Re: Keep my Ford or get John Deere

Posted by Steamer on October 06, 1998 at 07:20:52:

In Reply to: Keep my Ford or get John Deere posted by Chris Ruggiero on October 04, 1998 at 20:15:22:

: I have a Ford 8N that I use around my home. It works just fine,it's very dependable, and it plows up my two acres with no problem. The problem is that I have "green blood" and want to get either a John Deere 40 or 420 with the three hitch to restore and still work around my house.Are there any pros or cons on my decission? Will I have any problem in spring when I drop my plow wishin I kept the Ford? I really need honest input from those who use there model 40's for plowing. Chris

I've had both tractors. The 8N was an OK machine for light work. I found the rear axle arrangement meant the 3-pt arms were mounted too high and tended to cause the front to rear more than I liked. Also, the flathead four tends to have no real lugging power. I've had JD 'M', 40, 420, 430 and 440 machines over the years. If you look at one, get a 420 or later, since the 40 was not available with live PTO. Also the 5-speed transmission was intorduced on the 420, and it's much nicer to work with than the older 4-speed. The sub-model I like the best is the row-crop utility (designation W). That gives you the easy wheel spacing adjustment of the tricycle, with a heavy, wide front end. The tricycles are a little too light on the front, giving the same trouble I had with the 8N. The 2-cyl engines have quite a bit more torque than the Fords do, so they have a lot more pulling ability.

All that said: If you want a REALLY nice machine look at the JD 820, 830, 1020, 1030 machines made in the late 1960s's and early 1970's. They are light years ahead of the 420/430 machines. 3-cyl diesels, 8-speeds forward, 4-speeds reverse, much better hydraulics, differential lock, live or independant PTO, more and smoother power, heavier 3-pt hitches, less fuel consumption and they are available for little more than a 420 goes for now days.

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