JD 2950 vs IH 886

I am looking for some imput on comparing a IH 886 and a JD 2950
I will want either in 2wd and with a cab
I know the IH is made in the USA and the JD is made in Germany I think
are they both dependable and are parts still easy to find for both
Thanks for any help
 

The JD will be easier to enter/exit and the controls for hyd's & trans are more operator friendly than an IHC. Parts are readily available for the JD. The JD 5.9L(359 cid) engines are very good plus I think the hyd h-lo in the JD is more durable than the IHC's TA. I personally don't like the JD's foot clutch control with a master/slave cylinders but many of that model have been sold.
 
Run away from any IH that still has the TA in it. Unless you like spending a couple thousand $$ to rebuild it. We have a 1086, but the TA has been removed.

Both tractors are actually pretty good except the TA issue. TXJim is correct about the JD having better access. Whoever at IH thought opening the doors that way should be hung. They do make a door hinge reversal kit though.
 
Run away from any IH that still has the TA in it. Unless you like spending a couple thousand $$ to rebuild it. We have a 1086, but the TA has been removed.

Both tractors are actually pretty good except the TA issue. TXJim is correct about the JD having better access. Whoever at IH thought opening the doors that way should be hung. They do make a door hinge reversal kit though.
 
Bought a 1980 IH 150 hp tractor at low price as I was aware of IH rear end, clutch, and TA issues. As expected, within two years I had to replace the clutch and disable the TA. I never overloaded the tractor, in fact the biggest disk harrow I ever hooked it up to was a heavy duty 12 ft and the plow was a 5x16 which it pulled with ease. The IH 466 engine is great with ample power, good fuel economy, and very easy to start. Not sure what engine the 886 has in it but most IH diesels were fairly reliable engines. Can't comment on the 2950 but all my Deere tractors have been pretty bullet proof to include the engines. Tractor history should be a big factor in your decision along with dealership support in the area.
 
Hi
I seem to remember the 886 is a heavy tractor and may be under powered for it"s weight. Don"t know about parts for it. I think the IH rear end might be less complicated than the Deere in some ways, and easier to fix.
The Deere is a good tractor if it's not worn out/ been serviced regular. I worked for a guy had them from new in the U.K( same tractor different model number), Got high hours no problem.

He moved to Canada and bought the 2950 I drove used at about 8000 hrs. 10,000 hrs it all started to pile up in the transmission brakes and hyds. It got traded on a 6410.

Make sure all the oil pressure lights work on the dash, If you go look at it, Taking the bulbs out can hide a lot of problems!. The sensors don't flick the warning lights, which can be a tell tale somethings up, you need to know what your looking at when buying these tractors.

That back end is totally relying on oil pressure, if it's getting worn oil doesn"t go where it should, Hi lo clutchless shift, steering, brakes and front hyd pump start to do stupid things or wear due to low pressure lubrication in the system.
Parts may be a stupid price they are here in Canada through Deere.
I got an 1830 here in the shop, that is a very similar rear end. There are a lot of $2000 parts in that, and a big pile of O rings that could be leaking.
I'm not sure I can fix it/ find out the whole issues with whats wrong.
looks like it has major wear issues in more than one place, leading to multiple hydraulic circuit failures.
My thoughts would be buy the Deere if it's low hours, well maintained. IF NOT RUN HARD AND FAST THE OTHER WAY! Yes Capital letters means I'M yelling it L.O.L.
From what I see with this very genuine well serviced/ looked after one owner 1830. It has 17,000 hours and could be ready for the north 40.
You don't want a huge pile of trouble like this is.

The problems started real sudden with it while brush cutting, If my customer told me everything to the best of his ability!.
The 2950 was more of a gradual decline, the high low started downshifting on it's own, when the motor revs dropped off, and the steering and front pump played up too.
Just my thoughts from my experience with these 2 Deeres and I'm sure truth be told they aren't the only ones like this around.
Good luck with your choice.
Regards Robert
 
In my area (NE IN) almost all 886's did not have cabs, only 4
post ROPS. The 886 had two different engines, you want the
later one post 1979. Price is the next thing, here the 886's
bring between $7k and 12k. A JD 2950 with cab will bring
$20k+. The cab is a lot better on the JD. Also you are
comparing two tractors that are roughly 10 years apart.
Also the IH was intended to be used as a primary tractor on
a small farm, the john deere was advertised as a large
utility.
 
