John Deere 790

[n2deep]

Bought a house with a smaller lot, 3+ acres, and I"m looking at a used 790, loader and mid mount mower, 360 hours. Reviews/comments and suggestions appreciated. Use to mow and a little dirt work..

Thanks in advance

N2deep

 

[Brian Bell]

790 is a good smaller machine. Look around though. You may be able to find a little larger machine for the same money. Those mid mount mowers are a pain sometimes...depending on what your intentions are. If you are just going to mow grass (ie no bush hogging, etc) it will probably be super. If you plan on doing some gardening, custom cutting, etc, I would look for something a little larger.

 

[Pat Lafon]

I've got one. Good tractor for the money. Mine is 4wd with a loader, power beyond kit on rear for hyd. log splitter and a mid mount mower. I upgraded from a JD 650 with a rear mounted finish mower. For true yard mowing, a belly mower is the best. Can't beat the cut and neatness. Plus you don't have to worry about your gal swinging it into the house when turning. I like the gear tranny vs. the hydro any day. Heavy duty for it's size. Check the battery box for rust. I have NEVER had one single problem with mine except for the rust up front. Had it for 3 years and have about 400 hours on it. Easy on fuel too. The belly mower can be a pain to mount but once you do it a couple of times, it's no issue. I've pushed trees down with mine and bush hogged about 25 acres in Dec over a weeks time and it'll run the cutter like it's not even back there. Heck, ready for this, I even put a New Holland square baler behind it and baled a small field with no problems because my JD 2040 was about 10 miles away in another field. Just make sure it has live PTO. All 4wd models were live but some 2 wd models weren't.

 

[nylon4020]

I have an 03 with a 6 foot 419 loader, a 60" belly mower, 5 foot whistler shredder, 6 foot rear blade and use an 8 foot blade on occasion as well as a 5 foot tiller. These are great machines. Mine is gear drive. I would make sure that it is 4x4. //often in snow or mowing one wheel will get light and there you sit. Never a problem to drop it in 4x4 and drive out. I have a 4020 and call the 790 a minny 4020. Has differential lock too. I cant say enough about these tractors. They are very stout and powerful. I know that the other fellow is right about being able to bale with it too. A big plus is that it fits in a garage with a 7 foot door. The rops clears it with an inch to spare on r-4 tires. So I can haul firewood from the spliter to the stove and have tractor in warm garage. Important when it's been to -35 so often this winter.

 

[Pat Lafon]

Yep, he's right about being able to put it in a garage. Mine just barely clears but it does (but, boy, it's close). I creep in, in low range 1st. Sometimes with a load of wood in the bucket with nothing on the rear for counter weight, my ROPS will touch the door. Another thing, put fluid in the rear tires. Mine didn't have enough weight and I was always spinning until I corrected it with fluid.

 

[Mike M]

Nothing wrong with the model 790. But there are some things to be aware of depending on what you need to do. Others have mentioned they like the gear over a hydro. While this is just a matter of personal preferance a gear drive should do better under heavy use and hard pulling. But don't sell a hydro short especially for a loader or mower tractor it is hard to beat instant direction changes. Also the loader ratings for the 790 are less then a comparable loader on a 3000 series and the early loaders are even less lift yet. I know a person who sold his 790 and bought a 2520 ? series compact and said this smaller tractor will do alot more on the loader and faster because of the hydro. Once you run hydro's it is very hard to go back to gear trannies. The newer 2000 and 3000 series tractors have a way more open platform area to get on and off of too.

 

[d. coleman]

my 790 saved my bu** after hurricane ivan. like previous post cant say enough as long as you remember it is a 27 hp tractor. i too have a 4wd with 3000 loader and "power beyond" kit for log splitter. limited hydralic volumn. smallish if you are a large person, little hard to get on. hope this helps. d. coleman

 

[Dan in Ohio]

Bought a 2520 in 2006, the first year for this model. Wish I had the 790 instead since the dealer had my 2520 in the repair shop more the first six months than I did. The 790 is rock solid, bullet proof, and time tested, you will be satisfied. I picked the 2520 over the 790 cause of the hydro thinking it would be easier for my wife to drive. Think she has driven it twice in the past 3 years, enough said.

 

[Handsome Jim]

sounds good