Buying Advice Might buy '00 JD 4300 -- What should I look for? What's Good Price?

[JakeBlues]

I'm looking at a 2000 JD 4300; 4x4; HST; 750 hours; 420 loader; good tires; shed kept; clean and good shape based on photos. I haven't seen in person yet. Told there is a problem with hood support arm. Seat wear. He used it mostly to put in food plots
He is asking $13,500. What do you think of that price? He said he turned down $12 when he first put it up. That was month ago. And he's already bought another.

What should I look for when inspecting?

I've read about wheel seal problems -- how do i check to see if they are good?
What else?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Wagtail]

Here's some general information from TractorData that may be useful:

TractorData.com John Deere 4300 tractor information

Cheers.

 

[mfreund]

They are really bulletproof. The wheel seal seems to get damages by things getting wrapped around the axle. Prevent that and should be good. The other thing is to be real easy on the range shift lever. There is a groove for a o ring just below the plastic and break off the lever. See if the loader posts wiggle. The ends of the 420 and 430 loader wear and wiggle. Nothing serious, just annoying to me. It can be fixed by welding shims to the mounts.

They are sought after. It is a proven design with minimal electronics.

To me the price seems high.....a little. Take cash and wave it. After a month, 12,000 might get it now. I would hold at 12,500.

 

[JakeBlues]

I've been looking at TractorData and of course this site. Thanks. And mfreund, thanks for those details. After my Mahindra 4110 threw a rod a month ago, I've been in a tough way and also one step behind local dealers who have been scooping all the good deals. I've also been a bit worried if I'd be able to afford the horsepower that i need living on a small mountain. While I'm feeling better having read your comments, do you think this machine is good for hills???? I'm hoping it has a relatively low center of gravity. Again thanks.

 

[mfreund]

What tires are on it? The r-1 or regular ag tires have multiple adjustment to get the tire wider for stability. The r-4 can only be swapped side to side and gain about a extra inch of clearance. If the valve stems on the r-4 are on the inside, it is already in the wide position. Hard to tell by looking at them.

There are many threads about wheel spacers. I seem to recall that bobcat skid steer spacers are the same bolt pattern and cheaper than Deere spacers.

We are fairly flat here and the only side hills I get are the road ditches when I mow. The 4300 would not be a bad buy at $13, I am cheap. I looked for over a year to get a good deal on my 4310 and have had it since 2007 and now have over 1000 hrs. I bought it used, it is a 2003 or 2004.

 

[super55]

The 4300 is about 800 pounds heavier and about 8 inches wider than the 3032e which would be something comparable in price and similar in size.

I've had my 4310 for almost a year now and have been very pleased with it's stability and overall dependability. As Mfreund said, It is one of the more sought after JD models of tractor. Only issue I had was with the E-reverser once in awhile throwing a code but putting the shuttle in N and the gear selection in N and it resets and I'm off and going.

Hydraulics on the tractor work great. Handles the loader, backhoe and grapple work great and have a positive response.

Other thing is that in order to operate the mid-PTO the rear has to be engaged first or it will throw a code.

All in all a great tractor once you become familiar with how it operates.

 

[JakeBlues]

I got a firsthand look today. The darn thing looked brand new. Only 750 hours which is something like 50 hours a year. My old one used to idle that long in the course of a year. So it had a new JD battery, new front and rear tires. And everything worked beautifully. I was pleasantly surprised. So I bought it and got it for 12.2K which includes delivery. Very pleased!
The tires are the R4s. I will look for the spacer discussions. Thanks! It doesn't have a mid-pto, which is of no concern for me.

The only thing that concerned me was how open the underneath is. Seems like some type of removable, undercarriage bash plate would be helpful. Can you buy that? Has anyone fabricated one?? I tend to move brush, so this would be helpful. Likewise, I'd like to attached covers to the loader the hydro lines. Anyone have thoughts or ideas??

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm feeling really good about my purchase in part thanks to your feedback!

 

[Olympus]

My grandpa bought a 4200 brand new when they first came out and he still has it. He's hard as **** on that machine and it really is bulletproof. I've never seen anyone harder on equipment than him. He tried to push down a tree as big around as my leg and ended up with the front wheels about 3ft off the ground before he decided it wasn't going down. Only problem he had just recently was the shock on the suspension seat went out and now the seat sits on the floor and will beat you to death in a bumpy pasture.