Advice Needed.

[buickal]

I want to buy a John Deere tractor in the 50 to 70 HP range.
Looking for used only so I want a model that dependable and
durable and if repairs become necessary, available parts (new
and used) would be easy to find. I dont really care if its diesel
or gas but forced to pick I would say diesel given I have a couple
of small 25 to 30 HP gas powered small ford tractors. My big
tractor (big being relative of course) is a 2017 Kubota 7040
diesel with a front loader.

I was hoping folks here who have owned or otherwise have
experience with JDs might be able to suggest a few models for
my watchlist that fit my goals. Id like a few so that I can
increase my chances of finding a tractor instead the tractor. Im
more familiar with the old fords and not JDs. I have thought
about another Ford but I really want a Deere.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer to help me in my
search.

 

[centash]

Any of the 20, 30, 40, 50 or 55 series 3 or 4 cylinder utility tractor from Deere would be a good tractor.....ranging from 40 hp 920 1020 series to the 75 hp 2755. Some of the smaller early series had open center hydraulics, others were closed center. The early series are over 50 years old, so buy on condition and or maintenance history if you can. Handier than a pocket in a shirt, you will be happy with a good one.

Ben

 

[Tx Jim]

Considering you & I both own a Kubota M7040 is there a reason you wouldn't consider another Kubota tractor? I certainly would buy another Kubota if the need arose. I own a JD, Ford & Kubota tractors

 

[buickal]

Thx. Is there a big difference between open and closed centers that is important to consider?

 

[buickal]

Not a good reason to be certain. I have loved my Kubota 7040
thus far. I just like the older well built JD tractors that built the
legendary status of the brand and I dont have a Deere. Another
thing is that I see a lot of Deere tractors for sale but not a lot of
Kubotas. So the available supply is low.

 

[Rusty wheel]

A John Deere 720 or a 730 two cylinder would be my choice. They have power steering, plenty of power and they're easy to work on if you have to. I have two As, a 40-w, a70, a 530 and two lawn tractors both JD. A 70 would fill the bill also, but they do use a lot os fuel.

 

[used red MN]

I personally would not recommend a two cylinder ..popper model.. Unless you are into nostalgia and a hand clutch I doubt you would be happy with one. Centash gave you a good run down of possibilities, be careful if you look at a 20 or 30 series utilities, do some research some of those had hydraulic system gremlins.

 

[centash]

Closed centre systems are more responsive and a bit more efficient, but for most situations, you would not notice the difference.

Ben

 

[rustred]

well we need your advise as what your goals are are ? ,... old 2 banger, old 3020, or the newer ones. no front end loader i presume. they are good tractors. plus a price range. u are vague.

 

[NoDakInMN]

(quoted from post at 08:16:12 10/19/23) I want to buy a John Deere tractor in the 50 to 70 HP range.
Looking for used only so I want a model that dependable and
durable and if repairs become necessary, available parts (new
and used) would be easy to find. I dont really care if its diesel
or gas but forced to pick I would say diesel given I have a couple
of small 25 to 30 HP gas powered small ford tractors. My big
tractor (big being relative of course) is a 2017 Kubota 7040
diesel with a front loader.

I was hoping folks here who have owned or otherwise have
experience with JDs might be able to suggest a few models for
my watchlist that fit my goals. Id like a few so that I can
increase my chances of finding a tractor instead the tractor. Im
more familiar with the old fords and not JDs. I have thought
about another Ford but I really want a Deere.

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer to help me in my
search.

A person would think that this would be fairly easy to answer, but it is not. Not only because we are guessing at what you intend to use it for, but also because we are also guessing at what price range you are looking at. Those two things can narrow down the field a lot because some tractors are better at certain tasks than others and price range tends to narrow the choices quite a bit. Now, say the 20 series of tractors in the 50 to 70 hp range you suggested, a few years ago a 3020 diesel could be picked up fairly often in the 7 to 8 thousand range, now you're looking at twice that money because that generation of tractors have become the collectable ones for older farmers, because those are the tractors that they grew up on rather than the old two bangers. Depending on where you are at, a solid open station 3020 might set you back more than a decent Gen II with a Sound Guard cab. It's crazy right now trying to set a decent rule of thumb. A couple of years ago, I was looking for a 4230 sized tractor to use as a snow removal machine for my yard. They were out there, but usually 200 to 300 miles away, and prices were in the upper 20K range, and that is a lot of money to spend on something sight unseen, not to mention having to have it hauled back. I wound up buying a local 4630, which I first thought was going to be way too big to turn around in the yard, but I was wrong. It came with a couple year old Koyker loader with an 8' bucket, a quick attach hay spear, a 3 point hay spear, 108" double auger Farm King snow blower that was about 15 years old, 3 SCVs, 9000 hours and on pretty fair rubber. I paid $17,500 for everything and drove it home. You never regret getting extra horsepower, you will find a use for it.

