4020 fix it or forget it?

[amartha]

Don't do it, she will be a leather bag with no bottom.

 

[plumbyII]

Dont get an orchard tractor - take it from a person who owns one. I purchased an NH TN80F that was originally owned by a well known winery in CA. Everything is designed with tight working room to fit the narrow profile and cab. That is unfortunate because this particular tractor has a funky PTO design (discussed on some posts here) that keeps eating control cable and preventing PTO from disengaging (and restarting due to safety) for upwards of a half hour. What is really bad is the cab which makes getting to the cable pivot impossible and keeps me from working on it in my garage (low door ht). I am the crazy guy you seek. I would keep the 4020 for backup, build a shed, and buy another working 4020. Why? Cause the farm used a 4020 at one time and you likely have attachments for it; it was suited to the work at one time; parts value way exceeds scrap value; and if you get a newer unit - welcome to the world of safety interlocks, chip/electronic failures, etc. If you prefer an orchard tractor though - I will sell you my TN80F cheap. It starts and pulls like a dream. If you are looking for a partner - I am up for that and will throw in the TN80-F in for starters.

 

[yanmars]

I think you would have more time, money and troubles trying to get it back up and running.

 

[Forgotten_Orchard]

Very Tempting! Which island? As long as it's not all work and no play.
A 4020 seems way too big for orchard work. What does the used tractor market have to offer in Hawaii?

The big island, and you'd need 4wd to make it from the orchard to go play

 

[Forgotten_Orchard]

By the way, what are you growing in your orchard?

Macadamia nuts

 

[OrangeRidge]

That's not a viable equipment situation . It's a heap of skip fill . Buy something old , decent and functioning .

 

[MHarryE]

Give up on the 4020. First you mention the climate of your area on Hawaii are not mountaintop dry, so everything open is corrosion damaged. Got a lot of partially stripped for parts tractors on a farm I rent for the acreage. I have asked people whose work is restoring old tractors of which these would be excellent when repaired and they all say no - anything open to the elements has too much corrosion damage to be of value as there are many other tractors available for parts that are not in such shape. Second, you probably want to get to work in your orchard. Not sure what you need to do since apparently its been inactive. You need 4wd (and I assume the 4020 you have doesn't have it). Macadamia trees don't need much other than lots of nitrogen and lots of pickers and big wallets to hold all the money you will make once you are in operation.

 

[MossRoad]

Macadamia nuts

MMMMmmmmm!!!

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Best bet would be get another 4020 and you can use it and look at it to put the other one together. Im finishing a JD skidder now. Jimmy Carter was president when it was bought new. Had it all apart. Sandblasted and painted the parts individually before assembly. It is worth it. Im trying to teach you a lesson that you dont have to learn yourself. Just go out and buy s newer one that has adjustable timing, plastic fuel tanks with rubber hose and lift pumps, computer, regen, etc...Our oldest is an 81 and newest is a 91. Will use any one all day weeks on end. Never been to any type of shop. I would use a big tractor for little things before Id use a little tractor for big things. Got a call about another machine abandoned 20 years ago. Wheels torched off and parts missing. Yeah im gonna get it if its gettable. Have you priced new skidders lately? Have you priced a new tractor that size? With a slush box tranny? This new stuff is over complicated. I worked as a mechanic at a dealership. You could end uo with two tractors that run good. Dont worry about the main and rod caps not being marked, if they are not. Just turn the crank as you tighten things down. It will stop if the parts are not right, move them around. Put several werengines together out of buckets and nothing was marked. They ran fine and still are running. If it was a off brand tractor I would get rid of it. But with it being name brand, I would run it. Those were gas or diesel engines in 4020, gas usually propane, seen them with carbs too. Find one just like it that is usable and also use it for a looker to put the other one together. Find a crank, hone block, put new rings, lap the valves, and put together. Or you can call a salvage place and get an engine. Ive bought too many that had trees grown up through them and chain sawed them out and come alonged on a trailer. I have never parted anything yet. In fact, i have a 58 Fordson power major diesel that had been passed through 15 people that couldnt get it running. Nobody could figure out that vacuum governor system with a butterfly like a carburetor. Glad i stopped listening to other people a long time ago. If that was my 4020, Id be using it before they knew what happened. I went and fixed a fork lift for a guy once. Worked for JCB at the time. He had 300 of those JD tractors. Big ones and most were 4 wd. All were ready to go. Not any for parts. Funny, he wanted me to remove all the electric junk so it would just crank and die with the key and a kill. The electronics things get old fast.

 

[Tx Jim]

I'm going to reiterate IF ENGINE ROD/MAIN BRG CAPS AREN'T correctly marked/identified Forgotten Orchard can't SUCCESSFULLY REBUILD present ENGINE without some unknown added expenses. It would be an eye/wallet opening experience to spend the time/$$$$ to get that engine running & a rod or main brg FAIL and a large hole appeared in the side of the engine block!!!

 

[fried1765]

Hey everybody,

I've got a big question about my '68 4020, but please forgive the backstory first. . .
The wife and I just bought an orchard that hasn't seen any attention in years, and it came with a house, and a bunch of broken down equipment, including the aforementioned JD. We desperately need a tractor and shredder to start revitalizing the orchard (but we're on a budget), and I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to get there. Should I try to sell the 4020 as (rusty) parts and buy something running, or would it be worth it to fix it and buy a brush hog? Someone in the long forgotten past took it apart, and somehow lost the crankshaft, don't know what else grew legs in the meantime. To make matters even more interesting, we live in a place where everything rusts, and everything needs to be shipped in at high cost, but it's beautiful, and everything grows here. I'm handy, I weld, and do automotive repair, but I've never worked on a diesel, or any heavy hydraulics, but I've got friends around who have and can help. I'll attach photos, any and all advice or derision is welcome.

