What was the first Diesel tractor on your farm?

Dick2

Well-known Member
Dad bought a Case400D, even though I wanted the Case500D like my uncle had. My brother still has the 400D, although he uses it mostly to mow the farmyard during the summer.
 
WD45 diesel came to our farm in 1958. it stayed until a D19 turbo diesel replaced it in 1966. those 2 were used. After that a new 185 came in 1972.
 
Dad bought a Ford 5000 in 1969

1969_zps294e51ef.jpg


I came to Nebraska in 1979, moved on to the place I'm on now in 1993 and pretended to start ranching. The first tractor I bought here was a John Deere A. My first diesel was a 656 bought in 2000. I just bought my first new tractor since leaving home. A New Holland Workmaster 65.
 
My grandfather fell in love with the little Fords so he bought a used 961 diesel with nf. He also bought a new 881 and a 971, but those two were gas.
 
My 1st diesel was a 4020PS John Deere that I bought in 1981. I soon found out that the PS stood for something other than power shift and found someone that bled green and had a 1030 Case diesel that they wanted to get rid of. It was one of the best trades I ever made. I wish I still had the 1030.
 
Dad bought a 1966 Case 430 Diesel , demonstrator , with all the bells and whistles ,, it was the VERY FIRST Diesel in our neighborhood ,, Dad was so Proud of the Dependable Versatility and the Amazing Power, and it had POWER STEERING , ,Anyone that stopped by would get a little seat time ,.Dad would quip , "We Use the 430 all day Every day , And fill it up once a week" Truth was all daylong plowing it would use a tank of Fuel ,,But that was only 2 dollars worth at 1967 prices ,The best show was when a neighbor came in with his 4020 gasser pulling deere 4/16s and the Case had 3/12s Behind it ,,That 430 maintained depth held its own ..And the fuel cost difference betwwen the 2 at the end of the day was extremely convincing , By 1970 , because of hog and premium flour wheat prices , we had another Diesel 800Case,,serveral Neighbors bought Diesels , Fords , Massys And at least a half dozen Case tractors were sold from Shaffer Tractor in New Albany , The dealer publicly thanked Dad, and kidded that He was his best salesman ,,..
 
Gramp bought a D-4 diesel in about 1936 new with a Oliver 4-16 still got both. I would like to have the cat to use on plow days. The guys don't like it with a 6 bottom plow as it plows to fast for them. They like those old 2 bottom plows with a rope clutch. I have never plowed with less than 4 bottoms.
 
About 62 Dad bought a 40 Cockshutt with a Buda diesel. Always whined in 3rd gear. Couple years later traded for a 70 JD. Couldn't keep the flywheel tight on that one. Traded for a smooth running 400 Case Diesel in 66. Came home from school and got to pick corn behind a warm comfort cover. I started farming in 68 with a 64 930 Western Special Case. All Case since.
 
On this place, SIL's dad owned two Massey 44 diesels. Both are still in his family, one (a standard) still runs but is just a hobby tractor. There is a tricycle row crop out in the weeds that will never run again that has supplied some parts. The first diesel in my family was a cousins 4020, It had some 'issues' that put it back in the shop several times until they got things ironed out. Turned out to be a good machine.
 
First one was a Ford 5000. Bought used. I had it ten years and traded it to dealer on 5610 Ford that I still own and use. The 5000 was traded in for more than I paid for it. Held its value very well.
 
Dad's first diesel was a JD 70 and he had flywheel problems also. He traded it for a 1962 830 Case demostrater case-o-matic. Best tractor he ever owned.
 
The first diesel on our farm was a GVI MM dad purchased in 1971. He traded it in on a 930 Case in 1973 and that off on an AC 7000 in 1977. He used that one until he retired in 1986.
 
Growing up, our first diesel was a Fordson Dexta, followed by a Ford 6000 Commander. Many years later on my own small place, it's a Mahindra eMax 22.
 
A Massey 44 diesel but it had final drive failures and engine problems cracking. Replaced with a JD 70 diesel standard chassis with rockshaft, PS and live Pto in 1954. Cold weather starting was and is not a problem. The 14HP V4 starting engine will wail the diesel over and make it start anyways. Still have it and is retored with approx 11,000 hrs.
 
