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What did you do on or to your John Deere GT today

509K views 3K replies 276 participants last post by  romcjr 
#1 ·
I thought that we could use a thread here for the little guys. I have often wanted to post something but there wasn't a general thread for those of us with GTs and LTs.

I will go first.

I had them out for some fine tuning yesterday. I have done a little trick with the reverse pedal on my 4x5 machines. They don't have a lot of speed from the factory in reverse and there are a couple of kits available to provide more travel. For me, it seemed more simple to get out the torch and give the shaft a little tweak. With the sheet metal off and the pedal removed, you can heat the shaft red hot and give it a little twist. I had done this befoe but went a bit too high so I adjusted it.

In the photo attached, you can see that it is a bit too high and is awkward to use. If you set it so that the rearmost corner is just at the foot area, it works great. No parts, and no money spent.:bigthumb: All four of them are now full speed backwards.
 

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#3 ·
I rebuilt the linkage for my 455 AWS with some standard Heim ends that I got from Summit Racing. The JD parts were more money than my pocket could handle and I didn't like what they used anyway.


 
#4 ·
this should turn out to be as interesting as the other -(what did I do -------- with my jd -- today) waiting on pics. and stories. big jim:greentractorride:
 
#5 ·
Yesterday I finished up my rod end replacement on my older 455 and then put it to work. I have an area in the back that was all overgrown due to some nasty vines that had taken over the trees. Some couldn't be saved and the ones that could are happy to be free. It was a good day with great weather.:bigthumb:
 
#6 ·
Well, we're off to a slow start with this thread so I'll put another post in. I think it should be called "what did Lorne do with his tractors today?":kidw_truck_smiley:

I have a chunk of steel that weighs in at about 95 pounds and for a while I have had it strapped to either the front or back of one of my 4x5s. Since it was yucky outside (rain) I figured this was a good time to change it into a suitcase weight. Now it weighs exactly 100 pounds. The handle might be a bit heavy duty but it sure is comfy... except for weighing a LOT.:lol:

Note the nice new tires that my wife picked up for me while the good ole USofA.:thumbup1gif:


 
#7 ·
techie1961, good idea their, when I first looked at the hose clamps, I thought man them are good ones!! nice work. big jim:greentractorride:
 
#8 ·
Thanks Big Jim, I was surprised at how strong those clamps are. When I first put them on, I thought maybe they would hold. So I jumped up and down on them. Wow! They held up really well. Too hard to put on though.

This is another kind of suitcase unit I built for some weights that I have. It slides over the weight rail like a suitcase weight and then I can stack these wheel weights on it. There's a steel pin up inside the holes.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Painted up the weights from the back of my 455 bucket tractor. Goodbye two-tone and hello monotone. Green and rust, yellow and rust, steel and rust.:laugh:

I've got about 300 pounds there and room for some suitcase weights under the bracket. Might need more but not sure it's worth the money right now.






 
#11 ·
Lots of rain here in east central illinois, between 8-15" the last two weeks depending on where you are. I have been on a deck leveling warpath the last week or so with no field work to do. Today I mowed the house in town with the lx288, it mows MUCH better with the deck raised and leveled.

After that I went to the farm and fired up the 455aws and trimmed with it after leveling and raising the deck as well as aligning the front and rear steering. It too mows much better but I wish I could get the deck a little bit higher. After I trimmed around trees and buildings I fired up the 4310 and finished off the wide open mowing with the 72" deck.
 
#13 ·
Today I mowed the house in town with the lx288,
You know it's the grass that you're supposed to mow and not the house don't you?:lolol:
 
#12 ·
Techie, do you run a FEL on that 455 AWS?
 
#15 ·
I have a scoop that I built for the 54" blade that I call a Plucket (Plow Bucket). I built it about a year and a half ago and love it. I also built an attachment that goes on the same pivots that I haven't named yet.:laugh: I use it for moving things, pulling out brush, etc.



