Jd synchro or quad range trans hold up with front end loader

What are the down falls of having a loader on a synchro or quad range tractor, what can tear up if used excessively, I have a 4020 that we use for loader tractor but mainly load hay when we baile like say 50 acres with it once a year probably don?t put 50 hours on tractor a year if any. Have heard of problems with loader tractor.

The best choices that will last the longest would be a power shift or hydrostatic transmission. Anything with enough use will eventually need to be rebuilt. The Synchro Range or Quad Range should not be any more troublesome due to the type of transmission than a non-synchro or non-power shift transmission. It will come down to how much existing wear is on the tractor that you select for loader duty. Wet clutches will hold up for far longer than dry clutches so that should be a consideration when selecting a tractor. What tractors do you have in mind? Some JD utility tractors came with a forward-reverse type shuttle shift which would work well. Most of those were dry clutches so that is another consideration.

We bought our 4020 new. Originally it was the planting tractor with duals. About 30 years ago it got a 148 loader. Up until about 7 years ago it was the only loader tractor for feeding bales everyday. The 8 speed synchro hasn?t given me any trouble and it?s had only one engine rebuild in 24,000 hours. It needs another rebuild now but doesn?t do much other than be the little yard tractor. It needs a little of everything at this point.

We stack thousands and thousands of bales every year with two quad range transmission 4430 and feed hay all winter never ever had a transmission problem both tractors over 14,000 hours

I just never heard of having problems with either of those trannys. With much use I suppose the linkage would have to be replaced on the syncro.

I have 68 3020 gas powershift with a JD 148 loader. No transmission problems. Have had problems with the bolts holding tractor side rails to the engine block loosening and breaking under the loader mounting brackets. I would regularly check for frame movement on any loader that the mounting bracket does not extend to the rear axle.

It mostly ends up in the operator. A good one won't damage a thing a bad one can tear up an anvil with a rubber hammer.
The synchro will have a dry clutch. So things like excessive riding the pedal or slipping it to ram a load in the bucket will wear it out faster. Also if you stop and hold the pedal down and run the loader much you will soon run out of hydraulics because the tranny pump is not feeding the front pump. You can shift into neutral and let the pedal up to keep it pumping however. I much prefer the positive locking of the park function of the synchro tranny when parking on hills. Also you can get it out of park pretty easy when it gets stuck in park from a hill too.
Power shift does not use a clutch. The pedal just works a hyd. valve to shut fluid on and off to the tranny. So they keep pumping fluid to the front pump even with the pedal down. I do not like the park feature of the power shift. One direction on a hill they don't want to lock in good and if they get stuck in park you can't get them out easily. And if you run the loader mainly in cold weather for short trips the oil does not warm up and really bogs them down.

Somewhere in archives you can find pix of my frame modifications on my 3020 PS with 148 loader. I extended the frame back to the rear axle, using 4 inch channel iron. I had the same issues with engine mount bolts breaking.

I have 68 3020 gas powershift with a JD 148 loader. No transmission problems. Have had problems with the bolts holding tractor side rails to the engine block loosening and breaking under the loader mounting brackets. I would regularly check for frame movement on any loader that the mounting bracket does not extend to the rear axle.