I'm thinking about pulling the plug on a new 5045E, 2 wheel drive. Let me hear the good the bad, should've done, problems, wish I would've got, etc. Why would you, or would you not get one. My 66 1020 has been a trusty steed, but recently developed liner leaks in 2 cylinders. Thanks in advance.
A 2WD 5045E is going to be about the closest thing to a 1020 that Deere still makes. If you like the 1020, you will like the 2WD 5045E. The 5045E is a bit more powerful, the turning radius is about a foot wider (compared to five feet wider for the MFWD versions), and it is a little longer, taller, and heavier. The front axle is quite a bit stouter on the 5E, the New Generation front axles were noted to be a bit lacking in robustness for loader work. The transmission on a 2WD 5E is a three-range, three-speed dry clutch synchronized unit (TSS/SyncShuttle.) The PTO is an independent mechanical unit and engaged by a big lever to your left, the clutch is a single-stage unit that just controls the transmission unlike the two-stage live PTO clutch on your 1020. The engine in a 5045E is a modern high pressure common rail turbocharged and intercooled unit, but the basic 179 cid/2.9 L engine has been around since the 1970s, and is essentially a 1020's 152 cid engine bored from 3.86" to 4.13". Other than the engine, the 5045E is a very simple tractor that's really no more complicated than your 1020.
I have a 2WD open station 5075E, which is identical to a 2WD 5045E other than more turbocharger boost, a higher fueling rate being set in the ECU, and slightly larger standard rear ag tires (16.9-28 vs. 14.9-28 being on most 5045Es.) I have the 512 loader on mine with the factory loader joystick and mid-mount hydraulic remote block, methanol/water-filled ag tires, and two rear remotes. I specifically looked for this configuration after closely looking at what I intended to do with it and my experience with previous equipment. I am very happy with mine and if mine disappeared, I would go buy another one like it. It is a very handy, maneuverable and reliable machine. I do a bunch of varied tasks from running hay equipment to cultivating a very large garden the size of a deer food plot and it is suitable for all of that.
The only bad I've had is that there were a few small leaks that tightening up oil return line hose clamps on the hydraulic pump and turbocharger oil return line fixed, these were noted to be routine maintenance in the manual. The 3 point position control lever also needed adjusted, from the factory it only picked up a rotary cutter about 6" instead of two feet. That took a couple of wrenches and about 30 minutes to get the lever calibrated just right. That and you need to have your engine serial number when getting parts or you may get the wrong oil filter as they made a running change in what filter they used as the oil filter boss threads on the oil cooler changed.
Regarding why or why not somebody would want this kind of tractor:
- I intentionally chose a 2WD unit for several reasons. First and most importantly, the turning radius is much sharper than the MFWD version, it can turn around in about 2/3 the space. Two, I have used MFWD tractors before and rarely used the MFWD, and I have used 2WD tractors before and didn't miss not having MFWD. I don't miss it on this one either, it has enough weight to get good traction with the loaded ag tires even on hills and in swampy areas. Three, the 2WD units have about 4-5" more ground clearance than the MFWD versions and the front axle is very adjustable, which is important as I run a cultivator, as I am driving between and straddling over the top of the plants when doing so. Yes, resale is less, but purchase price is a lot less too, it evens out.
- I intentionally chose an open station unit as visibility is a lot better in an open station tractor than in a cabbed tractor. It's also much easier to reach rockshaft controls to nudge them to attach implements and such in an open station tractor vs. a cabbed one unless you spend many times more to get a really fancy one with rear fender mounted controls. It is also easier to maneuver around field edges and such without a cab whacking things. A cab isn't an option on a 5045E but it is on other 5Es so I though I would mention this.
- All 5045Es as well as all open station 2WD 5Es come with the 3-range, 3-speed TSS/SyncShuttle transmission. MFWD 5Es and cabbed 2WD 5Es can come with this or the 3-range, 4-speed wet clutch PowrReverser. I didn't have a choice here but if I did, I still would have picked this transmission as it has a dry clutch with a clutch you can feather vs. the "clutch pedal is a switch to tell the computer to clutch" on the wet clutch units. I've operated a PowrReverser before and it is fine, but it is a lot easier to inch right up to something with a dry clutch unit than a wet clutch unit.
- A 50 HP 5045E would be a little light on PTO power to run a disc mower conditioner or a standard round baler, but would run a sickle mower conditioner (Haybine) and a small square baler just fine. If you wanted to make round bales you probably want to look at a 5075E or larger. If you want to run a round baler with a chopper to make silage bales, a 6E would be more appropriate.
- The 2WD 5Es can be had with two different loaders, the 512 and the 520M. The 520M is a much larger loader that sticks up and out about another 18" and offers about a half ton more lift. It is also quick-detach, the 512 is generally considered non-removable but is unobtrusive and I've never felt the desire to take it off. The MFWD versions only come with the 520M as the 512's boom cylinders sit low enough to get hit by the front MFWD ag tires. I picked the 512 as it has plenty of capacity for me and doesn't make the tractor too unwieldy.
- A new 5E is an emissions tractor. The good news is there's no DEF (urea fluid) or EGR, and the tractor doesn't smoke or stink up the machine shed when you start it up. The high pressure common rail electronic injection also makes this the easiest tractor I've ever had to start and run when it's cold out, it starts and runs like a new gasoline-engined car in the cold. The bad is that it does have a particulate filter. This is about as simple of a setup legally allowable today on a tractor larger than 25 HP. It goes through a regeneration cycle lasting about 20 minutes every 100 hours where it burns off soot in the filter with no other trouble as long as you don't repeatedly let it idle for a long time, don't use some 20 year old engine oil sitting on a shelf in it, let the engine get up to temp, and give it a decent workout every so often. The exhaust filter likes to get good and warmed up and as long as it does, it is unobtrusive. If you idle a bunch, run it for very short periods of time so it doesn't warm up, or never really work it, you may regenerate more often. It will eventually need professionally cleaned or replaced though as tiny bits of ash from the burned-off soot does build up over time and eventually clogs the filter. They are required to last at least 3000 hours before needing this, it might last quite a bit longer if you run your tractor under load a decent amount so it gets hot regularly and doesn't soot up as fast.
- There are a wide variety of tires available for the 3 cylinder 5Es, particularly the 2WD units where the fronts don't have to match the rears. I would recommend fluid-filled ag tires on a 5 series unless you have a really good reason to use something else. Options on a 2WD 5045E for ag tires would be for rears, 13.6-28 bias, 14.9-28 bias (most common), 16.9-28 bias, 16.9-30 bias, 16.9R30 radials. Fronts can be 7.50-16 tri-ribs with the 28" rim tires and 11L-15 four-rib (F-2M) or industrial (I-3) with most of the rear tire choices. I would not choose the I-3s as if it's slippery, these look like they'd just push forward rather than steer. The narrower rib tires will give more steering force but make larger ruts in the mud. I probably would have gone with the 11L-15 F-2Ms if I ordered mine rather than buying it off the lot, but the 7.50-16s are fine.
