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John Deere 5020, Pros Cons

D

Don McCullough

Member
Just curious about how others might rate the 5020. I have a 1967 model, Wheatland.

My understanding is that the major complaint was it was too heavy for it's horse power. Would seem that many think the 6030 corrected this error with it's 175 hp turbo-charged engine.

Don
 
The only thing the 5020 lacked was the horse to match the weight. Mine with the duals on weighed 20 pounds under 10 tons. It needed another 50 horse or more to use that kind of weight. If I could have put in a 6030 engine it would have been the cats meow.
 
I have one I bought a few years ago. I used it around here doing discing jobs for others. now all the large fields are gone, filled up with houses. It pulled my 14 ft disc real good, but it had a little trouble on steep hills, but just geared down. Like every thing else they do have problems. First year the trans input seal leaked. Splitting that thing was quite a chore. Next year the right axel pulled out of the final drive spline. biggest problem there was removing the axel tapers. then the injuction pume went out. It's now rebuilt waiting for it to be reinstalled. Probably going to sell it. Stan
 
Its a brute. Takes to much hp to pull itself.
For its size it should pull a 21 foot disc anywhere(ha) Impressive but a dud..sold mine and put the money in a 1086..you get what you pay for as usual.
 
Don, We had an ol 72 model rowcrop version. It was one powerhouse, unstopable, it would pull a 21 ft offset just a flying, or a 50 ft X 12ft Holcolm Land Plane just as easly. It was twice the tractor our 4630 ever thought about being! A 4630 was a gutless wonder, period! IMO, ours only lacked one thing to make it better, a more quieter cab. Ours had 20.8 x 38 duals. Tons of power, one very well balanced tractor.
If yours seems weak, get a good mechanic to twist on the pump a little, it will wake up. Ours was factory set, we hadn't touched it. Hope this helps
Later,
John A.
 
That"s why CAT made V8 bolt in conversions for 5010 & 5020. You can bolt in a 619 JD engine and do better than the 6030. If JD had put a sound guard cab on 6030 with 619 in it from factory they never would have sold those dog a$$ 46 series and 48 series. JD never had a 2WD would out pull 6030 till the 4960 came out.
6030 with sound gard conversion
 
ole Cat never made a kit to install a cat v8 M&W gear co did Kinez also made a kit to put a detroit in this was a good tractor with M&W turbo kit installed
 
There were several 5010's in my area and nobody kept them long.There was just too much weight for the horsepower.Several tried turbos and had engine problems.

Stock 6030's arent anything to brag about but crank one up to 230 horses and they come to life. Put a 619 in one at 300 horses and they are a brute.

Heres a 6030 on a 24 row planter in Illinois.Its not stock.He normally uses a 4WD Deere on the planter.
6030
 
Thanks for all of your replies. Appears it's true that the 5020 John Deere was (heavy) for it's horsepower. When I recently pulled out a pretty large tree stump (with 1500 lb weights on each side) I didn't mind the weight at all ! 30.5 X 32 rear tires, no fluid. Load'em with fluid and then what could I pull-out??? Ha!

Of course field work at a reasonable speed is something else but I must say (with little experience with this tractor) it's ability to make a U-turn on the road, idled all the way down in it's highest, 8th gear, with nary a sputter--is impressive. But, I've driven gas tractors in the past so believe the lugging ability of a diesel is what I'm experiencing.



Still, I have found some people who own them like them a lot. For a hobbie tractor I like mine a bunch and especially like the huge fenders and the "bassy" sound of the engine.



Don
 
I remember when they first came out around north central ks...considered one of the larger tractors at the time. It seemed like everytime I went by the area mechanics shop one would be in with the rearend all tore up, gears mainly. Dad mentioned it probably wasn't so much the tractor as the way the owner treated them. They had a field next to our and I watched them come out in the morning, start em up and sink a big old shank chiesel about a foot in the ground and take off..no warm up.
 
Growing up in ND in the 1970's we had 2 neighbors that had 5020s and their kids are still using them. They are tough, reliable, powerfull tractors. If you like it and it does what you want why care what anyone else thinks. Never heard of one as being a hobbie tractor before, you must have a big hobbie farm.
 
Cat here and in KS sold the M&W plate with engines. JD and other dealers wouldn't sell M&W here they just wanted to sell new tractors.
 
Scott in SF,

Well, not exactly a hobbie--more like a mistake. Sold my dads 4020 gas with dozer blade and bush hog and that was a BIG mistake. Like so many in the 60s' the 4020 was a big jump up for him and his pride and joy.

Big tree falls down and I buck it up and haul it away with the pickup. What a job! About an hour and 2-3 trips to the woods and it would have been done with the 4020. Have more big old maples which could fall at any time. Hence, the 5020. And too, couldn't pass-up this 5020 for 5800 bucks. Wish I had but I do like this big old brute of a tractor. And.....kinda natural to want the next size larger.

As you might imagine--several unexpected problems came with the tractor.

Don
 
My family had a 4020 also, a diesel 1968 model (I think) with powershift. Delivered to the farm with fluid in the tires for $9750. They gave $3300 for the IHC WD9 in trade. Shortly after Grandpa retired and my dad and uncle went seperate ways. The 4020 went with my uncle and in the 1980's he traded it for a 4040. I was in the Army then and had no knowledge of the event. Even if I could find it now I could not afford it.
 
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