Need a Tractor with Slow Low Gear

jogl · Sep 24, 2013

I need a tractor in the 60 to 125 hp range that has a low first gear. It is used to pull a potato digger. I was using an MF 2705 with 24 speed, but the hydraulics went out on it and I will not be able to fix until winter.

My MF 285 and my Case 2590 are too fast.

I looked around and there are no creeper tractors locally, in my price range.

So what should I be looking for in '70's and '80's era row crop tractors that have slow low gears?

Thanks,
JP.

RGMartin · Sep 24, 2013

Any 12 speed DB will give you gears under 1 MPH at PTO speed.

1200, 1210, 1212s are cheap and readily available, an honest 65hp.

1410, 1412 are 80 hp, 1394(67), 1494(75)...

Avoid the 6 cylinder ones like the plague(1690, 1594).

The Hydrashift chart I have here would give you .8 mph in first, and 1.1 mph in 2nd. The manual I have here shows .8 for first 1.5 for second.

keh · Sep 24, 2013

The Kubota M 4000 I have has slow gears but it is too small for you. Bigger Kubotas may have the slow gear also.

KEH

dustycoal · Sep 24, 2013

Everyone here loves our 1210. Low creeper gears,
turns in tight spots, uses very little fuel.

just another old geezer · Sep 24, 2013

Consider an IH hydro, If you can find one of sutable hp. Love my 666 hydro for it's varable speed at full power.

blue924.9 · Sep 24, 2013

a white white 2-105 or 2-110 or an equivalent sized Oliver tractor would work, put it in 1st and the over under hydraul shift in under for 1.3 mph according to tractordata.com

blue924.9 · Sep 24, 2013

a white white 2-105 or 2-110 or an equivalent sized Oliver tractor would work, put it in 1st and the over under hydraul shift in under for 1.3 mph according to tractordata.com

Texasmark1 · Sep 24, 2013

My Branson 6530 is 65 engine hp, 57 PTO. Have posted pictures
on here of it and implements I use with it.

It has 24 F with shuttle shift from F N R for loader work. The 24
are full synchromesh and a high-low range and then ABC 1234.
If you want to creep, this sucker in Low A1 barely moves at PTO
speed.

Bought it new in '07 and it has been an excellent, reliable
tractor; wasn't cheap and surely is not a piece of Chinese junk
that you hear people talk about. Made by Kukji Mfgr. in S. Korea
with about 300 dealers natiowide and at least 2 warehouses. I
broke the RH door glass to my cab mowing and in just a few
days UPS was delivering another. Warehouse had 7 in stock.

If you want whistles and bells, no electronic controls or any of
that, it has them. Has the Cummins 4 cyl naturally aspired B3.3
engine. Very fuel efficient. I don't sell them. Just went out on a
limb buying something other than the normal colors as I didn't
like what any of them had to offer and I have been pleasantly
pleased. Company has been in business making these tractors
for Branson since 1969.

Mark

JD Seller · Sep 24, 2013

I will second the IH hydro tractors. The 100 or 186 would be a good match for your potato digger.

jogl · Sep 24, 2013

Thanks for the list guys. Out of all of them there is a 1410 for sale locally. I'm going for a look.

In the pictures it looks clean and the rubber looks good. 5500 hours and says rebuilt injection pump and injectors recently.

I notice that tractor data says 2000 lbs recommended on the 3ph. That sounds a little light for a tractor that size. Is that correct?

Thanks again,
JP.

Bob M · Sep 24, 2013

We pulled a potato digger for many years with Oliver 1850. Running in first under, the 1850 was perfect for the digger.

DeltaRed · Sep 24, 2013

IH Hydro.I run one,have owned three. several models
from 50 to just over 100 horsepower.Best 'PTO
tractor' ever.

ss55 · Sep 24, 2013

What is your price range and what speeds are you looking for? One gear under 2.5 mph at PTO speed or 4+ gears between 2 and 1/4 mph?

If most of the power requirement is for PTO and hydraulics, then a hydrostatic transmission would be a great choice. If you need drawbar pull stay with gear drive.

I think Deere made some 4030-4230-4430 series tractors with an optional creeper range in a syncto-range transmission, but they will be tough to find.

RGMartin · Sep 24, 2013

(quoted from post at 09:59:09 09/24/13)
I notice that tractor data says 2000 lbs recommended on the 3ph. That sounds a little light for a tractor that size. Is that correct?

Tractor data is full of errors. I have moved my 3 point grain drill that weighs 3400# empty with a 1494, which has a lighter duty 3 point than a 1410.

I would think it would handle 4000# reasonably if you had some iron on the front.

The data sheet from Case...

http://www.dbtc.co.uk/index.php?module=Content&func=view&pid=241

Traditional Farmer · Sep 24, 2013

My Long 910 around 85HP (rebranded Zetor) has 16 Fowrward gears and several very slow ones 2 are easily under 1 MPH.Most older foreign built tractors have very slow gears and creepers that the tractor barely moves when its in gear.

jogl · Sep 24, 2013

Mr. RGMartin, great info! That tractor looks to be ideal for us. Going for a look tonight.

Again, thanks,
JP.

the tractor vet · Sep 24, 2013

Well if you want something from the past that worked well in TATERS then look at the old Farmall's , as i grew up working on my uncles TATER farm , at first when i started driven tractors it was Crawlers and in the fall of 63 he bought the first BIG tractor and it was and 806 Diesel wide ft. It was the first tractor that would go slow enough and had the power to pull a two row John Bean harvester. You have a total of 16 speed if it has a T/A and first gear low range with the T/A on low is SLOW . We normally ran second gear low with the T/A in the highside and that was with windrowing four more rows on top of the two that the harvester was digging. The tractor was weighted down with a full rack of 100 lbs weights on the ft. loaded 18.4 x38's on the back and five sets of 150 wheel weights on the rear. Now if you are only running a two row digger or windrower then a 706 will do the job just fine as it has the same transmission set up .

RGMartin · Sep 24, 2013

A couple things to look at that will provide more info, if your digger uses lots of hydraulics, you might want to see if the tractor has the "Tandem" hydraulic pump. It can be identified by two steel pressure lines running under the right edge of the chassis under the engine. The single pump will only have one line. 14 GPM versus 7.

The other thing is that in the US 1412s were sold and decalled as 1410s. Not sure if this was done up there. If it is a 1412 it will shift very softly as compared to your 2590.

FWIW, I generally dig potatoes in L1 which is 4th gear at 3/4 throttle. I am only running a simple Deere PTO digger though, no fancy modern stuff.

jogl · Sep 24, 2013

No fancy equipment here. We are actually in Sweet Potatoes. Run 0.4 up to 1 mph depending on number of hands available, amount of potatoes and of course how wet the soil is.

This digger is pto driven.

PeterE · Sep 24, 2013

If you find an error, I am more than happy to correct it.

OH Boy · Sep 24, 2013

My Ford 4600SU with 8 speed hi/low range has really low first gear

wolfman · Sep 24, 2013

Have to agree with the Vet. A good ole 706 in low range, lst gear and low torque should be the ticket.

showcrop · Sep 24, 2013

I'll go fourth or fifth or wherever we are on the old IH hydros.186 or even an 86 good solid long lasting power.

Anonymous-0 · Sep 24, 2013

In the 70's I worked for an irrigation contractor. We used a large pto vibrating plow to install pvc pipe. We used a Deutz 8006 to pull it, as it was equipped with a creeper range. Worked great pulling that plow which pulled very hard. Duals on the tractor, and steering with the brakes as the front end was in the air a lot of the time.

Need a Tractor with Slow Low Gear

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