 
#14 ·
Lol, guess I asked for that one!


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#16 ·
Looks good dude, I would have to call your second attachment a grapple???


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#17 ·
Looks good dude, I would have to call your second attachment a grapple???
That's no fun at all.:laugh: I was thinking of a "plapple". I can plow with it and then grapple stuff. No? Me neither.:lol:
 
#18 ·
I'll go along with the plapple?!..... Now you just need to get KennyD to market them for you!
 
#19 ·
techie, I really liked the pic of the garbage bin ramp:thumbup1gif: how do u keep the stuff from falling out, till the lid opens!:think: I just think all ur inventions are really neat and thinking out of the box.:bigthumb:thanks for the pics again, big jim
 
#20 ·
Thanks so much Big Jim, I really appreciate your kind words. Here's a video of it doing some work last year while on my 425 (it's now on my 455). I had an area on my property that was raised for some reason. Maybe a raised garden at one point but being such an old place, I wasn't ruling out finding some bodies in it.:hide::lol: The soil was fairly good but it was like cutting into well packed dirt. I scraped all of the sod off first with it and then dug in.

 
#21 ·
Techie1961, now their was a instance where u could have used a ripper to loosen that dirt up, before attacking it.:thumbup1gif:big jim
 
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#23 ·
I think that I'm going to have to build me one. Any tips?
 
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#22 ·
I put my big chunk of steel in my homebrewed electrolysis machine a few days ago and pulled it out of the bath earlier today. Wire brushed it quick and put a coat of pain on it. Once the last coat is on, I will post up a picture of it finished and on the tractor. I also mounted a receiver tube under my fork lift attachment for my 3PH. Once I get that painted up, pictures to come.



 
#25 ·
Among the regular mowing, cleaning up more of my old barn to get it ready to become a garage, and the bonfire, I got some paint on the forklift frame and front weight. It was a great day to be outside playing... um, I mean working on my Deeres.:laugh:



 
#28 ·
techie1961; ah, fleet looking good, pics are nice. big jim p.s. diesel forgot how to let pics out of reply:hide:
 
#26 ·
Washed and waxed the X720 today. Since the grass growth seems to be slowing down, I pulled the bagger off. Put the mulch kit on and re-leveled the mowing deck. Reinstalled my double bucket holder on the back now that the bagger is off. Such a handy attachment! Seemed like a good way to spend Father's Day!:bigthumb:
 

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#27 ·
Mach-1; now that look's good, the x720 is 2-wheel drive right, or not? I'm not up on all these new model's, I have a x475 and I sure like it too. I gave mine a fast wax job on Friday, jd spray wax in a bottle, good product and fast !! big jim
 
#33 ·
I am converting a century barn to a shop and garage but it will take quite a while due to cash flow. For now though, I started removal of the stables that were in there and used the forks to carry the pieces out. Not sure what to do with them though. I know that barn wood has value but need more information.

This is the barn this winter. The left is where I want to build a shop and the right side I want to make into a garage. I'll have to widen the door for cars but tractors will fit nicely.:bigthumb:


The standing stalls have all been removed.


The box stalls on the left of the tractor still need to be taken down.
 
#34 ·
I am converting a century barn to a shop and garage but it will take quite a while due to cash flow. For now though, I started removal of the stables that were in there and used the forks to carry the pieces out. Not sure what to do with them though. I know that barn wood has value but need more information.
The father of a good friend of mine took down one of their old barns and kept the best of the wood for the same reason as you...:gizmo:. After it sat (stacked and dry, under cover in a newer barn) a couple years, he started giving it away just to get it out of his way. Maybe it's a case of it being worth something if you find the right person, in the right spot, at the right time?

