Matt Kirsch

It's not something simple, or else I would have taken care of it long ago. The problem is the long 2-joint PTO shaft. I'm still trying to gather parts to build a 3-knuckle shaft. New parts would cost more than I have in the whole mower.

Conversely, 18.4's are much more popular and would be more likely to be backlogged in demand. When I put tires on the 5220 last spring, the tire guy said he could get me all the 16.9x38 SAT's I wanted, even thought they were on sale. Turned out they weren't, or that's what I would have bought.

Maybe a previous owner had a trailing rotary mower with a 2-knuckle PTO. I've got one and it's hitched too close to the tractor and the PTO geometry is all wrong for making turns. Starts to chatter the moment you aren't perfectly straight, and you can't turn very much before the deck rides up on a rear tire. 6" more drawbar would make a world of difference, but I haven't taken the time to try my experiment.

Do you keep the tractor inside or does it sit out in the weather year around? Most tires are not as resistant to UV degradation as they once were, so you'd just be throwing money away on radials because they'll be rotten long before they're worn out. Is your question about radial vs. bias or brand? Radials didn't exist when the 806 was king of the hill, and farmers managed to get a lot of field work done. I only have direct comparison between old bald bias tires and new radials, and frankly, in my applications which include all the jobs you have listed, I can't tell much of a difference. Almost feels like I wasted my money on new tires period. Every tractor here is on a different brand and/or style of tire. Any time Dad ever put tires on a tractor he went for whatever the best deal was at the time. Can't say as any of them have been particularly bad, but most of them are outdated designs that you can't get now.

454 and 504 are completely different tractors. 454 has hydraulic brakes, 504 brakes are purely mechanical. 504 brake problems pretty much boil down to dirt buildup in the brake mechansims, rust, worn friction discs, glazed steel surfaces and/or leaking pinion seals causing oil to get on the friction surfaces (which are not designed to run in oil like some "wet" brakes). Unfortunately, the OP's problem is something I have no knowledge or experience with. The complete loss of brakes when the clutch is pushed in makes no sense, but it sounds like maybe that's a red herring because the brakes don't work anyway when both are applied.

I mean, if you're a tried and true red chest-thumper, every JD question can be answered the same way: Junk it! If you're rich enough to own a Deere, you're rich enough to send it to the dealer every time it has a hiccup, then cry and complain about "right to repair" even though you can't tell the difference between the box end and open end of a wrench... Onelonelyfarmer has torn into many a Deere tractor over the years. Just grabs the wrenches and dives right in and figures it out as he goes along.

504's are pretty simple tractors overall. I would not consider the TA slipping on the low side a deal breaker, because those mechanical TAs will generally run forever on the high side. The tractor can be driven as a straight 5-speed until you decide to fix it, if ever. There is only one "adjustment" on the clutch itself, and that is free pedal travel (associated TA adjustments notwithstanding). You can't adjust the clutch to "clutch harder" or "grab lower." If the clutch "engages further up" that is an indication of wear. Once you've run out of free pedal travel adjustment a new clutch is in your future, so make sure there's some free pedal adjustment left. Again, it could last you for years before you need to do anything about it. I think the loader frame may be in the way of removing the brakes. Clearance between the brake covers and the loader frame needs to be at least the same as the depth of the brake covers to get them off. If you don't have that much room, you will probably have to unbolt the frame from the rear axle housings, block it up, and back partway out to gain access to the brakes. Fortunately you should not need to remove the loader completely. "They work but you have to be in neutral" doesn't make much sense. You wouldn't be trying to stop the tractor using the brakes with it driving in gear, only slow it down.

The annual farm toy show at the Geneseo Elementary School is this coming Saturday... Bet you could find just about anything you're looking for there. It would save you from spending all your money at Martin's auction...

I wouldn't waste my time on NiCd or NiMH. You can get Lithium packs and a charger for these.

Nope. Front loaders were not a consideration when the tractor was designed, but they were over-engineered enough that they held up surprisingly well under a loader. Tractor is 78 years old, and like others have said, that's almost certainly the original bearing. It's not like this is going to be an annual thing.

JP is GREAT to deal with. I bought my Super H and a bunch of Cub parts from them over the years.

It's a universal problem. Pay your people minimum wage, and you get minimum wage quality work. Jobs that pay as much or more than that "Lub N Go" are a dime a dozen, and there's no consequence to doing a bad job or being a bad employee. Get fired? There are 100 other places looking for a warm body and checking references for entry-level jobs is a complete waste of time and resources.

I did forget to add my endorsement for Ryobi. Not the best but you won't be paying for the best. Lots of good deals on them at Home Depot right now. I've got drills, saws, impact drivers, grease guns... The only thing I can't recommend is the angle grinders. They're too power hungry and the batteries Ryobi has right now can't keep up. If you put any pressure on the grinder at all, the battery kicks out. This is even with a brand new, super-expensive "high output" 6Ah battery.

It's not about "keeping up." It's about the cost. Condiments are cheap. Batteries are not. Every time you start in with a new tool line, you need at least two batteries, plus a charger. If you want decent batteries you're looking at around $200 just to get your foot in the door. Every time you start in with a new tool line. Or, you can buy just one set of batteries and stick with the same tool line. Granted, there are some adapters but they're homemade on 3D printers and sold on Etsy.

One group 31 is plenty for an 886. Only reason to have two is to occupy the second positive battery terminal so you don't have to tape it up and/or risk it flopping around under there and shorting out. Well, I guess also if you like to sit there and listen to the radio for hours on end, or run the headlights in the dark with the engine off. I put two "Value" group 24's in my 1586 cost <$100 at the time. Group 31 was $149.