4020 Gas Powershift

[Joe in IN]

http://www.external_link/listings/detail.aspx?OHID=5243473&guid=922CA0DE14324A179471109F01FDDD13

IN the thread below, outside of the minors spats, was a comment of gas and powershift being the most rare combination. It seems like here were two for sale(one in link above and 1 on ebay). How rare could they be??

 

[Anonymous-0]

Well I dont know production numbers (4020 LP can help us there), but they are scarce. I've never seen one in person. Have you?

Here is my theory... A Gas 4020 is not extreemly practical for farming for reasons of very expensive gasoline and ineffeciency. The options of powershift and gasoline combined make a rare combination causing the value to rise. If the owner wants a user tractor they would be better off to trade the gas P.S. for a diesel. They may even make a few dollars, having a more user friendly tractor in the end with the diesel.

For the most part only collectors are interested in these gas tractors with a large price tag, which is why they are for sale. They are not really practical for daily use anymore. They are as outdated as the gas two cylinders were in the 80's.

 

[wilamayb]

Well I dont know production numbers (4020 LP can help us there), but they are scarce. I"ve never seen one in person. Have you?

Here is my theory... A Gas 4020 is not extreemly practical for farming for reasons of very expensive gasoline and ineffeciency. The options of powershift and gasoline combined make a rare combination causing the value to rise. If the owner wants a user tractor they would be better off to trade the gas P.S. for a diesel. They may even make a few dollars, having a more user friendly tractor in the end with the diesel.

For the most part only collectors are interested in these gas tractors with a large price tag, which is why they are for sale. They are not really practical for daily use anymore. They are as outdated as the gas two cylinders were in the 80"s.

 

[Mike M]

Boy I can't wait for the price of gas 4020's to go up ! Maybe I can cash in.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I looked at a 4020 gas power shift wheatland tractor, talk about rare the owner check serial# claimed 14 made ,it sold new in central SD , is now in south eastern SD Kent

 

[wilamayb]

Mike, that will only work if Diesel gets a lot more expensive than it is already...whith gas holding at its present price... or.. unless your gas is a powershift or powershift utility or a standard powershift.

Or maybe when the plain old synchro diesel becomes boring to the collectors.. If you wait long enough...... Maybe LOL

 

[Anonymous-0]

For moderate use, the gasoline 4020 is highly practical. On my place it takes years to use up the difference in sales price in burning $2.39 gasoline at the rate of 10 gallons per hour (plowing which I no longer do) vs. $2.85 diesel at the rate of 7.5 gallons per hour. When I bought my gas 4020, both fuels on farm were under 60 cents a gallon and the $4000 premium for a diesel tractor then would have bought 6000 gallons of gasoline. And for the 400 gallons I used the first year, that's 15 YEARS of fuel neglecting the fact that the diesel tractor would have burned fuel too.

But the second year I did a complete tune up and cut the fuel consumption to 250 gallons a year doing the same work. I can tune up a gas 4020 for maybe $50. If the governor ring in the diesel injection pump hasn't already failed it will and that costs more like $500 for a tune up and then there are injectors at $80 or 100 each that can make the (rarely needed) diesel tune up cost over a $1000. I can tune the gas tractor 20 times for that cost.

And should I want to, I can easily adapt the gas 4020 to burning E-85 or natural gas from a manure digester. Yes the diesel can burn B-20 or B-100, but ten years ago, biodiesel was still an unfulfilled dream.

Gerald J.

 

[4020LP]

Your numbers are correct. 66 built in total from 1964-1968, 14 were built with Power Shift trans. As to what's on Tractor House, I wouldn't know, not a place I visit.

 

[4020LP]

Don't get your hopes up. Other than the 66 Standards, there probably aren't any other rare ones.

 

[Mike M]

I sure like our 4020 gas tractor. Makes a really good economical big tractor as long as you don't need one everyday. For short runs starting and stopping and in cold weather they work great. They are still up for a big job if called upon,just takes some more gas.

 

[4020LP]

I take that back. The 66 Gas Standards aren't the rarest 4020 gasoline tractors. That honor belongs to the 9 JD600 (4020 Industrials) built in 1964-1968 with gas engines and the 2 JD600's built in 1969-1971 with gas engines. Less than 1000 "console" gas tractors, though.

I agree with Gerald J., though. Given the difference in price between a gas and diesel 4020 row-crop, with some good tuning, a 4020 gasser can be a good deal. Wouldn't want to haul fuel to it if I was farming 320 acres with it, but for many small acreages the difference in fuel costs/use won't make enough difference to notice, and that gasser will run a LONG time on the money saved in the initial purchase price, plus they are easier for the average guy to maintain.

