Advice on a old 2440...

[Trophyduck]

I'm in the market for a tractor, having just bought a place on 50 acres.
I got word of a 1981 JD 60 hp tractor, no loader or attachments (I didn't verify model # yet) It only has 1200 hours which I know is really good......Being so old, is it something to avoid? Are parts readily available? Being 2wd, is 4wd really needed? (In Maryland's Eastern shore...flat land) I will be keeping woods roads cleared and bush-hogging mostly...doing some food plot planting
I'm new to all this and leery of a 35+ yr old tractor even if it is in great shape. Or is this something that runs "forever".....

I was originally looking for something in the 40hp range with 4wd

Thanks for your help

 

[jd110]

2440 is a very good model. It was made from 1977 until 1982. There were 2 versions. some significant changes were introduced in 1980, although they were both good. With proper ballast, these tractors can be effective loader tractors although mfwd is always a benefit for loader work. What transmission option does it have? Reverser, Hi Lo, Independent pto? If it has been maintained properly, should still give many years of service.

 

[Zebrafive]

I was originally looking for a 45HP tractor in the early 90s. It seemed everyone with 5-20 acres wanted this size. I ended up buying a 1974 2030, which became the 2440.
I would not worry about parts, I can find parts for 2030. For flat land, I would not worry abut it being 2wd.
The only reason I might "pass" on the purchase is if it has the collar shift transmission (which my 2030 has) I hate having to come to full stop to change gears.
I agree with jd110, it should last many years, especially with only 1200 hours. My 2030 has 3000 more hours than that and has not been overhauled.

One of the "plus" to a 35 year old tractor is no complicated/expensive electronics to worry about. My most expensive electrical repair in over 20 years of ownership is battery replacement.

 

[Erik M]

I bought a JD 1840 which is the Canadian designation for the 2440 a year ago and I use it for clearing snow and pulling the odd implement about the acreage. It has no FEL but that was not a big requirement of mine. I like that it is a simple tractor with no electronics to cause issues and 60hp is plenty for snowblowing with the 70” blower I have.

Mine has the Hi-Lo transmission and independent PTO which are handy. I have new tires on it and a gradually sloping 600’ drive which I plow with the grade and have never felt the need for chains or a 4WD solution.

One issue I discovered once I was blowing snow last year was the PTO was slipping, and this resulted in a need to replace the clutch pack on the PTO. The fault was a result of hydraulic pipe in the back end that had a hole worn through it by a bracket assembly that prevented full hydraulic pressure from reaching the PTO hydraulic clutch and allowed slippage.

I had to have the tractor split to access the clutch assembly and the new pipe is redesigned to eleiminate the bracket that caused the wear so it won’t reoccur. While in there I had some shift forks and rods replaced that were showing excessive wear, and she shifts like a new machine now.

You could have a mobile mechanic put gauges on the test ports to see if your hydraulics are OK but given only 1200 hrs on the tractor you are likely fine. Mine had 6600 on it and had a fresh in-frame rebuild on the engine when I got it last year, and now that the PTO issue is fixed I should see many years of use with few issues.

I chose an older machine in good shape over a new tractor as new tractors cost far too much and these older machines are simple and will run near forever with a bit of maintenance, especially if not used every day all year. Mine was built in Mannheim, GE and is a solid machine with parts easily available if needed.

 

[Erik M]

I bought a JD 1840 which is the Canadian designation for the 2440 a year ago and I use it for clearing snow and pulling the odd implement about the acreage. It has no FEL but that was not a big requirement of mine. I like that it is a simple tractor with no electronics to cause issues and 60hp is plenty for snowblowing with the 70” blower I have.

Mine has the Hi-Lo transmission and independent PTO which are handy. I have new tires on it and a gradually sloping 600’ drive which I clear with the grade and have never felt the need for chains or a 4WD solution.

One issue I discovered once I was blowing snow last year was the PTO was slipping, and this resulted in a need to replace the clutch pack on the PTO. The fault was a result of hydraulic pipe in the back end that had a hole worn through it by a bracket assembly that prevented full hydraulic pressure from reaching the PTO hydraulic clutch and allowed slippage. This was a known issue with this tractor.

I had to have the tractor split to access the clutch assembly and the new pipe is redesigned to eliminate the bracket that caused the wear so it won’t reoccur. While in there I had some shift forks and rods replaced that were showing excessive wear, and she shifts like a new machine now.

You could have a mobile mechanic put gauges on the test ports to see if your hydraulics are OK but given only 1200 hrs on the tractor you are likely fine. Mine had 6600 on it and had a fresh in-frame rebuild on the engine when I got it last year, and now that the PTO issue is fixed I should see many years of use with few issues.

I chose an older machine in good shape over a new tractor as new tractors cost far too much and these older machines are simple and will run near forever with a bit of maintenance, especially if not used every day all year. Mine was built in Mannheim, GE and is a solid machine with parts easily available if needed.

These are a loud machine compared to many of similar size, and it does not help that I run mine with a straight pipe, but I have no neighbors near and wear ear defenders while operating it.

 

[Zebrafive]

Erik, I can't image how loud your 1840 must be. I have a 2030, which is also 60HP and later became the 2440. Mine has the factory low exhaust and does have a muffler. And it is still too loud to run without hearing protection. Maybe a vertical exhaust would sound quieter, exiting above the operators head? But not what I have, so no idea.

 

[Erik M]

Erik, I can't image how loud your 1840 must be. I have a 2030, which is also 60HP and later became the 2440. Mine has the factory low exhaust and does have a muffler. And it is still too loud to run without hearing protection. Maybe a vertical exhaust would sound quieter, exiting above the operators head? But not what I have, so no idea.

I have a vertical muffler and a longer stack but I don稚 use it too often as it must be removed in order to park the tractor inside, so I have a six inch stack without any muffler. Yes, it is quite loud.