NEW 444 OWNER

ncsam said:

I tried to post this earlier but it didnt seem to pan out. I just got a 1974 model 444 on Thursday. I have already found some minor issues and started the repairs. My brakde band has no lining left, and the brake lock is messed up. I have also torn apart the tiller attachment to find a broken chain. All in all a solid little tractor, a couple of hydralic leaks but runs good overall. Someone painted the frame red, so with the yellow hood and fendors it kind of looks like the Ronald McDonald tractor. The red frame has got to go!!!
Me and a buddy are going to build a log splitter for it. I hope to use it a bunch around the house. My kids want me to get a trailer to pull behind it so we can have a hayride on Halloween. We live in the Foothills of NC and I have not seen any of these little tractors around here.

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Welcome to the forum, Sam.

If you look at the revolving photos on the "front door" of this site, you will see examples of tractors that are painted in original paint colors. The Power Red frame and Desert Sunset hood/fenders paint combination is 100 percent correct for 1974. Perhaps if you began a thread in the main forum and posted some photos of your tractor, we could advise you better about the paint that it is currently on your tractor.

If you check the area of the dash tower sort of opposite your right knee when sitting on the tractor, there should be a metal ID plate riveted to the tower. That plate should have the model and serial (PIN) numbers of the tractor. You can go to our Tech Section and locate the Parts and Operator's manuals that coincide with those numbers and read them or download them.

You will also find a parts manual and Op manual for the rototiller there. I urge you to spend some time in the FAQ's section because there is a document there that speaks about the brake lining issue along with other matters. Reading those FAQ's will teach you an immense amount about these tractors in a very short time. Any questions you have about any aspect of your tractor are best answered in one or more of the forums. We have a STICKY at the top of each forum to advise how that forum is to be used.

Take a good look around the site.

Glad to have you here.

Sam,
If you go to our Parts Manuals section, scroll down to the Kohler powered 200/400 tractors and open that link. The A1278 parts book incorporates PIN 9692238, which is your tractor. It's the seventh icon down from the top.

Then go to the Operator's Manual section and scroll down to the Kohler powered 200/400 tractors once again and open that link. Scroll down and find manual 9-4392 or 9-4393. Both are for your tractor. One is just a slightly new version.

Most likely, the metal bar is part number C18147 and is depicted in the drawing on page 42 of the manual as Item 22. This sawtooth bar gets pushed downward by the operator after he fully depresses the brake pedal. The bar is held down as the operator slowly lifts his foot off the brake pedal, allowing the teeth on the bar to engage the dash tower and that keeps the parking brake engaged. To release the brake, the operate simply depresses the brake pedal again and the sawtooth bar will flip up, out of the way. All too often, owners fail to adjust the parking brake band and the lever slips behind the dash tower and bends.

This problem can usually be rectified by removing the bar and carefully straightening it. As long as it is not cracked, then it should be fine.