If you had a 150hp tractor then it was either a 1486 or 1586. If bought for such a low price then there was a reason, it was wore out. IH did not have 466's in there tractors in 1980, it would have been a 436. For the rearend trouble most 1486's I have looked at for a low price make noise. The reason is most had been turned up, weighted down and used hard.
 
You forgot about the 1980 3588 with the 466 engine. It was actually low hours (6500) and came from the wheat fields of Kansas. It was low priced as it was too big of a tractor for most farmers in the area and many did not like the 4 wheel articulated tractors, although they had a lot of advantages.
 
I was thinking/talking about two wheel drive tractors. 2+2 tractors had a lot of problems, the front axles were not strong enough, piston pumps prone to go out, and when people dueled the front wheels and used it like a steiger lots of bad things happened. The rearends where the same as used in the 1486. In my area you can't give them away.
 
I think a lot of the "TA issue" is guys going from the JD powershift 2-speed to the torque amplifier, which IS NOT A POWERSHIFT!!

And I don't get how it's so difficult to get into an 86 series cab. Beats having to squeeze between the pillar and wheel, or sliding the wheel clear in, on the JD cab. I think you have to be trying to hang yourself from the shifter.
 
(quoted from post at 00:31:26 09/18/13) I think a lot of the "TA issue" is guys going from the JD powershift 2-speed to the torque amplifier, which IS NOT A POWERSHIFT!!

And I don't get how it's so difficult to get into an 86 series cab. Beats having to squeeze between the pillar and wheel, or sliding the wheel clear in, on the JD cab. I think you have to be trying to hang yourself from the shifter.

Please explain. Is the TA designed to stop the tractor every time one shifts the TA control handle? Next you'll be stating how convent the scv control handles are located down close to the platform floor. I plowed one time for my friend using his 986 and told my friend "never again". I'm disabled now and there's no way I could enter/exit the awkward cab of an IHC 86 series
 

I do agree a lot of the TA issues come from people trying to use them to increase or decrease speed all the time instead of using it when the engine pulls down in a heavy spot. But still, most people don't use it correctly and that causes them to wear out quickly.

On the doors, they open like a car door so you have to squeeze in between the door and tires. Our 1086 has duals on it so it makes it a lot harder to get in and out of.
 
(quoted from post at 10:03:09 09/19/13)
I do agree a lot of the TA issues come from people trying to use them to increase or decrease speed all the time instead of using it when the engine pulls down in a heavy spot. But still, most people don't use it correctly and that causes them to wear out quickly..

My JD 4255 quad-range that has a hyd hi-lo similar to IHC TA has been shifted up/down 1000's of times rd baling & plowing without a failure. It has over 10,750 hrs on it. TA's have a long,long history of failures ever since it's inception.
 
The 786 we had had 38 inch rubber set wide, and the 2+2 had duals, and they were never a problem getting in and out.

A neighbor borrowed our (200+ HP) 1066 to pull a manure tank one time, no matter how many times we told him, he'd pull the TA way too early, and it would slow him down. He normally used something like a 2950, not much on the bottom end. With an IHC you pull it down about 1400-1450 before you pull that lever.

756 took one TA in it's lifetime, my uncle used it for pulling wagons and the planter, plowed with it too. We put two in that 1066 in the 15 or so years we had it, but the second one went in after dad slid down an icy hill with the wheels spinning forward. Tore the hub out of the clutch disk, too.

That 756 is the reason we ran red tractors, grandpa had a 4020 on order at one dealer, went to another that carried a short line for some parts, and they were backing the 756 out of the shop taking it in on trade. He took it for a spin and took it home with him.
 
That said, now that I've had some time on a 4020, I wouldn't mind having one of my own, very handy for a chore tractor, but I think a 966 would out-plow it for having the TA.
 

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