Power Shift vs. Quad Range

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2010

Been looking for another tractor and I think I have it narrowed down to either a 4840 PS or a 4640 QR. Was hoping I could get some opinions on which would be better. Would rather have a 7800 or another Magnum but I don't want to spend that much right now. Can you help me out? Thanks

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2010

NEITHER...Move on to something else! We just had a 4040 in the shop that has the quad reange out of it..Those 4000 series are poorly designed. It was tore up inside sooo bad its going to be scrapped..I know Im gonna get some flack out of this but it is poorly designed tractor.

fixerupper · Aug 10, 2010

The powershift is pretty much bulletproof. Jim

Bkpigs · Aug 10, 2010

My FIL has a 4640 I like that tractor (and I am a red guy!!!!). It all depends on how the tractor was treated before. If the PO shifted while under a heavy load and low RPMs you are going to have problems.

Just my .02

gregger · Aug 10, 2010

once you use a tractor with PS you'll say oh my why didnt i have one sooner -- my 2 pennys

JMS/.MN · Aug 10, 2010

If I had to have a QR over a PS, I would have stayed with AC. Just personal preference, but much nicer to drive with the multiple choices of gears. No hi-lo in stations, just go 1-8 or anything in between. Drive each, more than just around the lot. NOTHING is bullet-proof, but generally the PS lasts much longer, but is more expensive to repair. Sold a 4430 with 11,000 hours, first eng, trans, (light) rear end.

NY 986 · Aug 10, 2010

Been alive long enough to hear that happen to every color out there. A couple instances where the owner-operator could not hear the transmission howl like a freight train because it was extremely low on fluid. Every time though when the dealer gave the customer the estimate the customer gave the go ahead to fix although the tractor should been sold for salvage. The IH dealer told us one time he had an 806 that cost 7000 dollars to do the rear and the guy gave the go-ahead. This was when 7000 dollars was an enormous amount on a repair for the tractor. JD dealer gave pretty much same story on 4430 quad range and bill was 17500 dollars. Like I said I know I've heard stories like that for every brand.

DeltaRed · Aug 10, 2010

I used to have a 4040,nice to drive but burned over 7 gph!Areal hog...hard to start,too!

nickg · Aug 10, 2010

The 40 series are good tractors. I had a 4440 with ouad. My thoughts they are both good tractors and both good trannys. If it was gonna be my tillage tractor Id go for the 48. It has a few more ponies and the powershift is awful nice if you need to drop more than one gear crossin a ditch or washout.

Bob Bancroft · Aug 10, 2010

Discussions always interesting. Around here it's almost universal- people love their quad-range. Always the same reason- they can find just the right speed- not so with the 8 speed power shift. I am just the opposite. I have an old 4020 PS and it's here for one reason- anybody can run it. You can start out of any spot with any load and end up on the road in high gear without ever having to stop and grind anything. My cousin screwed up the ranges B and/or C in a beautiful low hour 4240(he had bought new) by trying to shift between them without stopping completely. I replaced an old behemoth Steiger with a Magnum 7240 3 years ago. I wish every machine I own was as satisfying as this one. I had planned on a JD 4960. The Magnum was almost half as expensive. Are the JD 40 series really selling that much cheaper than a Magnum?

rockyridgefarm · Aug 10, 2010

My dad has both a 4640 and a 4840, both PS. They're big clumsy hogs as far as I'm concerned. Large 1000 only PTO ( of course, you can buy adapters to small 1000 and small 1000 to 540, but that's a BAD IDEA). Too big HP for a 2wd tractor. We also have a 1086 with a 1486 engine and 4wd front axle and it could outpull either without duals.

The only thing I figure they're good for is chopping and maybe pulling a 12 row planter. Of course, you can't beat 'em for cheap HP. You can step into about any 4640 or 4840 around here for under 20K. Our 4840 was bought 5 years ago for $12800 at a local farm auction. When he sent me to buy it, he was looking for a tractor to pull a 4500 gallon manure tanker. I tried my best to talk him into and 8440 or an 8450, but to no avail. Its traction improved with good rubber and a nice set of axle mount duals, but it is just too bulky.

