what to look for when buying a 4020 JD??

Justin SE IOWA · Sep 10, 2012

Im in the market for a John Deere 4020. Im going to an auction this Sunday where there is one. Says it has been overhauled and many new parts. Tires look good also. I have set my limit to 6k. I have found several other 4020s online within a couple hours of my place. What is there to pay close attention to when looking at one?

Anonymous-0 · Sep 10, 2012

I think you are going to have to up your limit to
find anything worth having. Maybe you can find a
beat up gas model for that.

casecollectorsc · Sep 10, 2012

The way they sell around here, you won't get it for $6000. No paint, crappy tires, beat up, smokin engine, loader tractor will bring that.

M w J · Sep 10, 2012

For what they bring you could add $7000 and have a
4440

Howard H. · Sep 10, 2012

You never know... I've seen them sell cheaper than $6k, but not while there was $9 corn...

I'd say check the usual. See if you can hear it start and run, try the gears and see if it shifts smooth. If you can check the hydraulic oil pressure, that would be good.

Our old LP 4020 tractors were pretty trouble free and we ran them hard for a long time.

Tires count for quite a bit these days...

Our tractors were syncro shift. I'm trying to get my grandpa's 4020 power shift home, but don't know much about the power shift trannies, yet....

Howard

oldtanker · Sep 10, 2012

(quoted from post at 19:36:16 09/10/12) Im in the market for a John Deere 4020. Im going to an auction this Sunday where there is one. Says it has been overhauled and many new parts. Tires look good also. I have set my limit to 6k. I have found several other 4020s online within a couple hours of my place. What is there to pay close attention to when looking at one?

With a limit of 6K maybe something in red?????

Rick

rufus80 · Sep 10, 2012

Check all the fluids as usual, three point, steering, brakes.
Check for leaks and listen to the engine for any unusual
noises. If is syncro range make sure it shifts proper, not
getting hung up between gears. But, the problem is if it is
diesel and in half as good shape you described, it will bring a
lot more than 6K.

DeltaRed · Sep 10, 2012

$6000 for a good clean 4020?Better double that.

Old Iowa · Sep 11, 2012

If it is a diesel and wide front then it will bring 6K as scrap. Good running early ones will bring $8500-10000. Late models are going 10-17K. I saw a rough 1972 bring 11K at a sale last week.

Tx Jim · Sep 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 22:36:16 09/10/12) What is there to pay close attention to when looking at one?

Condition of oils,amt of wear on clutch/brake pedals,draw bar and 3pt ball looseness

Sprint 6 · Sep 11, 2012

My county just had a surplus auction. Their 1967?
4020 Power Shift diesel with a cab brought $8,500.
That was with bald tires, dead paint, 10K hours, and
the crankcase vent tube looked like a smoke stack
when it was running. I don't think 6K is going to
get you anything but a parts tractor.

cd1 · Sep 11, 2012

If your already setting a budget you should probably pick another tractor, a 4020 is not exactly the best value in that size. The collector/die hard guys have driving the price beyond what is sensible. Look blue or red, heck just some other deere model.

bill mart · Sep 11, 2012

6K for scrap? sounds a little high for scrap,parts tractor maybe. Bill

Dick2 · Sep 11, 2012

As for me, I would look for some other color tractor.

Old Iowa · Sep 11, 2012

Scrap tractor to me is a parts tractor. I rarely have seen any go directly to scrap iron. I have had some I wish had been sent away for scrap iron. LOL

bill mart · Sep 11, 2012

ditto. bill

Justin SE IOWA · Sep 11, 2012

If I knew all your comments were gonna be negitive I wouldnt have asked. Appperently none of you have looked at the prices lately but I have found a half dozen or so around me in the 4-6K price range. Decent tires and paint. 4 of them have less than 2k hours on a rebuild. Didnt you ever learn that if you have nothing nice to say dony say anything at all? thanks anyway

