John Deere 4052R: Problems, Durability, Repairs

If you are looking for a compact tractor that would be more or less fresh, up-to-date, and capable of doing pretty much anything on your ranch, the John Deere 4052R model seems like a perfect match. But before you close this page and run to the John Deere dealership to order one, we'll tell you that it's far from being perfect and it still has quite a lot of problems to be considered.

Today, we'll tell you more about the John Deere 4052R compact tractor and will outline its problems as well as the strong advantages you will have after buying it. We'll look at the durability of the tractor and will tell you what we've learned after reading hundreds of customer reviews about this model. We hope that at the end of this article, you'll be able to make the right choice.

Here's what we are going to talk about today:

• Key facts about the John Deere 4052R compact tractor you should know.
• What should be the estimated durability of the tractor?
• What are the most common problems with the 4052R tractor model?
• What should you do to avoid problems with this equipment?

Let's get started!

What should you know about the John Deere 4052R compact tractor?

This tractor has been manufactured since 2014 in the US-based plant of John Deere. The United States market is the key hope for the company because compact tractors are badly needed here. The 4052R model is one of the 4R series which seems to be the most interesting for buyers - this is the all-purpose, high-quality, and very efficient tractor to own.

The optimal price for the base version is about $42,500 now. If you want a cheaper option, you may try to find one of these models sold used. Unfortunately, not so many tractors will be available for sale because the model is quite young and companies or farmers still use their new equipment with pleasure and with little problems.

Here's what you should know about the model:

• as always, this John Deere can boast wonderful hydraulics that is super-efficient and very reliable;
• the Yanmar engine is pretty good in terms of power and efficiency, it's only 51 horsepower but it offers a lot of torque;
• the 2.1-liter engine is turbocharged, it has the common-rail fuel supply system, and also some ecology equipment (some tension should start building up here);
• the company offers both cab or open station configurations, open ones are cheaper but seem to be too loud for operators;
• you get pretty great features such as Hitch Assist, HST controls, electronic features for the transmission, Aux Hitch Control, etc.;
• there are two types of transmissions - PowrReverser with more durability and eHydro with more cool features;
• the hood is made of composite materials, so it won't rust but some concerns about the toughness are always there;
• there are quite a lot of different attachments you can get, both OEM and aftermarket, so the functions of your tractor may easily be enhanced.

One important thing to remember is that this is a John Deere product that comes with a wonderful warranty. The dealers are usually pretty helpful and will do everything to form a positive experience with John Deere products. But there is one problem: after the warranty period is over, you will have to pay quite a lot for parts and labor.

Also, John Deere is not ideal anymore. It also has some common issues and concerns. You can easily find proof of that just by reading customer reviews. Earlier, an average John Deere compact tractor was supposed to get a 4.9-star average review from customers. The 4052R model has about 3.5 stars which is frustrating. But let's see why this happens.

What's the durability of the John Deere 4052R compact tractor?

We believe this tractor is able to go about 4,000 hours or 12-15 years without major problems. But still, within these 4,000 hours, you will have to invest some money in the machine. The most interesting part is the engine with its diesel common rail system and also a turbocharger. But it's not the only problematic unit in the tractor.

Anyway, if you use your John Deere 4052R carefully and always keep up with all required service measures, you will be able to prolong that lifespan a lot. We believe the maximum hour count for the 4052R model is about 6K hours. But still, after 15 years of service, this model will have to be replaced by something else. This is not like that eternal tractor made in the 70s or 80s.

The 4052R model will also need more and more money every year because of minor problems. Parts cost a lot, and labor is also expensive, so not many farmers will agree to keep this tractor after it starts showing all its problems. And this may be the issue because selling it for decent money will not be that easy.

What are the common problems with the John Deere 4052R?

Among the obvious problems that don't affect the durability, we can name enormous noise, composite hood, huge price for any OEM attachments and improvements, and also low resell prices in the future. These are the problems you should keep in mind. But they are common for more or less any new compact tractor you may find on the market (but the noise, of course).

By the way, the noise became one of the key points why people underrate the John Deere 4052R. They say the open-station versions are impossible to operate without some headphones on your ears.

Here are some of the common technical problems that may bother you:

1) Electronic issues

This will be one of the most annoying problems when you operate the John Deere 4052R. There are a lot of electronic modules, so they need to work pretty well to keep your machine on track. But they don't. Software and hardware glitches are pretty common and they will make you call the dealer now and then.

The worst part is that diagnosing is not that easy. So, even the dealer will take a couple of days just for locating the issue. This will cause bad downtime and this is too bad for small farms and ranches.

2) Broken hoods and other body parts

Although John Deere shows the composite hood as the advantage for the tractor, it's obviously the problem. These hoods are easy to open and they are light which is good, but when it comes to breaking them, it's so easy that anyone can do that. Just open the hood in the wrong way to find the first crack on it.

Now comes the worst part - prices for OEM hoods are just impossible. Any broken body part will cost you a fortune and it makes us question the justification for the composite hood at all.

3) Oil leaks

The transmission and engine provide you with a lot of "fun". Oil leaks are pretty common even for new tractors that have only got about 50 hours. Also, finding the reasons for these leaks and repairing the tractor seems to be so hard that even dealers take weeks to repair your tractor. You are lucky if this happened within the warranty period. If not, better get ready to pay a lot.

4) Issues with the operator's comfort

Again, John Deere shows this as the advantage of their 4052R model. But people in their reviews say that the tractor is inconvenient, loud, bumpy, and hard to operate. This is not just one or two reviews, so we can make the conclusion that the operator won't be happy to use this tractor for some hours or for the whole working day.

5) Common rail problems

Yanmar engine is actually the advantage because it's really tough and long-lasting. But the fuel supply system is not that good. It's going to work just fine until it gets over 2,000 hours and then you'll need to invest in it like crazy.

Given the warranty will already be finished at that time, you will pay from your own pocket. And repairing this common rail fuel supply system on a diesel engine is the last thing you want to do because it's extremely expensive.

What to do to use the John Deere 4052R longer?

First of all, you should understand that you have a compact tractor that is not able to do all types of jobs on your farm. Make sure you don't overload the tractor to avoid engine damage and oil leaks.

Also, here are some things you may want to do regularly:

• don't forget about regular oil changes and other requested service measures;
• schedule an appointment with the dealer each time something goes wrong;
• never keep using your tractor if you know it has some minor problem;
• avoid buying cheap parts - they will most likely let you down as soon as possible;
• don't use bad or old diesel fuel - this will destroy the fuel supply system;
• be careful with all those shabby body parts that may easily get broken.

Just like that - you may use your John Deere 4052R longer if you follow these simple tips. But still, this is not the most durable John Deere tractor and you may want to buy something more powerful.