So what I am saying is, its a bit of a rodeo out there right now, and you need to define what you are wanting out of the tractor and how much you are willing to spend. Once you set those parameters and start shopping, you will be amazed at what you can find that you never thought you would and equally amazed at what you thought you could find but couldn't.

But if your only criteria is 50 to 70 horsepower, there is a whole lot of options out there.

This post was edited by NoDakInMN on 10/19/2023 at 10:16 pm.

 

[buickal]

Thanks for replying and for your points particularly about
needing more info. From a price standpoint, I would like to stay
around 6 to 8 thousand as a target (but willing to go as much as 10,000 for the right one) with the variance being a
recognition that I would pay more for a better specimen. Prices
as I have seen them in my area are all over the place as is hours
of use and apparent condition (recognizing that one cant judge
a book or a tractor by its cover as there are some great
mechanical tractors with poor aesthetics). Im less concerned
about looks and more focused on mechanical condition. As for
use, the tractor will bush hog, harrow, use a boom sprayer, use a
spreader, haul farm trailers of wood and other stuff. Hope this
additional info helps.

This post was edited by buickal on 10/20/2023 at 07:19 am.

 

[Leroy]

Now would the hydrolics on a A, B or G be considered an open center or closed center, Never did understand that. And I had the A & B tractors.

 

[Tx Jim]

JD A, B & G had open center hyd's. Closed center hyd's was introduced on JD tractors with the 3010/4010,s

 

[centash]

Closed center.....zero flow full pressure when not in use....kinda like a water faucet...pump goes out of stroke.

Open center.......full flow zero pressure when not in use. Oil is constantly pumped whether using or not.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I have a very nice 2520 diesel for sale in NY. But I read on down and found your price range. As one reply mentions, I think my tractor should bring twice that much!

 

[buickal]

(quoted from post at 13:57:17 10/20/23) I have a very nice 2520 diesel for sale in NY. But I read on down and found your price range. As one reply mentions, I think my tractor should bring twice that much!

So here s an example of a tractor I found. It s a little higher than my stated price range but there is bound to be some negotiation room and it could be a situation where it s better to spend the extra cash to get a better tractor at a better price except it has 7000 hours of use. It s a little more HP than I was wanting but maybe that s not a bad thing.

 

[JD Dave]

X2 what centash said. The 55 series was the epitome of well-designed, heavy duty and stout tractors no matter what model you chose. Too bad they're not making them today. I'd be buying a whole new fleet of them! Make sure you look for quality and units that have been properly serviced.

 

[Leroy]

Thanks, what I would have guessed. Everything I had would have been open center

 

[Fixingfarmer]

I have owned a diesel 2555 and a diesel 3020. Both were bought on the lower end of your price range It sounds like you are willing to be patient. The 3020 can cause a Bit of fun when its time to repair the steering compared to later ones but parts for most things green are available for a price and these are very common. Both have been setup for row crop work. 3020 is a bit heavier in the rear end and for the work you are talking I dont think that matters both would be acceptable. If you get into much loader work with any 2010-2055 series of small frame tractors be sure to add weight to the back. Without the cab and no weight mine cant even back up onto a trailer. My favorite was the 3020

 

[buickal]

(quoted from post at 20:39:01 10/20/23) I have owned a diesel 2555 and a diesel 3020. Both were bought on the lower end of your price range It sounds like you are willing to be patient. The 3020 can cause a Bit of fun when its time to repair the steering compared to later ones but parts for most things green are available for a price and these are very common. Both have been setup for row crop work. 3020 is a bit heavier in the rear end and for the work you are talking I dont think that matters both would be acceptable. If you get into much loader work with any 2010-2055 series of small frame tractors be sure to add weight to the back. Without the cab and no weight mine cant even back up onto a trailer. My favorite was the 3020

Thanks. Super helpful advice and much appreciated. My Kubota has weighted rear rims and a loader so that s what I use for that kind of work. This Deere would not have a loader as I need it for more traditional farm/row crop work. I need the HP because it needs to run a bigger bush hog (7 foot min) based on how much I have to cut.

This post was edited by buickal on 10/21/2023 at 03:47 am.