JD 4020

Hi

I want to replace my two IHC tractors with a JD that is similar to the 4020 but new enough to have a soundgard cab. What model compares to the 4020 for agility for FEL work?

I really like my 4020 for loader work, feeding bales mostly, but I am tired of all these rattle trap cabs that are out there.

Thanks for any help.

I would choose a 4040,4240 or better yet a 4050,4055. 4230 are very cold natured unless engine has been updated.

You will just as happy with a 4440, 4450, or 4455. Actually happier. My experience is that they are just as easy on
light jobs because of turbo. If you look wheel base is very close to the same.

IIRC, when the 3150, or maybe it was the 3155, came out, Deere offered it as the perfect replacement for your aging 4020, and I think they are probably a pretty nice loader tractor. But....they are a German (I think, or maybe French?? built tractor and lots of people seem to shy away from those). Never had any experience with one but there was one sold at auction a year or so ago that seemed pretty nice and I didn't think it brought as much as it should, maybe somewhere around $16-$17 thousand. Having had some experience with the 55 series, I would have to agree with Tx Jim that a 4055 or 4255 would be a good choice, especially with a MFWD tractor. I also have a 4020 loader tractor and it does everything I would expect of it, except keep me cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Depending on your budget but for loader work it is hard to beat the 6420/6430with the MFWD.The 4040/4455 tractors if nice bring a premium but your 4020 will actually bring more than new if taken care of.The wide front was too light for heavy loader work and even the best operator could break them.The MFWD wasn't available until the 50 series in 83 but well worth the extra.

I get into arguments just about every time someone
mentions how a 4230 won't start when cool. Ours
wouldn't either, and had probably 7500 hrs on it.
We did an inframe with new pistons and liners, and
put new injectors and reman pump on it. It starts as
good as any tractor around here. Yes the Bosch
pump 466 tractors start faster, but they should
anyway. That had been 10+ years ago, and was
well worth the update. Probably the best cold
starting tractor we have is our 4455. The 6410
does good to, but it has a grid heater. If it's super
cold it stays inside the shop with a little heat at night
so the hydraulic oil isn't so cold.

If you were happy with your 4020 and don't need 4WD it was replaced by a 4230.
Those 55 series tractors were larger.

As far as a direct HP replacement, I do believe the 4030 was slightly lighter, the 4230 was slightly heavier, the 4040 was pretty much the same, the 4240 was about 20 more hp, and heavier, the 4050 was probably similar to the 4240, with a 4250 being about what the old 4430 was, and a 4050 being close to a 4240 or a 4230. I feel that a direct replacement with sound guard cab would be 4040, pick quad or 8spd pwr shift, way better clutch, better brakes, stronger front end, nicer hydraulics, better load control, WAY better electrical system, and overall a pretty good tractor choice. I am not a huge fan of the 30 series tractors, they had a weird electrical system, proprietary to them, the dealer says they had a sort of weak transmission, down in A range there is a bronze bearing instead of roller bearing, and it will gall in certain circumstances, so heavy work is to be done in B range, The load control had a different sort of stop for the reverse draft, that only lasted in the 30 series and was updated to more modern in the 40 series. Last but not least seems to be the rear end, In my country, A lot of 30 series have been decommissioned due to rear end issues, Never seen much in a 4030 but 4230,4430, and 4630 all had rather light rear ends, and had issues with axles failing or breaking, Seen a bunch do it. Not good baler tractors nor good for heavy draft work with full weights. Probably good planter tractor, fair loader tractor, good blade or bean tractor, good sprayer tractor, good hay rake tractor, good feed mill or tub grinder tractor, good manure spreader tractor, On another note, in my area 30 series are about the lowest priced tractor, about the same as 20 series, less than 40 or 50 series.

My 4230 open station with a turbo added would not start on its on once it got cool out. Did an overhaul at 9900hrs and replace the injection nozzles and now it fires right up even in winter. I popped the injectors and fuel poured not sprayed out.

I have to agree with you. We bought a 4230 with engine problems from to much ether and overhauled with a Reliance engine kit and it starts great or as good as anything else I own. Now my 4520 on the other hand is parked in the rear of the shed untill spring,no way will it start,but for the few hours a year we run it I can not afford to overhaul it. Tom

(quoted from post at 12:45:34 01/06/16) I am not a huge fan of the 30 series tractors, they had a weird electrical system, proprietary to them, the dealer says they had a sort of weak transmission, down in A range there is a bronze bearing instead of roller bearing, and it will gall in certain circumstances, so heavy work is to be done in B range, The load control had a different sort of stop for the reverse draft, that only lasted in the 30 series and was updated to more modern in the 40 series. Last but not least seems to be the rear end, In my country, A lot of 30 series have been decommissioned due to rear end issues, Never seen much in a 4030 but 4230,4430, and 4630 all had rather light rear ends, .

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I like to know what bronze brg in trans your dealer was referring to. Also please explain about the reverse stop on draft control you referred to. The electrical system on 30 series rowcrop tractors is light yrs ahead of 30 series JD utility tractors. Later model 30 series had updated final drives/axles.

