560 Opinions

I saw someone else looking for opinions on a certain model and I thought that was a good idea. I'm fairly uneducated when it comes to IH/Farmall tractors and what the general consensus is on them, but later this week I'm going to go check out a 560 with a loader (the last one I looked at fell through).

Can anyone give me any thoughts on this particular model (it's a gas). I have read about the rear end problems and I've printed out a serial list sheet to help me figure out if this would have been one of those tractors, but is there anything else you guys can tell me about this tractor?

He is asking $4500 and it comes with a wfe, flat top fenders (possibly from a 706), and a Koyker loader. There is a small crack in the exhaust manifold.

Thank you so much for your help. I have enjoyed reading back through the forums.

We have a customer with a 560 gas that has an Allied loader and loves it. You said the tractor comes with a wfe, is that shorthand for wife?

wfe = Wide Front End ... I already have a wife and I wouldn't trader her for the world

She is letting me get a tractor and all!

Deep down I thought thats what it meant. I'm still single and just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing out on a good deal or something. Ha ha!

ebook: I know what your saying, and a lot of folks ask that question, what are the weak points of a certain model? Rather silly question in my books.

The first of the 560s are now 50 years old, probably have been completely rebuilt a couple of times. I don't really think there is a good amswer to your question. Most likely the items that got overlooked at last rebuild. The hour meter probably failed a couple of times during tractors history, thus you can't be sure of hours. Then if you find one that's never been rebuilt, probably gummed up with sludge from condensation.

Truth is once you start buying tractor over 20 years old, every tractor has to be gone over with a fine tooth comb. Nothing can be overlooked. Tractor weakness always shows up in the first 10 years from new. Between 10 and 20 years, depending on hours, normal wear and tear starts show up all over the tractor.

$4500 sounds like a lot. For that kind of money it had better look, sound and feel good at the very least. No major oil or coolant leaks anywhere, especially around the head. No skipping or sputtering after it's had a couple minutes to warm up. Clean oil. No engine knocks at all and no smoke after a short warmup. Gauges all work. Good tires all the way around, no cracking or weather checking. Reasonably tight steering with power steering that works. TA pulls against the brakes in both positions. TA holds the tractor on an uphill incline with the clutch pedal halfway out and the TA lever ahead. Shifts smooth with no grinding. Loader goes up and down smoothly with no squealing. Fast hitch goes up and down smoothly and stops in any position.

Without tearing the tractor completely apart, you will never know if you're buying a ticking time bomb or not. Trust your gut and your eyes. It's hard to hide poor maintenance and hard use. A well maintained tractor will look well maintined.

$4500 sounds high, but a lot of that depends on the loader. A good loader is easily $2000 - $3000 while a wornout loader is $500-$800.

560s were good solid tractors. The early units had the famous bearing failures - but most of that was corrected almost half a century ago. They have a slow hydraulic system (makes using a loader a PIA if you are used to something modern).

If you are used to an M they'll be a huge step up, if you've been using a Magnum it will be like getting off a 4 wheeler and getting into a wheelbarrow

Thank you all for your thoughts. I do understand that as with anything used it is a matter of when something will wear out rather than if it will wear out. I was just curious if there was anything about this model (when it was new) that made it less liked or something along those lines. It sounds like it is a decent tractor for my needs from the responses.

As for the price ... you think it is a bit high? Up here in Iowa I just missed out on another 560 with a narrow front and that sold for $5,200 and then the next day I missed out on one with a wide front and loader (not as good condition as the previous one) sell for $5,500. So ... I was kind of excited about the $4,500 price tag...

No 706's near you??

Nothing against ebook and don't mean to make you mad, but I'm kinda with Hugh on these types of questions. Hard to say until you know the projected use. Parade tractor, pull a 4 bottom plow on a 1000 acres, mow a few acres of pasture, push a little snow, pull a baler, use the loader to move a few hay bales every month, use the loader to move silage all day every day on a 10,000 steer feed lot, etc. Gonna use it for 20, 200, or 2000 hours a year.

Every old tractor is going to be a Fix Or Repair Daily type of thing.

Kinda like buying an old pickup. Is it for local farm chores or coast to coast trips pulling a trailer.

Every tractor has their weak points and strong points for a particular use. They aren't very fast for loader operations and that may depend on gear tranny or hydro.

bc: Interesting, in 1972 my only loader tractor, was a 560D with 2000 IH loader. Before that I had a Cockshutt 540 with a Wagner loader, and my dad before that had H and 300 with IH loaders of the era.

In 1972 I bought a Case 1737 skid loader for feeding cows, cleaning and loading manure. In 1975 I bought a second Case 1737 skid loader as I now had cattle at two farms. Three months later the 2000 loader was removed from 560, loader was packed away in a drive shed until I sold it in 1978. WHY, because those skid steers ran circles around the 560 on loader work, even on soft ground. In fact I had a young lad spreading manure in the spring of 1975. On 3 sides of pile 560 had ruts so deep, he could no longer get a bucket full of manure. Problem, 4th side of pile was too close to barn for 560 to operate, I got him started with skid steer, and every time he was gone to field with a load, the first day, I spent time with skid steer filling his 560 ruts, as we were going to encounter them anyhow. In the end 560 had loaded 1/4 of pile in 4 days, skid loader loaded the other 3/4 of pile in 4 days.

Farmalls were in those days, the very best drawbar tractor known to man, but they were not great loader tractors. In fact in my opinion those yahoo's wanting a loader on everything, destroyed the best drawbar tractor ever known.

