Deere 4020 New Owner Questions

[FFFAM]

New JD 4020 owner here. Have never owned a Deere, but have worked on many other tractors. Picked this up at auction, pretty clean condition (Pics 1/2 a 2 is after a quick cleaner wax). 1972 4020 with a 148 loader (tractor sn T213R 268912R). 20-25 year old (guessing) repaint from Quality Service Center (appears to be in southeastern Oklahoma, based on phone number, picked the tractor up from Whitesborough, TX). Starts quickly from cold, sounds good, clutch feels good, and shifts pretty darned smoothly through all ranges and gears, has the loader plumbed up from a box under the passenger side battery box vs running from the rear remotes. After hauling it home and checking it out a bit, have some questions that are probably super basic, but I’ve not been able to find on the webs.

1. In trying to determine hours I’ve looked at drawbar wear, clutch pedal wear, shifter wear, etc. and trying to determine if it’s got 11800 hours, or 1800 hours. Tach seems original, or is at least the Stewart Warner branded one and appears original. Currently shows 1860 or so hours and the hour meter is running properly as the tractor runs. Pic attached (3rd pic) to this post with the shifter wear, which I think is the thing showing the most wear. Drawbar and clutch pedal look fairly unworn. For those of you long time 4020 owners, would you guess this wear is from an 11k hour tractor or about 2k hour tractor… also, should these contact points be lubed? They’re dry as a bone and seem they’d wear super quickly without any kind of lube.

2. The brakes feel fairly grabby. They work very well and feel they have a lot of stopping power, but they just come on quickly, I can feather them and have them not be as grabby, they’re just much more sensitive than the brakes on any other tractor I’ve run. Is this normal?

3. Anyone recognize what this part could be for (4th/5th pic) Little angle with a snapped off bolt through it. Was in the toolbox beside the seat, but couldn’t see anywhere it should go.

 

[LarrySTN]

I don't recognize the part you pictured as being from the tractor. The tachometer is not original. The wear on the shift lever is from a lots and lots of shifting. Way more than 1800 hrs worth. The clutch appears to have been recently (hours) replaced. The tractor looks like it's has been cared for in that most tractors with a loader get banged up pretty bad. I think you've got a nice tractor.

 

[FFFAM]

I don't recognize the part you pictured as being from the tractor. The tachometer is not original. The wear on the shift lever is from a lots and lots of shifting. Way more than 1800 hrs worth. The clutch appears to have been recently (hours) replaced. The tractor looks like it's has been cared for in that most tractors with a loader get banged up pretty bad. I think you've got a nice tractor.

Thank you for the info and quick response. Is there anything I should do on that shift lever to fill those grooves or lube to slow the wear? Or just keep adjusting as needed to compensate for the wear?

 

[JIM MN]

Gas or diesel?? Is a high hour tractor.. Is the clutch pedal adjusting bolt clear ahead or clear back??? Tach looks to have been replaced, not faded that much compared to the other gauges.. Gear shift lever has a deep rub groove.. Nice looking tractor, but afraid it has had a lot of use.. I would say the loader has been added, not always been on that tractor..

 

[FFFAM]

Gas or diesel?? Is a high hour tractor.. Is the clutch pedal adjusting bolt clear ahead or clear back??? Tach looks to have been replaced, not faded that much compared to the other gauges.. Gear shift lever has a deep rub groove.. Nice looking tractor, but afraid it has had a lot of use.. I would say the loader has been added, not always been on that tractor..

Diesel. I do think loader was added at some point. I’ll check the adjusting bolt tomorrow. Place o got it from indicated they’d had it since around 04 and used it to mow, with occasional loading. They also had skid steers and wheel loaders, so doubt this was a primary loader. Possible a lot of the hours were racked up before they had it.

 

[Scott 730]

Taco tach.

