JD 2010 objections?

The "Worst Tractor" thread has got me wondering what everyones specific objections to the JD 2010 are. I`m not arguing, I don`t have any experience with them, good or bad, yet. My dad had one he sold before I was old enough to run it, but he loved it, it was a money issue that made it go away. Now I have looked at a couple, and would like to get one for dad since he loved his (grew up doing hay with it) and we need a machine in that size range, just would like to know the bad as well as the good.

Josh

Motor issues as I under stand - Look for something newer.

Nah, I guess I`m after more specific than that. Did the liners leak? Crack heads? Bad synchros? Lack of power? That kind of thing, I have owned too many underdogs for generalizations to scare me off.

Someone will come on that can answer better, but like 1936 said, I think they had alot of motor issues.

I believe the 2020 was a much better tractor, from what I remember. Something about it having a totally different motor than the 2010.

If I"m wrong someone can correct me, but I think I"d look for a 2020.

DEERE sure must have made a BUNCH of those for there to be so many "experts" with "first hand knowledge" on how bad they were!

I maintain one for a customer and it hasn't been much different than MANY tractor of that early-60's era. Hydraulics are open-center, rather than closed center as the Waterloo tractors were, and the have only a poorly-fitting screen, rather than a good hydraulic filter, which MAY have been the reason for some folk's hydraulic problems.

Dubuque-designed engine as a unique "sleeve-deck" design that caused some coolant sealing problems.

That sleeve deck is available only from DEERE and quite expensive, so a complete engine OH gets costly.

If you get one in good shape and maintain it, an want it for lighter work/hobby use, you'll have NO unusual problems with it.

If you are looking for a tractor to "run hard and put away wet", there ARE better choices!

Transmission,rear end and brakes as far as I know.

"I believe the 2020 was a much better tractor, from what I remember. Something about it having a totally different motor than the 2010."

The Waterloo-built 2020 had different EVERYTHING than the Dubuque-built 2010. There are NO parts in common.

Everything is different about the 1020-2020. As far as I know,the 2010 used the old 430 transmission and rear end.
I've had a loader on a 1020 for 30 years now. Cosmetically,it's beat right in to the ground from being around cattle every day,but it's still running. Parts are getting to be an issue. Deere has to order a lot of them from A&I.

Specifically it was the engine. The 1010-2010 engines had a unique "sleeve-and-deck" cylinder design. The four individual wet-sleeve cylinder liners were all joined together by a plate at the top which was sandwiched between the cylinder block and the head. At overhaul, all the liners together with the plate would be replaced as a single assembly which ostensibly would make the overhaul easier. The problem was the this design was prone to coolant leakage at the lower liner-to-block seals, especially the Diesels since they had greater vibration. The gas engines held up better. The "sleeve-and'deck' liner assemblies are expensive and hard to find today if you need an overhaul. Deere improved this design when they came out with the 2020 series which had conventional individual wet liners. IF you really want a 1010-1020, the best thing is to find a gasser since their engines had better reliability. As with any wet-sleeve engine, check for coolant leakage into the oil pan as they are prove to cavitation pitting of the liner. HTH

(quoted from post at 12:04:08 09/19/11) "I believe the 2020 was a much better tractor, from what I remember. Something about it having a totally different motor than the 2010."

The Waterloo-built 2020 had different EVERYTHING than the Dubuque-built 2010. There are NO parts in common.

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Hate to burst your bubble Bob but 2020 were built in Dubuque not Waterloo.

(quoted from post at 12:08:27 09/19/11) Everything is different about the 1020-2020. As far as I know,the 2010 used the old 430 transmission and rear end.
I've had a loader on a 1020 for 30 years now. Cosmetically,it's beat right in to the ground from being around cattle every day,but it's still running. Parts are getting to be an issue. Deere has to order a lot of them from A&I.

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1010 and 430 shared trans/diff. parts but IIRC 2010 didn't

(quoted from post at 09:08:27 09/19/11) As far as I know,the 2010 used the old 430 transmission and rear end.

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Well, I know that is not the case, just because I own a 430. The 430 has a crash-box4 or 5 speed tranny, offset PTO and spur gear final drives, while the 2010 has a synchro-range 8 speed, centered PTO and either direct or planetary finals (not sure which).

Bob, and JDknut, thanks for the replies. If we do look at a 2010, we will be sure to check for coolant in the oil. I would not debate the 2020 being a good tractor, my neighbor used one for years, but they are rarer up here and more expensive.

Thanks for pointing that out, tx!

I believe the part about not having parts in common is essentially correct though?

(quoted from post at 12:02:21 09/19/11) DEERE sure must have made a BUNCH of those for there to be so many "experts" with "first hand knowledge" on how bad they were!

