John Deere JD1520 5.00 star(s) (4)

A Good Old Workhorse
Model Year: 1969

I bought this tractor off a dairy farm. Within a year or so it needed an engine rebuild (at approximately 2,500 hours) due to the piston sleeves getting corroded by coolant . This is apparently a pretty common problem. Fairly soon after, I also had the diesel injection pump rebuilt. Since that time I have put on 1,500 hours and it has never left me stranded. My 16.9x28 tires are set out so the tractor is 7-feet wide . As a result, even in our steep hills it has been remarkably stable and had always kept all 4 wheels firmly on the ground. It starts easily with an ether injector down to the teens. Lower than that, I plug it in for an hour or so.

Pros: Solid tractor, will last decades
Cons: If only it could be 4-wheel drive!

Great Old Tractor
Model Year: 1969

This has been a great old tractor. I have used it to mow, grade, till, and seed on my small acreage. Has nice modern features, nice seat, power steering, one remote but not the new price. At the rate I'm going this tractor will pay for itself in a year.

Pros: Easy to use, versatile.
Cons: Age.

John Deere 1520
Model Year: 1969

My tractor is a 1969 John Deere 1520 three cylinder gas tractor. It is a 47 horsepower tractor with a category I three point hitch and one remote. The remote has a splitter so I can stwich between two remotes. I bought this tractor last winter. I found it on an internet site. I had been looking for a tractor to do shelter belt work, snow clearing and general work on my acreage. I had looked at a lot of tractors, and I am a first time owner so I had quite a learning curve. I feel very lucky to have found this tractor. I paid $4000 for my tractor. It was in working condition, but a friend of mine did a major service and put an aftermarket carb on for me. The 1520 ran ok when I bought it, but when my friend rebuilt the carb he found that the restrictor plate was really worn. He decided that I should just buy a new carb. A new one from John Deere was approxiamtely $1000. I had already purchased a kit from JD for $80, so I decied to go with a Zenith aftermarket carb for $288. It works great. The new carb does not have an electronic fuel shut off like the original. I have to manuelly shut off the gas when the tractor is not in use. That is really easy to do. I have put approximately 30 hours on my tractor this spring. I have used it to till, grade, mow, and seed. It has worked great for all of these tasks. I had been paying someone to do this work. They charged me $75/hour for tractor work. At that rate I have already paid for over half my tractor. I'm sure it will pay for itself in the first year. If the JD continues to work this way it will be an asset to me for many years.

Pros: Cost, features.
Cons: Age.

Photo Uploads:

JD 1520
Model Year: 1971

Tractor had some problems with the clutch and it always used a lot of oil when purchased new by my father in 1971. However I have fixed all of that now and this old machine is in the best shape right now that it has ever been in. Looks like it will easily outlast me. This has to be one of the easiest tractors to operate that has ever been built. Personally I think JD raised the bar so high when they came out with this series of tractors, that no other brand even today has yet matched them in features and ease of operation.

Pros: Avaliability and price of parts
Cons: None I have found in 40 years of use.