 

[used red MN]

Hello FFF, welcome to YT! I come from the IH camp but got indoctrinated into the virtues of Deere by a good friend of mine in my younger days, it is no doubt they are just plain built better than other brands or at least arguably in that era. His family had a 200 head dairy and I helped him some in trade for some time in his nice heated shop to work on my old man farmer’s junk. They had 4 4020 Powershifts, and a range of other 30 and 40 series Deeres to make a total of 10 tractors. Dyed in the wool JD guys won’t admit to this but the brakes are noisy and kind of grabby but that is not really an indication of a problem. The condition of the brakes is more judged by how much black crumbly stuff with brass slivers in it is found when you clean the hydraulic suction screen. It is below the left battery behind the two round hydraulic filters, it takes a 1/2 square drive to pull it out. Another thing they don’t admit is the hydraulics are noisy on those tractors. I always say the sound is a “warble, warble continuously being repeated.
Here is a link to the JD online parts catalog for your tractor. JD Late model 4020 parts
You can also download a free operator’s manual for it from JD publications
When you find your applicable machine type and model click the arrow pointing sideways so it points down and it shows the operators manuals and other tech manuals. Click the arrow to point down by Op manuals there you can put it in your cart. Also there is a square at the right with the arrow up to the right corner when you click that you can view it. The down arrow with the line under it will down load it to your PC. If you prefer not to view the manual on your PC you could print it off and put it in a 3 ring binder.

 

[wore out]

Hello FFF, welcome to YT! I come from the IH camp but got indoctrinated into the virtues of Deere by a good friend of mine in my younger days, it is no doubt they are just plain built better than other brands or at least arguably in that era. His family had a 200 head dairy and I helped him some in trade for some time in his nice heated shop to work on my old man farmer’s junk. They had 4 4020 Powershifts, and a range of other 30 and 40 series Deeres to make a total of 10 tractors. Dyed in the wool JD guys won’t admit to this but the brakes are noisy and kind of grabby but that is not really an indication of a problem. The condition of the brakes is more judged by how much black crumbly stuff with brass slivers in it is found when you clean the hydraulic suction screen. It is below the left battery behind the two round hydraulic filters, it takes a 1/2 square drive to pull it out. Another thing they don’t admit is the hydraulics are noisy on those tractors. I always say the sound is a “warble, warble continuously being repeated.
Here is a link to the JD online parts catalog for your tractor. JD Late model 4020 parts
You can also download a free operator’s manual for it from JD publications
When you find your applicable machine type and model click the arrow pointing sideways so it points down and it shows the operators manuals and other tech manuals. Click the arrow to point down by Op manuals there you can put it in your cart. Also there is a square at the right with the arrow up to the right corner when you click that you can view it. The down arrow with the line under it will down load it to your PC. If you prefer not to view the manual on your PC you could print it off and put it in a 3 ring binder.

Don't forget to tell the O.P. that he can change the hydraulic FILTER without draining the transmission/hydraulic/rear end oil, but it HAS to be drained before pulling the suction screen or he's going to have 10 gallons of hydraulic oil to deal with!

 

[used red MN]

Don't forget to tell the O.P. that he can change the hydraulic FILTER without draining the transmission/hydraulic/rear end oil, but it HAS to be drained before pulling the suction screen or he's going to have 10 gallons of hydraulic oil to deal with!

Thanks for adding that, I was hoping he would figure that out!

 

[caterpillar guy]

st a FYI you need to put a chain over the bucket so it can't fall off if it came loose from the pins. Just part of the DOT requirement When loading and hauling. Might save you that road side discussion in the future. And yes he would figure it out when he got the 10 gallon oil bath.

 

[M-MAN]

Nice old workhorse! If it was me I would change all the fluids, filters and clean the screen. It needs Hyguard or it's equivalent as well as fresh antifreeze. Both are important for longevity and you don't know what's in there now. JMO

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Thank you for the info and quick response. Is there anything I should do on that shift lever to fill those grooves or lube to slow the wear? Or just keep adjusting as needed to compensate for the wear?

You could take it out, weld it up, and machine/grind it smooth if it bothers you.

It took 11,860+ hours to wear those grooves. There's still plenty of meat left there for thousands more hours if you leave it alone. If it's working, leaving it alone is probably the best course of action. However, if you are having shifter problems the grooves probably aren't the cause.

NO lube. You put grease on that and every speck of dust will stick to the area, mix in with the grease, and turn into lapping compound, causing even more wear. So you'll still have thousands of hours of use left but not as many thousands as if you left it dry.

 

[Tx Jim]

Taco tach.

Very nice 4020 & FEL. Ditto speed/hr meter has been replaced. Tractors has more than 1800. hrs to cause that much shift handle wear.

 

[matthies]

Would be a good idea to raise the hood up and look around. Those late model 4020's have a prefilter on top of the air cleaner housing, that nobody replaces. That bracket looks familiar but can't put my finger on it yet.

