Newbie Wife: What to Expect When BigBlue Arrives?

GreenAcres · Apr 10, 2004

I'm Mrs. "Green Acres," and I am even "greener" when it comes to tractors than my husband. Both of us are new to tractors (unless you consider the John Deere 17 hp hydro mower we bought at Home Depot to be a "tractor").

Our new TC40A is sitting at the dealer's place right now, waiting for the loader, draft control and other goodies to be installed. Our dealer has had alot of tractors arrive this week, and most of them were huge tractors for farmers whose livelihood depends on them getting those machines into the field right now. So we're happy to let the dealer get their machines out the door first; our time will come soon enough.

But my question is this: what should we expect that wonderful day in the near future when Big Blue arrives at it's new home?

I have never driven a tractor before, and today I went to the dealer and the sales person spent about an hour teaching me how to drive that tractor. No modifications have yet been made to the tractor, which means it is "loader ready" but does not yet have a loader on it. He mostly taught me things like how to shift it through the gears, how to use the clutch, when to use the brake, and stuff like that. I think I understand all of that stuff now, just hope I still remember it another day.

But what will happen when the machine arrives? We have ordered some "toys" (as my husband calls them) to come with the tractor: a front end loader, a bush hog, a box blade, a disk harrow, and a draft control gizmo (whatever that is!).

Will they help us to learn how to hook up the toys and operate them?

Will they let my husband do an inspection to make sure everything is working properly upon arrival? If so, what should he check?

Please forgive me if I sound like a Nervous Nellie, but this is my first real tractor, and I'm really both excited and apprehensive at the same time.

OkeeDon · Apr 10, 2004

Day 1: When the tractor arrives, the delivery person will most likely go over everything again, but will forget one thing. The first time you get on the tractor, alone, after the delivery person has left, you will be scared, and take it very easy. Within an hour, you will gain confidence.

Day 2: You will want to play with the other toys, and will want to learn to change implements. This is where the "forget one thing" will come into play. There will be something he forgot to tell you, or you didn't fully understand, and you will call the dealer with embarrassment. The dealer will have the answer.

Day 3: You will have forgotten all of the timidness and mistakes from the first two days, and the only thing you will have to guard against is being overconfident. In fact, that's something you should guard against every day you have the tractor, from then on.

In my case, the one thing he forgot was to show me how to release the PTO. I fumbled around under the plastic guard for what seemed like hours (was only a couple of minutes), knowing there had to be a release somewhere. There is, it's a spring loaded button, and it was in an awkward position where I couldn't see it, and kept missing it by braille.

I have occasionally forgotten to guard against overconfidence and have scratched the tractor, broke a taillight in my pickup with the loader bucket, and (gulp!) backed it into a 10' deep hole and turned it upside down. No real harm done, but I'm a lot more careful, now...

GreenAcres · Apr 10, 2004

Please bear with me because I have another question:

When I drove the tractor today, now that I think about it, he never told me to put on the seat belt. In fact, I've never even seen the seat belt on this tractor.

Aren't tractors all supposed to have seat belts? Aren't you supposed to have them strapped on any time you are driving the thing?

I didn't even think about this until right now, when I was reading over in the Safety Forum.

Surely my tractor has seat belts, doesn't it?

mikemike39 · Apr 10, 2004

I have a JD4410 which I took delivery of a couple of weeks ago - my first tractor too (pictures on the JD forum soon) - and I haven't yet changed an implement myself - although I have been shown how to. Other than not changing implements, I have used it a fair bit and I must admit I have thoroughly enjoyed it - it hasn't been hard to do. I have used the loader a fair bit, dug holes with my backhoe and cut a fair bit of grass. I have always had a theory about this along the lines of driving a huge lorry - it looks impossible at first glance, yet look at all the people who can do it - so it must be possible!

On the seatbelt thing, mine doesn't have one either. I have found that if the tracotr jiggles about a bit as I drive along, I hang onto the steering wheel a bit tighter - I think seatbelts for cars are really for head on collisions - which hopefully won't happen in normal CUT use. I am in the UK so it may be that the standard spec differs from that sold in the US btw.

cheers Mike

ronjhall · Apr 10, 2004

Mrs. " Green Acres ,"

 Surely my tractor has seat belts, doesn't it? 

