SEARCHING FOR FAMILY'S 4000 JOHN DEERE

WE ARE SEARCHING FOR MY FATHER-IN-LAWS 4000 JOHN DEERE TRACTOR THAT HE PURCHASED NEW. OUR YOUNGEST OF 4 SONS NEVER KNEW HIM AS HE DIED WHEN HE WAS ONLY A BABY. IF ANYONE WHO HAS OR KNOWS OF A 1972 4000 JOHN DEERE TRACTOR WITH SERIAL NUMBER 4000TRD262491 PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL. IT WOULD MAKE A 15 YEAR OLD VERY HAPPY.HIS NAME WAS VIRGIL BRAUNESERITHER IT WAS SOLD IN 1978 ON AUCTION AFTER HE SURVIVED A HEAT ATTACK. IT WAS A DIESEL, SYNCRO, NO CAB, WIDE FRONT. THANK YOU 605-660-3489

Was this in the USA?

Check with the auction company that sold the tractor; they may have a record of the purchaser.
PS: ALL CAPS IS SHOUTING! Plus harder to read.

Gary: Here are some ideas on how you can start looking for that JD 4000

1) Talk to the auction company. They MAY still have records of the sale'

2) IF they do not, then go and talk to neighbors of your Father-in-law. They more than likely where at the sale. They MAY remember who bought the tractor.

3) IF the dealership that sold the tractor to him is still in business they may have an older employee that may remember who/where the tractor went.

4) You need to post much more information. The following would help.

A) THE town and state the auction was held in.

B) The exact DATE of the sale. I remember sales that I went to years ago but may not remember the farmer's name. Some times it is just where and when that I remember. I may remember who bought some thing or the area it went to.

5) Your more than likely not going to find it very easily. It is like an investigation. You will find a little information here and there. It took me years to find my Grand Father's JD 4010 and I had a lot more information than you have.

6) If you find out the general area that it sold in then here are some things to do.

A) Check with the closest JD dealer in that area. They may know the person that bought it.

B) Put an ad in the local paper asking for information. I had the best luck putting the ad in the "For Sale" classifieds. Farmers will usually look at the "For Sale" ads but not much other stuff.

C) Put an ad in the regional farm papers' An example in Iowa that could be the "Iowa Farmer Today". IF your Farm Bureau member you would post in the "Spokesman".


Now some general thoughts. The odds that the tractor is still in one piece and not parted out is pretty good. There where not that many of the JD 4000 built. They have been kind of an oddity since they where new.

Do not depend just on the Internet. Many guys that are collectors are not computer guys.

Now some bad news. They are very collectible right now. Even if you do find it you may not be able to buy it back. Even if you can, expect it to cost you good money. I have seen pretty tough JD 4000s sell for 10K plus pretty easily. Restored ones can easily bring 20K plus.

There are guys putting together collections of JD New generation tractors and the JD 4000 is a hard one to find to complete the "set". So there is a very good high dollar demand for them.

I wish you GOOD LUCK in your search. Involve that 15 year old in the "hunt". HE will remember the hunt just as much as the tractor if you do it together.

Good Luck Gary, I hope you fine it, that would be a great story and memory. I went to barn and looked at mine to be sure, thought mine was a 1971, It was B213R253600R, came from MN years ago, been in TN for some years now. 10600 Hrs and going strong yet. I think it likes the weather here better than MN.

Just knowing where it is and being able to watch it from afar will be good.

Good tips. I put my heart into a Farmall H which I sold 34 years ago to a guy from Grant NB. Often wondered if it found a good home.