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JD 440 skidder

Started by Timbercruiser, April 30, 2012, 12:35:27 AM

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Timbercruiser

What model of 440 JD skidder is worth buying ? I know it has several Letter codes and some are hard to get parts for. Anyone have any good advice ?? I dont want to buy one and not be able to get parts for it. Thanks for any info will help.

mobile demensia

My family has a 440c that has been great. Must run good fuel addative as the rotory pumps are not so great. Parts for john deere are expensive out here on the left coast, you can only get them through Brant. We did not try getting parts online.
MD
Timberjack 230D
Mobile Dimension 127
Woodcraft 30-20a
2 Stihl 660's
and growing

grassfed

The 440 440A and 440B are all similar.The 440B is the best of that group. The 440C and D have a much different frame and motor. They are also almost twice as expensive on average as 440-A,B . You can get parts but sometimes you may have to buy used parts. I have been able to get parts for my 440B when needed but I did buy a parts Machine for $5K just to make sure .
Mike

lumberjack48

I would only buy a stick shift, i seen a few guys go down, power shift would go out. They didn't have the money to fix it, 4 to 7 k, lots of money for a one horse operation.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

Timbercruiser

Are these machines all powershift trannys ?? or what models are standard shift

lumberjack48

No, i knew a guy that had a JD standard tran, this was about 28 yrs ago. I don't remember the number on it, i know it was a 440, sweet little skidder with the stick shift.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

mobile demensia

the 440c we have is a standard tranny.
Timberjack 230D
Mobile Dimension 127
Woodcraft 30-20a
2 Stihl 660's
and growing

Bobus2003

Theirs the Powershift, and the Syncro-Range in the 440's.

Timbercruiser

Sycro range I take it is a regular type standard shift I guess ???

Bobus2003

Quote from: Timbercruiser on May 01, 2012, 12:01:35 AM
Sycro range I take it is a regular type standard shift I guess ???

You would be correct.. its what I have in my '69 440

redprospector

Yep, I've got a syncro shift in my 73 440b.
It's a pretty nice little skidder, real easy on fuel. You can spend a lot of money on parts real quick though. But that can be said for most of my stuff.

Andy
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

justincase

I have an 84 440d. Standard shift been a good little skidder.

grassfed

Sycro range was in a lot of JD tractors too. It has a synchronized hi lo range shifter that splits the 4 gears on the other shifter. You can shift the high low on the fly but you need to stop to change between the 4 main gears. It is kind of backwards compared to many tractors.
Mike

Ironwood

Well, I like the 440's and two buddies own them. One has an "A" and lost his engine at a motor shop that was going to rebuild it. We have two options (I bought a 1/2 interest in it), one is to get an adapter and put a Cummins 5.9 I have here, (also have a JD 3 cylinder little brother to the 4 here, likely too small HP), OR part it out. I have driven it before he lost the engine. Everything else functioned fine, Tranny, winch, diff's........It has two new forestry tires on it.

Any thoughts on the Cummins?

Ironwood 
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

Okrafarmer

Cummins is a good engine, but I don't know what to tell you about the swapping details. What do you mean he lost his engine? Did it get stolen? Busted? Burned?

Deere's transmissions are good quality, as long as they have not been abused. Problem is with a machine that old, you don't know what's happened to it before you bought it.

My friends in upstate New York have a 1970 JD 4020 farm tractor, with the 404 6-cyl engine (94 +/- hp), and the 8-speed powershift trans. They bought it new, and have used it continually. I forget how many hours they said it has, but well over 10,000, maybe closer to 20,000. They have been faithful with their preventive maintenance over the years (on all their stuff), and have been rewarded with more than 40 years of constant service on the 4020. It has never had either the engine or the transmission overhauled. It functions flawlessly. When I visit them from time to time, it is one of my favorites in their stable to drive. They use it daily on the mixing wagon now, putting 2-3 hours a day on it (1,000 or so hours a year). They've probably had to replace the clutch, and do some other repairs, but 40 years hard work without engine, transmission or rear end failure or overhaul is very impressive in my book.

Meanwhile, they've had a couple of big Farmalls that they have had some serious failures on, in that time.

I've had multiple people tell me that Deere's PS transmissions actually are more reliable than the syncro-shifts, or the later quad-range 16-speeds that became available in 1972 and standard in 1978 in the big farm tractors.

They are definitely far easier to use, and much safer to use on hills.

The synchro is not a terrible transmission, but it is a bit of a bear to shift sometimes. The one advantage is that it is easier for the average mechanic to fix, and possibly cheaper parts.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

redprospector

Quote from: Ironwood on November 17, 2012, 08:35:37 PM
Well, I like the 440's and two buddies own them. One has an "A" and lost his engine at a motor shop that was going to rebuild it. We have two options (I bought a 1/2 interest in it), one is to get an adapter and put a Cummins 5.9 I have here, (also have a JD 3 cylinder little brother to the 4 here, likely too small HP), OR part it out. I have driven it before he lost the engine. Everything else functioned fine, Tranny, winch, diff's........It has two new forestry tires on it.

