John Deere 2640 What is cost and was it worth it

Just wanted to share my experience with my JD 2640 that I purchased awhile back. Also, I wanted to write this to forewarn and or encourage others, depending on how you look at it, before buying an old tractor of any brand and color. Here goes...

I purchased my 2640 2 years ago for $6,500. The tractor came with a 146 loader and was equipped with the forward reverser shuttle shift. I bought the tractor because it just had the right look to it. I'm a stickler for original tractors. You could tell that the tractor had never been abused, it had its original paint, sheet metal was straight and just generally a tractor that had the makings of being something again with a little attention here and there. Although it was not abused, it was still a 45 year old tractor that was wore out from front to back. It ran great, but the shuttle shift and clutch had some slippage. Nevertheless, I bought the tractor and embarked on a journey that never seemed to end in regards to spending money!! Here's what I did to the 2640....

-Clutch and pressure plate
-Internal pump
-All new rubber
-New front wheels to accommodate wider tires
-Rebuilt entire front end
-New Main hydraulic pump
-Muffler
-Installed roll bar and canopy top
-Rewired and replaced all lights
-New temp and fuel gauge
-Fuel sending unit in tank
-Converted loader from rear remotes to an original cessna double spool valve... got that done and realized that the valve was leaking and couldn't be repaired
-New joy stick valve for loader
-All new hydraulic lines and fittings for loader
-Repacked all loader seals
-Had to replace a rear wheel rim
-The tractor had the cumbersome park brake, so I put it back original with the straight sticks
-Seat
-Medallion
-Steering Wheel
-Couple of steel hydraulic lines
-New fan
-Several other little miscellaneous items
-The tractor had a hydraulic chatter on startup, something I have now found is very common with any JD equipped with the shuttle shift of this era. Come to find out, Deere's with shuttle shift do not have the bleedback valve in the main hydraulic return line that returns back to the trans housing. We machined the line slightly and installed the check valve that most all JD's have that are not equipped with the shuttle shift. This cured all of the chatter issues. (if you're having these issues, you might try what I did... worked great!!)

So what did it cost and was it worth it?

All in all, I've spent north of $10k in all of the above. Throw in the $6,500 I paid for the tractor and you get.... well, lets just say I could never sell the tractor and recoup the expenses!! I will say this however. This is probably one of the nicest 2640's on the planet. You would have to look far and wide to find one any cleaner and with no issues. So is it worth it? Well, when you factor in the experience and knowledge gained from knowing this machine from front to back and top to bottom, that's gotta be worth something. Plus, the time I got to spend with my father and the things he taught me along the way was priceless!

I'm not saying that if you buy an old tractor that you will have to spend what I did, but you might need to be prepared to spend more than you anticipated to get it just right. I could have went out and bought a newer more modern tractor for the same price, but for me, it was well worth the time, money and effort.

Don't put a "for sale sign" on it if you don't want to sell it you might be surprised when someone pays you your price!

I'm curious what was wrong with trans & frt hyd pump to warrant replacement?

Were good hyd diagnostic procedures performed before either pump was replaced?

Don't know if you asked here before you bought it, but you should have.

We replaced the trans pump because the tractor was already split and we were right there at it. The main pump just always seemed weak and sluggish. All I know is that everything worked much quicker and
efficiently like it should once the main pump was replaced. Probably not the smartest diagnosis for such an expensive part, but we lucked out and it worked.

If you are happy then it was worth it.

(quoted from post at 16:07:36 07/25/22) Don't know if you asked here before you bought it, but you should have.

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May I ask what you consider bad about a 2640?

I realize dry traction clutch isn't the best option for a frt end loader but this tractor has hyd reverser option. 2640 has 4.5L engine which is one of JD's best 4 cylinder engines

If he asked, what would you have told him?

I th8nk you did good.
6500 dollars for a tractor with loader was not too much.
You probably spent 3500 dollars to have it operational (clutch, pumps).
10k for a nice 2640 with loader is fine.

The rest is improprement, to make it compare to a new junk India made Deereor kubota....

Tx Jim, your reply may have been directed to matthies but
for me, I dont consider anything to be a draw back for a
2640. Sure, they can have their hydraulic gremlins, but that
comes with the territory. I was specifically looking for either
a 2630 or 2640 when searching for a tractor. I have always
loved the responsiveness of the 4.5L. Theyre just really
peppy. I also love the power in relation to the tractor size.
The shuttle shift is really what attracted me to the tractor. If
ones in good working order, I would say theyre pretty hard
to beat for a utility tractor. Plus, theyre still powerful
enough to do what most tractors their size could only dream
of. Thats probably why most 2640s are in rough shape. I
have a feeling that most folks back in the day used that
power for things beyond the physical size of the tractor was
intended for.

I see them advertised for $15-16 thousand.

Quote All in all, I've spent north of $10k in all of the above. Throw in the $6,500 I paid for the tractor and you get.... well, lets just say I could never sell the tractor and recoup the expenses!!

