An ode to the John Deere 4440

Sep 22, 2016

These tractors are free of major design flaws in the engine, transmission or other critical systems

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

By Rachel Gingell
Farms.com

The John Deere 4440 is the tractor that put John Deere's Iron Horses on the map. This model is my favorite big tractor to buy and sell.

These tractors are free of major design flaws in the engine, transmission or other critical systems.

I've always been positive about the John Deere 4440. Not too long ago, something happened that changed my opinion from just positive to flat-out enthusiasm: my dad and I purchased one with 16,000 hours on it. Normally, a tractor reaches the end of its lifespan at or before 12,000 hours. After this point, even high-quality and well-cared-for tractors will start to break down. I'm always cautions purchasing tractors that are starting to reach this point, and I typically don't even consider tractors that have reached 12,000 hours.

The 4440 is different, though. It's bulletproof. With 16,000 hours, the one I purchased was still going strong! It had clearly been worked hard, but the engine, steering, hydraulics, and transmission were all in great working order.

John Deere 4440
Photo: TractorData.com

The John Deere 4440 is a powerful tractor. It tests at 113 drawbar and 130 PTO horsepower. These tractors come loaded with a beefy 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine, dual remote hydraulics and a Power-Shift transmission. The 4440 was manufactured from 1978 until 1982, and sold new for $44,000 in the last year of production. Today, a good used model is typically worth USD$30,000 to $40,000.

My best buying tip: look for one with a bad cab and a torn-up seat. These cosmetic problems are common in tractors this old and they really drive down the price. The secret is that these things can be a great do-it-yourself fix. Cab kits and new seats are inexpensive enough to purchase and easy to install yourself. You can save a lot of money by looking for one with these sorts of problems.

Similarly, broken gauges are a very fixable problem. It's hard to find one with working air conditioning in the cab - if you can get this working, you'll be all set.

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