4640 vs 4850 John Deere

[Tyler2240]

Im looking at getting a bigger tractor to run a 3x3 baler and auto steer to plant pumpkins. I am on some hills but the 4640 im looking at has 12,000 hours and runs really good no blow by and it's a quad range. The 4850 im looking at has 10,000 hours and appears to be in good shape they want $18,900 for it. But it has white smoke when they rev it up is that injectors or will the motor need rebuilt. And is the quad range decent to bale with?
Thanks

 

[cushman]

Im looking at getting a bigger tractor to run a 3x3 baler and auto steer to plant pumpkins. I am on some hills but the 4640 im looking at has 12,000 hours and runs really good no blow by and it's a quad range. The 4850 im looking at has 10,000 hours and appears to be in good shape they want $18,900 for it. But it has white smoke when they rev it up is that injectors or will the motor need rebuilt. And is the quad range decent to bale with?
Thanks

The white smoke is possibly late injection timing,but could be bad injector tips.I doubt it indicates engine rebuilding which would show up as hard starting and or heavy oil use.I can not answer on baling with a quad range.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I would imagine having 16 speeds for baling is better than having only 8.

 

[Fixingfarmer]

4850

 

[Newgenerationdeere]

Quad range was Deeres answer to the ta except it worked . And it didn’t free wheel I’m low range because that was a great idea . It gives you 16 gears but only two are power shift high low in one and 2 and in 3 and 4 and you have to clutch between one and 3 and you have to clutch and stop between a b c d . Ran a 4430 on a round baler for years it’s not awful and it’s almost nice on a loader . I would rather an 8 speed PowerShift on a baler

 

[Tx Jim]

Slight correction to what Newgenerationdeere stated:
One must with Quad-range trans when shifting trans between ""2 & 3 not 1 & 3"", depress clutch when shifting trans while tractor is sitting still or moving .

I would chose the 4850 with 15 speed Powershift trans over a 4640 with Quad-range trans or 8 speed Powershift trans.

My 4255 with Quad-range trans I've owned since Feb. '93 has over 12,000 showing on speed/her meter with no repairs required on drive train.

 

[cjunrau]

I have used both For baling and cutting, quad range all the way. I never liked the 16 speed power shift. The selection of reverse gears was no good and I didn't like using it for a loader tractor as pushing forward to go faster in reverse was wrong. I found the quad range shifted smother and had a better selection of gears. power shift had to big of jumps between each gear when you got to the higher gears. Quad range has 16 gears but they all seem to be closer to the correct speed and more even jumps between them all. Might have been my imagination at the time but The boss got rid of the powershift after 3 years and got another quad range. I baled around 4000 bales a year working for him for 11 years.

 

[matthies]

I would imagine having 16 speeds for baling is better than having only 8.

Not eight , but 16 with the quad and 15 with the 4850.

 

[TerryfromSWIowa]

I have used both For baling and cutting, quad range all the way. I never liked the 16 speed power shift. The selection of reverse gears was no good and I didn't like using it for a loader tractor as pushing forward to go faster in reverse was wrong. I found the quad range shifted smother and had a better selection of gears. power shift had to big of jumps between each gear when you got to the higher gears. Quad range has 16 gears but they all seem to be closer to the correct speed and more even jumps between them all. Might have been my imagination at the time but The boss got rid of the powershift after 3 years and got another quad range. I baled around 4000 bales a year working for him for 11 years.

How many times did you get in the higher gears baling hay?!?!

 

[Tx Jim]

I have used both For baling and cutting, quad range all the way. I never liked the 16 speed power shift.

JD offered 8,15 & 19 speed Powershift trans but no 16 speed PS trans was offered by JD before 1992

 

[Fixingfarmer]

JD offered 8,15 & 19 speed Powershift trans but no 16 speed PS trans was offered by JD

Careful with that statement! We bale with an 8220 I think I have 4 of them around here with 16 speeds

Not anywhere near the timeframe the op is talking though it’s a 15 speed or a quad range

It’s significantly less likely with the hours the op is talking that he will have to be into the transmission and vs the 8 that came before he’s got plenty of speeds that’s why I’d pick the 4850. We also had a 4760 for decades that was one of my favorite tractors uncle still has it.

It’s also not like you CANT bale with our 4440 and the 8 speed. it’s fine

One of last winters projects was a topshaft in a quad range 4640. If you aren’t doing it yourself it will cost you more than the tractor is worth

 

[Tx Jim]

I stand corrected & edited my post but this thread was referring to 40 & 50 series tractors not 8000 series built after 1988.

 

[deere4040]

Careful with that statement! We bale with an 8220 I think I have 4 of them around here with

They are not the same. You can’t compare an electronic powershift to any of its predecessors. But yes it is a 16 in the 8 series and yes in some ways I would love to have one for baling. Mostly for the seat but being able to go from forward to reverse and back and having it the gear you want would be nice

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Not eight , but 16 with the quad and 15 with the 4850.

His question was, "Is the quad range decent to bale with?"

The other option on the 4640 was the 8-speed powershift, hence my answer 16 speeds is better than 8.