2020 Diesel vs. 2020 Gas

What are some talking points of differences between a 2020 diesel and gas? I know the 3020 and 4020 gassers don"t have the best overall reputation, but is the 2020 better than them?

I current;y have a diesel, and I like the tractor, but it is hard for me to use it this time of year because I would always have to have it plugged in etc. and can"t always anticipate use. It only sees a few days of work every year (a little baling work), the rest of the time is is just minor utility and moving wagons etc. so I"m thinking fuel use is not much a factor.

Looking to maybe switch to a gas because of being more useful in the winter and a local gas 2020 for sale has a loader and one can never have too many loaders

Thanks for any input!

If the rest of the tractor is in good condition and you are happy with it I'd live with the diesel.

I have a 2020 Diesel, and absolutely love it. It starts in cold weather without any problems. I have never used a block heater.

The bad thing with gasoline carbureted engines is they are hard to keep the mixture right during warm-up, during which they tend to spurter and die. And then they seem to like to ice the venture area and run like crap. Once a diesel is running you don't have to mess around with a choke to keep them running. I'd much rather diesel.

I use a 3010 gas to feed with. where its at there is no plugin in 1/2 a mile or better and it always starts warms up quick and very reliable. I do flip the exhaust manifold blocks that run warm air through the intake manifold. We are in western wy and it can get as cold as -40 f or more. I also put in a solid state ignition to get rid of the points

(quoted from post at 23:29:49 02/03/14) I have a 2020 Diesel, and absolutely love it. It starts in cold weather without any problems. I have never used a block heater.

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How cold is cold weather?
Is ether being used?
What is wrong with using a block heater that it is a mater of pride to not use it?

The gas and diesel version engines in 2020s are both rugged and durable. It's just a matter of cost to run and cold-starting headaches. I worked for many Deere dealerships and know, or knew of many 2020s and 450 crawlers (same engines). With the diesels - some if in perfect condition would barely start at 45 degrees F without help (ether or block heater). Some others would start at 25 degrees with no help. Just a crap shoot since Deere's machining tolerances were wide and sloppy.
I just looked at a very beat-up 450 crawler that started at 20 degrees F with a lot of cranking but no ether or block heater (one of the good ones). The diesel is more efficient but diesel fuel often costs a lot more then gasoline. So if your tractor is part-time user - not much savings with a diesel over gas. Right now - here in Hawks, Michigan - gas is $3.27 and diesel is $4.30 (highway diesel). Off-road diesel is $3.95.

For me with a part-time use tractor in the winter? I'll take a gasser anytime. No worries about starting, fuel gelling, etc. Last time I started my 300B Deere backhoe/loader in extreme cold (10 below F) I used a block heater and it started OK. But when it did - it blew the hydraulic filter off and broke the 1/2" bolt in half that holds it on. I should NOT have revved the engine until the hydraulic oil got warm.

Deere diesel tractors got at their worse with cold starting when the 40 series ags were new (e.g. 2040, 2940, etc.) and the C series crawlers came out (350C, 450C, etc.). Many brand new tractors could barely start at 50 degrees F without help.

Alrighty thanks that's good info. You hit on a lot of the points I've been wondering about especially engine reputation etc.

I know cylinder liners are something to at least be aware of on the 2020 diesels. Any similar points on the gasser?

I really like our 4020 GAS ! Nothing wrong with one of those.

I never was too fond of the 3020 4cyl. engine design. They just don't sound right ? They have a good rep though.

I also like the tractors like that 2020. Some of the best utility's ever made in my opinion. I have only ever ran the diesels but know of several who had gas ones and all were fine if cared for. The hyd. system on those if neglected and wrong brand oil or water in the oil can really screw them up and if metal gets into the system it is hard to ever get them right again.
With all this cold this year a lot of guys are having diesel problems.

The gas and diesel engines engines are basically
the same design and shared early problems and
later updates. The gas engines just happen to be
smaller because gas engines make more power then
equal-sized and aspirated diesels. So, a 180 gas
makes equal horsepower and torque as a 202 diesel.
A 135 gas make equal power to a 152 diesel (as
used in 1020s and 350 crawlers). A 1010 uses a
115 gas or a 145 diesel. Since Deere was selling
tractors by horsepower and not engine size- the
gas engines are just about always smaller in order
to make equal power. If anything - a 2020 gas
engine is probably less apt to require expensive
parts and fixes. No fuel injectors to worry about
and no injection pump to crap out. Note that some
of the 2020 injection pumps cannot be repaired
since no new parts are available (C series
Roosamaster/Stanadyne). 2020 also had good design
Marvel Shebler TSX carbs on all the gassers,
unlike the 3020s that sold some with odd-ball
Zeniths that were prone to problems.

