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Diesel vs. Gas 4020's

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Ron

10-27-2001 07:20:26




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does horsepower vary from gas and diesel 4020's
I have always been told how good the 4020's are and I am looking to buy one. Just wandering if I should look for diesel or gas operated.
I appreciate any advice you can offer and what I should look for. If so by how much differance between the two.
Thank you,
Ron




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Ray

10-28-2001 17:41:23




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
I've got a really nice 3020 gas with only 2695
hours I'm going to sell(quit farming),has wide
front,2 remotes,weights,new tires,never sat out
overnight.



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Judy A. Nowak

10-28-2001 17:11:54




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
I have owned a variety of 3010 - 4020 tractors. On my current hobby farm, my 3010 gas starts on the coldest below zero day. If I want to plow snow, I pull out the choke, start the tractor, push in the choke, and I am working. No plug in, no ether, no problem.
If you are really farming, go with the 4020 diesel. It is the best tractor every made with more than 2 cylinders. John Deere should reopen the manufacturing plant. They would sell a ton.

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Mike

10-28-2001 15:03:10




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
I have a 4020 diesel, and my neighbor has a 3010 gas (used to have a 4020 diesel 10 years ago, but didn't need it, so he traded). I've had my 4020 2 years and it's performed flawlessly, except for a bad battery cable. That 3010 has been a pain in the butt. All of a sudden it would loose power, it's now mixing gas & oil (rings are gone) and I've helped him replace just about the etire ignition system. It's an old tractor, I realize, but mine is also. He is now going to get rid of it and is looking for a 3010, 3020, or 4010 diesel (because of cost). I've convinced him to go diesel, and every time he sees my 4020 he gets all excited and tells me about his old one. I let him drive it a couple of times and he's like a kid at Christmas :) I probably didn't NEED the diesel, but if I ever decide to trade or get in a situation where I HAVE to sell it, should be no problem. My neighbor is having a really tough time selling the 3010 gas though.

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Terry Weivoda

10-28-2001 05:43:56




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
It clearly depends on you particular needs. If the tractor is going to do tillage work then the diesel is the choice. On the other hand, if it is more of a chore/yard tractor, the gasoline may be better. Because the gasoline versions were quite thirsty most did not see heavy tillage work. Most likely the transmissions, rear ends, pto, are in better shape than the diesels. Cost is also a factor. Because they have a reputation of being so thirsty auction prices tend to be rather low. You probably should expect to pay $2000-$3000 less for the gasoline tractor over the diesel assuming the tractors are in similar condition. The original carburator was not an engineering wonder on the gas tractor. You can expect to do some regular carb maintenance every couple of years or so. My 4020 gas ran poorly when I purchased it. I had the carb overhauled with a new float and other pieces. It cost over $200 but the plug fouling and rough running condition was gone. Most folks don't seem to mind owning a gas 2510, 2520, 3010 or 3020 because they don't think they use much gasoline. But if you look at the Nebraska tests the 4020 is actually more fuel efficient than the smaller tractors. The Nebraska tests show the 4020 using over 8 gallons of fuel per hour and the 3020 gas using over 6 gallons. These test results were at full power. But the 4020 was putting out close to 95 hp while the 3020 about 70hp. At the lower hp test the difference between the two tractors was much less. It seems to me the fuel consumption between the two tractors is small enough that I would go with the larger tractor just to have a 95 hp tractor (and a heavier tractor) if I needed more power even in a temporory situation. I realize I may have strayed a bit from the 4020 diesel vs. gasoline question. But I think the 4020 gas has a reputation that it may not deserve. Again, I would not want the gasoline version as a primary or maybe even a secondary tillage tractor. But for other chores I think they work fine.

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RickB.

10-28-2001 04:26:38




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
Add this to the list of reasons not to buy a 4020 gasser. They have always had the nasty habit of breaking crankshafts.



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G Taylor

10-27-2001 23:15:39




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
How many hours of work per year & type of load. Are you planning on keeping the tractor as a long term investment? Where are you located, type of weather? There are applications where gasoline wins. Often a gas hog 3020/4020 can be traced to a few classic carb/induction,ignition & cooling problems. Some time ago there was an excellent list of what to check & upgrade.



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Steve II

10-27-2001 17:58:48




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
Buy the Diesel!! its much cheeper if you buy off road diesel it's under $1.00 a gallon...
Gas will eat you out your pockets.. burns alot faster than diesel...
if you plan use tractor in winter be sure to add freeze in diesel so it wont freeze and plug tractor block in to keep warm it will be usefull alot. I enjoy my JD 4000 and will never sell it.



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motrack

10-27-2001 15:43:37




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
I have several 4020s, gas and diesel. If your going to do any serious work buy the diesel. A gas 4020 will eat you out of house and home with todays fuel prices.



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Dan S.

10-27-2001 10:22:45




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 Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Ron, 10-27-2001 07:20:26  
I like the diesel better becuse you don't have to worry about the carburator, plugs, and all the other parts of the gas system that can cause problems. Other tahn that i feel that any 4020 is a great tractor to have. Good luck and enjoy.



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jon

10-30-2001 06:07:06




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 Re: Re: Diesel vs. Gas 4020's in reply to Dan S., 10-27-2001 10:22:45  
My dad has a '64 4020 on diesel that they use on the farm most of the time and my cousins have one that is about the same year model. They are both still going strong and dad's tractor has never had any repair work at all except for replacing those little rubber hoses on the diesel lines.



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