An absolute money pit!
Don't even think about it!

 

[divyakfm]

Hey everybody,

I've got a big question about my '68 4020, but please forgive the backstory first. . .
The wife and I just bought an orchard that hasn't seen any attention in years, and it came with a house, and a bunch of broken down equipment, including the aforementioned JD. We desperately need a tractor and shredder to start revitalizing the orchard (but we're on a budget), and I'm trying to figure out what's the best way to get there. Should I try to sell the 4020 as (rusty) parts and buy something running, or would it be worth it to fix it and buy a brush hog? Someone in the long forgotten past took it apart, and somehow lost the crankshaft, don't know what else grew legs in the meantime. To make matters even more interesting, we live in a place where everything rusts, and everything needs to be shipped in at high cost, but it's beautiful, and everything grows here. I'm handy, I weld, and do automotive repair, but I've never worked on a diesel, or any heavy hydraulics, but I've got friends around who have and can help. I'll attach photos, any and all advice or derision is welcome.

Interesting question....where we live Deere 20 series are used daily. Parts are readily available and "easy" to fix, compared to 'electronic tractors'. The 6 cylinder engine that Deere used was quite popular and used in other applications. What I would suggest it to get a short block; long block or complete engine replacement. Saves on so many ways. You can keep the core for parts. The 4020 was one of most popular tractor of its time. It was very versatile and fuel efficient for 90hp.

 

[fried1765]

Interesting question....where we live Deere 20 series are used daily. Parts are readily available and "easy" to fix, compared to 'electronic tractors'. The 6 cylinder engine that Deere used was quite popular and used in other applications. What I would suggest it to get a short block; long block or complete engine replacement. Saves on so many ways. You can keep the core for parts. The 4020 was one of most popular tractor of its time. It was very versatile and fuel efficient for 90hp.

Tractor support/parts issues are very different between Wisconsin and the big island of Hawaii.

 

[LouNY]

I'm going to reiterate IF ENGINE ROD/MAIN BRG CAPS AREN'T correctly marked/identified Forgotten Orchard can't SUCCESSFULLY REBUILD present ENGINE without some unknown added expenses. It would be an eye/wallet opening experience to spend the time/$$$$ to get that engine running & a rod or main brg FAIL and a large hole appeared in the side of the engine block!!!

So why bother just buy a long block or even a complete engine,
JD404D4010LB - For John Deere LONG BLOCK, Remanufactured

Remanufactured Bare Block John Deere 7810 6081 | eBay

 

[Tx Jim]

So why bother just buy a long block or even a complete engine,
JD404D4010LB - For John Deere LONG BLOCK, Remanufactured

Remanufactured Bare Block John Deere 7810 6081 | eBay

I was replying to the posters that were stating rebuild original engine. After one gets engine operating there are other gremlins such as non-operating hyd's or drivetrain that could possibly raise their heads. $5900 + 4020 salvage would make a good down payment on a tractor better suited for an orchard. Several months ago I sold a nice operating JD 2040 for $5000. This 2040 had a FEL that was designed for a smaller tractor that was ugly!!!!

 

[Forgotten_Orchard]

Wow, this has really been an education! I posted it on craigslist a few days ago, no takers. However there's somebody in my neck of the woods who responded that he has a 4020 with a power shift that was a runner about a year ago but has been parked because the sheet metal is eaten up, make an offer he says. I haven't found anything viable for sale used, there was a '47 8n for sale with a brush hog, but either it sold or he decided to keep it 'cause he's not getting back to me. I think I may try to do the stupid thing and attempt to turn two messed up machines into one. If the price is right, I assume that I can just bolt the complete engine to my synchro-range, then it should just be a matter of fixing EVERYTHING ELSE. . . I may be talking myself out of this idea. . . I'll let you guys know when I go look at the other one. Hopefully it's propane or something, and it'll be an obvious no-go, otherwise I may just do something stupid. As to what the orchard really needs, it's mostly lots of shredding, to cut the weeds down to where the livestock can maintain good clean groundcover to the trunks and lots of pruning and feeding. Our rows are wide enough to fit the 4020, mostly, but it shouldn't be a big issue with some minor pruning. Wish me luck, and sanity.

 

[Tx Jim]

I'd choose a JD 4020 powered by LPG quicker than a 4020 gasoline. If powershift trans shifts correctly through all gears I'd choose that trans over a SR trans. I have zero desire to own a 8N with trans driven pto & no live hyd's.

 

[fried1765]

I'd choose a JD 4020 powered by LPG quicker than a 4020 gasoline. If powershift trans shifts correctly through all gears I'd choose that trans over a SR trans. I have zero desire to own a 8N with trans driven pto & no live hyd's.

"Aw... come on man"!

My old 8N looks so cute sitting in my barn.
I have not used it in 10 years though.

 

[Tx Jim]

Granted many/many 1000's of Ford 2N/9N & 8N tractors were sold NEW BUT with the introduction of many newer compact tractors with """live pto/live hyd's/power steering""" the aforementioned tractors have outlived their usefulness as far as I'm concerned

 

[fried1765]

Granted many/many 1000's of Ford 2N/9N & 8N tractors were sold NEW BUT with the introduction of many newer compact tractors with """live pto/live hyd's/power steering""" the aforementioned tractors have outlived their usefulness as far as I'm concerned

I do not disagree!
That is why my nearly pristine 1951 8N has been parked for nearly ten years.
I use my restored Ford 1920, and Kubota L48TLB.