MFWD under or around 20K that wont kill me in repairs

I’ve been toying around with the idea of trading in one my tractors for a MFWD tractor. What I have now is a JD 4020 Diesel, Case 1070 Black Knight, Case 530 gas. I’ve been getting stuck in the snow a lot lately and we have some steep hills that get a little tricky. I never used a MFWD tractor until I used my friends 65 HP Valtra w/ a shuttle shift. That sold me on getting a MFWD tractor. But which one for my budget. Well my wife’s about to kill me because all ive been doing is looking at tractors 24-7. I need to stay in the 20k and below range and around 90 -150hp. I have some possible finial contenders. Case 1896, 2096 and 94 series- JD 50 series –Massey 3525, 3545 and 3650. I’ve heard the case 94 and 96 series can empty your pockets in electrical shift problems. John Deere’s seem like your paying for the name and don’t seem as reliable to me as the older 20 series. I HATE our 2640…junk… As for Massey’s I’ve heard there good and bad. Their shift controls look completely different from what I’m use to. So all in all what’s everyone take on this issue? What do you guys believe is the best all around farm tractor for a 200 acre PA farmer.

I purchased a new Farmall 95 that is great, but it was a whole lot more than 20K. Of course it has a cab, quick attach front end loader, and a 15 foot fold up bush hog.

I've been told to stay away from the 50 series Deere MFD. I think they are hydraulic driven at the wheel and that setup is not so reliable. I can't imagine the Case tractors being too costly. We run almost all Case here. Just got a 2294 and it does have more electronics than the previous models but nothing too scary. Just a few switchs and solenoids. They did make a few 90 series with MFD. I'd opt for the case personally. They seem to be cheaper to boot.

Look for a MF399 with MFWD if you can find one should be about your price range and has a perkins 354 diesel, very reliable and parts everywhere. I really don't know much about those 3000 series masseys but the 399 has a good reputation around here.

Seems you are looking for quite a bit of HP for the money, there are alot better chances of finding a decent 85hp tractor with MFWD in your budget.

In that power class, for that money.... you've got trouble written on your forehead.
You could probably buy any of those tractors for that money but they're all plenty old enough to have very high hours and need an untold amount of work.
The 2096 and 3650 are both decent tractors. One is Cummins powered; the other has a 354 turbo Perkins.... You can likely expect a certain number of electrical and wet clutch related problems with both. Might also just as well accept that tractors of that size in that vintage and newer have considerable volumes of electrics. Just the way it is...
Personally I'd go looking for a Ford TW-15 or TW-25 or even a bit newer with the 8630 and 8730. The newer ones mostly were fitted with electronically controlled Funk powershifts. TW's were gear drive with dual power...
If I had to pick from your list it would probably be the 2096.
Around here at least mid to higher 20's would be a safer price range.

Rod

The Deere 50 series are NOT hydraulically driven on the front. The older 40 and 30 series were but are getting rare with that feature so there is not much likely hood of finding one anyways.
The best this fellow can hope for on a good 50 series under 20K would be a 2950 at around 85 to 90 hp. I prefer the Waterloo made tractors but the 2950 (or 2955) will be fine for what this fellow is going to do.
I'm not much of a Ford man but you could probably get a good TW 5 or TW 10 , MFWD, and factory cab for under 20K. If you don't mind going older you could get a low houred IH 86 series tractor. Some of the older Cases are not too bad (anything that did not originate with David Brown) but their best effort was with the Maxxum/ Magnum tractors. Might find a good 5130 or 5140 under 20K.
The above mentioned tractors would do the best in terms of resale value around my area. If you are not too concerned about that then you may want to look at something like White 2-105 or 2-110. Well made tractors back in the day.

Ive been told that Fords have a good fallowing just like JD. Ive Never learnd about them though. So the 30 series fords had Funk Powershifts. Whats a Funk Power shift? And if Possible could you explain what the gear drive, dual power trannys are. i think i have an idea but just not sure. Did they have good engine's in them like a cummins?

