John Deere 4066r reliability

[Meadow Wood]

I am new to posting here but have read many posts throughout the years. I am looking for thoughts on a John Deere 4066R. My property is 80 acres of rolling hard woods and 10 acres of open food plots. I already have a large Kubota M utility, a small Kubota compact tractor both open station and a NH skid steer. I would like to add a cab tractor. My search for a low hour and not abused pre-emission cab tractor has not yielded any results so I starting looking at newer options. The only dealers in my area are John Deere and Kubota. Kioti and New Holland have all but dried up. I have compared the JD 4066R to Kubota L6060, JD 4720, 5055E, 5065E, Kubota M7040, M7060, L5740 and a few others. The positives for the 4066R are: HP, compact size, air seat, hitch assist (since I work alone a lot), e-hydro, smaller cab (I have miles of woodland trails), warranty, can add down force kit, stable, work lights standard, pedal design, nimble. If I get one I plan on adding wheel weights, rear spacers and fender extensions. The negatives are: Price, e-pto is an option, reliability concerns, a lot of technology (could be good or bad), have to add SSQA adapters, fuel fill location, no pre-screens on cooling, no recirculation function for AC, front steering arm locations, cab size, no side window vents. I am sure there is more good and bad I have missed.

My Kubota's have been bullet proof. Normal maintenance is all they have required. I have watched numerous videos and read other posts. Comments are varied: best compact tractor, incredible power, strong 4 wheel drive, hitch assist is a game changer, E-hydro with speed and load match is great, too light weight, cab is loud, cab too small, spends too much time in the shop, AC is weak and strong, radiator clogs.

Is there anything I am missing? Any 4066R owners who can share their experiences either owning one or a competitor? Most of all, are they reliable?

Thanks

 

[K5lwq]

I think you are wise to be looking at the R models instead of the E models. I am confident the 4066R will serve you well.

I am surprised at the A/C not having recirculating feature. My thought is it would at least have two return vents you could open for recirculation and close for fresh air.

 

[plastikosmd]

Sounds like a nice machine! Sounds like you have done your research. Can you find one to drive?
I hope you get some real world feedback here…

(And hope it won’t be the less than useful “I won’t buy from that manufacturer”)


You probably can’t go wrong with either local brand.

The fit and function details are difficult to parse (as a feature for one person is a impediment for someone else (eg pedal control etc.))

Hence, personally trying the machine is best. If not at the dealer, ask if one has been sold and see if that owner is willing to demo with you for the price of a 6-pack?

Also individual dealer quality is huge and made the difference for me. The actual brand was much less important for me.

Good luck, let us know what you decide!

 

[hornett22]

Good works tractor had or has one. You might give him a call.

 

[Otgaugres]

I’ve got a 4066R open station…2017 model year if memory serves me correct. I think my hour total is about 400. For the most part its been trouble free with the exception of a couple warranty issues. It’s been a very capable machine. I really like the hitch assist…very handy. I’ve got the hyd downforce on the 3-point, also very handy. You‘re wise to go for a cab…I regret not having one. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it to upgrade. My biggest beef is the regen. Mine seems to regen more than I think it should and always at the most inopportune time. At $5/gallon diesel, it seems counterproductive to me to always have to run at high RPM to maximize time between regens. There are lots of time I could do what I need at need at idle or slightly above. I’ve got two Bobcats, a 50 hp mini-ex and a 74 hp CTL. When it comes to emissions, they have a better mousetrap. Bottom line, I’d take another one, but I’d more carefully look at other options before writing a check.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I am new to posting here but have read many posts throughout the years. I am looking for thoughts on a John Deere 4066R. My property is 80 acres of rolling hard woods and 10 acres of open food plots. I already have a large Kubota M utility, a small Kubota compact tractor both open station and a NH skid steer. I would like to add a cab tractor. My search for a low hour and not abused pre-emission cab tractor has not yielded any results so I starting looking at newer options. The only dealers in my area are John Deere and Kubota. Kioti and New Holland have all but dried up. I have compared the JD 4066R to Kubota L6060, JD 4720, 5055E, 5065E, Kubota M7040, M7060, L5740 and a few others. The positives for the 4066R are: HP, compact size, air seat, hitch assist (since I work alone a lot), e-hydro, smaller cab (I have miles of woodland trails), warranty, can add down force kit, stable, work lights standard, pedal design, nimble. If I get one I plan on adding wheel weights, rear spacers and fender extensions. The negatives are: Price, e-pto is an option, reliability concerns, a lot of technology (could be good or bad), have to add SSQA adapters, fuel fill location, no pre-screens on cooling, no recirculation function for AC, front steering arm locations, cab size, no side window vents. I am sure there is more good and bad I have missed.

My Kubota's have been bullet proof. Normal maintenance is all they have required. I have watched numerous videos and read other posts. Comments are varied: best compact tractor, incredible power, strong 4 wheel drive, hitch assist is a game changer, E-hydro with speed and load match is great, too light weight, cab is loud, cab too small, spends too much time in the shop, AC is weak and strong, radiator clogs.

Is there anything I am missing? Any 4066R owners who can share their experiences either owning one or a competitor? Most of all, are they reliable?

Thanks

OP, You have apparently done you're homework. My hats off to you for doing that first before coming on here to ask us to baby feed you the information. You also are asking for the right kind of opinion. You asked,

Is there anything I am missing? Any 4066R owners who can share their experiences either owning one or a competitor? Most of all, are they reliable?

Now you have narrowed down your question to people who are actually qualified to answer it.

I want this poster's thread to be an example for the newbies of when and how it should be done. The OP FIRST did his research, made his observations, got as far as he could go on his own and then reached out and asked us for help when he felt he couldn't go any further. That's a person all of us want to help here on TBN because he put the work in first.

 

[Cahaba Valley Farm]

I am surprised at the A/C not having recirculating feature. My thought is it would at least have two return vents you could open for recirculation and close for fresh air.

Yeah this a new one to me, I've never heard this before. The OP is educating me now. He definitely did his homework and don't mind saying myself that I'm proud of him for this being his first post.

 

[RoyJackson]

I have a 4052R Cab...about 18 months now.... this tractor is identical to the 4066 except a bit less HP. I wish I had the 4066 HP but got a great price on the used 4052. The battery was replaced shortly after I bought it, and that's been the only unexpected maintenance.
So far, it's been a great tractor. I expect the 4066 will be as well.

I've gone through regen...took about 20 minutes. One thing I do, which may help extend regen intervals, is I never let the tractor idle at 1100 RPM. As soon as the oil circulates and pressure is up, the RPM is increased to 1500 RPM. A bit higher idle should, from what I've read, extend the intervals between regens.
Fuel consumption is good...typical of Yanmar engines.
All the amenities (heat (important in Vermont winters!!), AC... stereo, if you want music, it's an option and nice. Cab is very quiet, and the air seat is comfortable. This also has the hitch assist...but I don't use it too often...nice, but don't think I'd pay extra for it

All told, based upon your post; I think the 4066R cab would be a worthy addition to your stable

 

[Meadow Wood]

I appreciate all the information and valuable thoughts shared. I had narrowed my choice down to the 4066R or L6060. After speaking with multiple dealers in my area there was no definitive time frame on when I could expect a tractor to arrive after ordering. Many dealers were still trying to complete orders from last year. I decided to keep searching the used market within a few state radius for a little while longer while awaiting a shift in the new market supply. As luck would have it a 2011 Kubota L5240 with only 600 hours with options showed up on marketplace only 12 miles away! It now sits at my place so my search is over. Thanks again.

 

[dodge man]

If you get a chance post up a pic of your “new” machine. Congrats on the find.