Any thoughts on the Cummins?

Ironwood
That 5.9 Cummins is going to be pushing 200 horse power. I'm a little concerned that would gut the differental's or the tranny, or both. The 5.9 is in high demand, you should be able to sell it and buy a 4bt Cummins (3.9), tune it down to about 80 horse power. Now you've got a good replacement for the 70 horse power JD that came up missing.

Andy
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

Okrafarmer

Yes, you don't want to overpower it too much. That's asking for trouble.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

redprospector

Quote from: Okrafarmer on November 17, 2012, 09:06:48 PM


The synchro is not a terrible transmission, but it is a bit of a bear to shift sometimes. The one advantage is that it is easier for the average mechanic to fix, and possibly cheaper parts.

The synchro shift is a long way's from a terrible transmission. It's like any other transmission. You have to keep the linkage right, and you have to learn how to use it. I've got a synchro in my 440b, and a PS in my 450b. I honestly can't say that I prefer one over the other.

Andy
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

Okrafarmer

I definitely prefer the PS for farm tractors. I have driven several different JD tractors with both transmissions (2510, 3020, 4010, 4020, 4320) and I have a definite preference for the PS. They cost more when they were new (and consequently, the used ones sometimes cost more too). On hillsides, being able to downshift without losing continuity of power is important. Any time you put in a clutch pedal, you are interrupting power from the engine to the wheels, which you do not do, if you simply bump the powershift lever without clutching. Put in a clutch pedal going down hill, and you speed up, making it even harder to jam a synchro transmission into a lower gear. That is why it is safer.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

Ironwood

Thanks, yeah after posting this I thought DUH, WAY long and too much power.

I grew up working on a dairy/seed farm with a 4020,....nice machines. I think they still have that tractor.

Thanks for the input, we're trying to decide which way to go on this. My buddy and co-owner had this skidder for years and used it all the time, nothing else of it's mechaincals is in question. Yes, the motor was sold out from under him at the shop (a long story about "owed" money and faulty mechanical work done on his trucks COULD follow, suffice it to say, the motor IS gone)

ironwood
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

redprospector

Yeah, when you get in a situation like that it's best to treat the gone engine like water under the bridge.
Oh sure, it's fun to raise cain and maybe get even. But these days you'd just wind up in jail, and what good would that do you?
Did that sound like I learned that from experience?  :D

Andy
1996 Timber King B-20 with 14' extension, Morgan Mini Scragg Mill, Fastline Band Scragg Mill (project), 1973 JD 440-b skidder, 2008 Bobcat T-320 with buckets, grapple, auger, Tushogg mulching head, etc., 2006 Fecon FTX-90L with Bull Hog 74SS head, 1994 Vermeer 1250 BC Chipper. A bunch of chainsaws.

thenorthman

My recently acquired 440A has a new motor out of a genset.  If you keep yer eyes peeled on elame and c's list, you might find what your looking for.  The gensets run a little higher rpm's though.  Having a motor sold/stolen by a shop is bad news, good luck finding a replacement.
well that didn't work

thenorthman

And the "syncro range" is Deere's way of making a clever name for a funny manual transmission, still has a clutch that you have to use between gears (hi-low-reverse) but you got 4 "ranges" to choose from, its a little strange at first but seems like it'll work out.
well that didn't work

Rob-IL

Dad bought a new 440B in late 71 or early 72 for $15.000, it was a great little skidder. I myself went on to become a heavy equipment mechanic and worked on several skidders from 1975 - 1986. The weak link to the JD Syncro Range is the top shaft, with the syncroniser (sp) design it has it wont take much abuse, especially running the wrong oil. I've even seen guys try running ATF in them and then wonder why they failed. LoL The 440s have a great braking system designed with a disk & pads at the back of the transmission, because of this the rear differental has to be solid meaning the axels are connected solid together with no spider gears. If it had spider gears it would tend to have the wheels spin differnt directions during heavy winching and not hold its ground very well. I went back into logging in 1987 with a 1976 440B and at times whish I still had it (now use a 540B Deere & 240A Timberjack) but I still work on equipment in what spare time I have. There are many 440s that are going from one generation of logger onto the next!! In my opinion the 440s are great little skidders that are extremely fuel friendly and with good maintaince will give many years of service. 
I grew up around logging but chose to be a heavy equipment mechanic for several years. Later in life my interest changed so my cousin and myself went into logging on our own in 1988.

Okrafarmer

If they had just put individual wheel brakes on it, they could have given it a differential. Oh well. We've already talked about the lack of 440 differential in another thread. Evidently, the lack of differential hasn't been a serious issue or people would be complaining about breaking the driveline.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1

Operating a 2020 Woodmizer LT35 hydraulic for Upcountry Sawmill, Dacusville, SC

Now selling Logrite tools!

Writing fiction and nonfiction! Check my website.

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