Strengths fuel economy, easy cold start, reliable, solid, powefull

Weaknesses it is fitted with a 70 loader wich is on the weak side, newer macine comes with a new loader much better built. parking brake pawl is of bad desing, teeth and lock not of hardened material and too small.This weakness can be overcome by being very careful to push lighty on brake pedal before releasing lever , if you , your wife or kids or whoever forget a few times , the teeth are gone on the pawl. Battery cable corrosion cause by very front position (subject to tossing), buy a sealed battery.cannot put chain on r1 tires. no shuttle shift avail. steering bar (between front wheel) very low get damage in rough or wood area. fell tipy.

Overall I considered the above weakness very minor. This is an excelent machine. I would recommend it, and because it is so strong for it weight do not buy the 2 wd, the 4wd is a must with the loader.

Strengths Great tractor,hoe works nice and quick. Never have I had a time that the tractor felt tippy,I built a 7 foot retaining wall at my house and drove in behind the wall with backfill material right up the bank and did a riht turn no problem.super tractor

Weaknesses I would like to see more hyd power from tractor.If anybody has a 300 loader would like to know if it loosen up and somebody talked about more hyd power How???

Overall Great tractor and dealer support.They do make a tool box for the tractor which mounts on fender.

Strengths Compact is the name and the key. Gets in and out of every place I need to go on our property (2 acres). Yes, it is big for the property size, but I have a GT235 and a new X540 for the lawn work. 790 is my power wheel barrow and general grunt work machine. I use the post hole digger to plant everything in my rocky acreage. I look back at all the holes I dug with the digging iron and shake my head. Does almost everything I ask of it, except for lifting the ultra heavy loads. Have the R4's loaded, which works well. 3PT hitch is easy to use, and teh 655 tiller is the ticket for garden work. What a dream come true. The rake is my primary tool for gravel road maintenance and if you buy a scraper blade, spend the extra to get one that floats when using it at an angle. Box blade is what you need for leveling high spots, and the boom is used when nothing else will do, but be sure to adjust your 3pt lift and lower rate or you'll sling your load everywhere. Looking to add mid-PTO next just to have the option.

Weaknesses Like others say, it is tippy when loader is maxed out on uneven ground. Only had one real scare, which forced me to wear the seat belt. Need tooth bar to get good bite on hard soil. Loader leaks down when idle, but I plan on upgrading hydraulics. When using loader at night, you need lights on ROPS, so I installed my own. Installed rear lights too - but had to upgrade to bigger alternator - ouch! $500!! JD Parts must be real proud of these - should be cheaper! Wish it was hydro when using the loader, but the manual tranny does come in handy at times. Overall no real showstopper weaknesses - but more along the lines of my personal preferences or minor aggravations. ONE LAST NOTE - I have to complain about the local dealer who charged me $250 for the 50 hour service when all they did was change the oil and grease the loader. When I asked why no hydraulic fluid change, they claim JD recommends not doing it until 250 hours - but owners manual and JD web site both say 50 hours. As such, they lost a customer and I can change my own oil for $250. Thieves!

Overall Excellent tractor for the money. Takes time to build your implement inventory, but be choosy and you will be happy. I would recommend this over Kubota, New Holland, Ford or comparable HP tractors any day. It'll do the job asked - no problem.

Strengths Motor-runs like watch, smooth hydraulics, unstoppable mule, virtually indestructable.

Weaknesses Relief valves on hydraulics set way to low, Back hoe weak because of this. Hydraulics bleed back when shut down. Extremely tippy on slight side grade, use hoe for outrigger to feel stable.

Overall Wish I had it twenty years before I toasted my body with a shovel and wheel barrow

Strengths Excellent fuel economy, very strong engine, massive pulling power for a tractor this size, tough!

Weaknesses Front end a little light, lift capacity inthe back could be higher.

Overall Excellent tractor - I use it to farm 50 acres, takes a little time, but does all I ask it to.

Strengths Reliability, Fuel economy, Power, wide range of accessories,

Weaknesses Cost

Overall The John Deere 790 has lived up to my expectations and exceeded many.

Strengths 2 wheel drive. Plenty of power. JD moved the exhaust under the tractor. Also has two stage clutch and power steering standard now. Still uses sheet metal for hood/finders although thin, I think it's better than plastic or fiberglass.

Weaknesses None so far.

Overall This tractor seems to be everything I expected. I use it to pull a 250 gallon pto driven airblast sprayer without any problems. Also use a 3 pt fertilze spreader with 500+ pounds in it. I did need counter weight, but the tractor handles it very well.

Strengths Tried and true design,good power.

Weaknesses Tall ROPS is a bother.

Overall Very happy with unit.

Strengths Dependable, always starts. No leaks, real gutsy tractor. Works well in tight spots

Weaknesses Battery cable corrosion, Real tippy on unlevel work areas. 4wd a must w/ loader. Parking brake pawl replaced.

Overall Great tractor, would buy again. More power than weight, must use caution when handling heavy loads.

Strengths Built like a tractor should be, tough. More than enough power for everything I have thrown at it. 4x4 with power steering makes it drive like a car with no effort at all.

Weaknesses Battery cable corrosion seems to be a common problem on these machines. Simple fix, but can catch you by suprise if you aren't checking often.

Overall Love this tractor. It is used on a small 10 acre home/farm for mowing, materials handling and light landscaping. It replaced an old David Brown tractor that was really too big for the property, and the 790 is a perfect size to get in tight areas that the DB couldn't. The 4x4 is really a must for a tractor this size, particularly with the FEL, and the added power steering makes it silky smooth to operate. It has more than enough power to get it through even the worst terrain, and will lose traction before it loses power. Backhoe is great for trenching and other landscape work, but is kind of awkward to attach/detach. Has all the features you would expect on a much larger tractor but at half the size. Built like a tractor should be built and is well supported by John Deere and their service/parts network.