John Deee 4020

Anonymous-0 · Mar 29, 2009

Would the 4020 have been enough tractor be a main tractor on a two hundred acre farm in the mid 1960's? I was wondering this becouse IH by 1965 had the 1206 with a turbo. Could the 4020 hold its own in comparision to such tractors as the 1206? In comparing stock to stock. When did John Deere come out with a turbo charged tractor? A final question, could the 4020 handle a two row forage harvester and enough weight to handle heavy manure spreaders and other towed implements?

Anonymous-0 · Mar 29, 2009

Wow, my thought is a 4020 is way too much tractor for a 200 acre farm. Two hundred acres is more a Farmall M or John Deere G size.

Tech 7 · Mar 29, 2009

I have a BIL that ran a 4020 diesel syncro from the mid 60's through till about '75 He ran a 2 row harvester with it,pulled 5x16 plow and a 17ft cultivator.One year between his own and custom work he sidedressed 3000 acres of corn with a 5 tooth applicator (yes he says that was a LOT of driving)While he really liked the 4430 and later the 4440 he moved up to he like so many others missed the 4020. Bob

RobMD · Mar 29, 2009

You'd get 200 acres done pretty good with a 4020. That's about the size. I had a 4020 with only 40 acres. Man, i'd be farmin' fast.

usetob · Mar 29, 2009

short answer, YES, I farmed 900 acres with 2 4020 with no problem!

Anonymous-0 · Mar 29, 2009

I grew up with both. The 1206 had a little more power but the 4020 was a far better tractor. It had power shift and poth pto's. The International had a TA and was 1000 pto only, it used more fuel to do the same task and it was louder. Either one would pull a 14 foot chisel plow or 14 feet of disc and drills. As a loader tractors the 4020 was the hands down winner, and it handeled cold winters better. Anyway, when I am talking with my cousins and brothers the 4020 is missed. The 5020 would pull either one backward in road gear. I am thinking either the 1206 or 4020 would belong more on like 2000 acres that 200. An M of either make would be more fitting to 200 acres. Thats a perspective of a former small grain and cow guy from ND.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 29, 2009

I guess I should have said large acrage (more then 200) instead of a specific amount.

steveormary · Mar 29, 2009

A 4020 would be penty of tractor for 200+ acres.

In the mid 60's our biggest tractor was a SM Farmall. We had others. We farmed 100 acres corn
40a. alfalfa and 20a. small grain.

steveormary

stevejd40001 · Mar 29, 2009

I vote YES!!

We used to farm with 4010, 4020, and 4000 on 1000 to 1500 acres year around. I would do it again if I find some acres.
And we had a 3010 for small jobs, towing and mowing.

I still own an 71 4000 and would like other one!

bighornJD · Mar 30, 2009

I help a friend of mine who is currently milking just over 40 cows and farming 350-400 acres with a 4010 as his biggest tractor followed by a 3020, everything else is 2 cylinder. So I'd say if hes getting it done now it would have been considered a breeze in the 60's. Everyone thinks you need these huge tractors these days and underestimates what can be done with 100hp.

bighornJD · Mar 30, 2009

I help a friend of mine who is currently milking just over 40 cows and farming 350-400 acres with a 4010 as his biggest tractor followed by a 3020, everything else is 2 cylinder. So I'd say if hes getting it done now it would have been considered a breeze in the 60's. Everyone thinks you need these huge tractors these days and underestimates what can be done with 100hp.

fixerupper · Mar 30, 2009

Dad farmed 240 acres with a 51 JD A and a 35 A. Then he went wild and bought a 630. A neighbor farmed 320 A with a 4020 and we thought he had way too big of a tractor. Jim

msb · Mar 30, 2009

I farmed 600 acres with a 4020 for several years--no problem.