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Bob
I think since I was employed by a JD dealer during the time frame of new 2010 sales I can speak from my experience. Gasoline engines in 2010's didn't give the same amt of trouble as the diesels. I think this was because gasoline had lower compression ratios. 2010 diesel blocks were known to crack between liner holes plus pre-combustion chambers in the cyl heads would get loose and give trouble. The fact 2010 diesel required glow plugs to get them started plus the failures of the Prestolite starters gave 2010D the reputation of being hard starters that smoked a lot until they warmed up. Brakes on 1010/2010 were nearly non-existent when they were NEW and only got worse with age. The hyd linkages inside the rockshaft housing 2010 RC resembled an erector set that had been hit by a TORNADO. The rockshaft seals were also prone to leak. Other than the things I pointed out they were ok tractors. I've heard an old saying about 2010's

"A person couldn't break a good one and couldn't repair a bad one"

Actually, it is my understanding that while the 2020 was built at Dubuque it IS a Waterloo designed tractor. Mike

(quoted from post at 13:42:01 09/19/11) Actually, it is my understanding that while the 2020 was built at Dubuque it IS a Waterloo designed tractor. Mike

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If the 2020 was a Waterloo designed tractor which I've never heard before the hyd systems once you get away from that they were both closed-center are like night and day as in no comparison.

Awesome tractor....1968 2010 diesel backhoe, but I'd sell it cheap right now due to injector pump troubles....haha

I have a 2010 gas and like it. But working on the hydraulics is difficult so my 3pt lift is sluggish and the power stearing quit. It burns a good deal of gas, about 1 gallon per acre tedding hay. At a parts yard, the only JD tractors I saw were 2010 diesels and all the blocks were cracked. If I had more $$$ I would go to a 2510 or 3020. Oh, leaks at the rear axles at top speed.

They were/are a real piece of sh*t.Probably the worst tractor John Deere ever sold.They pushed it out the door too quick in 1960.All the technology went into the 4010 & 3010.My two cents.

I had a 2010 gas. Didn't have to go into the motor, but had a serious water leak into the oil, which I fixed with block sealer, luckily.

After I learned to store the tractor inside they were fewer hydraulic problems. The hydraulic filter is designed to be taken out and cleaned occasionally. I found that one time cleaning would work ok with a hydraulic oil change along with it, but after that I needed to buy a new hydraulic filter.

The transmission gave trouble, had it repaired, worked ok, but there are linkage adjustments on the left bottom of the transmission housing that needed attention. I never did get it to shift good in all gears.

Pto system was great. Operator platform was comfortable and well laid out.

All the 3ph components were heavy and well built.

Front axle strong. I used a loader on it. Not enough hydraulics to work the loader and power steering at the same time.

Some running issues were solved when I found the ignition switch was bad and replaced it.

KEH

The engine problems have been covered pretty good by the earlier postings. The sleave deck system was a bad design period. They are making them now, about fifteen years ago JD quit making the sleave deck for a few years. The cost has came down on the gas sleaves the diesel is still high: Gas # AT15761 $669.51 Diesel # AT15762 $1123.51. Plus the gas JD 2010 is like many early JD gas engine they don't run the best on the cheaper gas we have today.

The biggest issue I have had with the JD 2010 is the hydraulic system. The pump is a nightmare to change out the bottom like the manual says to do it. I have been splitting them for the last 10-15 years as I can do the job easier and just as fast as fighting the steel lines up in the belly. The control valves always where tough to get to work correctly. It is many times a hit or miss if you can get them to function even half right. The system is a low pressure low flow system too. They usually had 1700-1800 psi and 6-8 gallon a minute flow. I know they where rated higher but very few would ever have close to the rated flow or pressure.

The transmission linkage was weak and if you tried to speed shift them much the shifter linkage would bend and get out of adjustment. The transmission was modified and different from the 420 and 430 it replaced. Many think they are similar they are not. Very few of the parts will interchange.

If you buy one make sure it is a gas and the utilities seemed to have fewer problems. More than likely the row crop version got worked harder.

As to the poster below: The JD 2020 was built in Dubuque,Iowa and Mannheim Germany, plus a few in Mexico. The design was a Mannheim one. It was derived form the Lantz tractors. They where not even a good comparison to the JD 2010. The JD 2020 was rated only 8 hp bigger but they had mush more torque than the JD 2010 could ever think about. I have owned three different JD 2020s they all where pretty good tractors. Have one that gets used just about everyday now.

Ran a 2010 gas row crop w/loader for several years - biggest issue was brakes - disc brakes that basically didnt work hardly at all . The brakes had been worked on by the JD dealer and still didnt work well . Other than that it wasnt a bad tractor. Have heard of more engine issues with the diesel version .

JDseller
I'm asking not disagreeing. Were the tractors that left the factories in Germany and Mexico actually numbered "2020" or some other numbers such as "2120"? Living within 400 miles of Mexico I've never seen a "2020" that had built in Mexico on the Sn tag.
Thanks Jim

The ones made in Germany and Dubuque that where sold in the US both had the 2020 decals. I have owned both tractors over the years. I now have a Dubuque built one. The Mexico built tractors where actually just assembled there. The parts where made in Dubuque and Mannheim. I am not sure if they had a serial tag that identified them as a Mexican built tractor. Mexico has had laws in place for a long time that tractors sold there had to be a certain percentage built/assembled there.

The odd numbered tractors, such as a 2130 or 3130 where just sold in Europe and Canada. What I have always found odd was that MFWD was available in Europe as early as the 40 series utility tractors but not in the US.

JDSeller
Did the 2020's built in Mannheim & sold in USA have country of origin on the SN tag similar to the later series?