirement does not pay that well.

 

[Stimw]

Straighten those and weld the flat bar to the bottom.

 

[WranglerX]

The strange thing is the bend is in the straightest part of arm and arm should be strongest, I kind of wonder why the pressure that caused the bend why it did not happen and exaggerate where "factory" bends are in arms which should be a weaker point...

Dale

 

[goeduck]

I busted my right ball backing up. :cryingeyesout: Very painfull.

I had a blade on and after market 3 point hitch. The ball on the tractor end of the right side arm busted off. A weld fixed it but, yes, I now avoid backing up and pushing with that tractor. Others that have OEM arms, no issues.

 

[4570Man]

I’d have that straightened and welded in like an hour. How much was the weld shop wanting to fix it.

 

[GhostWriter]

Straighten those and weld the flat bar to the bottom.

That's the new plan. Bought a 12 ton press at HF today and straightened the arms out. Will have the flat bar welded on them tomorrow .

The strange thing is the bend is in the straightest part of arm and arm should be strongest, I kind of wonder why the pressure that caused the bend why it did not happen and exaggerate where "factory" bends are in arms which should be a weaker point...

One would think so! Maybe heat treat was uneven, or metal softer in that spot - I really don't know. Just happy to move forward on fixing them.

I’d have that straightened and welded in like an hour. How much was the weld shop wanting to fix it.

Agree, and bought a 12 ton HF shop press today. The cost to weld is $60. The person that's welding it up (one man shop behind his house) is few miles from me. He's a good guy, a little opinionated about knock-off parts. lol - He still says the arms are crap, and I'm wasting my money, but if I want to throw my money away, he'll weld it up for me next week

For the price and the quality of his work I can deal with that.



Edited to clarify that 'opinionated' is about knock-off parts - not other stuff.

 

[DieselBound]

After many years and hours of the lower link arms holding up on my B7800 I manged to bend one (pushing with the box blade). Everything works, until it doesn't.

When pushing with a box blade you have to watch really closely to catch things before the blade starts to grab and bind.

Better that a link arm bends than you shear off something at the tractor's axle housing.

Most seasoned welders know metals. Not all metals are the same. Cheaper products tend to be cheaper for a reason, and that reason is usual attributable to lower quality materials (and or QA work- poor QA can result in getting something that would otherwise be rejected, something akin to a "late Friday afternoon build").

 

[SPYDERLK]

Any recommendations?

Purchased a set of lower lift arms from a company called NeatFarms (Neat Attachments) have had them a little over a month, and today they bent like a bow while pushing a 4 foot box-blade.

View attachment 567824

Neat Farms says they weren't made to handle a box-blade and suggested I have the arms modified and strengthened. The local weld shop says I'd be throwing good money after bad because the metal is soft and the cost would not be worth it.

Anyone recommend a place to purchase lower lift arms with decent quality and a reasonable price to fit a John Deere 4400 compact tractor. Neat Farms did try to sell me a replacement set, but obviously it will be a cold day in you know where, before I buy anything else from them.

The strange thing is the bend is in the straightest part of arm and arm should be strongest, I kind of wonder why the pressure that caused the bend why it did not happen and exaggerate where "factory" bends are in arms which should be a weaker point...

Dale

That's the new plan. Bought a 12 ton press at HF today and straightened the arms out. Will have the flat bar welded on them tomorrow .



One would think so! Maybe heat treat was uneven, or metal softer in that spot - I really don't know. Just happy to move forward on fixing them.



Agree, and bought a 12 ton HF shop press today. The cost to weld is $60. The person that's welding it up (one man shop behind his house) is few miles from me. He's a good guy, a little opinionated about knock-off parts. lol - He still says the arms are crap, and I'm wasting my money, but if I want to throw my money away, he'll weld it up for me next week

For the price and the quality of his work I can deal with that.



Edited to clarify that 'opinionated' is about knock-off parts - not other stuff.

Think about that large unclasped hole for the lift link. The sway bar hole is clasped tightly and the factory bend is solid.