# John Deere 7400A TerrainCut



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I was missing the JD 8800 a little, so I picked up this 7400A from the Weeks Auction. It is the 3-deck trim mower version of the 8800 rough mower I had a couple years ago. It is a 2016 model with 720 hours.

The 8800 had (5) 21" decks with an ~88" width of cut. The 7400A has (3) 27" decks that will mow at either 68" or 74" with the flip of a switch. I think shifting the decks in to 68" addresses the uncut strips the 8800 would sometimes miss between the front and rear decks when making a tight turn (one of my gripes). Then you can run it at 74" when mowing straight lines in open areas to maximize efficiency. With this mower you can also shift each of the front decks out an additional 12" (one at a time) for some extra reach. On a golf course this feature would be used for mowing around the edges of bunkers, etc.

I need to service it (new blades, oil change, grease, etc.) but hope to make my first cut of the season with it sometime this week. I am going to keep the zero turn for now, but ideally I will be able to mow lower with less scalping with this machine because the three decks float independently. One of these days I would like to get back into reel mowing, but I'm just not there yet.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)




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## robbybobby (May 15, 2017)

Sweet get Ware!


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## jabopy (Nov 24, 2018)

Nice JD John looking forward to seeing you working on your new lawn. Soon!! :mrgreen:


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## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

@Ware lets put rtk gps on that thing and turn it into a robot.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

HungrySoutherner said:


> @Ware lets put rtk gps on that thing and turn it into a robot.


That would be pretty cool.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

The front tires on the 7400A had some pretty significant wear, so I replaced them. I think outer edge wear is usually indicative of being under-inflated, but it seemed excessive compared to the amount of tread that was left in the middle - especially on bias ply tires that have a natural tendency to balloon. It almost looked intentional, but probably just from a lot of time on cart paths.


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## ReelMowLow74 (Apr 13, 2021)

That mower looks like it's in great shape!!!


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

ReelMowLow74 said:


> That mower looks like it's in great shape!!!


Yeah, it is in pretty good shape for an auction mower. I'm not sure where it came from or how many times it has changed hands, but it has this PGA sticker on the serial number plate. It has 720 hours on it, so it has only averaged about 135 hours a year since its date of manufacture.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

The blades were smoked, so I put some new ones on from R&R. I ordered mulching blades because the mower came with the optional mulching kits installed, but then I decided to remove the plugs and just go rear discharge.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I still want to change the engine oil before I mow with it, but ran out of time this evening. I did manage to get a TLF sticker on it before calling it a day. :thumbup:


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## paulwrunge (Dec 13, 2021)

Sweet mower!


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

@Ware - Wanna trade for my new Honda HRN??  I really need a mower that size for my 900 sq foot lawn.


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## jimbeckel (May 27, 2018)

Ware said:


> ReelMowLow74 said:
> 
> 
> > That mower looks like it's in great shape!!!
> ...


More than likely it came from Greenville Turf out of SC. When I ordered a new shoe for my 180 they asked for the SN to match up the right part number and told me it came from them originally.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

jimbeckel said:


> More than likely it came from Greenville Turf out of SC. When I ordered a new shoe for my 180 they asked for the SN to match up the right part number and told me it came from them originally.


It was sold by Everglades Equipment Group/ShowTurf in Boynton Beach, FL. It had their phone number on it, so I called them. They said they originally sold it to PGA Reserve, Inc., then their records show it went to CGI St Lucie, dba St Lucie Trail, on Nov 15, 2019.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Yea, you'd flip it into 68" to run it as a trim & surrounds mower and offset the decks to keep your drive wheels off the bunker edges. It most likely got ran in this mode the most as the extra 6" just doesn't make a huge difference (We know, we know.... :bd for the smaller open areas this machine might have been used to mow.

If the oil level is correct, I see no issue with mowing with it and dumping the oil after. I like to dump 'em after they've been up to temp awhile and all stirred up.


