Clearing up JD alternator confusion

David G

Well-known Member
Please set me straight here.

I had assumed that because the 24V JD's had generators up till the change to 12V when they went to alternators, all were that way/

It looks like all the 2510s had alternators.

When did the 3010/20 and 4010/20 series gassers have alternators?
 
David you have to remember the time line of manufacturing of the 10 and 20 series. The JD 2510s where made 1965-1968. JD 4020s came out in 1963 and the JD 3020s came out in 1964. So they were being produced at the same time so they would have had many common parts. One of them being the alternators. You have to remember that the JD 2010 was made from 1960-1965. I do not know when the JD 3010 or JD 4010 started having alternators on them. I know I had a 1963 JD 5010 and it had the 24 volt system with an alternator. The JD 4020s also had 24 volt systems with alternators. So the generator to alternator systems had nothing to do with the 24 volt to 12volt change. The 24 volt to 12 volt change came 4-5 years later.

The entire tractor production during the 1960s at JD had some internal politics going on that I have never been able to understand or find facts about the how/why of some things. One of these is the production of the JD 2510/20 and the 3010/20 at the same time but in different plants, Waterloo and Dubuque. The horse power and size making these two tractors very close to the same. Most people ,myself included, think the JD 2510/20 was a much better tractor from a design stand point than the JD 3010/20. The JD 3010/20 with its internal balancer in the oil pan was not a good design. It did not fail often but was much more complicated than the JD 2510/20 engine.
 
I have been around 3020's and 4020's since they started making them, and have never seen a 24 volt one with an alternator. Everyone I have seen from 1968 back that was diesel had a generator and was 24 volt,, and everyone I have seen from 1969 on was 12 volt with an alternator.
 
David, All 3020 and 4020 1969-1972 gas and diesel models came with factory 12 volt systems and alternators. All Diesel 3010/20 and 4010/20 1961-1968 diesel models came with factory 24 volt systems and generators. Gas models in this era had 12 volt generators. The exception to this was the pre 1969 diesel tractors built with factory cab and AC systems had 24 volt alternators. Not real sure but think the 5020 all came with 24 volt alternators. All 2510's built in 1966-1968 had factory 12 volt systems and alternators. The 2520's like the later 3020 and 4020 all had had 12 volt systems and alternators. The 2510 and 2520 were both Waterloo built tractors with Dubuque built engines which these engines in Dubuque tractors all used alternators so that is why the these two models always had alternators. There has been many of the early 24 volt systems converted to 12 volt systems. Hope this is of help. DW
 
Much clearer

So:

Any 3020 or 4020 gas (pre 1969) would have generator?

Anything (diesel of gas) 1969 and later had alternator?
 
The 2510 had a 35/37 amp Motorola with a piggy-back B-circuit regulator with a two-wire hook-up. The poster who originally asked the question stated he has a "three wire" alternator. Not "two wire" like OEM would be. This "three wire" thing is often heard with Delco 10SI or 12SI alternators. Maybe he can come back here and clear this all u.
 
2510's were a hybrid with a Dubuque engine in a Waterloo chassis. I think the Dubuque engines got alternators when the new 1020, 2020 tractors were introduced in the mid 1960's. Waterloo engines got alternators with the change to console hydraulics for the 1969 model year.
 
WTW is giving you the best info.
2510 was not really a 10 series tractor
which is confusing. 1964 is the first
year for 3020 and 4020 tractors. 1963
was the last year for 3010 and 4010
tractors. 1966 was the first year for
the 2510. Why they weren't called 2520
from the beginning I never understood.
 
Like I said, I have never seen one, but it does show 24V alternators in the parts book. So, I will have to concede. I wonder if you had a choice, or they all went to alternators at the same time.
 
RE . . ."2510 was not really a 10 series tractor which is confusing." "1966 was the first year for the 2510."

I don't recall Deere ever calling any of them "10 series." Deere called them "New Generation" with four-digit designations. "10"at end means it's the first such model and the 2510 certainly is the first model New Gen of its type from Waterloo. I see nothing confusing about that. First sold in 1965, not 1966.
 
Yes I put a Delco on the 2510 because that is what was on it when I got it, and I didn't consider that it may not be the original kind. Also because I understand how to wire the Delco, as that is what is on all my other tractors.
 
Ours must have been the same way, I'm young enough that I remember having to jump start it from the left battery, being 24 volt, and also it has the factory wiring at the alternator for the Motorola alt., but it has the pigtail from the 7520 to use the delco.
 
We have a 1966 and 1968 4020's both with generators, both still 24 volt. The 68 dad bought new, the 66 with 2000 hrs. Generators are both original equipment.
 
Huh? 1010,2010,3010,4010,5010 were new generation tractors so were 1020,2020,3020,4020,5020 etc.
Everyone referred to those ending with a 10 as ten series tractors and those ending with a 20 as
twenty series tractors. Last 10 series tractors were 1963. 3020, 4020 etc were 1964.
4430 etc are referred to as 30 series tractors and so on and so on.
2510 first serial number 1000 was 1966. 1967 began with 8958 and 1968 began with 14291. So if 2510s
had 20 series features instead of 10 series features and were introduced after 20 series tractors had
been out for a couple of years why were they called a 2510 instead of a 2520?
2510s were replaced by 2520s in '69 and were console tractors.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top