Bob Bancroft · Aug 10, 2010

And since it's a BAD IDEA some of those adapters are getting hard to find.

dieseldoc · Aug 10, 2010

I would like to see that 1086 out pull my 46!

dieseldoc · Aug 10, 2010

or my 4440 for that matter.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2010

Around here a 4640 or 4840 will sell for around $20-24K while a good 7120 will bring $40-44K. I have two 7140MFWD's that I really like but when you set the front wheels for 30" rows they don't turn short enough. We set the front wheels at 68" and works good for planting or tillage but need something else for spraying and sidedressing. 4440's bring more $ than 46 or 4840's.

dhermesc · Aug 10, 2010

A 4640 only has 133 drawbar factory. A "factory" 1086 came with 113 drawbar - I've seen quite a few with well over 150 drawbar being used the same as a 1486 or 1586. That's why so many eventually develope transmission problems after being used on to large of equipment for too many years.

rockyridgefarm · Aug 10, 2010

Dieseldoc,

The 4640 hooked to a 9 shank Glencoe soil saver will scrape and claw in sod. The 1086 would walk right through it without duals. Neither your 4640 nor especially your 4440 will pull that chisel plow well in the same conditions. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of the 1086 - matter of fact, it's sitting in the back of the shed with a blown engine - my point is a tractor of that high of horsepower isn't much good with out MFWD.

Bob Bancroft · Aug 10, 2010

So I'm sure if you think about how you use it, you can decide which trans. best fits your needs. I wouldn't be afraid of either one. As usual- the history is the most important issue. I would think either would make a good, BIG, row crop tractor.

dieseldoc · Aug 10, 2010

What kind of ground are you in because my 46 would not even know that 9 shank glencoe is back there.I would like to see that 1086 run my forage harvester and see how long it lasts.I had a 1486 on it for about 3 hours untill it melted a hole in one of the pistons.A 1086 and a 4640 are not even comparable.That is like comparing a farmall M to a 4020 jd.

cadet trooper · Aug 10, 2010

The story is the same for eons. You just can"t get something for nothing. More hp is equal to $$$$ and someone has to pay.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 10, 2010

dieseldoc, comparing a jd 4020, they couldn't even come close to an IH 806, and I wouldn't trade my 1486 for either jd they would have a hard time to bring lunch to the field.

Will Herring · Aug 10, 2010

I have driven both the power shift and the quad range, and I have to say I like them both equally. It took me awhile to warm up to the power shift, but I really got so that I liked how easy it was to climb the gears, especially when heading out on the road. It lacked the finesse of the quad range, but I think most people that drive them aren't that cautious and make them have horrid grinding sounds from the transmission... There's an art to shifting, and the power shift takes care of most of the work for you. It's all about the previous owner and personal preference, really.

dieseldoc · Aug 10, 2010

Kevinb, I dont know about the 806 but I have never seen a 1486 that can handle my forage harvester for very long.My 46 runs over 250 on dyno and in good corn that chopper will bust that tractors nuts.I was just saying that a 1086 is not even comparable to a 4640. Big size difference between the two.

rockyridgefarm · Aug 11, 2010

For the last time, it's not HP, it's traction. The 4640 and 4840 are big, clumsy pigs that cannot get their 130 and 150 drawbar hp to the ground efficiently. Brag all you want about your 4640 dynoing 250 hp, it can't get it to the ground. ANY brand of tractor with MFWD and 130hp will outpull your 4640. As I said in my first post and you apparently agree, the 46 and 4840s are really only good for heavy PTO work or light drawbar work - chopping, big square baling, corn planting, etc. Even in those operations, they aren't the best. Why do you think they sell for so cheap? Our 4640 was bought 15 years ago for $16000 off a dealer lot and our 4840 was bought 3 years ago for $12800 at a farm auction. Cheap, big, clumsy, thirsty PTO HORSEPOWER

Redpete, you said you wanted something to sidedress and spray. Either may be a good tractor for that because clumsiness can be forgiven if you need 60 feet to turn the hog for the next pass. Still, it's gonna take down a lotta corn with that wide rubber. Our 4640 has 18.4 42s and our 4840 has 20.8 38s. I'm not sure I'd want either of them in a corn field, but we're in pretty hilly ground. As far as the transmissions, like others said, "previous owner" is gonna be the biggest factor on which holds up. I personally like the quad range over the 8 speed power shift.

dieseldoc · Aug 11, 2010

Seems to me that you know everything about everything.So next time I need help running my farm or have a question on a tractor or piece of equipment I will be sure and run it by you first.

Power Shift vs. Quad Range

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