# John Deer 244j



## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

I'm looking to purchase a John Deere 244j or similar machine and am looking to hear from guys that have actually used these to push snow. The good bad and any years or features that I should be looking for.


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

well I have a 2011 John Deere 244J, about , 2,000 hours on it, I just bought it in March, have yet to use it for snow! If you type in the search area, a few things will come up, there are also a few clips on you tube as well.


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## lawnkale (Dec 4, 2008)

we have 5 of them and what can i tell you? they work great and we use in small tight spots as well and large lots. we run 12 artic pushers on them.... first had a 10 foot rubber edge box and that bogged the engine down but have no problems with 12' artic...they range from 1-5 years old with the oldest with 2400 hrs....we have had to do minimal maintenance...1 starter. hit me up with any questions you have


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

I don't want to steal this thread from Ne1, but you have 5! That speaks volume! Im waiting for snow to try ours out, we will be using just for stacking, moving piles etc. Is there anything to keep an eye out for on these machines? things you may have had small issues with etc. Thanks! Philip


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## lawnkale (Dec 4, 2008)

yes 5.. we also run 344j and 2-444k...

not to tell you how to run your business but your losing so much without a snow pusher. we back drag..small/large lots with it and it turns on a dime. then we also stack snow higher than plowing with truck...ive had guys plow in trucks for years and after plowing in 244 than wont go back into a truck....vision backing up and going around things is great. 

just to give you a idea of where were at...est $300/hr we plow all flat rate plowing. (no hourly). We do team up every loader with a truck to help edge property out and let loader do its job...


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

no worries, our lots are small, however ,we have to relocate snow on site etc. im hoping a bid comes in for another larger lot, where a pusher will be needed,if so it will be an artic.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

Is there a big difference besides price on a 244 vs 344? We currently use Artic 10' pushers on out Bobcats and planned on using a 12' ld on this unit


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## lawnkale (Dec 4, 2008)

244 average 70,000 new and 344 120,000 new our 444 was 140,000


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## lndscpe (Dec 7, 2004)

*244j*

We use a 2010 244J to plow with, its great little loader to run around with. Bought it new and now has 687 hours on it. We run the 5 section Arctic pusher on it (12') and it handles it just fine. Just watch your hydraulic hoses as they aren't cheap! different ends than commonly used so difficult to find.
heres a video of it plowing in northwest IN.






Hope this helps. My Doosan DL250 is in this video also, I run a 14" HD on it.


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

I watched your videos before. Do yours have the 2 speed option?


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

Ne1, I'm pretty sure the 244J all come with 2 speed transmission, top speed about 19 mph...


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Get rid of the pushers and use a Kage type, Danials or Blizzard and you'll really love those little loaders.

Pushers require trucks to cut in, blades don't. 

Unless you are moving a lot of snow a long distance, which would be better in a bigger loader anyways, that little pusher is holding you back in productivity.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Wow, I see you haven't use a compact loader. 

Can you clarify that statement about cut in's?

Last season about I had 22 skids, 16 loaders in my zone, guess how many trucks.


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

framer1901;1820819 said:


> Get rid of the pushers and use a Kage type, Danials or Blizzard and you'll really love those little loaders.
> 
> Pushers require trucks to cut in, blades don't.
> 
> Unless you are moving a lot of snow a long distance, which would be better in a bigger loader anyways, that little pusher is holding you back in productivity.


Only if you're an incompetent operator.


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

Quite the opposite.

I've owned a WA200 with a 16' Danials for 5 seasons that I personally drive. The route I plow - anytime gained by running a 14' pusher at the few lots that could benefit from it would be lost at least in triplicate on the other lots due to the 16' plow. My 200 can't push a full 16' box, it'd struggle with a 14' at times and it weighs roughly 23-25k#s. It ain't tires or horsepower either.

With an angleable plow, there is way less back dragging when cutting in corners. Sure you can cut in with a pusher, but not like a blade - just like a blade can't carry snow like a pusher - it all depends on the lot type or where you are working.

Figure a postage stamp lot, call it an acre with maybe just some light poles in the center, 4" of snow, wind rowing everything to the side and stacking at the end. A 244, with a 12' blade or box for that matter, might not be able to plow that lot faster than a pickup with a 9' blade. Call it crazy but - we do a school, pretty close to that description - me with a 16' blade verses one of my trucks with a 9' - I don't get it done twice as fast. The truck drives forward and backward faster than the loader and the loader goes 25mph.

Make the lot way more complicated, islands, poles cars etc.... The loader will crush the trucks times because the loader is moving forward more often, hardly ever back dragging, and pure manuverability. A pusher will cut down on that efficency due to back dragging or cutting in.

The questions and comments really revolved around the 244. A great tool, but not the tool I'd use at a Lowes or plaza lot where the snow needs carried. As a matter of fact, I wouldn't used a 244 to carry snow period, it weighs just 11k#s, less than half my loader and I think my loader is not effective with a pusher. That 244 is for manuverability and reliability, not moving mountains. Think about it this way - the pound per square inch on the tires, which is traction, might be equal or less than a one ton diesel with ballast.