wisbaker · Sep 11, 2012

Justin- I don't think they are being all that
negative but are making a point at $6K be vary
weary they feel that is far under market and when
it's too good of a deal to be true it might not be
true. A few comments have told you what to look
for- really nothing special and that's one of the
things about a 4020, they have modern features but
are still fairly simple and with reasonable care
they will run longer than you care to use it,
features that help explain why they are some of the
higher priced tractors in their range. On the back
side you'll pay more for a 4020 than a Farmall 806,
but while you own the 4020 you'll have better parts
and support and your 4020 will be worth more when
you want to part company with it. AND no I am not a
John Deere Cheer leader, we had mostly Farmalls
where I grew up, my grandpa ran 11 KB7's with Leach
garbage bodies. If I was to get back into farming
I'd probably look at MF tractors, but the facts are
the 4020 was and still is a popular tractor, there
are reasons why.

thurlow · Sep 11, 2012

Don't let the nay sayers put you off. Around 'here', $6000 is in the low range of what a running early model 4020 will bring. As far as what to look for, there's nothing 'special'; if it starts and runs good, if the hydraulics, steering, brakes, rockshaft, clutch, etc, work and if there are no major visible leaks, I'd say go for it. It's not unusual for a diesel model to run 12-14000 hours before having to do a major rebuild.

AG48 · Sep 11, 2012

The 4020's are quite popular here in North Central Texas and asking price is around
$7500 plus or minus, so $6000 is a good price.
Whether this translates into a good buy is dependent on the condx. of the one you are looking at.

The usual caveats apply, let the "buyer beware".

Look at every thing and try to judge if it has received reasonably good maintenance or not. That is the key. A high hours tractor that has been well maintained is preferred to a low hour tractor that has been neglected.

Unless it has been repainted the condition of the paint will tell you a lot about the care it has received.

Otherwise you "just pays your money and takes your chances"

oldtanker · Sep 11, 2012

(quoted from post at 10:36:59 09/11/12) If I knew all your comments were gonna be negitive I wouldnt have asked. Appperently none of you have looked at the prices lately but I have found a half dozen or so around me in the 4-6K price range. Decent tires and paint. 4 of them have less than 2k hours on a rebuild. Didnt you ever learn that if you have nothing nice to say dony say anything at all? thanks anyway

OK Justin so you will be happy. Tire conditionn, noises that shouldn't be there and leaks from tranny, hydraulics and engine. That's what you should look for.

Now I just went a looked at ads for 4020's, 195 of em. I found 4 under your 6K figure. 3 were LP and one a diesel with an engine knock. Saw a few at around the 6500 mark....gas....one diesel with 9,999 hours on it. Most had poor rubber on em. Of the decent 4020's most were listed in the 8K and higher range to include in Ia.

Now if you have your heart set on a 4020 by all means go, see if you can get it. If you don't win the bid please let us know. That's only fair with the number of people who gave thier opinions and took time to respond.

I would suggest you go and see if you can even get close on it......then save another couple of K and try again.

If you do get we want pictures!

Rick

oldtanker · Sep 11, 2012

OH by the way, I've made a couple of bad tractor decisions in the past. One based on price, one based on it was a tractor I always wanted and I should have researched it 1st. And one the PO had put heavy oil in it to cover up a weak engine. I still have the cheap one and the now fixed oil burner.

Rick

massey333 · Sep 11, 2012

Justin,I don't think anyone was being that way totaly.Different parts of the country have highs and lows.Most places I know of,anything under $10,000 is looked at with ????????s.I saw one that had been in an accident(needed frame rails and new wide front plus ??)bring between $11 and $12,000.So it just depends on where you are looking.Good Luck if you can get one that cheap.

buickanddeere · Sep 11, 2012

Keep in mind it is 40-47 years old and has been used on a
farm. 4020"s range from great to trashed.
What is/are your intended use(s) for the 4020?

what to look for when buying a 4020 JD??

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