John Deere JD4200 4.20 star(s) (20)

John Deere 4200
Model Year: 2001

The tractor will do the job but I totally abused it by useing it to clear my acreage. I still use it but had to dissable the seat switch and gear shift switch so it would start easily. The generator quit working many years ago and I use it by chargeing the battery often. About all of the plastic parts have gone to hell in a basket but it still does the job. The plug for hydraulics filling won't seal so I had to change the fluid because it doesn't like water. The roll bar is still there. My next tractor will be a Kubota.

Pros: Lasts a long tim if you work on it a lot.
Cons: Not tough enough for what I need it for. The plastic parts suck.

Ray200
Model Year: 2000

This is my first tractor, I talked to lot of people and everyone said to get a John Deere. So far it's done a great job around my property. - 420 Loader - Box blade - Landscape rake - Boom

Pros: 4-wheel drive and loader are great.
Cons: None.

Concerns
Model Year: 2004

I normally take my tractor to the dealer in mid winter for a tune-up so it will be ready in the spring. I always ask the dealer to go over it and see if there is anything that I have missed. I usually get it back in a week or so and after I get it back it does not act or feel any different. I would have thought that there would have been some sort of a different feel while driving or using other attachments. Do all tractors always feel the same after getting back from the shop.

Pros: Easy of use for all members of the family.
Cons: Would prefer a couple of more idiot gauges.

John Deere 4200
Model Year: 2000

Sure it's a compact tractor. I have 3.5 acres and half of it is treed. I use the Deere for bucket work, maintaining the gravel road, pushing over or moving fallen trees, digging out rocks etc. Occasionally it has been used to plow snow. I have a rototiller, finish mower deck, box rake, blanket harrow and a trench blade. This tractor has been totally reliable with only normal maintenance. I keep it on a battery tender. Ours is hydrostatic and for my money that is the way to go.

Pros: Hydrostatic.
Cons: None.

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Worst Decision Ever
Model Year: 1998

If I had this to do over again, I would not have bought this tractor. Cost differential was important and at the time influenced the decision but the John Deere name was a good reason as well. I should have stayed with the Kubota and paid the extra money as I ended up paying it over the years. This tractor has some of the worst engineering I've seen. Even compared to cheap Chinese products it's bad. Drain plug on bottom front transmission case where a rock or log can hit and punch through draining all hydraulic fluid (happened). All hydraulic lines run underneath the tractor where they can be snagged and pulled. I built a three piece skid pan to protect. It has worked well, but it cost. Lower lift arm connections were clipped as opposed to being bolted resulting in clips getting snagged and pulled off resulting in damage to the lower housing, which broke. Even the dealer admitted it wasn't right and warrantied it. All rams on from end loader are made from cast material as opposed to case hardened steel. Over the life (1000 hours so far) each has broken. I have a hydraulic shop that has done all the repair work as the JD replacement is the same material (no design improvement). When I first called to ask if he could rebuild it correctly he said I was crazy, no-one used that kind of material. He took back his comment and laughed when he saw it. I could go on, continual real wheel seal leaks, hydraulics on front end loader now in need of major rebuild, etc. I still have it only because there is no dollar value in selling or trading. Worst decision of my life.

Pros: None.
Cons: All.

JD 4200
Model Year: 2001

I love this tractor, we use it on job sites often and it has performed. The only issues I have had with the tractor are the starter solenoid and a seal on the right front wheel. We have lots of attachments, backhoe, box, landscape rake, pasture cutter, rototiller and they all work great.

Pros: Hydorstatic forward and reverse, economical.
Cons: Issue with fuel shut off solenoid.

John Deere 4200
Model Year: 2000

I have owned the tractor since it was new. Lots of issues with this tractor. It has performed well for the most part but has had issues such as bolts broken off often on the mower deck mounting. Fuel gauge does not work, and gauges fogged over. The transmission shift lever has broken and the tractor was in second gear. I have not repaired it. John Deere wanted $5,000 to repair this and I don't feel it is worth that. Of course all fiberglass is all cracked and I normally repair it myself. It has always started well except this year, which is why I joined this site. It seams I need to replace a thermistor to help with a starting issue. I paid a lot for the tractor, mower, loader hoping I would never replace it but I don't think it will make it another 20 years.