Put a Kage or Blizzard 8611 on a 244. Go plow mid size and smaller lots that have some complexity to them. That is where that tool will shine and kick everything's arse - keep the 544 size machines with the 16' pushers in the Mall or Lowes lot where they shine.


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

I don't want to get in the middle of this! I just want to ask all that OWN the John Deere 244J if they have had a problem with hydraulic lines that Indscpe mentioned(a few threads up..) I just got my used one, and have yet to use it(snow use only), so I like learning as much as I can from those that run these units, and any thing that one should keep an eye on...Thanks!


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## Ne1 (Jan 15, 2007)

512high;1820880 said:


> I don't want to get in the middle of this! I just want to ask all that OWN the John Deere 244J if they have had a problem with hydraulic lines that Indscpe mentioned(a few threads up..) I just got my used one, and have yet to use it(snow use only), so I like learning as much as I can from those that run these units, and any thing that one should keep an eye on...Thanks!


How many hours are on the machine you bought? What did you give for it if you don't mind me asking?


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

I bought my 2011 with 1,900 hours or so, some say its very high for the year etc., I know it was used for loading up stone, mulch and snow removal. I bought from a John Deere dealer in upstate New York, I paid $52,000 cash, and then spent another $1,300 to get it to NH, I have seen these online anywhere from an average of $45,000 to as high as $87,000, years 2005-2014....


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

The 344 we rented had metric thread fittings, maybe that is what lndscape is refering to - so yes, breakdowns in the middle of the night were or could be hard to fix.

Normal hydro lines aren't cheap, metric just adds some cost.

Oddball things happen to anything but at 1900 hours, the early bugs are worked out, just keep on on maintaining it.


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

lol!! I hope the bugs are out!! I'm just curious what causes a hose to go on a loader that is heavy duty, I understand "-hit" happens etc . these loaders are only a few years old etc, they are fairly "new", I could understand a older loader with issues like that, just wondering,....no I'm not a mechanic...just always trying to learn,


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

And again to all that have replied, thanks!


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## framer1901 (Dec 18, 2005)

We rented a 344 last year - it had 75 hours on it, was basically brand new. Within 200 more hours of use, the main pump had come "loose" according to AIS, the hydraulic tank liner had "released" and was throughout the hydraulic system. The fan solenoid would not allow the fan to turn on, causing overheating - though they said this was related to the tank lining - who knows, it was a rental. After three days onsite trying to say it was fixed, they picked it up.

Those things to me are bugs. Whether they are new things manufactors try that don't work out or just plain old part failure, I'd call it a bug.

You don't see me here bashing JD, I'm not sure what the problem really was, there is enough of them things out there running daily that they can't be too bad.

Over time, hoses get worn, brittle or even pinched - they do let go and pretty much park you till fixed.


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

framer1901;1820936 said:


> We rented a 344 last year - it had 75 hours on it, was basically brand new. Within 200 more hours of use, the main pump had come "loose" according to AIS, the hydraulic tank liner had "released" and was throughout the hydraulic system. The fan solenoid would not allow the fan to turn on, causing overheating - though they said this was related to the tank lining - who knows, it was a rental. After three days onsite trying to say it was fixed, they picked it up.
> 
> Those things to me are bugs. Whether they are new things manufactors try that don't work out or just plain old part failure, I'd call it a bug.
> 
> ...


Well thanks for explaining, you are right can happen to any brand of equipment etc.


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## lawnkale (Dec 4, 2008)

i have commented on having several 244J. have no clue what causes a hydro hose to go bad but i have replaced the hoses that run down the loader arms on several my machine and yes they take a couple days to order. even from john deere...so i now keep a spare set laying around...i also keep extra window shield wiper blades around.. seems we break those a lot.. I can also say make sure you let the glow plugs "work" before trying to start in cold..also burnt up couple starters but that is mostly operator error. and for anything diesel use block heaters and fuel treatment..


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## 512high (Jan 18, 2010)

lawnkale;1820944 said:


> i have commented on having several 244J. have no clue what causes a hydro hose to go bad but i have replaced the hoses that run down the loader arms on several my machine and yes they take a couple days to order. even from john deere...so i now keep a spare set laying around...i also keep extra window shield wiper blades around.. seems we break those a lot.. I can also say make sure you let the glow plugs "work" before trying to start in cold..also burnt up couple starters but that is mostly operator error. and for anything diesel use block heaters and fuel treatment..


That's what I'm talking about...great ideas on ordering spare wiper blades(i can imagine what those cost!lol) and spare hoses etc..good idea!


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## Whiffyspark (Dec 23, 2009)

Local hydraulic shop is your friend.


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## lndscpe (Dec 7, 2004)

To answer the question about the hoses on my 244, yes, it is that the ends are metric and hard to find someone that carries that style end (if not impossible). Since I couldn't find a hose maker that carried metric ends I have just purchased them from our local dealer (not cheap). (so far only had need replace two,) As far as any other problems...... I have had no other issues at all with my 244. Its been a great little loader that has amazing fuel economy. Thumbs Up


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