Hobby Farmer in search of used JD

[goodl]

Hello. I am a 42 year old kid who grew up on a dairy farm in PA (brother's farming now), but I'm living in VA and am looking to start raising some steers. I know I could get less expensive tractors, but for reasons of nostalgia, I'm hoping to locate a JD 2240. It's more tractor than I need, but if I can find one, I might be willing to spring for it. I'd also be interested in other similar 3 cylinder diesel tractors made by John Deere, but I don't know much about them. Anyone have experience they could offer? Thanks, Lee Good

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[rsewill]

Welcome!

 

[creekbend]

Welcome aboard. Best wishes.

 

[terry.dinerman]

Hello. I am a 42 year old kid who grew up on a dairy farm in PA (brother's farming now), but I'm living in VA and am looking to start raising some steers. I know I could get less expensive tractors, but for reasons of nostalgia, I'm hoping to locate a JD 2240. It's more tractor than I need, but if I can find one, I might be willing to spring for it. I'd also be interested in other similar 3 cylinder diesel tractors made by John Deere, but I don't know much about them. Anyone have experience they could offer? Thanks, Lee Good

Welcome aboard, Lee!

I have been running a nice old JD 870 for several years now...it is as handy as the pocket on a tee-shirt...

After watching me move some enormous loads with it, my Precious Bride refers to it as the "Little Green Giant"...

When I started looking around, every local rancher I spoke to had pretty much the same opinion...John Deere has durable, reliable equipment and enough dealers in my region, that parts and repairs would rarely be a problem...and repairs would be infrequent...

Precious Bride found the 870 online, and when I checked it out, it had lived a pretty quiet life hauling hay and doing a little mowing...

Now that I own it, however, I beat the crap out of it, with the mower, boxblade, disc, middle buster, rake, forks, post hole digger and boom and it just keeps on running...

Clean fuel, a little grease, a little fresh oil, a few filters and two new front tires in 5 years is the total cost for maintenance so far...

See what tractors are parked in your neighbors yards and go talk to them...I was swayed more by the availability of maintenance parts and repairs than the green paint...you may find another paint color that suits you as well as JG Green did me...

Good hunting!

Terry

 

[moored4]

:welcome: to TBN! :thumbsup:

Happy :tractor: ing!

 

[grnspot110]

:welcome:

I,too grew up farming, moved to town 40 years ago. Have kept a tractor for the last 25-30 yrs. A couple of years ago I decided my 1958 JD 520 needed to be replaced. I was able to find a JD 790 w/300 loader on CL a couple hours from home. I suits my needs very well, is easier to store & haul to the farm than the 520 was also. It takes a little more time for some jobs than the 520, but is better for me over all! ~~ grnspot

 

[DKCDKC]

Welcome Lee.

I lived in Harrisonburg in the late 60's and early 70's, before moving all over the East Coast. Now in Staunton. You have several good tractor sources around Harrisonburg, one out near Linville on 42 used to have a host of used equipment.

If you want to go a bit further and consider a slightly larger tractor... I just traded my 1974 JD 2030 with FEL in to James River Equipment in Fishersville - about 30 miles from the 'Burg - and doubt they have sold it yet. It's a solid tractor with about 2,800 hrs that was shed-kept forever and has almost new-looking paint and no real rust. I'm sure James River will polish it up even more and give it a full service. It's got about 10 more hp than the newer 2240, but you might get a deal on it. I actually bought in in 2001 from a JD mechanic who lived in Timberville, just N of Harrisonburg.

I only traded it in because I needed a smaller tractor - went with a JD 3038e. I'm approaching the big 70 now and climbing up on a standard tractor is too hard on the knees. Besides, my wife - she of the knee replacements - can actually get on this new compact tractor and help out.

 

[Briana03]

WELCOME to TBN

I moved your thread to the John Deere Buying/Pricing Forum.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Lots of options over the years in that size range. Are you specifically interested in the 40 series or would older/newer be suitable as well?

If you are looking for something in the 40-60 hp range there are many choices starting with the 20 series (you could go as far back as the 10 series, but there were a few issues in the early models):

1020, 1520, 2020, 2520
1530, 2030
2040, 2240, 2440
2150, 2350, 2550
2155, 2355, 2555


Most all of those were very good tractors, of course the newer ones had a few more features and refinements. Also, all of those models are somewhat similar in construction, features and styling (to a degree), '92 was the last year of what I'd consider the 'new generation' tractors. In '92 they started over and went with the new 5000/6000 series.