How to define a default value for "input type=text" without using attribute 'value'?

You should rather use the attribute placeholder to give the default value to the text input field.

e.g.

<input type="text" size="32" placeholder="1000" name="fee" />

Here is the question: Is it possible that I can set the default value without using attribute 'value'?

Nope: value is the only way to set the default attribute.

Why don't you want to use it?

You can change the name attribute by id, and set the value property using client script after the element is created:

<input type="text" id="fee" />

<script type="text/javascript">
document.getElementById('fee').value = '1000';
</script>

this is working for me

<input defaultValue="1000" type="text" />

or

let x = document.getElementById("myText").defaultValue; 

A non-jQuery way would be setting the value after the document is loaded:

<input type="text" id="foo" />

<script>
    document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function(event) { 
        document.getElementById('foo').value = 'bar';
    });
</script>

The value is there. The source is not updated as the values on the form change. The source is from when the page initially loaded.

Use defaultValue:

<input defaultValue="1000" type="text" />