If your intent was to use tractor for your needs you should be good for the next 30 years with out big expenses. You probably still will not recoup expenses but you did get some use.

RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have the receipts for your repairs and the tractor is a good strait original you can easily get your $16,000. To make you feel better go price a new 70 hp tractor. I would never have bought a 2640 that had hyd. problems but now it is all fixed and ready to go. Tom

As you said in the end It was well worth the time, money, and effort to you. I would say that's what counts. Just move on and enjoy your tractor.

Not a 2640 but a 2940 MFWD with loader. My brother bought for about what you have in yours and I hauled it home to MI from TX out by Lubbock. Has been a good tractor. Will not out work our 806or 856 but out hydraulics them any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It will pull the nothrill drill through some of the wet waterway that the 806or 856 will spin through and make tracks. that's due to the front wheels driving.

If you had spent $16,500 on a tractor, odds are you would have fixed plenty there, too. And had you bought new, it'd be worth less the day you drove it off the lot. It's part of the tractor world, old or new.

(quoted from post at 21:25:26 07/25/22) RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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matthies
I ask you again what do you think is the MAJOR DRAWBACK TO A JD 2640?

I agree JD utility tractors with closed-center hyds can have some hyd problems but can be very good reliable tractors when good routine maintenance is performed.

I'd much rather have a 2640 than some of the newer electronic controlled tractors with common-rail fuel systems that a tiny amount of foreign material in fuel system can cost many $1000's to repair

Why?

Go price a new one! While yours isn't 'new' you certainly did a bunch of work in high value areas that will extend it's life for a good while. To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if you got your money back either if you wanted to sell it. Good used tractors in that class are bringing good money these days.
There was nothing wrong with a 40 series Deere either. I mean.. I'm not a Deere guy but they're a good solid crate. They all have their issues.

Rod

How about a picture.

I put some seat time on a neighbors 2640. It had reverser issues. It also had steering problems where you constantly had to turn the steering wheel to the left if you took it on a road trip. I can't say if they are common weaknesses or if this tractor was abused.

I sure never cared much for the shifter set up. The cumbersome word that you used is very polite. I used other more colorful words. Lol

Enjoy your tractor !

(quoted from post at 18:25:26 07/25/22) RUN AWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Specifics?

(quoted from post at 09:33:55 07/26/22) I put some seat time on a neighbors 2640. It had reverser issues. It also had steering problems where you constantly had to turn the steering wheel to the left if you took it on a road trip. I can't say if they are common weaknesses or if this tractor was abused.

I sure never cared much for the shifter set up. The cumbersome word that you used is very polite. I used other more colorful words. Lol

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I'm curious how one can continuously turn steering wheel in one direction on a system that has direct mechanical linkage IE when steering wheel rotates front wheels will change direction of tractor .

Concerning gearshift I've driven other brand tractors(IH 986 & Belarus 820) that I thought were a lot more cumbersome than a JD utility tractor built between '65-'92.

BTDT. In 2000 I bought a 1256 sight unseen(only had some pictures) from a (reputable) used equipment dealer. Pd 6000 delivered to my door.Overhauled the engine 6 mo later(before I made the first payment). Then the hydralics crapped out. Later the clutch,and then the TA.This was within the first 5 years Thankfully I could do most of the work myself.Now,I have over 20,000 in it.But it has been trouble free ever since. But I now have a good tractor that will never leave.

Tx Jim, I am not a JD purist so please forgive me for that.

The tractor I drove might not have been a 2640, but I am pretty sure it was. I am sure it was a John Deere. If it was a 2640 the steering acted as described, I am sure of that and another witness still survives if we need to go to court. The other witness could probably verify the model as it belonged to his father in law.

I have driven the IH 1086 and found the shifters to be in the way for an easy exit from the cab when placed in the park position.

My much beloved family tractor that will never be sold has it's share of short comings. It is red and I will share it's downfalls if you would like some ammo for the future.

Eric
No offense to you intended as all I'm attempting to do is keep information posted on internet about tractors as correct as possible
I choose not to see or listen to person that resembles Judge Judy so I think court will not be necessary to establish my point.

Shown in the 2 parts photos below is the shaft that attaches to the lower portion of a 2640 steering valve depicting arm that steering draglink(item 14) attaches which then attaches to the bellcrank(encircled in green) on 2640 frt axle. Granted worn bearings on bellcrank shaft can make steering wobbly but not to the point one had to keep turning steering wheel CCW because in a short period of time 2640 tractor would be headed off LH side of the road.

Now if tractor was a later model JD utility tractor with hydrostatic steering then ""YES"" when hydrostatic steering valve has an internal leak steering requires turning while driving to correct for internal leakage

Before and After

We’ll, I tried to add photos but I guess the files are too large.

This post was edited by BretSteed on 07/26/2022 at 03:38 pm.

Glad you got your hydraulics working good. I bought a 301A scrap pile and after spending way to much time getting the hydraulics to finally work, I am getting some use out of it. During the process of bringing it back from the land of the dead, I considered turning it back to scrap.