Christos

Member
I realize I'm probably opening a can of worms but I was at the JD dealer getting some hardware and I saw a 2010 Gas Row Crop ROM with a loader.

I bought a service manual for a 1010 and understand that both tractors use that weird sleeve and deck engine.

Why were these tractors so bad? I've seen you all mention that the hydraulics are weird and the engine and there is poor parts support.

Probably not going to buy it as I'd prefer to have a MF 165 or Ford 4000, but what was was wrong with these things?

Christos
 
They weren't one of Deere's better ideas. As you mentioned they used the unique engine and realized it was a mistake and moved away from it pretty darn quick. It also seems they crammed a lot of stuff into a small framed tractor so getting to anything to work on is a PITA. In my opinion they were not as stout as the other new generation tractors, they don't seem to have the longevity their other tractors enjoyed, to put it another way if worked under the same percentage load of the tractor's rated capacity they just don't seem to run as long as a 4010 or even the 2 cylinders.
 
finding a 2010 utillity with a good tranny is a task we ended up with a bad one with 3000 hours 1963 seen a guy scrap a nice one with 2200 hours and loader ours will not go into high gears with all new linkages , his was the same way , the tractor aint worth $4000 or $5000 to fix
if your going to take a bath on restoring or fixing a tractor might as well bath in one you'll get your money back with one day
 
I like the 10 series crawlers. The ag tractors not so much. Brakes were never very good. Tractors got little to no aftermarket parts support. That being said - the 1010 and 2010 series had many "firsts" for Deere Co. First full size wet-sleeve engine. First diesel to use the Stanadyne-Roosamaster rotary injection pump. First Deere engine to use positive-type valve seals. First Deere crawler (1010) to have a hydraulic power-shift reverser. First crawler (2010) to have a hydraulic power shift Hi-Lo-Reverse transmission. Also - maybe the only indirect injected diesels Deere ever built?
 
There are many things I don't like about mine, but it keeps on plugging along and hasn't died yet. Who thought it was a good idea to have you 'glow-plug' a tractor when its 80 degrees out or when it's already warmed up? It takes 2-3 tries to start it in the summer, and 5-6 tries in the winter plus waiting 30 minutes before it becomes useful. Like was said in a previous reply. They tried to stuff too much into a little tractor. It would have been an awesome tractor if they could have pulled it off. A little bit ahead of its time. Just my 2 cents.
 
I farmed with a 2010 from 1978-1995. It was my "big" tractor on a 60 acre hobby farm. It was a great tractor, had 13.9 X 36 tires on it. It shifted well, never did anything to it except when I hooked up a 3 point log splitter to it, then it would plug up the hydraulic filter. I would have to pull it and clean it out. Put it back in and back in business. Sold it at my auction for $1000 more than I paid for it in '78.
 
you can't really point to just one thing. they are a pretty useful tractor if you can find a good one and keep it running. i have one i use as a utility with a loader for misc stuff (lifting, logging, splitting firewood, back blading). I do not use it for anything that requires a load be put on on it.

problems i have had with mine:
transmission high range synchros
continual carb adjustments for the weather
eats points on an irregular basis
hyd screen filter plugs up now an then
 
SIR The 2010 was a unique tractor and a quote from a now deceased j.d. dealer was that if the J.D. co. would have made all there tractors like the 2010 they would now be out of business. From a mechanics view point I did not like the five compartment trans, the reason that there was such a loud trans. noise. The dry overcent multi disk pto clutch was very poor
and very difficult to repair you had to remove the rockshaft. The hyd. system was open center with a full flow filter was ok but the gear pump
was in the center of the tractor. Gear shift linkage had many more wear points as compared to the 3010, 4010. I swore I would never own one in my collection, but I changed my mind when I could locate 2010 diesel fork lift. I guess I will never learn Good luck
 
Very nicely put Don...it"s hard to find anything nice to say about a 2010, they were indeed a Mechanical Nite Mare...
 
I hate to hear about John Deere failures. Gives one pause because, engineering-wise, why didn't they just make smaller versions of the 3010 and 4010 with all the good stuff for the 1010 and 2010?
 
(quoted from post at 21:54:15 11/16/12) I hate to hear about John Deere failures. Gives one pause because, engineering-wise, why didn't they just make smaller versions of the 3010 and 4010 with all the good stuff for the 1010 and 2010?

2 different factories with different engineers. Similar with the Waterloo(hand clutch 2 cyl's) and the Dubuque(foot clutch 2 cyl's)
 
"they are a pretty useful tractor if you can find a good one and keep it running." That"s like saying my dog would be a great hunter if he had more than 3 legs and wasn't blind....
 
I've said this several times before whenever this topic comes up. My 2010 is a good, reliable machine. It starts evertime, has strong three point and remote hydraulics. I believe any 2010 made after serial number 42000 is probably a good machine. Before 42000 the engineers were very busy.
 
I have to freshen mine up this winter as it is using to much oil these days. it still fires right off and purrs like a kitten and handles what I throw at it. allmost 8500 hrs and still a little tank
 
(quoted from post at 17:16:59 11/18/12) I've said this several times before whenever this topic comes up. My 2010 is a good, reliable machine. It starts evertime, has strong three point and remote hydraulics. I believe any 2010 made after serial number 42000 is probably a good machine. Before 42000 the engineers were very busy.

Not knowing anything in particular about these models, I was wondering if there was a similar serial number break where improvements were made on the 1010?
 
Any gasser 1010 is fine. The transmission and etc were
beefed up at serial # 31,001 . Another update at 42,001
updated the hydraulics.
I wouldn't mind a gasser 1010 with 540/1000 . Install the
diesel deck plate and a custom set of gas pistons. A few other
tweaks and annoy the IH pullers with H's.
 
(quoted from post at 20:16:59 11/18/12) My 2010 is a good, reliable machine. It starts evertime, has strong three point and remote hydraulics.

That relates to an old saying "you can't break a good 2010 and you can't repair a BAD 2010" :wink:
 
(quoted from post at 13:08:04 11/21/12) Any gasser 1010 is fine. The transmission and etc were
beefed up at serial # 31,001 . Another update at 42,001
updated the hydraulics.
I wouldn't mind a gasser 1010 with 540/1000 . Install the
diesel deck plate and a custom set of gas pistons. A few other
tweaks and annoy the IH pullers with H's.

I ask because there is a decent looking 1010 down the road from me sitting behind a local car repair shop. Thought I might inquire about it, though I really don't need one.
 
(quoted from post at 13:08:04 11/21/12) Any gasser 1010 is fine. The transmission and etc were
beefed up at serial # 31,001 . Another update at 42,001
updated the hydraulics.
I wouldn't mind a gasser 1010 with 540/1000 . Install the
diesel deck plate and a custom set of gas pistons. A few other
tweaks and annoy the IH pullers with H's.
Isnt the 1010 diesel the same deck plate as the 2010 gas?
 

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