best deere tractor from each decade?

[swindave]

I know we can't do them all, but just for fun what do you think is the best Deere tractor made in each decade?
1920s, --has to be the model D
1930s, a little tougher, I'm going with the model A
1940s, late styled, A or B
1950s- going with a 730
1960s- easy one! the 4020!

now, what do you think?

 

[tomstractorsandtoys]

The 70's would be the 4430 or I guess the 4440 would be 78. Tom

 

[olgentdc]

i can agree. the 3520 and 4000 were almost as good as a 4020 , depending on the need.

 

[rustred]

1920's, 30's 40's 50's the jOhn deere D. LOL. They were a slow simple old work horses, could not wear then out.

 

[coonie minnie]

I guess this depends on how you define best. Most sold would be fairly close to what you have, although I think the most sales in the 50's were the 70 and the 420, and the 30's the b might have edged out the A. All told there were more B's sold than A's, despite the A being available for another year or so earlier than the B.

I agree with most of your selections. As for the 70's, I'd pick the 4440, and the 4450/4455 for the 80's. 90's either 4455 or 8010 series.

 

[Hawkeye85]

Interesting question. A D would probably take the 20s. The 30s would make way for the B by the end of the decade. The 40s probably would be given slightly to the B based off total sales, but a late 40s A was probably the Cadillac of the 40s. A lot of advancements took place in the 50s, this was a great time for tractors of all brands, for John Deere the greatest of the 50s would have been a 730. However Deere also saw advancements in the model A to the 60; 620; then 630, as well as the B to the 50; 520; and 530 during this decade. The 730 was a decedent of the model G, after a
70 and 720. Despite the G series producing less numbers than the A and B, a 730 remains one of the most fuel efficient and reliable tractors Deere has produced, specifically diesel. The 60s introduced the 10 series, which were a huge advancement, but the 20 series was also introduced, giving way to the 4020. After that things got pretty modern.

 

[fdt860]

1920 D
1930 G unstyled
1940 R
1950 70
1960 5020
1970 4640
1980 4955
1990 8400
2000 8520
2010 6140R
2020 not the robotic tractor

 

[GreenEnvy]

Thats probably a good as list as any. My list would be slightly different since I dont farm in the corn belt. Sub out the 730 for an 830 and the 4020 out for a 5020.

This post was edited by GreenEnvy on 04/03/2022 at 09:23 am.

 

[rustred]

ooh, but he said BEST. the 4020 has a way better reputation than the 5020.

 

[GreenEnvy]

And your point is????? He was asking our opinions and I gave mine. 5020 was a good solid tractor.

 

[DR. EVIL]

FTD860 - Sorry, but I have to strongly disagree with your pick for 1940 decade, the R. Yes, they really sipped
fuel, hard to make them burn 2 gallons of fuel an hour, they also didn't pull with other tractors in their
weight class. A decent running Farmall M pulled right with the R Dad bought as MY Tractor at 10 years old.
Only pulled 4-14's in old hay ground in 2nd gear, had a clay side hills I had to stop and shift to FIRST. That
40 acres was all the sod we had that year, pulled 3-14's in 3rd gear rest of spring, that's 4.3 mph, an M
would pull that 5 mph. The TOWNSHIP road commissioner bought the R to rotorill sacrificed oiled dirt roads
they reworked every spring, forget the brand of rototiller, but they tore out the pto drive train EVERY YEAR
of the 3 years they ran it. THEY traded the R for a 770 Oliver Diesel that I did the exact same work with 10
years later with never a problem.
The salesman told Dad to not lug the engine, no center main bearing and lugging resulted in broken
crankshaft. The 2 cylinder engine really struggled to crank the diesel any day there was frost. I NEVER
started the thing, I'd leave it idling while I ate lunch. Even with the stock factory muffler my ears ran for
5 (FIVE) hours after I shut it off the first day I ran it. I question who if anybody from Deere test drove the
R in development, and especially wonder WHAT they were testing. Our Super M-TA was Nebraska rated the exact
same HP as the R, and out-worked the R by at least 20%.

There had to be something better than the R that Deere built in the 1940's.

 

[rustred]

yes i agree, . they came out in 1949 as the first diesel john deere. they were not very powerful. so in the 40's it was the G's and D's that were the up front tractors. at least the 820 was a better tractor than the R. definitly would not apply to the 40's era. and not the 50's either.

 

[rustred]

ooh ya, he did say what you THINK IS the best in the decade. so i still say its the 4020. 5020 was big and powerful yes, but had their share of problems.

 

[GreenEnvy]

The R was just as powerful as the WD-9. Or did you guys forget that.

 

[GreenEnvy]

Good for you then. 5020 didnt have any more problems then any other tractor of that era.

 

[fdt860]

Well, define BEST: for me, it was the tractor that was way above the competition for technical features in that segment.

The 5020 was really on another planet for big jobs during the 60s. I have a 141HP one, and it is not by far a lemon. It is a 1.5x 4020, but turns almost as easy. It has very good "natural" traction.
Sure, 5020's (that were said to be underpowered) that got fluid in 24.5-32 Duals + full rack of weights + turbochargers at 180HP + no maintenance and oil pan full of dirt, may have had issues !! But less than any other tractors pulling same implements.

I put the R during the 40s, because for me Deere did not have a best tractor. The Farmall M was way better. Then Deere improve on the ergonomics, and lack of a good engine was less redhibitory.

 

[SVcummins]

Ran a 5020 pulling a five shank big ox ripper 18 inches deep
on hills that would scare a mountain goat 2nd gear going up
3 coming back down no front weighs fluid in the duals and
front tires it would pack the front wheels about a foot off the
ground steering was the brakes that still has never had an
overhaul although it now can barely pull a new Holland 216
rake on those hills .