Your barn looks like it will fix up great and be handy for your machines.:good2:
 
#37 ·
old barn

techie1961; like pics, and somebody was really proud of their stone masonry skills and the carpenter end too. and on top of that over 100 yrs old. heck i'ld be proud to say it's mine. big jim
 
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#38 ·
x475

well I started mowing at 8 am today, nice breeze, kinda cool just nice working weather. now I couldn't mow everything because of being wet, but got almost half and I did venture out to the wetter areas, got wet tire marks id how wet it was. yeah after last Friday's downpour my creek finally came up and over the bank's at places, I guss the ground was finally filled up. big jim
 
#42 ·
No parts, and no money spent.
A nice and elegant solution; but in my case I don't have a torch, so it would a $400+ "no parts, no money" deal for me. :laugh:

Thanks so much Big Jim, I really appreciate your kind words. Here's a video of it doing some work last year while on my 425 (it's now on my 455). I had an area on my property that was raised for some reason. Maybe a raised garden at one point but being such an old place, I wasn't ruling out finding some bodies in it.:hide::lol: The soil was fairly good but it was like cutting into well packed dirt. I scraped all of the sod off first with it and then dug in.

Neat video; you need a toothbar for your plucket. :good2:
 
#44 ·
A nice and elegant solution; but in my case I don't have a torch, so it would a $400+ "no parts, no money" deal for me. :laugh:

Bring it over next time you're in the area and I'll do it for you.:lol:

Neat video; you need a toothbar for your plucket. :good2:
100% agree on that one. I was thinking that I might cut teeth into the front edge but then I can't go back once that is done. The bars aren't too much money but once you add in shipping to Canada, it gets past my budget or lack thereof.:banghead:
 
#43 · (Edited)
#46 ·
I guess my x360 is technically a lawn tractor but what the heck. While troubleshooting an issue I removed the deck and gave it a good cleaning. We have had lots of rain and had to mow wet sometimes. Also removed the deck belt and greased bearings and checked the hub assemblies for play. Also cleaned all the debris from around the trans axle and greased the rest of the fittings. Not quite seat time but close. Mark
 
#47 ·
I guess my x360 is technically a lawn tractor but what the heck.
Oops! My bad.:banghead: I guess the topic should have been more inclusive of all of us little guys. You're welcome to join in but only if you have used it in your garden at some point.:thumbup1gif: Nah, you're welcome any time.:good2:
 
#48 ·
My 425 has been suffering from lack of a fuel gauge for some time now and I just can't warrant the many hundreds of dollars that a new cluster costs.:banghead: I bought a broken one in hopes that I could revive the fuel gauge at least. This is what the journey has been with this one.

The gauges weren't working when it arrived and I knew that the temp gauge was FUBAR but there was hope for the fuel gauge. A temp gauge that is working correctly wants to return to "low" when you move it. This one didn't want to do that... so obviously I had to take it apart!:laugh: This was a one way trip.:nunu:

You can see in this photo that there isn't a needle or even a motor under the panel on my 425 cluster.


The back plate on it doesn't seem to do anything other than provide some structure.



This was the point of no return, cutting the windings.



There is a viscous gel like fluid in it to dampen the movement. The windings are the only thing that holds the two casing halves together.



In the top cover, there is a small magnet. The armature has magnets as well and has four sectors (2 north and 2 south). The small ring magnet will pull the armature to the same home position when there is no power applied to it. You can see the badly corroded shaft.



The top case provides a bearing surface for the shaft and I thought that it would still be smooth there. I cut the top where the bearing rides to see what was in the cross section of it. You can see a little pocket where water would conveniently sit as well as the bearing area.



Once the shaft is in place and the two halves together, you can see that the bearing area of the shaft is actually rusted. This is where they seize up.



The maybe okay fuel gauge was the next area to play. I trimmed off the top lip of the plastic top. This was where the work got really delicate. I used a small tip Xacto blade to trim it off.



Once I got better access to the top of the shaft and close to the bearing area, I could use the same knife to pick at some of the rust in there and then used some canned air to blow it out.



It seems to move a lot easier now and the conductivity in the three terminals is the same as a working gauge that I have. A little time in the tractor and hopefully it will move.
 
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