JD 4840 questions

[Iowa Farmer]

I"m looking at a 1979 JD 4840. Drove it today and everything seemed fine. (power shift was a little jerky and steering was a little sluggish but it was 5 degrees out.). 9800 hours. Anything to look out for? Very nice tractor. Great paint, tires, and cab. Ran nicely, newer injection pump. The guy owned it 8 years and planted with it and pulled wagons to town with it. Hadn"t done anything to the motor other than inj pump and boiled radiator. Would it be worth in the 17K neighborhood? Thanks, but a 4440 is all I have experience with, so looking for some advice. Would be a tillage tractor mainly. Thanks!

IF
 

[JD Seller]

That price is on the high side for around here. It would have to be in perfect shape and lower hours to bring even close to that here. The fact that it is 1000 RPM PTO just kills them for the mixed farmer around here. Then the eight speed power shift is not enought gears for most when doing tillage.

Another big issue is that they where the "BIG" tractor on most of the farms they where sold new on. So they have had heavy use from day one in most cases. So 9100 hours on them is a little different than the same hours on a JD 4440. That tractor may have been a planter sprayer tractor and not had the Heck ran out of it.

I would have the transmission pressure and main system pressure checked before I bought it. Sluggish steering is not a good sign in a JD tractor. It may have low trans pressure caused by a bad clutch pack. If you can't do that repair your self you could very easy put 10K in just the transmission.

I do not have a real good opinion of used JD 4840s and JD 4640s. They are not a real good seller and I have seen some pretty big repair bills on them. They where too easy to turn up and then turn back down to sell.
 

[mike plotner]

one of my frinds dads farm with a 4840 and they love it. that and a 4320 are probley his dads favortit tractors. the pull a 2000 bushel blazer grain cart with theirs. i dont know how much they paid for it though
 

[Howard H.]

I've had one since the early 90's and love it. It has about 17,000-18,000 hours on it now, and one engine overhaul and one clutch pack overhaul.

I've always thought 4840s were great tractors. Dad has two of them - they are workhorses.

It is common for there to be small jerk between a couple of the gears... Seems like shifting into 5th and 8th were the worst...

That is right on the market for out here on the plains - based on the last few live auctions I've seen any sell at and Purplewave...

Howard
 

[usetob]

one of the best Deere ever made!