Pricing needed on a 4020 John Deere

[Blackjackfarm]

Helping Mom sell Dads old tractor, its a John Deere 4020 propane, auto shifter, 8 forward and 4 reverse, still runs but its been rode hard and put away wet, paint is faded, tires are bad, etc. Serial number SNT212P103441R. I think its about a 1964 model.

Any idea on a fair price? Or how to come up with one? Looked on TractorHouse but couldn't find a propane 4020.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[buickanddeere]

Thank goodness for a description and serial number. Many folk come on here and want to know how much Grampa's old green tractor enough to purchase a 4 wheeler.
Mid 1965 production year.
PS is a big plus. Most of these in the past would have an old combine engine hacked into the chassis. However with the price of LP vs diesel a person would be daft to do such a swap now.
If it had been a side console LP with PS there would be some serious interest.
Tractor's location? This does make a difference.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Hard to say.

A 4020 is a tractor that someone has to really want. It's way too big for most small farm/hobby situations.
About 8 years ago, I sold a 4020 (1969 model) diesel in good mechanical condition, for $3500. That's what I had paid for it about 10 years earlier.
Around here, the propane would detract from the market price and I'm guessing $2000 or more for new tires.
I would think the ideal situation would be to find a collector or tractor salvage yard that wanted it for parts.

You might post your question in the John Deere Vintage Tractors section.

Found a LPG 4020 on tractorhouse: JD 4020

 

[YesDeere]

Just curious. What was the advantage/reasoning behind the propane option?

 

[Bigfoot62]

Just curious. What was the advantage/reasoning behind the propane option?

Back in the '60's, when that tractor was built, propane was dirt cheap. Lots of the big farmers would have a bulk propane tank at their farm. Just a few years before that, most of the tractors, including the big ones, were gasoline powered. Propane was more economical than gasoline.

BTW, the Ford 2600 that I still have was the first diesel tractor on our farm.

 

[raheimdal]

Using LPG also kept people from stealing fuel. Pretty hard to siphon some into a can and walk off with it.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Using LPG also kept people from stealing fuel. Pretty hard to siphon some into a can and walk off with it.

Hadn't even thought of that!

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

We used butane tractors on the farm back in the 60's because it was cheap. I remember it being 10 cents a gallon back when gas was 29 cents or higher. You lose a little power with butane, but those old tractors back then had plenty of power anyway.

We had two old U-Minnies that ran on butane, a Farmall 450 (I think that was the model #) that we used for row crops, and an old Allis Chalmers (which I despised). All of them ran on butane. We had a 300 gallon butane tank on a trailer chassis that we hauled around to the fields where we were plowing.

 

[YesDeere]

Back in the '60's, when that tractor was built, propane was dirt cheap. Lots of the big farmers would have a bulk propane tank at their farm. Just a few years before that, most of the tractors, including the big ones, were gasoline powered. Propane was more economical than gasoline.

BTW, the Ford 2600 that I still have was the first diesel tractor on our farm.

Thanks Bigfoot!

 

[Blackjackfarm]

Tractor's location? This does make a difference.

Central Minnesota.