" My tractor is used for mowing and making a garden. I also launch my boat with it. I have not used a lot of hours. It lives in a shed. The plastic is falling apart and you cannot repair it. Even aftermarket is very expensive. The tilt steering wheel does not stay locked. I have a loader and turf tires. I would kill for R-4 tires but it costs a fortune to switch. The loader joystick is very sticky. It burns a lot more fuel that a 47 horsepower David Brown I that had for years. The tractor is overpriced. I think a Mahindra would have been a better choice for me. "

"I have had several JD garden tractors and loved them. I had bought a mid 70s Allis Chalmers medium sized 2 wheel drive tractor. It was well used. but with maintenance it did the job, so after about ten years I decided to upgrade. I researched my options for about two months, it came down to JD vs Kubota. My determining factor was , except for the motor on the JD, it was American made. I am sad to say I made the wrong choice. I have had numerous issues with it. My biggest issue is the plastic It started when I raised the hood, very gingerly,which I had done without issue for some time. I kept everything lubed. As it hood reached the latch which holds it up, the hood cracked. Ridiculous. I have done a lot of body and fender work. I tried everything to find a repair , from epoxies, fiberglass, and so on and roughed up the surface for better adhesion. Nothing worked. Within weeks the hood was in pieces from vibration. I broke down bought a new hood. At about 500 hours just about every piece of body panels on the tractor have either broken or cracked, to some extent or another. This is not from abuse!. I have had other issues from the neutral safety switch to the seat falling apart after a few years. Ball joints and tie rod ends are sloppy at a few hundred hours. with front knuckle joint seals leaking around the same time. I have put more money into cosmetics than mechanical issues. The best part of the tractor is the Japanese motor. I am disgusted. As far as service goes, parts are ridiculously over priced, and most I have found are proprietary. Our local service manager is a moron, and I haven't had much better luck with the techs, a general consensus, for our area.( I talk to a lot of other JD owners ). There is plenty more , but I'm tired of typing. As soon as it is feasible I am going to replace the tractor. Also my father and I bought a new 4400, we made a deal and saved cash , this is my only benefit I had with buying this model. My father passed away with about 100 hrs on his tractor. When I went to sell , it had been stored in a insulated garage. The pto wouldn't engage and it had hydraulic issues which weren't there when parked. I have more hours in repairs on these two hours than I can remember and I have a lot more to go. It is a sad state of affairs for America."

"I only gave 4 stars for build quality due to plastic failure on the tractor. It's parked inside when not in use, even in summer. I got it with a loader and backhoe. I think it had 150 hours on it when I purchased it. I have put a lot of drainage in, planted a lot of trees with the backhoe. This tractor starts all the time. I mix 4 gallons of diesel and one gallon of kero for winter time. It starts in -20F with out so much as a miss. I need to move up in horsepower now and hate to trade this wonderful machine. The hydrostatic drive makes it so simple to operate even my wife can use it. Winter is harsh here and this tractor has been the best money I have spent on the farm. From moving around bales to digging drainage to mowing paddocks (20 acres worth), this machine has proven to be dependable and more powerful than the horsepower designates. Properly maintained, it's a once in a lifetime purchase."

"Worked it hard and still going"

"Had to replace fuel shut off and a seal in the steering valve. JD says the valve is unserviceable. A real disservice to owners. A witch to service."

"This has been our primary utility tractor for the past 13 years. Used for snow blowing and plowing in winter. Loader work during summer, using dirt buckets, grapples, and pallet forks. Also used for brush hogging, roto-tilling, finish mowing, and a platform for a Long backhoe. We did trade this tractor on a new John Deere 4720 hopefully that will perform as well as the 4600. One thing to note is that we got our 2001 purchase price when trading it in after 1950 hours."

"I use this tractor periodically for clearing trees and moving rock on my property. Even though I may go 2-3 months without starting it, it starts right up with no problems. Other than replacing the battery once, I have had no maintenance issues in the 12 years I've owned it. I got the 3-in-1 bucket with the tractor and it has been great for moving trees after they are down."

"In 1999, I purchased a new JD 4600 to replace my then 40 yr. old Ford 800. Other than one small hydraulic leak and a recent corrosion problem with the battery cables, it has been trouble free. It is used mainly for mowing in the summer and snow removal in the winter. A 6 ft JD MX6 brush cutter is used to mow both walking paths and entire hay fields. A JD 460 Loader and a New Idea 7 ft snow blower are use to supplement snow removal. It has also done ditching with a pull scoop and the loader."

"Great durable tractor."

"During the first three months I had to return the tractor to the dealership three times due to a hydraulic problem in the transmission (power reverser]. In the following 10 years the tractor has trouble free."