 

[matthies]

Also those loaders were not made till 1973, so it was not bought with the tractor, and the side mounts are notched for the 3010/3020 tractors that are shorter. So it was mounted on one of those before being on your tractor. Dad bought one of those 148 in the 70's and still feeds cattle every day on our 68 4020. Have had those loaders of and on many times.

Would be a good idea to raise the hood up and look around. Those late model 4020's have a prefilter on top of the air cleaner housing, that nobody replaces. That bracket looks familiar but can't put my finger on it yet.

 

[Princeton Bill]

Welcome to Yesterday's Tractor. Lots of 4020 guys and other information in the John Deere Forum down below.

 

[FFFAM]

Hello FFF, welcome to YT! I come from the IH camp but got indoctrinated into the virtues of Deere by a good friend of mine in my younger days, it is no doubt they are just plain built better than other brands or at least arguably in that era. His family had a 200 head dairy and I helped him some in trade for some time in his nice heated shop to work on my old man farmer’s junk. They had 4 4020 Powershifts, and a range of other 30 and 40 series Deeres to make a total of 10 tractors. Dyed in the wool JD guys won’t admit to this but the brakes are noisy and kind of grabby but that is not really an indication of a problem. The condition of the brakes is more judged by how much black crumbly stuff with brass slivers in it is found when you clean the hydraulic suction screen. It is below the left battery behind the two round hydraulic filters, it takes a 1/2 square drive to pull it out. Another thing they don’t admit is the hydraulics are noisy on those tractors. I always say the sound is a “warble, warble continuously being repeated.
Here is a link to the JD online parts catalog for your tractor. JD Late model 4020 parts
You can also download a free operator’s manual for it from JD publications
When you find your applicable machine type and model click the arrow pointing sideways so it points down and it shows the operators manuals and other tech manuals. Click the arrow to point down by Op manuals there you can put it in your cart. Also there is a square at the right with the arrow up to the right corner when you click that you can view it. The down arrow with the line under it will down load it to your PC. If you prefer not to view the manual on your PC you could print it off and put it in a 3 ring binder.

Thank you very much for the welcome and helpful reply. I appreciate the info on the brakes and will definitely check out that screen to see what evidence may be down there. Fingers crossed it’s nothing. The tractor was in service at an industrial facility with an in house maintenance shop that appears have to maintained their equipment well. Hoping I can at least get about 20 trouble free hours a year of disc mowing and occasional loading when my smaller kubota can’t handle the loading tasks. Mainly wanted the power of the 4020 so I no longer have to run the disc mower with the Ford 3930. Takes me about 16-18 hours to mow 50 acres with the 3930 and a 7’ JD/Kuhn mower.

 

[FFFAM]

Also those loaders were not made till 1973, so it was not bought with the tractor, and the side mounts are notched for the 3010/3020 tractors that are shorter. So it was mounted on one of those before being on your tractor. Dad bought one of those 148 in the 70's and still feeds cattle every day on our 68 4020. Have had those loaders of and on many times.

Thanks for the detail on the loader. Did he engineer some kind of quick disconnect for the brackets? Or just undo the 8 bolts whenever taking the loader off?

 

[FFFAM]

Would be a good idea to raise the hood up and look around. Those late model 4020's have a prefilter on top of the air cleaner housing, that nobody replaces. That bracket looks familiar but can't put my finger on it yet.

Thanks for the info. So far I’ve pulled all the side panels off and removed the lower portion of the air box, but have not raised the hood (have not looked at how to do that yet, would assume it entails pulling the muffler.

I have the service and operators manuals both ordered and on the way. Planning to do all fluids and filters in the coming week or two. Prior company that owned it seemed decent about maintenance based on the dates written on various parts, they also gave me their remaining inventory of hydraulic, oil, fuel, and air filters they had in their inventory for this tractor. All wix branded. They indicated it was just used to mow 20 acres a couple times a year.

 

[FFFAM]

You could take it out, weld it up, and machine/grind it smooth if it bothers you.

It took 11,860+ hours to wear those grooves. There's still plenty of meat left there for thousands more hours if you leave it alone. If it's working, leaving it alone is probably the best course of action. However, if you are having shifter problems the grooves probably aren't the cause.

NO lube. You put grease on that and every speck of dust will stick to the area, mix in with the grease, and turn into lapping compound, causing even more wear. So you'll still have thousands of hours of use left but not as many thousands as if you left it dry.

Thanks for the info. Appreciate the community knowledge here that I can glean from. Good to hear what everyone has been doing successfully with their units. It is shifting fine through all gears, so I’ll just leave it alone for the time being.