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John Deere 2850 40k or other 80s-90s tractor advice


roberthenning

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Hi ive been looking for a small 4wd tractor for a while now and have came across two 2140's in a local dealers yard and a 2850 in another mans yard, heres my question,which would be the better of the two tractors, both are the same price.

In my mind the 2850 is the newer better machine, but theres a few squeeks think a belt or two loose so no biggie, and the gear box is a little notchy (not silky smooth as i would have expected) would there be an underlying problem?

It has better pick up arms too, more original in condition.

The both the 2140s look as good, very little rust but feel mechanically better, smooth gerbox etc and well looked after. Altho one of the 2140s the clutch is very heavy? what could this be and would it be hard to rectify.

Any help greatly appreciated

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i cant speak for the 2140 mate but the 2850 was a brilliant tractor on

the farm i worked on pulled a 4 furrow dowsewell plough had a loader

would do all the tasks that its bigger brother 3050 or its bully eldest brother

3350 would do as it says in classic tractor about these machines

they are real pocket-rockets i can say that about the 2850  ;)

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Thanks for that information. I really like them, theyer the only machine in my price range, thats as capable but still as handy to turn.

I think the 2850 is only 30k but it does have high lift, so i think im swaying towards it slightly more, altho the im not sure if the slightly stiff gear box is a sign of abuse or syncors on their way out and the 2140's from a better dealer whos alot closer.

Im just a little wary as i wont have much money spare to fix any problems if they occur.

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its 1989, im not sure what or if any warrenty included, it was a dealer but the boss man was away and didnt get  a chance to get talking to him, but going to call down tomorrow or monday and find that out and how much he'll take for it.

The 2140 1985,  i never really think much of age difference its more down to the hours on a tractor from that era.

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ive driven both and theyre equally as good, way better than the 6000 series that replaced them, just my opinion. The gears always did feel smoother on the 40 seriesin comparison to the 50.

As for a heavy clutch my first thought would be thrust bearing, ive never known too much to go wrong with the gearboxes.

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Thanks for all the info. Im going to take the weekend to think about it. Was at one of the dealers this morning looking at the 2140's again, really thinking of going for one of them, as it turns out theyre both 30ks too. The one i prefer with the light clutch turns out to be a local man owned it who would have looked after it, which is really swaying me towards it. Being from a tractor dealer i can trust and the family has done business with for 30years is definitly a big bonus too. The 2850 is a 45min car drive away so thats whats putting me off, the bother of both getting it home and more so if anything does go wrong with it. They are both 20-25years old so obviously not expecting perfection.

The break problem is a big fear as the only other deere a 6600 i drove had this problem which completely destroyed the tractor.

Think it will be the 2140, and thanks for the advice.

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hi robert i think id agree if the light cutch 2140 has been locally owned you could enquire with the previous owner (who would hopefully be honest) to find out if they had any underlying problems with it, i think through experience the 40 series were a stronger workhorse of the 40/50 series tractors not that their was much difference to be honest . if you can get a good 2140 your onto a winner, the only problem we had with a 50 series box was the gear change from high to lo / reverse jammed and the gearstick jumped out of the selector, sorted with a crowbar and the 2140 we had had a heavy clutch but was put down to being the loader tractor

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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Did you ever come to a deal on this Robert? :-\

Only seen your post there today.

No im still on the lookout, thought in the end the 2140 was about 1500 overpriced for the condition it was in only being 30k and the level of rot in cab and needing a complete cab interior.

Found two other 2850s, one was in poorer condition than id have liked with highish hours and the other one was about 2k more than id like to spend/ can afford at the minute, tbh if i could have afforded it, id be thinking could i afford a little more for a 6410, it was clean but expensive and didnt know the history

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Only seen your post there today.

No im still on the lookout, thought in the end the 2140 was about 1500 overpriced for the condition it was in only being 30k and the level of rot in cab and needing a complete cab interior.

Found two other 2850s, one was in poorer condition than id have liked with highish hours and the other one was about 2k more than id like to spend/ can afford at the minute, tbh if i could have afforded it, id be thinking could i afford a little more for a 6410, it was clean but expensive and didnt know the history

Its alright, I was just interested in if you had made a choice, thats the only problem with this sort of tractor they can get very expensive to buy with some examples :-\  I would quite like one myself but dont have the time or money

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Yeah i dont really have the time as working full time now too, was initially looking for one when i was between jobs. Sometimes the expensive one can be the cheap one, as replacement parts dont be long mounting up. But what some people are looking for them is scary for whats a 20-25year old tractor. Just being in Northern Ireland is proving hard to get  a good one, for theyre pretty scarce to see them advertised, havent seen any new ones coming up in the last 4 months and all the ones i originally looked at are still for sale at the same price.

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You would be better off with a 2850 in my opinion (pocket rocked as stated), we have one for sell at the minute and one with 16000hrs on are farm a brilliant wee tractor pulls like a train and gives no trouble, also the 2850 still wholes there money well if looked after. A 2140 is still a good wee tractor but its hard to get a good wee clean one at sensible money.

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ther was a small holding farm dispersa; sale on saturday and a immaculate john deere 2850 with a very meticulous owner was sold for just under £4,000 it also had a full set of front weights  :of8)

I cant tell you how much i wish i was there, would give double that for what id call reasonable off farm condition and couple grand less for what is pretty much just done

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to bumpe this topic up for a little more advice

Finding it impossible to find a decent 40k example, and have come to the conclusion i really need 40k for its just unsafe going out on the dual carriage way in anything less.

Also would a im thinking the 30ft bale trailer that i can get the lend of might look slightly big on the back and draw police attention, even if everything else is safe.

I am now thinking do i need the bigger brother a 3350 or even sway to some other period 6cylinders, a ford or case 956 for example, as they may be more able and the avalability of more 40k examples can be found.

This only lead to the problem of manoverability around the small tight farm and outbuildings it'll be operating in, will a 3350 be much more awkward, as i find it a struggle in the Valtra N101 which i would call a handy tractor in todays eqivalents

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Just wanted to bumpe this topic up for a little more advice

Finding it impossible to find a decent 40k example, and have come to the conclusion i really need 40k for its just unsafe going out on the dual carriage way in anything less.

Also would a im thinking the 30ft bale trailer that i can get the lend of might look slightly big on the back and draw police attention, even if everything else is safe.

I am now thinking do i need the bigger brother a 3350 or even sway to some other period 6cylinders, a ford or case 956 for example, as they may be more able and the avalability of more 40k examples can be found.

This only lead to the problem of manoverability around the small tight farm and outbuildings it'll be operating in, will a 3350 be much more awkward, as i find it a struggle in the Valtra N101 which i would call a handy tractor in todays eqivalents

Think a JD 6400 is the only answer robert, a 40k 3350 is a class looking tractor but again give bother with a 40k box, and a 6400 is the same horse but smaller and can do near any job and is very reliable.

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Yeah ive been going round in circles looking at every manufacturer and am coming up with the same conclusion, the Jd seem to be the only ones with a heavey enough 4cylinder that'll stick what i'll be throwing at it, looking like ill have to dig deeper into my pocket for one of these then. The whole sg2 cab with only one doors not satcking up for yard/site work side of the thing either

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  • 4 weeks later...

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