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Re: two cents on the 4020 debate.
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Posted by zane on April 02, 1999 at 19:12:35:
In Reply to: two cents on the 4020 debate. posted by Greg H. on April 02, 1999 at 11:01:58:
I grew up in small-farm country in the fifties and sixties. My dad and our neighbors had all kinds of prime movers, including those with four legs and flop ears. We always swapped farm work with the neighbors, and, while growing up, I drove all kinds of tractors for disking, plowing, cultivating, etc. My dad always had Fords and M-F. I was about 20 when I drove my first 4020, which belonged to my uncle. It was light years ahead of anything I had driven before. The power steering, the seat, the brakes, the smooth six diesel, the visibility of the tool bar at the rear, the ease of mounting and operator comfort; were unequaled in my mind at the time. The use of one hydraulic pump to supply the lift, steering, and brakes; seemed to me a stroke of genius. The shortening of the power train, locating the fuel tank in front, within easy reach, is, even today, a lesson to me in efficiency and good design. The performance of the hydraulic lift was better, in my opinion, than that of the 65 M-F. Later on, the lift controls were moved to a console beside the driver's seat--that was the final touch. Nothing else even came close. My dad finally bought a new 4020 in 1970. I still use it today in my farming operation. BUT--I didn't say it was a perfect machine. The original, 24 volt electrical system was a source of trouble and confusion. Not many farmers understood it and so were not able to make ready repairs. None of the 4020's I worked with were easy to start. Always having to use ether or block warmers (I was always around diesels). I also think JD engineers had trouble getting the early in-line engine (foot) clutch right. Always seemed to be a weak area--clutch prone to slip. Also troublesome were the late 4020 PTO clutches, which used hydraulic, non-adjustable linkage for engagement. But overall, the 4020 was a milestone in farm tractor engineering. The first of the truly modern, operator friendly, farm tractors.
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