A family from my church has a 2030 with a Deere 146 loader on it. It has gobs of hours on it and I understand that it has been a good tractor for them. It is still used daily on their dairy operation.
The 2030 is a 60 hp. tractor with the Deere 219 cubic inch, 4-cylinder diesel. I think that 2030 tractors had either a 8x4 with shuttle shift or the same transmission with hi-lo, giving you a 16x8 transmission.
The Deere 2030 was replaced by the 2440 in 1976. My neighbor had an early 2440 with the 16x8 transmission. He used that tractor for everything! I drove it a few times and I'd say that it was a very nimble tractor to drive.
A 2030 or 2440 may bit more civilized than a comparable blue machine (I know my audience!) but probably not as durable, long-term. A Ford 5600 will outweigh the Deere by about 500 lbs., by the way.
