AC D-19 turbo diesel versus JD 4010 diesel

September of 1960 the new JD 4010 was tested at Nebraska. The AC D-19 turbo diesel wasn't tested until April of 1962.  The 4010 had a direct injection design engine with an oil bath air cleaner. The 4010 had a "live" and fully independent 540/1000 RPM PTO. It also had a "live" 18 GPM hydraulic pump, hydraulic "wet" brakes,  an 8-speed partial synchronized helical gear transmission, fingertip hydrostatic power steering and a high platform with an easily adjusted super nice seat. The 4010 tractor was equipped with a 3-point hitch.      The D-19 had a turbocharged energy-cell designed engine with a dry-type air cleaner. The manually engaged 540 RPM only PTO required use of the Power-Director clutch to be considered "live".  The 5 GPM non-live hydraulic pump plus an 8 GPM power assisted mechanical steering pump yielded a 13 GPM total hydraulic system. The brakes were mechanical. The oil cooled Power-Director hand clutch allowed on-the-go shifting and ground speed control for PTO work. Transmission was a constant mesh non-synchronized helical gear design with a total of 8-speeds. The operator sat very low and the seat was just OK. The Traction Booster system was coupled to the snap-coupler style hitch, which performed well with mounted and semi-mounted implements.

I was in the farm fuel business from 1973 to the mid 1980's. I saw a few D19's being used. I saw quite a few 4010's. When the company I was leased to bought my fleet of trucks in the mid 80's I still saw most of the D19's being used but most of the 4010's were long since traded off.

How did they compare in horsepower and fuel efficiency? 

Don't know anything about the JD engine, but the Allis engine (like quite a few other brands of diesel engines of that time) lacked enough cooling capacity in the block.  It was great on fuel, but if it wasn't properly warmed up before working it hard and cooled down after working it hard, then the engine would develop problems.

JayIN wrote: What I have learned from actual personal experience is that the owner of the 4010 was probably a arrogant a-hole. Especially more prevelant in todays modern times.

I concur!!!!!! We got a saying round here.... green and greedy.

Spend a long day on both tractors and the 4010 wins. Much better seat,steering and a nicer operaters platform.  60 years latter you can buy 2 D19's for less than one 4010 and in my area there are still lots of 4010's in use and rarely a D19. My grandfather had a new D19 for one year before trading it on a 190XT.  He almost bought a 4020 but the Deere dealer was not excited about trading the D19. Dad thought sure he was going to get a 4020 and was not happy when the XT came home. He went and bought a new 4020 and a week later bought a second used one. On my grandfathers 19 they could never get the draft control to work right. He had a four bottom semi-mount plow and when he lowered it the front would go to deep before the draft control would take over. Dealer tried working on it and changed a good many parts but it never was right. My grandfather really liked the XT. He bought it with a six bottom AC hyd reset plow. The plow did not work very good in the limestone rock he farmed and AC sent engineers to his farm three different falls to make improvements to it. They ended up adding a second hyd. accumilater to it so if all six bottoms tripped the oil could flow fast enough without breaking something. They went to alot of tractor pulls and Dad's 4020 always beat the XT but in the field the 4020 could not pull the six bottom plow without running hot. Sorry about getting off topic. Tom

JayIN wrote: What I have learned from actual personal experience is that the owner of the 4010 was probably a arrogant a-hole. Especially more prevelant in todays modern times.

Really? My dad had a 4010, and you don’t even know him. Biggest A-hole in our community was the guy that had all AC’s, constantly trying to rent everyone’s ground.