Pros: Had started well.
Cons: Lots of small issues and 1 big issue with transmission lever being broken.

John Deere 4200 4x4
Model Year: 2000

I purchased this tractor to help make it easier to take care of my property and maintain my 1800' driveway. I have been very happy with it so far. The 72" belly mower works great and mows very well. I have purchased many implements for it and everything has worked well.

Pros: Reliability has been good, fuel consumption is great.
Cons: Dash fogs up a little but not too bad, belly mower is pretty heavy and very difficult to roll under unless on blacktop or hard surface.

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Transmission
Model Year: 2000

Gears grind since new.

Pros: Runs good.
Cons: Shifting, grinding.

I Would Buy Another JD in a Minute
Model Year: 2000

I compared this to a Kubota model. I very happy that I purchased the JD. I had a a couple issues with it when I bought it used. Since those were fixed it has worked flawlessly for 8 years.

Pros: Ergonomically designed. The tractor just works.
Cons: Can't think of any.

Poor Skins
Model Year: 1999

As most of you who own the John Deere utility models know the skins on the tractor are very poor. I can no longer place my hands on any of the cowlings or hood, because they now break like egg shells. I have replaced the hood at an extreme price of $390 and while the hood survived this mowing season the rest of the skins continue to crack. Cost of ownership is high. I did not have a trailer when the tractor went down and the dealership ended up charging me $400 to take the tractor in (2 round trips of about 20 miles). Any bolt or nut that needs to be replaced cost 5X the price at the dealership as it does at a hardware store. Most parts are manufactured so appropriate replacements are hard to find. I am disappointed in my tractor. Battery used to go out once a year when they replaced the unit with a cheaper model. I guess they figured replacing all the batteries cost more than just building the battery correctly, so the last one I got has made it through two seasons. Fuel gauge no longer works, instrument panel has fogged up and cannot be read. When you pay the price equivalent to a small car, you expect quality with your purchase. There is no lemon law with tractors, though perhaps congress should consider this. I went with John Deere thinking I would get that quality. Instead I get poor customer service and over priced maintenance.

Pros: Core tractor itself is good. All the extras seem to fail.
Cons: Skins, instrument panel, fuel gauge.

Nothing Runs Like a Deere, Until I Buy One.
Model Year: 2000

From the day I bought this machine I've had nothing but problems. This is one of those items you would have planned to last a life time. Its only used for residential grounds keeping and it could not handle that!

Pros: I have not found one yet.
Cons: Always breaking down.

Nice Small Tractor
Model Year: 2001

I bought my John Deere 4200 new in 2002 as a leftover 2001 model year and got a much better price than if I had purchased it 6 months earlier. I also looked at a few Kubota models and have previously owned a smaller Kubota. The main reason I went with the JD was the space in the operator area was much better than on the Kubota and as a large man this was very important to me. The JD 4200 has been a great little workhorse that can be easily maneuvered in tight areas. I have a loader and several other attachments and have worked the tractor very hard even though the total hours are still quite low. I used a rear finish mower often the first year or two before buying a zero turn rider, have plowed a lot of snow, used a box blade, ripped out many yards of concrete with the loader, pulled trees out of the woods and the pond, among other jobs. There are times that this model is not big enough for my job but that is not the tractors fault. She has performed very well overall and been very dependable. Other than fluid changes and other routine maintenance the only thing I have done in almost 10 years is put in a new battery. I keep her inside when not in use and she still looks very good except for the tires, which show a lot of wear due to driving on rock and concrete often. Knowing what I know now, I would buy this tractor again for small acreage with light to medium seat time. Someone who wants to be on their tractor every day would probably be willing to spend more for a larger model as they would surely find more tasks that a larger tractor would be better suited for.

Pros: Good size operator area, tough little tractor.
Cons: John Deere is always a bit pricey.

2001 JD 4200
Model Year: 2001

Bought this tractor mainly for loader work. It's performed flawlessly. It's done everything I've asked of it. It's a real back saver.

Pros: Plenty of power. Excellent fuel economy.
Cons: None at this time.