 

[Mike M]

Another good thing about some of these 4020 gas tractors is they are likely to have alot less hours on them and thus not so worn out. Ours has only 6000 ? where most diesels have 2 or 3X that easy.

 

[wilamayb]

Much agreed. I've often wondered.... To make a nice-not worn out 4020, why not take a gas tractor insert the diesel engine and have a nice 4020?

The low hours on gas tractors certainly supports the theory that the diesels have more utility if they have 2-3 times as many hours, or so I think.

 

[Mike M]

I HAVE HEARD OF ALOT OF PEOPLE DOING JUST THAT.(dang caps lock )
Transplanting in a diesel. I bet alot of them were done,thus makeing an original gas even rarer.

 

[4020LP]

Sorry if I sound crusty, but I am not a fan of engine swaps, such as the 4020 gas-to-diesel proposed here. For one thing, you've completely destroyed the identity of the original tractor. Secondly, unless the diesel is free or costs very little, you'll never save enough on fuel to justify the costs of doing the swap---it's a lot more involved than most think it is. Not too many years ago, there was some fool who had obtained one of the 37-built 4230 gas tractors, and he wanted to convert it to diesel. No amount of cajoling, offering him a 4230 diesel in trade, money, nothing could change his mind. It was his tractor, by God, and he was going to swap a diesel engine into it, no matter what. Yes, it was his tractor and he could do what he liked, so let's not get into THAT argument. The point is, so many of these tractors are someday going to end up as food for blast furnaces, the ones that are left should not be messed up by engine swaps. I realize my opinion is in the minority---so be it. It's still my right to have an opinion, the last time I checked.

 

[wilamayb]

You are right in that the tractor would have an identity crisis. I guess my thoughts were far beyond the diesel the diesel engine. My thoughts were more toward wishing for a good tight trans/rearend with good tight front end. Even the simple things that make me smile... like a good tight shifter

 

[RobMD]

ESPECIALLY with a narrow front. It's true.. I think they did offer a narrow for the 4230!! wonder if they had the 4230 gas and NF package?!?! that would be fun

 

[4020LP]

Yes, that's what it was, a 4230 Gas with a NF. I never did hear if he butchered it or not, I know there were some guys waving big money at him for it. NF's could be had on 4030, 4230, and 4430 Tractors.

 

[sodly]

I have seen one of the ever-so-elusive gas, narrow front 4230s. I can veryify that at least one exists, anyway.

 

[buickanddeere]

Lets take a moment to think and shudder about those rare 4020 LP side console tractors converted to diesel. Now for really scary, 4020 LP side console power shift converted to diesel.

 

[msb]

Joe we sold at least 2 at Reynolds.Both row crops. The two that I remember for sure selling went to Shelbyville to the same farmer. He raised white corn.

 

[Dean in iowa]

! have a 1967 4020 gas with JD wide front, diff. lock and dual hyd. but it has no rear rockshaft. I am the second owner. The original owner ordered it this way from the factory. Were there many 4020's made this way? It is a row crop. It been a good versitile and dependable tractor. On light loads just shift up and throttle down. Not bad on fuel

 

[TIMAR]

My neighbor had one of the 4230 NF gassers when I was younger (30 yrs ago). Everyone in the neighborhood thought it was the ugly duckling. Wish I could go back in time.$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Mike M]

Just like other stuff. Things were done and no one really cared back when they were still about new. Now they are over 40 years old and getting collectable ! Who would of thought ?

 

[4020LP]

I know a guy who has one of the latter, but he kept all the parts to make it back to a LP-Gas burner, said he's got enough other tractors around now he can afford to retire it and put it back to stock.

The 4020's are plentiful compared to the 3020's....

 

[4020LP]

No way to tell, but there couldn't have been many built like that. It's a keeper, for sure!!

 

[Anonymous-0]

That's pretty close to the description of a wheatland 4020.

Gerald J.

 

[4020LP]

If it was a true Standard, it would have had the 5020-style fenders and operator shields. However, a 4020 Row-Crop could be ordered less rockshaft and 3-point hitch, which is what this sounds like. Probably more rare than the 4020 Gas Standard, but there's no way to tell.

 

[Dean in iowa]

I posted pictures in the tractor photo gallery if anyone would like to see it. Sorry for the dark photoes.

 

[4020LP]

Thanks for the photos! Remarkable, only row-crop I've ever seen with rockshaft delete.

 

[parrothead]

I've been thinking about selling our 4020 gas. I just don't use it that often anymore. It has the regular transmission, 3 point and 3200 original hours.