I've got a '59 560 gas which is serving my purposes well. It's a definite step up from the
Case VAC 14 I had. I didn't want to get into a
"full size" tractor because I didn't have a shed tall enough (have since built a new shed with a 10' high door). I sure appreciate the extra power
over the VAC. More power translates directly into time saved. Starts and runs well, no noticeable oil cloud, has a little tick which
reminds me of a noisey lifter, but not sure what it is. It came with a loader which was modified
to fit, don't know the brand as it is painted over. It is slow as someone else brought out. The TA works, power steering works. The rubber is worn down pretty good and checked. Tin is staight but could benefit from some fresh paint.
The only problems thus far are sloppy steering,
hydraulic filter froze and lift didn't lift the
snow blower, and once when I shifted, it left the
tranny in 4th.

I paid $3800.00 for it two years ago (central WI). I don't work it hard. I use it to blow snow
off my 600' driveway and whack down and/or make
hay on about 20 acres. Other than that it just
rests in it's shinny new shed and takes life easy.

Maybe they are going higher now - it seems like you have a handle on the local market.

I've seen "decent" ones go as low as $2500 (narrow front) and diesel ones in good shape in the $3500-$3800 range. As I mentioned the loader could easily be half the asking price in this case.

Some people will knock the gas engine but if its not going to see much use and you don't plan on hooking it to a plow and gutting it out the differance between gas and diesel operating costs won't amount to much - a gas might be cheaper if diesel prices jump back up.

Thank you all for you replies. I'm sorry if I asked a bad question or didn't include enough information, but I'm just looking for as much information as possible because I want to make sure I'm as informed as I can be when it comes to this.

I be using this tractor for mowing, raking, and baling 20+ acres of hay (NH haybine and small square baler) ... moving large round bales from time to time ... cleaning out deep bedding in a three-sided shed a couple times a year ... tearing out old fence lines to put in new fence (one time job) ... general farm use (pushing snow, moving small amounts of rock, pulling wagons) ... and possibly this year I will use it to plant and harvest corn with a two row NI picker.

It does sound like the price is a bit high compared to what others have paid, but I haven't been able to find a tractor with a loader in this HP range much/if any less than this. I would like to find one for less though!

I bought a 560 gas row crop with an IH loader last summer as a backup for my 544 utility and because I wanted a little more power for field work. Cost $3700. I found it to be much faster for field work than the 544 and trouble-free so far, but inferior to the 544 as a loader tractor. It's too long, too tall, has too large a turning radius, and the rather feeble hydraulics have no float position.

I agree Hugh, a skid steer will run circles around my 2606 with IH3000 loader with an old 4 speed tranny and forward/reverser with the synchronizers about shot(gotta stop and wait to change gears). I had to add a bolt with rubber hose onto the side of the dash to keep the f/r shifter from kicking out of gear.

Unless you need a pto, 3 point, and drawbar, those skid steers are so versatile but you need one big enough to handle your big bales.

ebook, sounds like the 560 would fit your needs but I don"t know if for sure that it matches the hp needed for your baler but I suspect it does. I suspect you have a few horses/hayburners to take care of. Good luck.

No horses here... We direct market beef, pork, and poultry on our small farm and need a tractor to help with everyday chores and life on the farm.

Not that a horse is a bad thing, I just need one that helps make money if I'm going to have one

I own 2 Farmall 560's. One is a 1962 narrow front with fast hitch, and I payed
$2200 for it. The other is a 1959 wide front with fast hitch, and I payed $2600 for that one. The 560 is one of my favorite tractors around the farm, and I use both of mine quite frequently. The first 560's that came out did have problems with bearings in the rear end, but many of those tractors were recalled and had the updated kit put into them. Currently, my '62 is my pulling tractor. I have done some major work to the motor, and it dyno's around 94 horse, and never had a problem with any mechanical functions, and it even has the stock clutch parts. My '59 is pretty much stock, and I haven't had any problems with it. Personally, they may have had a rough start, but for practical use around the farm, it does everything and I'm very happy I have them. I tuned my '59, and plowing blue clay with 4 14's, it only took 4 gallons per hour which is great. As for hydraulic power, never had a problem there either. It'll pick up my heavy 14ft disk without grunting. Just all depends on how well the previous owner took care of it. 4500 sounds a little high to me, but if the motor, tires, steering, sheetmetal, and torque amplifier are in good shape, then I wouldn't flinch at that price. Best of luck to ya!!

Couple other points. Check this tractor and check your equipment for 2 point and 3 point hitch compatibility. The old 460 I had came with a 2 point fast hitch. 3 point stuff didn't work. I tried to weld up 3 point adapter but sold it before I got it to work.

Gas or Diesel? If you are north of the mason-dixon line, you'd probably be better off with gas if you want to use it in the winter. 20 acres of hay wouldn't be enough to make diesel a better buy over gas.

Base your price on what you can afford and what it is worth to you. Going price in Florida doesn't help you where you are at and vice versa and then you haven't said where you are at. I bought my 2606 in Indiana. Cost me $3000 to truck it. Could have bought a better one locally with that extra 3 grand but I would have spent all summer going to auctions and never find the right one, in the right condition, and at the right price. At least locally, you can look at it, drive it, check the ta, and other stuff first. The other side of it is that all old tractors are gonna need some fixing and just live with it. Around here it is green country so ih goes cheap at sales. In another part of the state, it is IH country and something will sell for double there. Go figure.

Fairly dependable tractor. In real cold temperatures keep the carb covered. They have the ability to get "frosty" and give you some problems. Also, when shifting, don't force it into gear. This can cause the tractor to get hung up between gears. Easy fix though, 9/16th wrench and big screwdriver and you're back in business.