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John Deere 4200
Model Year: 2001

Since purchasing, I have had very few issues with the tractor (fuel is a different story). It has been a great tractor - small enough to not rut lawns but big enough to get things done. I have a back hoe, box blade, pallet forks, and heated cab.

Pros: Small (little yard damage); Large enough to do the job.
Cons: Tough to work on (everything hidden).

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John Deere 4200 Has Served Me Well
Model Year: 1999

I have 12 acres on a lake and needed some extra muscle to work the yard so I bought the JD 4200 with a front end loader, bush hog and box blade. I never bush hog anymore as I have two JD 48' mowers for mowing. As you can see from the hours I don't use it heavily, but I did work it pretty hard in it's early life. I have never had a problem with it except a broken cylinder on the loader a few years ago. It is now down because of a starter problem which is why I joined this forum (see post). The tractor has been great and done all I asked of it in the 12 years I have owned it. It replaced an old Ford tractor with no loader. The tractor has turf tires with water in the rear tires. The reason I have build quality a three is because of the plastic body parts. I keep the tractor under a shed with three sides closed. But the UV from the sun has cooked the plastic over the years and it is very brittle. The tabs the attach it the the frame and small and some have broken making the cowling between the driver and the engine loose, just hanging there. I have a similar problem with the two JD lawn tractors I have (GT275 and GT 235)and I have rebuild the plastic parts with fiberglass. Unfortunately, the tractor body parts are such that I can't really do that. The next tractor I buy will not have a plastic body. So in summary, this tractor is outstanding mechanically but the plastic body makes is an indoor tractor. I guess the indirect UV rays over 12 years cooked the plastic. It has been out in the sun for only 480 hours in 12 years.

Pros: Versatile, mechanically sound, reliable.
Cons: Plastic body parts do not hold up for the long term; not sunlight resistant.

John Deere 4200
Model Year: 2000

Fantastic tractor! I bought it with only 79 hours on it. I've worked it very hard so far and the only problem is we plan on selling it as soon as it is a bit too small for our property. The first thing I did is have a machine shop fabricate two 160mm long rear axle extensions as our property is very hilly. Reversed front wheels and tractor Very Stable! The only criticisms I have with John Deere is the seat quality. Even though we keep it under cover, the seat foam unglued itself from the seat bucket frame. Another feature that they could improve is the fuel gauge, ours stuffed up after a few hundred hours only. The temperature gauge also became broken at around 1000 hours and it reads full on hot now, even though the motor runs perfectly and is not overheating at all. I think the problem is with the design of the instrument cluster that allows diesel vapor from the fuel tank cap to cloud up the instrument cluster window after operating for long periods of time (more than 1 hour constant.) This vapor plus dust probably shorts out the printed circuits that operate the temperature gauge as I checked out all other items, temperature sensor and wiring. Otherwise, this is a fantastic tractor, we plan on buying a new John Deere 4105 soon.

Pros: Well made, excellent quality, & worth the price.
Cons: Early fuel gauge and temperature gauge failure.

Transmission Failure
Model Year: 2000

Hydrostatic transmission locked up at 617 hours.

Pros: Has been great machine.
Cons: Transmission failure at 617 hours.

JD 4200 HST MFWD
Model Year: 2001

This unit has performed excellent. I've used the 420 loader to dig holes big enough for my septic tank and it plows snow with ease. It always starts in sub zero weather with no aid. I use it for mowing grass meadows and a 1/2 mile of road borrow pit along the front of our property with a 513 rotary mower. I also use it for tilling w/655 roto tiller & a #11 field cultivator in our wind belts. The only problem I ever had was the front drive gear box developed a mating surface gasket leak. If I could afford it today the only thing I would do different is get a similar model w/the new cab on it. Good Product.

Pros: HST drive, 4WD, & a great loader.
Cons: Dusty & dirty w/o a cab (big deal).

JD 4200 HST
Model Year: 2001

So far this tractor has done everything I've asked of it. I use it mainly for loader work, moving trailers around, plowing/discing the garden, hauling wood etc.

Pros: Easy to use, love the hydro trans.
Cons: none so far

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