2520 or 3020 diesel?

bv

Member
Which is the preferred tractor 2520 or 3020 for the small weekend farmer that piddles? and how hard is it to put a diesel in a 2520 gas and which engine will work? Thanks again
 
(quoted from post at 17:02:23 03/09/18) Which is the preferred tractor 2520 or 3020 for the small weekend farmer that piddles? and how hard is it to put a diesel in a 2520 gas and which engine will work? Thanks again

A gas 2520 is too collectible to convert to diesel. Anyways for puttering around use, the gasser will cost you less $$$ and headaches per year than the diesel.
 
The 2520 is a good tractor but keep in mind the acquisition cost is usually higher than a 3020. A 3020 diesel with a known and reliable history is nothing to be afraid of. Also, keep in mind that should catastrophic failure set in with the engine the 4 cylinder Dubuque engine family (2520) offers quite a bit more re-power options. Not hard to convert a gas 2520 and guys here have done it. Like B&D says it's best to leave a 2520 gas Powershift alone due to collectibility.
 
Buick if you would spend a few hours on a 2520 powershift that had a 239 diesel engine in it you would say lets convert all the gasers to diesel no matter how valuable.Tom
 
(quoted from post at 19:37:58 03/09/18) Buick if you would spend a few hours on a 2520 powershift that had a 239 diesel engine in it you would say lets convert all the gasers to diesel no matter how valuable.Tom

Lets install a 276TI when we are at it ? It will make 105HP all day without smoking.
 
Why do you want to convert to gas on a tractor not used a lot? Gas makes more power per cubic inch and is easier and cheaper to work on. Less cold weather issues too.
 
How often does a 3020 engine blow up catastrophicly ? They were the big tractor on farms around here in the day puling 2 row potato harvesters discs , plows and drilling grain .
a260694.jpg
 
I have a friend who did that to a 3020 side console powershift. He is a perfectionist and you would think it was factory. Most are butcher jobs but not his. Tom
 
Probably no more troublesome than any other 4 cylinder diesel but the chance is still there. Those tractors have been over a lot of ground and have a dynamic balancer for the crank that gets ignored until larger problems show up such as a damaged engine.
 
(quoted from post at 21:14:16 03/09/18) I have a friend who did that to a 3020 side console powershift. He is a perfectionist and you would think it was factory. Most are butcher jobs but not his. Tom

who did what to his 3020?

what about putting a turbo on the 3020? anybody got one of those?
 
I want to do that but I suspect I will just have to enjoy what others have done as I don't know if I will ever get that far due to lack of money.
 
Mine was overhauled 3000 hours ago not buy me though. I think when I get it paid for I will go through and give it a real overhaul And rebuild the balancer .
 
Depends on what you want to do with them, 2520 engines are easy to come by and gassers are easy to convert over, but a 3020 will have quite a bit more than a stock 2520. A late 3020 should have been 72 horse versus the early models 65, the 2520 was 60. You could also add turbo to 3020 and really liven it up
 
Mine is 65 pto 55 drawbar powershift . The guy before added calcium to the rear tires and 5 slab weights on the front and it hooks to the ground and pulls weighs right at 9300 Pounds
 
We still have two 3020 diesels on the farm. Years ago we had a 3010 gasser. It could barely pull the hat off your head, but my grandpa loved it... Every once in a while my brother threatens to trade the 3020's for modern tractors, but dad points out how much the 3020's do for so little fuel and cost, that my brother relents. We did have one of them throw a rod years ago. Grandpa was out mowing all day, and pulled out onto the road, throttled it up, and pop went the rod. We found a reman short block and the Company that took the old block wanted ALL the pieces of cast that the rod broke out... No webbings were damaged, so I'm guessing they were going to stitch it up and rebuild it. Ours are still going strong, but they only run augers now. One has a wide front and the other a roll-a-matic narrow.
 
Built one for a friend..239T in a gas synchro. Dyno's at 105, been trouble free for 25 years, made one heck of a tractor
 
Generally it costs less to buy what you want the first time rather than to buy something different and then spend a whole lot of time, money, downtime, setbacks and frustrations to convert it to what you wanted to buy at the beginning.

How many hours will you put on the tractor in a year? For less than 50 to 100 hours per year a gas tractor will last a long time and won't use enough extra fuel to justify the extra cost of a diesel. The guys that absolutely need a diesel pickup to commute to work, haul the kids to their activities and get groceries, will absolutely need to have a diesel tractor too.

Deere 25's are collectable so they are priced high. You can probably buy an early 3020 diesel or 4020 diesel for less than a 2510 or 2520 in either gas or diesel. You can find your pick of gas 3020's, 4020's IH 706 and IH 756 for around $4,000. You can find Case 930 Comfort-King diesels in that price range too, with a narrow front end a 930 CK can be fairly maneuverable.


Have fun.
 
(quoted from post at 14:15:50 03/10/18) Built one for a friend..239T in a gas synchro. Dyno's at 105, been trouble free for 25 years, made one heck of a tractor

Did one myself a few years ago, documented it here, made one heck of a tractor. Engine came out of a Elgin street sweeper.
 
I wanted a gas 3020 or 4020 but after hearing what people have to say about them I?m glad I didn?t buy one
 

There is nothing wrong with a gasser 3020/4020 with a Pertronix ignition and a properly setup Zeinith carb. For an odd jobs, seasonal and puttering around tractor .
 

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