4240turbo, I don't know where you get your information, but there were and are a bunch of 30 series tractors around here, and I have never seen rearend go out of one. Neighbor bought a new 4430, I have it now, it spent most of it's life pulling a 6 bottom plow and a 22 ft. 220 disc. It has had an engine overhaul, but no trans. or rearend troubles. I don't know what is wrong with them as baler tractors either. I love to bale with mine. Another in the area has baled for about the last 30 years, a lot of custom work, about every day in the summer. Another 4230 had the snot worked out of it and the only problem was hard starting. They recently had the engine rebuilt and it starts fine now. Several are used for loader tractors. Including the 4230 I just mentioned.

4230 and 4040 Are pretty much the same tractor.

Hey TJ,
4240 guy must be in a bad area.
There were steel backed bronze bushings in QR hi-lo and
power shifts but don't know of any problems. They were in
50 and 55 series as well. So not an issue.
Most differential problems were from spinning one wheel
in higher gears. Would gall pinion shaft causing it to shear
bolt and slide out. Mostly occurred after snowy/icy winters with
cowboy operators.
Deere went from two pinion to four and three pinion differential.
4230 is same size and shares many parts as 4020.
4430 was replacement for 4320 and same physical size as 4240. Shares many
parts.
4030 replaced 3020 no comparison to 4020.
Mostly planetary problems in 4430 that were made wider later.
A little information sometimes can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

The 3155 or 3150 came from Mannheim, Germany, where the 6000 series are now built. Engine came from Saran, France.
They have good reputation in Europe, but for me the 40 series is stronger. I have heard of motors or transmission failure on the 50 series (European), but not as often on the 40 series.
We had a 3040, which in the US was the 2940 I think (US and Europe did not have matching numbers after the 30 series, for some reasons that the reason ignores...), I rebuilt the Engine at 16000 hr because it was hard to start in the winter , then my dad donated it to an African pastor at 18500hr, and he is still running there today. Transmission never failed, clutch was original but was never ride on. Very good tractor.
We had the 4020 and the 3040 at the same time. They used the same tools and they had about the same horsepower. The 3040 needed more RPM's to work, but is more fuel efficient at lower loads.
The 3040 has less hydraulic flow but 25% more pressure. So the same loader on a 3040 tractor would lift much more.
The Europeans tractor had a thermostart, which really makes the engines start very well up to -20C. I never understood why US tractors only had Ether.

Hi This rear end debate and problems seem to go in areas there are 30 series round here got problems, I got a customer now with one dumped A range, and other hydraulic related problems. there has been a couple more like it to with rear axle issues. 30 series hang around a bit used here but 40 and 50's sell well and quickly. It's the same with 1135 and 55 MFs in areas to. Round here they pretty well all ended up with rear end and hydraulic problems. But go down south where they have lower hours, or just done hay work No problems. Guys will pretty well shoot you if you say anything bad about them, I know of at least 20 in wrecking yards for Massey's that are scrap for a reason, I struggled to get parts for mine when it puked from them.
Thats all I can say is there are some out there are trouble just like any make tractor.
Regards Robert

(quoted from post at 22:31:39 01/06/16)
The 3040 has less hydraulic flow but 25% more pressure. So the same loader on a 3040 tractor would lift much more.

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I'm unaware that any JD tractors with closed center hyd's intentionally rolled off assembly line with 2800+ psi in hyd pressure. 2250 psi X 125% = 2812.5 psi

(quoted from post at 21:29:50 01/06/16) Hey TJ,
4240 guy must be in a bad area.
There were steel backed bronze bushings in QR hi-lo and
power shifts but don't know of any problems. They were in
50 and 55 series as well. So not an issue.
A little information sometimes can be dangerous in the wrong hands.

Click to expand...

Maybe the tractors 4240 guy is referring to had been operated with inferior hyd oil not Hy-Gard

(quoted from post at 04:42:33 01/07/16)

(quoted from post at 22:31:39 01/06/16)
The 3040 has less hydraulic flow but 25% more pressure. So the same loader on a 3040 tractor would lift much more.

Click to expand...

I'm unaware that any JD tractors with closed center hyd's intentionally rolled off assembly line with 2800+ psi in hyd pressure. 2250 psi X 125% = 2812.5 psi

Click to expand...

The 3040 was factory rated at 190 Bars, so 2755PSI.

(quoted from post at 10:47:27 01/07/16)

The 3040 was factory rated at 190 Bars, so 2755PSI.

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Do you know why those utility tractors had higher stand-by pressure than most other JD tractors? None of those models were sold new down here where I live.

(quoted from post at 10:29:48 01/07/16)

(quoted from post at 10:47:27 01/07/16)

The 3040 was factory rated at 190 Bars, so 2755PSI.

Click to expand...

Do you know why those utility tractors had higher stand-by pressure than most other JD tractors? None of those models were sold new down here where I live.

Click to expand...

In Europe, every single tractor of the same period would have had open center at 180 bars to 200 bars. So a John Deere using other brand implements would not have had the same lift capacity. A real problem with a loader or an hydraulic dump trailer.
And most important, the three point hitch was pushed to the limit, because Europe used more draft implements. The 3040 is lifting 4000Kg at the ball ends, the 3640 is at 6400Kg.

Tractordata shows 2466 psi for a 3640

hello, the early 4230 with the pencil nozzles were the hard starting models in cold weather, UNTIL somebody
overhauled with the newer piston liners. the later models with the big injectors seemed to start ok.

Thank you all for your insightful information.