John Deere 4020: all-round fabulous tractor

Jul 07, 2016

Manufactured between 1963 and 1972

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

The John Deere 4020 is one of the all-around fabulous tractors that gives John Deere a good name.

Ranking as one of the most popular tractors of its time, the JD 4020 is still at work today in North American fields. More than 180,000 tractors were manufactured between 1963 and 1972. The 4020 is the most well-known tractor in the New Generation series.

John Deere 4020

The vast majority of these tractors were diesel fuel, but the tractor was also manufactured in gasoline and LP gas versions. The gasoline version has a huge carburetor, greatly reducing the fuel efficiency of the tractor. You can get just as much horsepower for far less fuel by purchasing the diesel version of the tractor. Because so many (160,000+) of these tractors were diesel (compared to around 8,000 gasoline), you can assume that any JD 4020 you see for sale is a diesel - but check before you buy, just to be safe.

While the 4020 doesn't have any major issues, there are a few things you should look for when purchasing one of these tractors.

First, make sure the PTO is in good working condition.

Second, check the steering system.

Third, look at the front end. Wide front ends are popular - even ones that didn't come this way from the factory have often been replaced aftermarket. Whenever possible, purchase one with a factory front end rather than an aftermarket version. John Deere factory front ends are very heavy-duty and reliable. I haven’t seen an aftermarket version that quite matches up.

Finally, check for extra bonuses. It's usually worth paying a bit more for dual remote hydraulics. While a cab can make repairs a bit more complicated, even the basic cabs these tractors offer are a nice way to increase operator comfort.

This past week, I found a great deal on a 4020 John Deere that was too good to pass up. Next time you find a deal, consider making the 4020 a part of your tractor lineup too.

Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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