Over time, there were two 2510's and one 2520 gas around here. (Same engines as you're talking about.) And they did heavy field work. They were fine. From what you describe, I think you would be happy with a gas job.

Correction is in order on that last line. The odd ball carb. on the 3020-4020 (I also think 3010-4010 ) was an all aluminum carb. made by Marvel Shebler.
The cast iron replacements were made by Zenith and are the way to go.

And as stated the 2020 had a cast iron Marvel Shebler TSX carb. and these were always fine. Other manufactures used these too.

Any wet sleeve engine and even non sleeved ones think Ford trucks need to have the proper coolant and additives and keep them tested. Some call it SCA some call it DCA ?

Yep I've got a 7.3 IDI too. I've read up on cavitation a bit.

Thanks everybody! That's input I can use

Didn't the 2020 diesel have an engine counter weight that caused problems?I've been told to buy a 2030 for that reason.

keep the diesel ,,it will take 2 people to run a 3010 gasser to do the same field work the diesel will do ,,one to drive and the other to go after gas !!!, Guess How and Why I KNOW !??. I would simply buy another tractor that runs on gas for wintertime use ,,that's what I did ,, but I run mostly CASE ,so it did not cost much to find a good runnin 1958 gasser511 b , $1200, all in all,, they are by far less expensive than muther deer ..

(quoted from post at 20:23:35 02/04/14) keep the diesel ,,it will take 2 people to run a 3010 gasser to do the same field work the diesel will do ,,one to drive and the other to go after gas !!!, Guess How and Why I KNOW !??. I would simply buy another tractor that runs on gas for wintertime use ,,that's what I did ,, but I run mostly CASE ,so it did not cost much to find a good runnin 1958 gasser511 b , $1200, all in all,, they are by far less expensive than muther deer ..

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Sorry that your Case doesn't hold it's used value like a Deere. If you check new equipment and at the parts counter. Deere isn't any more expensive than Agco or CIH .

Gas also had balancer shafts as well as 2030.

The gas will use quite a bit more fuel but you weren't concerned with that. The gas will produce a lot more heat which will be of no concern in winter but will burn you up in hot weather especially with the loader to funnel the heat back to you. The gas will give problems running in wet weather and require a lot of maintenance of plug boots, distributor cap spray etc to combat moisture.
Put a heater on your diesel.

The carb with problems on the 3020s was a sort-of square-shaped Zenith. Not the Marvel Shebler.

Cavitation is a problem that gets worse when
horsepower is increased, along with a decrease in
cylinder wall thickness. With Ford trucks with
International Harvester diesel V8s? The 6.9s
rarely had issues with cavitation. When the 6.9s
got bored out to 7.3 - the troubles started.

With Deere tractors - few of the small low power
tractors had big problems. Again when power was
increased, especially with turbos added, things
got much worse. Coolant-conditioner is good to
use in any engine - but many low power engines
with thick cylinder walls did not fail due to
cavitation when no conditioner was used.

Just about all the 300 series Dubuque 4 cylinder engines had twin balancing shafts, gas or diesel. 210C backhoe/loader is the only Deere machine I can think of where Deere tried leaving them out. They vibrated so bad at 1400 RPM, Deere later put the shafts back in.

You are correct. Seems my memory is playing tricks on me and that's kind of scary. I'm talking about sort-of square carb with the trap-door on the side. For some reason I've got Zenith branded ion my brain but obviously, I'm wrong. I've got one of those carbs sitting on my shelf and it is indeed a Marvel Shebler. Maybe I'm getting senile.

I know about the memory thing! LOL
I do like this forum as it does help me keep so of this stuff current in my mind.
I also don't think I will ever forget that square aluminum MS carb. because it is the only thing I gave up on fixing. I could never get it to @ork as good as the Zenith on our 4020.

Mother deere store stocks the radiator additive in the pint bottle and the directions are on it. Need to use the right amount, not too much, not too little.

On gas vs diesel, I think if I lived up North I would have a gasser just for cold days expecting to have to service the ignition and fuel systems more often than diesel. However, when there is work to be done I use a diesel; proven over and over.

Mark