4440 transmission choice

[David G]

If you were buying a 4440/4450/4455, what transmission would you select?

 

[coonie minnie]

It would depend on my budget, but I'd go for either the 4450 or 55 with the 15 speed powershift. Second choice would be the 4440 power shift. Quad Range isn't my thing, but many on here like them. What you will do with the tractor can determine a lot. All are very durable.

 

[chuck from neb]

Powershift

 

[David G]

How many speeds is the 4440 PS?

 

[KYpatriot]

I only recently bought a 4440, so not a lot of experience obviously. But after looking at both I went with the quad range. Smoother, more speed choices. The 8 speed powershift is really jerky. I didnt care for it as much as I thought I would. The 15 speed powershift on the 50 series is much smoother than the 8. Also if you do a lot of reversing I thought the quad was more convenient for that. Supposedly cheaper to fix the quad but id guess that would depend on whats broke.

 

[tim s]

4440 power shift is an 8 spd.,, the quad range is a much better option on a 4440

 

[jeremy in NE]

Power shift for sure. 50, 55 or 60 series 15 speed if I could afford it. Had a 4240 quad range for a year and I never cared for it

 

[dieselfume]

Having both the 8 speed powershift and the quad range in our 4630s, I can tell you that the Quad Range is not my favorite. Maybe it'll prove more durable in the long run, but for now, the shifts are hard and numerous if you're doing farmyard work. For pulling a disc or piece of haying equipment it's much better suited than the 8speed powershift and has less power loss through the transmission, but in my mind that's the only place it excels. You get in the powershift tractor and your day just got better.

It's not about which transmission is better, it's about what you plan to do with your tractor.

 

[alfa2]

I have used all three transmissions and have had good luck with all of them but in my view if going with a 50 or 55 series the 15 speed powershift is the only choice but in the 40 series it depends on what you are doing primarily with the tractor for tillage or running a forage harvester the quad range gives you more options for baling hay planting or feeding cows I like the 8 speed powershift we currently have all three of these transmissions in use and they have all provided great service and reliability

 

[fdt860]

I was wandering if someone ever tried to cutoff the tab between reverse and forward?
That would give gou a reverser, right? Assuming you are in 3rd forward, push to the left in neutral, hit the brakes, then after tractor stopped, push left again in reverse? That would be great for loader work, but would that work?

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 11:12:12 03/04/16) I was wandering if someone ever tried to cutoff the tab between reverse and forward?
That would give gou a reverser, right? Assuming you are in 3rd forward, push to the left in neutral, hit the brakes, then after tractor stopped, push left again in reverse? That would be great for loader work, but would that work?

Powershift trans doesn't require touching brake pedals to go from fwd to rev or vice-verse.

 

[Ray]

Dad bought a new 4440 PS from a dealer who had it on the lot for about a year and couldn't sell it. Like others have said every move was jerky. You had to kind of slip the clutch to back up to a wagon. Going down the road you couldn't downshift, almost threw you through the widow if you were pulling a wagon. You had to put it in neutral and use the brakes to slow down.
When plowing third was to slow and fourth was to fast. But,now almost 40 years later that's what everyone wants.

 

[cornerpost]

I have 2 4440 tractors. One PS that I have had since 1989. Other is quad since about 2009. I would pick the PS for planting and spraying and pulling bat wing mower. Also For Grain cart. For tillage not enough speeds. Around the yard I just go from park to third at low throttle. Much smoother than shifting from 1 or 2 to third. For long life keep your foot off the inching pedal as much as possible.

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 13:05:42 03/04/16) You had to kind of slip the clutch to back up to a wagon..

There's no way to slip clutch on a powershift trans by pressing down on foot pedal as that only opens a hyd valve but has no affect on clutches.

 

[newgenjdcollector]

(quoted from post at 10:47:01 03/04/16)

(quoted from post at 11:12:12 03/04/16) I was wandering if someone ever tried to cutoff the tab between reverse and forward?
That would give gou a reverser, right? Assuming you are in 3rd forward, push to the left in neutral, hit the brakes, then after tractor stopped, push left again in reverse? That would be great for loader work, but would that work?

Powershift trans doesn't require touching brake pedals to go from fwd to rev or vice-verse.

Interesting thought. Once I saw an add for a 4020 PS that supposedly had a factory 'reverser' lever. It was on the left side of the dash but not much detail about it. I am not sure if it truly was factory or something that someone conjured up. Not sure if that would be hard on the trans.

On all my PS tractors, I never go forward to reverse without pushing in the pedal and letting the tractor slow down. That may not be the politically correct way to do it but it seems like it would be easier on it than ramming the shifter back and forth and having the tractor jerk thru all those gears.

I don't mind the 8spd PS. You just have to know which gears shift harder and how to manage them. The 15spd is much more forgiving for sure.

 

[cumminspuller]

If it were me buying one. 4440 quad range. 4455 would have a powershift. But nothing wrong with a quad range in a 4455.

 

[coonie minnie]

I saw that here, too. I think the concensous was it was a reverser lever adapted from a 4020 (600) industrial.

 

[fdt860]

So I guess by looking at this and the parts book that someone can easily convert an old PS into an instant reverser?
And of course I know that you do not need to use the brakes, i just think that it is better if you pull skip all gears to neutral (like from 6th to all the way back and in the middle between F & R.

 

[fdt860]

Cannot edit:

http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=jd&th=546898

 

[GreenEnvy]

Quad range for the 4440 to get the speeds and the Powershift for the 4450/4455 to get the speeds and the convenience.

 

[Tx Jim]

I think LH reverse lever on an 8 speed PS trans was an option on only industrial models.

 

[vscummins]

But pressing the clutch keeps you from feeling the jerk as you pull the lever to neutral