Mike (WA) · Mar 30, 2009

"An M of either make". . . You're gonna farm 200 acres with a JD M? Hope you can make arrangements for a cot, and food to be delivered, 'cause your gonna be on that sucker 24 hours a day.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2009

I run a 4020 on a few acres. It was the most economical (gas) that I could find with crop clearance for cultivation and spraying. Smaller tractors tend to be closer to the ground and priced of yuppie estates. Late model two cylinder tractors were already collector items ten years ago.

Along with the 4020, JD made the turbo 4320 (no intercooler) (beginning 1971) and 4520 (intercooler) (beginning 1969) with sturdier drive line parts but much like the 4020. The 5010 begain in 1963 and the 5020 began in 1966 and 6030 began in 1971. I know the 6030 standard was with turbo but it could be bought without.

M&W offered a turbo for the 4010 diesel as well as the 4020 so that aftermarket turbo was available early.

Gerald J.

HuskerMedic · Mar 30, 2009

I worked part-time for an older couple in the 1980's. They farmed 400 dryland acres, corn, soybeans, and a little wheat on occasion. They did it all with a couple Farmall M's, a 4020, and a 715 I.H. combine.

The 4020 did most of the tillage and field work, discing, field cultivating, and row crop cultivating (they were a full-tillage operation; that was the norm back then). The only thing the M's did were to pull a 4-row planter and do the mowing and occasional loader work (their cattle were gone by the time I worked for them). Spraying was hired custom.

They were not "overpowered" by any means, but were equipped well enough to get done in a timely manner. They only farmed their own ground and family owned ground so there were no landlords to impress. I knew of several people in the neighborhood who farmed less ground with more iron. They were definitely one of the lowest "low cost" producers around, but usually had some of the best looking corn around.

J.C.in AZ. · Mar 30, 2009

In the 1960's a 4020 was what most farmers dreamed about haveing ,especially those whose 4010 or old A's and G's were in need of major rebuilds. Yes a 4020 gas or diesel will be fully enough to handle any Equipment of that era. A 4020 would be just right to handle heavy work on a 200 acre Farm and no it would not outshine a 1206. A 1206 was IH's venture into Hot Rodding a farm tractor.I admired the 4020 and the 1206 but as I was a devoted AC user I opted for the AC 190G for our 320 Acre Dairy Farm. The AC 190-JD 4020 or the IH 1206 would all handle a 2 Row Chopper for Corn silage. I know,I had a Fox 2 Row and chopped my own Silage and Haylage and also custom cut Silage in the neighborhood and the AC 190 I had did the job very well besides the customer furnished the "Gas". I furnished the 190,Fox Chopper and Fox short Hopper Blower, a D17 Gas for the Blower and two self unloading forage Wagons on 10 ton Case Gears.IMO JC.

dieseldoc · Mar 30, 2009

If that is all you could afford it would work.Besides a 100 hp john deere could do what a 150 hp farmall could do. lol

Anonymous-0 · Mar 30, 2009

My great grandpas (3 of 4) did 160 acres with ox, horse and mules. True, I would be sitting on that JD M for a long time, but where would I rather be ? Where do I sign up ?

The Dukester · Mar 30, 2009

The 4020 was the counterpart of the 806, not the 1206 I thought... didn't John Deere have another tractor to squash competition from a hot-rodded (but good... but good) 806 from International Harvester in the 5010-5020 type? Now to start a real war...for 5-600 acres would you rather have a green pair like a 4020 and a 5020...or would you want the red 806 and 1206? In my era (around 1950) a big lunker like a 4020 or 806 would have needed about 500 acres to justify something that big...with a 40-50 horse puller to do the planting and "fooling around". Some of you younger guys "overspend" so badly in power and equipment it's no wonder you're broke half the time. Now JHMO ya unnerstan'.
(I should talk...there's a JD A, a JD G and a MM U settin' out back...on 35,000 sq. ft. of house, garage, shed and lot, and 3 plows with a total of 8 bottoms). But they're just toys.

John Deee 4020

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