Edited by bigal121892 - 10 Dec 2017 at 10:31am

My uncle bought a new D-19 diesel from a local dealer who had given him a sunshine enema on the performance it would deliver.  My uncle had a custom silo filling business and put the D-19 on a 2 row Gehl harvester.   It simply was unequal to the task and it had repetitive head gasket failures ( 3 that I remember and I was quite young at the time ).  It was a disappointment considering that it was a brand new machine.  It did not stay in the role it was bought for very long.  It was replaced by a Cockshutt 1655 which was married to the harvester for 20 years.    I wish I had his D-19 now to restore.  The 1655 went to my cousin when my uncle died 10 years ago.  He drove it home and it has never moved since.  He also passed and his wife is content to let it sit there and rot.  There should be a law against that 

NEVER green wrote: JayIN wrote: What I have learned from actual personal experience is that the owner of the 4010 was probably a arrogant a-hole. Especially more prevelant in todays modern times. I concur!!!!!! We got a saying round here.... green and greedy.

Edited by CrestonM - 10 Dec 2017 at 12:52pm

I have owned a 1961 JD3010 diesel for 18 years & accumulated some 4000+ hours on it. It starts better at colder temps, is very fuel efficient, & is handy for most smaller jobs. Over the years, I've replaced clutch, hydraulic pump, fuel pump, Trans top shaft, Trans synchronizers, 3pt load shaft, tires, & paint.

In the JD 4010 and 4020 there were so many changes between the first one in 1960 to the last one in 1974 that there should have been at least half a dozen model numbers used. The 4010 and  pre side console 4020 ('64 to '68) are similar enough they share parts book and shop manual. There at least three versions of the pre side console 4020 operators manual because of changes in the electrical controls and wiring harnesses. And they had a hydraulic system that had a common mode of failure as the check valve at the charge pump in the transmission failed and then drained the up top and front cooler/reservoir that the main hydraulic pump depended on if the transmission wasn't turning. With steering and brakes all by hydraulics that was a serious problem. I have a web page about fixing it. http://www.geraldj.networkiowa.com/4020si.htm
They changed so much in the hydraulics of the side console tractor that it doesn't have that problem and doesn't share parts, parts book, or operator's manuals. The side console tractor engine is significantly different in all details too.

My '68 gas 4020 is considered a gas hog. According to Nebraska tractor tests it is not fuel efficient but there was a similar vintage IH 686 gas hydrostat that was worse. The 4010 and early 4020 gas used either a Zenith carb or an odd Marvel-Shebler that used a vacuum diaphragm for the accelerator pump. I think the gas AC of that era and size used the same two carbs. The MS was so hard to tune and work on that a JD service bulletin I have says "If you can't tune it, install the Zenith."

The first year I had my 4020 it used 4 times the gas that my MF-135 took doing the same acres. It smoked like and IH diesel. I found a bunch of problems like the choke not opening because the cable sheath wasn't anchored near the carburetor and I got it down to only twice the MF135 fuel but it did the tillage in a lot less time with bigger implements.

As for the 6 cylinder engines, Oliver had gone that route long before the 4010 or AC.

The 4020 synchro range transmission shifter is very odd and takes learning to get along with it. It is not logical at all. The Power Shift was more logical and less fuel efficient.

Gerald J.

Ed, I could have not put it any better! I agree 100%

I like D-19's but they never had a great reputation in my area..The few that were sold new were all traded off in just a few years for other colors..

The 4010 never had the Power Shift transmission, only the Synchro Range but it had 3 reverse gears where the 4020 SR had only 2 reverse gears. The third one JD considered to be too fast to be safe. Its not hard to modify the shift linkage to get that third speedy reverse gear.

Side console 4020 still bring a higher price on the used tractor market than early 4020 or 4010. During the side console 4020 era, JD brought out a 4000 that was to be a 4020 with lighter drive train and cheaper cost, but did offer it with the expensive Power Shift transmission. I saw one at a JD gathering for sale a gas 4000 with PS for over $14,000 asking price and it was grubby. There weren't many of those made, only 9.

Gerald J.

My very first Allis Chalmers tractor was a D19 gas (not new, obviously, until I got done restoring it). I loved that tractor, and still do, enough that it turned me into a die hard allis man. And that, after in my growing up days, being told daily that John Deeres were the holy grail of tractors. Darrel