I'm sure your tractor has a seatbelt. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Getting into the habit of using a seatbelt when you first start using the tractor will make you uncomfortable later on when you do not have it on.

As you may have already read in the safety forum, using a FEL and attachments can cause some very uncomfortable predicaments, which could lead to a roller over. It's too late at that time to put your seatbelt on to keep you on the tractor and inside the ROP's. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

VaTractorGirl · Apr 10, 2004

Mrs Green Acres when I drove our new TC40A at the dealer yesterday, it did have a seatbelt but I had to search for it and then pull it up from the bottom. I always wear a seatbelt with whatever I am on and this is certainly a bigger tractor than I had anticipated getting and I think being on the overly cautious side is going to be better than being a tad reckless. I still have flashbacks about my skidsteer experience! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Just make sure your dealer answers any questions you may have, that is what they are there for! Have Fun! I know I am going to!

knucklehead · Apr 10, 2004

I read each post in this thread, then again, carefully.......nope, not there.

Might I humbly suggest reading the manual?

Doesn't matter how many saws or mowers or tractors or cars or trucks a person has owned or operated, they should always take the opportunity to review each manual. It makes you feel good to read things you know, and better to find out things you don't! I even read about how to sharpen a chainsaw, and how to safely operate the saw in the woods. A little review can tune up sloppy habits, or save your life.

Congratulations on a nice machine!

Mark_in_NH · Apr 10, 2004

( On the seatbelt thing, mine doesn't have one either
)
To the best of my knowledge, ALL compact tractors have seat belts and have had for years and years. I don't suspect that there is a manufacture out there, that would be willing to open up that kind of Liability issue by not installing one.
I simply can't imagine that a manufacture as big as John Deere, building a CUT as modern as a 4410, Not having one, and if it truly Does not have one I think I would call my salesman / dealer and ask Why.

AndyMA · Apr 10, 2004

Tractors with ROPS require seat belts. ROPS are useless without seatbelts to hold you in the seat. UK regulations may not require seatbelts, I just don't know. that said, I only buckle in when I'm going fast or on uneven ground. I'm very concerne about safety, but I find the seatbelt confines me way too much in not allowing me to turn around fully. I also stand quite a bit while operating for visibility with certain implements. Yes I'm aware that a large % of tractor rollovers without ROPS and seatbelts are fatal.

Andu

jinman · Apr 11, 2004

Mrs. GreenAcres I delivered my own tractor, so I didn't have to spend all day on pins and needles looking down the road and hoping the driver wouldn't get lost. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif When I drove it off the trailer, I spent about 1 hour getting used to it and then I shut it off and grabbed my manuals. I started going through the manual while looking at my tractor and checking everything to make sure I knew how it worked.

After I finished the book, found my tractor's serial number and loader serial number and wrote them down. I also wrote them on the back of one of my business cards and put them into my pocket. That way, I'd always have that number to refer to if I stopped by my dealer when I didn't have my tractor. It's come in handy several times in relation to warranty issues.

Next, I'd make an inspection of the underside of the tractor. Crawl under there and look for any indications of fluid seepage and especially look for any damage. Sometimes loading and unloading tractors in transit can produce damage to places you can't see standing beside the tractor. While doing this inspection, take the time to look for grease fittings. Some of them can "hide" pretty well.

If you have a permanent marker like a Sharpie, mark the date on all your oil filters (engine oil and hydraulic). In the future if you get your tractor serviced, having new filters with no marks on them will ensure your service technician didn't forget to change a filter you were charged for.

Here is a list of filter part numbers that might come in handy. You won't have the HST filter, but the rest of the numbers should be correct. I don't think your Owners Manual has these numbers and the NH grey filters don't have the part number on them (that I can find).

TC40/45 Boomer Filters (HST)
HST filter --SBA340500770
Hyd filter --SBA340500850
Fuel filter (kit) --SBA360700071
Air (outer) --86549700
Air (inner) --86549701
Eng Oil --SBA86546618

I'm sure there are other things, but they've already been mentioned, or someone else will give you additional ideas. Good luck; be careful; enjoy. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif