Advice on John Deere 4240 purchase

[bowietx]

Greetings to all from Texas,


I am seeking advice/experiences on the purchase of a John Deere 4240. At time I have a gas 3020, but am tired of working on it and it doesn't have enough power. We raise horses and cattle and I do not farm for a living. Here is what I need from a tractor:

1.) Reliable
2.) Till 30-50 acres per year
3.) Load/unload/move round bales
4.) Accomplish general farm duties such as moving dirt/gravel, cleaning pens, etc.

From what I gather after researching this subject the 4240 is a reliable tractor. However, some have claimed that it needs to be worked on regularly and this is something that I would like to avoid. Newer tractors look great, but cost far too much in this horsepower range for what I need.

Please let me know what your experiences have been and whether or not this would be a good purchase. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

V/R

Bowietx

 

[jenkinsph]

Almost all tractors need some maintenance when older but I haven't heard where the 4240 has any special problems. If you buy an older tractor and take the time to go through the aging parts such as rubber hoses, wheel bearing seals, belts and other weathered parts it can make a big difference in reliability. Much better to go through everything you can in a shop environment rather than in the field.

TxJim a retired Deere mechanic is very familiar with these models and hopefully will see this and help you out. Much more knowledgeable than I am.

 

[bowietx]

Jenkinsph,


Thanks for the advice and I agree 100% that it is much easier to fix something in the shop than in the field, especially when it is 100+ degrees!! That said I appreciate your thoughts on the parts requiring maintenance. These parts are relatively easy to keep up with and appear to be easily had/I can handle these types of repairs. My primary concerns are having to do an engine overhaul/serious engine repairs/transmission work on a regular basis. My 3020 has taught me quite a bit about the frequency and cost of repairs and I hope to avoid it with my next tractor. Do you see any reason to get a newer tractor? The most recent John Deere's seem to work fine, but the sheer amount of electronic integration gives me pause.

How do you like your 4520?

 

[jenkinsph]

You are right about the new ones in that while they seem to work well a computer glitch can make you overly dependent on the dealer. I have had two instances where my 4520 stopped dead in its tracks and could not move. The first time the dealer came out and reprogrammed the computer. The second time I had to haul it in on a flatbed wrecker and the technician found the ground strap from computer to frame wasn't making good contact.

I have had a Deere 4020, and 820 tractors and my dad has had a 3020 all diesels but that was back in the 1970's. Very good tractors with few problems that I can remember. My current 4520 is a compact not the older model.

While I am considering a larger tractor and looked at the 4020 through the 4455 series the prices seem to be very high. I have since started looking more at CaseIH 2294 through 3594 mfwd tractors these appear to be a much better deal for the money. Just something you might want to consider.

 

[AGRIMAN]

The 4240 is a really good tractor, but they are getting some age on them now. It will depend on the hours and how well it's been maintained. I have owned, ran and worked on several over the years and they are reliable.

Try and find out if it's had any major engine/ trans work and when it was done. What transmission does it have?

 

[bowietx]

The 4240 is a really good tractor, but they are getting some age on them now. It will depend on the hours and how well it's been maintained. I have owned, ran and worked on several over the years and they are reliable.

Try and find out if it's had any major engine/ trans work and when it was done. What transmission does it have?

Agriman,

Unfortunately, the shop that is selling it does not have any of the records for maintenance etc. The transmission is a QR. I have looked at some of the newer tractors, but the prices are exceedingly high in some cases and reliance on dealerships for computers glitches is a major concern. The 4240 that I am looking at is old (1980), but it does appear to be original and still in decent shape with about 5,500 hours. The cab appears to be original and is not faded or unduly worn. The rest of the tractor looks decent. Is there anything that I should be looking for specifically with the trans/engine etc? Thanks again for the help.

 

[AGRIMAN]

The 40 series were solid tractors. If it looks good (as you suggest) I would not be afraid to buy it with 5,500 hours and a QR. I don't really dislike the power shifts, but prefer the QR as they always pulled harder and were a little more forgiving in my opinion.

As far as what to look for on the engine. I would make sure it starts fairly easy and runs with no unusual noise. Warm it up and set the throttle to around 1,500 rpm. Step back about 20' or so and see if there's any noticeable blue/white smoke from the exhaust.

Transmission: Drive it around and make sure it shifts into all the gears smoothly without grinding and it doesn't jump out. Rememder, you don't have to clutch between some of the gears on the QR but make sure you feel the transmission shift when you bump the lever over.

Good luck