You can usually pick up a darned nice White 2-135 or similar White in that price range. They were a good solid tractor for the money. I've got a 2 wheel drive Series III 2-135. It kinda likes it's fuel,but it'll do a fair amount of work for what it's burning.
The 2-135 and 2-155 were a whole new design for White and weren't based on any of the old Olivers or Molines. Not that they were bad tractors either,but they didn't make any mistakes with the new design.

Yea thoes 5130 and 5140's look pretty nice. it seems that everyone wants top dollar for ones that look nice. you mentioned the JD tractors made in Waterloo. wich JD series were made at that plant? When i buy a tractor they never leave the farm. they become permeant residence. now ive heard the White tractors are nice, but how hard are the parts to find? ive been told that AGCO is having some problems and if they go out where would i get parts? But are they good tractors.

Just a thought from a tightwad. I know there is no substitute for 4wd but I wonder if you have a very good set of chains on your tires? Even 4wd on ice will spin.

When I refer to the Waterloo 50 series I am talking about models 4050 (100 hp), 4250 (120 HP), 4450 (140 hp) made from 1983 to 1988. The price range on these tractors for one s that are sound are going to run in the high 20K range or more. If I had that kind of money to spend on a well maintained one I would have no issues in doing so as I believe they were well designed.
As others have pointed out staying under 20K on a tractor that has MFWD is fairly difficult to do for something that will not need a lot of work done to it regardless of color.
My opinion on the 5130/5140 is based what I have actually seen at auction but 20K is the bottom end of the price range. I'm in an area where there are not that many late model Fords (Pre-NH) to choose from as far as dealers or auctions. Your situation may be different. General scarcity will be an issue on IH 86 series MFWD tractors or White 2-1-- series tractors. Any 2-105's I've seen in the last ten years were all project tractors.
Again, what you are asking is a fairly tall order.

idk if you can find one in your budget but a white 120, 140, 125, 100 would fit what you want. They have a reliable cummins engine.

Other than that id recomment a 40 or 50 series JD. They may cost more but they have a good resale value.

If you cant find a 120+ hp tractor in your budget you may have to get something a bit smaller.

im selling my Ford/NH 7740 86hp. 4wd this spring, buying a larger 140hp tractor, has only 4130 hrs. cab and heat and A/C power shift, $18,500

Saw a 2096 4X4 on Craig's list Elmira,NY / it said $6000, little rough. /This was a few days back.There is a 7120 4X4 MAGOT with Trans Truble in a sale near Trumansburg,NY/ Roy Teitsworth Auctions ,try there auction site.

Funk is the manufacturer of the transmission. It was an 18 forward, 9 reverse ratio fully powershift transmission that used electronic pulse shifting. I think it also had an automatic feature in the higher gears.
I think Funk is actually now an operating division of Deere or one of the other US major's... Don't hole me to Deere, but they're no longer independant, that much I know.

The TW's gear drive was just a plain old 8 forward, 2 reverse crashbox. Non syncro IIRC. Most would have had dual power which is a 2 speed, fully locking, planetary powershift. Those are good reliable transmissions. So is the Funk for that matter.... just that it has more complicated electrics that can give some fits with age.

The Ford's have Ford 401 engines. Smaller ones are N/A and larger are turbos. They're good engines. Older ones in the very early TW's and mabey the later ones to some degree had problems with pinholing in the cylinder walls so you've got to watch that the oil doesn't have H2O mixed into it... Otherwise good engines. I'd prefer it to the Cummins, but that's just me.


Rod

I have a Kubota M9580 that was made in 1994 that is 100 hp(90pto), front wheel assist, cab, A/C, hydraulic shuttle trans that has 24 gears forward & reverse, a heavy duty self leveling loader, two remotes and it is 5500 hours on it. Darn good tractor. Only problem it"s had was a few months back sometimes it didn"t want to go forward, took it to the dealer, they found a connector with some corrosion, cleaned it up and fine ever since. I have about $20,000 in it.

Shucks, I"ve got a 2004 JD 210LE Industrial skip loader ,powershift 4X4 4n1 loader buckit 6 way gannon Absolutly mint condition looks like new for sale .BUT it"s not a farm tractor...Jim in N M

What's a skip loader???