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## Vtx531 (Jul 1, 2019)

Oooh nice! Looks new


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## Uk0724 (May 1, 2019)

Looks great. I like that sticker.

First time I changed my oil, I got all over that rear tire. The oil drain is in a perfect position to get all over it. LOL.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Uk0724 said:


> Looks great. I like that sticker.
> 
> First time I changed my oil, I got all over that rear tire. The oil drain is in a perfect position to get all over it. LOL.


Thanks! The stickers are in the TLF store: https://shop.thelawnforum.com/product-category/stickers/

And yeah, it's an awkward spot for the oil drain plug. I suppose when Yanmar designed the engine they didn't know JD was going to put a tire right in front of it.

My original plan was to use a fluid extractor to get most of the oil out and then remove the plug to drain out what was left, but even the smallest tube I had wouldn't fit through the dipstick hole. So I ultimately decided to remove the rear tire before draining the oil. That worked well, but then I made a mess removing the oil filter. :lol:

I think it has a 16mm drain plug. It's a tight space, but I may see if this Fumoto Valve will fit between the oil pan and the tire. Then use their hose kit to divert the oil into a drain pan or empty jug off to the side.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Ware said:


> Uk0724 said:
> 
> 
> > Looks great. I like that sticker.
> ...


This is the way, life is too short for crappy drain plug locations.

Small diameter brake line adapted to your evacuator however you see fit. :nod:


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## UFG8RMIKE (Apr 21, 2019)

Wow, that thing is bad ***. In really good shape too


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

First mow at 1-3/4". It contoured really well. I don't think I could go that low with my 72" zero turn.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I replaced the skateboard tape treads on the operator platform because some of them were peeling/damaged around the edges.

Green Farm Parts had all of them in stock. I was kind of surprised. These sizes must be used on other equipment.

It was a little bit of work to get the old ones off (heat gun) and the old adhesive removed (goo gone), but replacing them improved the overall aesthetics of the machine.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Very nice @Ware!!


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## monsonman (Dec 9, 2020)

Very sweet machine @Ware! Is 1.75" the lowest she will go?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

monsonman said:


> Very sweet machine @Ware! Is 1.75" the lowest she will go?


It will technically go down to 3/4", but it's a rotary mower.


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## UFG8RMIKE (Apr 21, 2019)

Ware said:


> monsonman said:
> 
> 
> > Very sweet machine @Ware! Is 1.75" the lowest she will go?
> ...


Do it


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

UFG8RMIKE said:


> Do it


By my calculations, I only need about 12 tri-axle loads of sand to get the lawn where I want it.


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

Ware said:


> UFG8RMIKE said:
> 
> 
> > Do it
> ...


 :lol: :lol: :lol:

Everything multiplies substantially on a larger property like yours @Ware

Just down the road from my old house were some 10 acre properties. I'm positive they were never leveled and are mowed with zero turns much smaller than your big JD and they always looked fantastic.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Yeah @MrMeaner I'm throttling my expectations. It's not a show lawn, but I think you can have a nice looking lawn if you do some basic weed control and keep it cut.

I have a leftover sand pile that I'm using to do some spot leveling. Nothing fancy - just filling some low areas and backdragging with the loader bucket on my tractor in float.


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## STI_MECE (Aug 4, 2020)

@Ware what made you go back to that terrain cut style? I can only summerize that one the ride is probably much more palatable, you get a better cut over a ztr deck that doesn't flow with the terrain, and obviously you get a wider cut with the all terrain.

I want a fairway mower for my 5 acres but for my sanity, and with family, I could not convince myself to spend that much time cutting the grass below 1 inch. Keeping up with the 1/3rd rule. Man you would have to put in some hours. I can only imagine it's alot more straight forward without the trees lol

Down the road I'm probably going to settle on something similar to what you have. Right now I'm looking at getting a Kubota compact tractor and getting a Harley rake to get things leveled out.

Irrigation is getting installed today for my place.


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