JD 2640 any good..?

[AKfish]

Been lookin at a pretty straight JD 2640 with about 4,000 hrs. I would like to use the tractor as a baler machine and pull a MoCo. A small square baler and maybe at some time down the road a round baler.

At 70hp pto - it would seem to have enough power to get the job done. What else should be an important consideration? Thanks for any and all opinions.

AKfish

 

[Grrrr]

I don't have any direct experience of that tractor - I don't think we have them over here in the UK, but from looking at pictures it would probably be fine.

Personally I think the most important thing on a baling tractor is lots of weight and plenty of gears. Everything else is kind of a luxury really.

It should be fine for the square baler, and as long as it has some hydraulic spools, also be fine for the round baler.

Just make sure that everything is working, not too much rust, hydraulic / engine oil clean. Ensure that the hydraulics work, because they are always expensive to repair.

At only 4000 hours, as long as they are genuine, it really hasn't done much work yet. You'll get 10K hours out of most tractors without too much upkeep. We have a Massey Ferguson 135 with 16 thousand odd hours - still drives nice. Been through about 25 sets of front tires

 

[chh]

The 2640 I had kind of soured me on JD's. It was showing around 3500 hrs when I bought it. It was a dealer doctored paint job tractor. I should have known better. I am pretty sure under that pretty green paint was a former state hiway dept mowing tractor that had been poorly maintained. Everybody else I have known pretty well liked theirs and if it has been properly maintained it should be a solid machine. The best thing about the one I had was that I traded it in for as much as I paid for it 8 or 9 months before so I worked it all summer for basically the cost of fuel.

 

[Grrrr]

Heres a video of one baling, I just happened to stumble across it.

http://www.truveo.com/John-Deere-2640-hay-baling/id/3313146186

 

[flusher]

Been lookin at a pretty straight JD 2640 with about 4,000 hrs. I would like to use the tractor as a baler machine and pull a MoCo. A small square baler and maybe at some time down the road a round baler.

At 70hp pto - it would seem to have enough power to get the job done. What else should be an important consideration? Thanks for any and all opinions.

AKfish

Ah, the Field of Dreams tractor.

My neighbor (85 years old) has one of these. Strong tractor. Bought it new in 1980 or so. Runs fine. Has a FEL with 6-ft bucket. He let one of our neighbors use it to bale oat hay with an IH 57 two-wire baler. No problems with the 2640 (the baler was another story, old unit on its last legs). 4000 hours is not all that many if the periodic maintenance was done properly.

Check for leaks. Check the engine oil for any signs of coolant. Check the coolant for signs of oil. Blue smoke may mean the engine needs a rebuild.

Check pto operation. If it has a 2-stage clutch, be sure it's working OK.

 

[Renze]

John deere 40 series were extremely thirsty. Someone i know, traded a Deere for a Case 1056XL (German model) both around 100 hp, and saw his fuel bill drop to 2/3 doing the same jobs.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I've owned a 2440 since it was new in 1979, and a 2640 that I bought used last fall. The 2440 is ALMOST the same tractor, just a smaller engine (60hp)

The 2000 series were made in Dubuque Iowa until the 1980 models were released. They were built in Mannhiem Germany from there forward. Slightly different sheet metal and a few minor upgrades, but essentially the same tractors still.

Things to watch; SOME 2440/2640's had a rather balky shifter/parking brake. Can be a nightmare when it starts to wear. Most have been upgraded by now.

Fuel tank can rust due to where it's located. (sheet metal traps dirt and holds it against bottom of tank) Worth the time to remove nose and clean every few years.

If anyone EVER put the wrong oil in the rear end, you get brake failure. Shoes (wet brakes) shed linings and contaminate hydraulic system.

The Dubuque engines were proned to electraulysis. Keep CLEAN coolant, check PH at least yearly, use an anti-cavatation coolant treatment (Fram makes a good one)

Bell crank on steering (above axle pivot) tends to wear. Front wheels get "jittery" at road speeds.

With engine running (approx 1/2 throttle) remove oil fill cap (at rear of tractor) from hydraulic sump. Shine a light straight forward. If you see a mist of oil blowing about, walk away. Lift cylinder rebuild time.

If the tractor is equipped with the hydraulic hi/lo (rabbit/turtle) a simple clutch replacement becomes a major project. Adds approx $1500 to bill when done at dealer/shop.

OK....If you pass THOSE test items, you have a really handy tractor there. I kept the 2440 for 30+ years I was so impressed with it. And it took all of 10 minutes on the 2640 to determine it was an even BETTER tractor. (better power to weight ratio/more low end grunt)

The 2440 and 2640 are louder than many simular tractors for some reason (???Deere front mounted hyd. pump????) The 2440 (w/10 LESS hp) uses more fuel than the 2640 while doing same chores.

 

[Dill]

We've had a couple 40 series tractors, a 2240, and a 2440
Overall I like them, in fact we still have the 2440 which has been on the farm as long as I have, 9400 hours with no major overhauls. The other 2 have came and went. The 2240 had a swept front axle that could turn almost as quickly as a narrow front end farmall.

The parking brake can be a hassle. Some 40 series had the transmisson mounted brake others had a lever brake. I perfer the transmisson mounted which is what the 2440 has, but yes it goes bad every now and again. We've had to rebuild the controls for the remotes on both but again not terribly surpirsing. They are a good size for what we do around here in fact I know of more small 40 series in southern NH than any other series. The main reason we traded the 2240 was that we needed a 4x4. One neighbor has a 2840 that I've been trying to talk him out of but no luck so far.

Oh one complaint is that they give off a lot of heat in the summer especially if there is a loader attached. The fuel tank is in front of the radiator meaning you get plenty of heat radiated back at you.

 

[AKfish]

Very appreciative of all the information... and there certainly a number of "new" things to consider before signing that check!!

Especially did not like to hear FMJ's words about the "wrong brand of hydraulic oil" and the brake lining debris in the hydraulic system!!! Whoa... that sounds like a nightmare that would never go away!

And yes; flusher this would definitely qualify as a "field of dreams" tractor. Always wanted to do my own hay in Alaska. Just recently had several older neighbors (one that we routinely buy 1/3 of our yearly hay from) let me know that they plan to scale back their hay operations and they're interested in us taking over their fields.

So, it's now "____ or get off the pot" time. And running down the highway trailering after more hay - the fields are 2 miles down a gravel road from our house - isn't something I like doing alot.

Thanks again for the viewpoints - I'm very greatful.

AKfish

 

[chh]

Hmm, FWJ's post might explain part of the issues mine had with the brakes and hydraulics. AKfish PM if you go ahead and buy it and I will send you an IT service manual I bought for mine(if I can find it).