A 1956 Fordson Major Diesel. It took either to start it until about 50 degrees. We didn't even bother to try to use it below 25 degrees. We usually tried to park it on the hill by the tool shed. Also spent allot of time pulling it around to get it started.
In all fairness to it my Dad wasn't real big on maintaining anything. He wasn't much of a mechanic either.
 
Dad's first diesel was the 400D and in 1969 added the 770D. Always had CASE on the farm.Still have both tractors.
 
It was 1963 when Dad bought his first diesel tractor.....He traded our 1949 M Farmall for a used 1959 Farmall 460 diesel....A new 2 row front mount cultivator came with the 460 and it was still in the crate..

The original 12x38 rear tires on the 460 were nearly bald is it came from a large farm that had put lots of hours on it..They had traded it for a new 4010 JD..
 
Dad cleared the farm with a TD9 crawler dozer, starting about 46. Then he bought an R JD in 52 to farm it with. We have a picture of myself being held up between the stacks on my first birthday, July 3, 52. Sometime I will scan that picture and post it.
 
Dad's first diesel was a new case 800d com which he only kept a couple years then traded for a new 830 com in about 1960. We had that one for many years and most of us learned to drive on that and a ford jubilee. My first was a 1968 case 930 I bought while still in high school in 1980.
 
The first one we had I guess,was an Oliver Super 55. I got an 88 diesel not too many years later.
 
My parents first (and only) diesel is our 1989 Yanmar F-18D with a loader and 4wd. The greatest little tractor I have ever seen!!

And my first and only one, so far, is a Ford 4400with a 753 Hoe and a loader. Another awesome diesel! :)
 

2012 Kubota L3800 4wd. 2 thumbs up!
Other tractors: 52 H,72 IH 454 Both used regularly(20 acres and wifes horses).
 
My Dad bought a TD6 about 46 0r 47. We used it to farm with for many years. Dad died in 1951 and I traded it in on a Farmall 560 in about 1959 and traded that for a JD 730D in 1960. Never had a blade on it and I still remember it being a bear to ride and drive. Noisy, dirty and slow.
 
Was it in the ionia area by chance? My uncle has one that
I'm quite sure was originally from this area.
 
My Grandfather bought a used AC 190XT III in 1978 along with a new 5 bottom plow. It was a big jump from the D17. Still have all of them, the 190 now has nearly 9000 hours on it and is due for its first overhaul.
 
First diesel on this farm was a 1963 Case 730 my dad bought used in 1973. Just like the one my uncle had since 1964. This one was traded on a 930 but now I have the original 730 diesel my uncle bought in 64.
 
Dad bought a used MD in 59. Only kept it 2 years and traded for a 560 diesel.

The md was hard starting. He could not wait to get it off the farm.

My first diesel and tractor was a 1086 in 1978.

Gary
 
Dads first diesel was a 1963 Cockshutt 570 Super. Bought it in 1970? I think. Paid $1400 for it. Mine was a 400 Case, bought in 1994.
 
(quoted from post at 02:53:38 12/16/14) Dad bought a Case400D, even though I wanted the Case500D like my uncle had. My brother still has the 400D, although he uses it mostly to mow the farmyard during the summer.

My dad's first was a 1956 Allis Chalmers WD45D. My uncle bought it new and when the D17's came out he traded it in and my dad bought it. I was hauling manure with it at age 6. My brother still uses it on his farm. Mine was a 1962 D19TD, my brother used it on his farm in SD, then I sold it and another to two guys from NY...bought it back in '04 and hauled it all the way out here. The D19 was the first turboed farm tractor...what was your first farm tractor with a turbo??

My well travelled D19TD
 
Little newer than the rest of everyone on here.

1979 Kubota L245DT. Father in law bought new. I got it in 1996. Sold it in 2005 with 1300+ hours to pay down the Ford 3930 I purchased. Tough little machine and handy.

Rick
a176647.jpg
 
Dad had a dairy from about 1952 until 1961- Only tractor he ever had was an 8N Ford that he bought used (barely) in 1951. My first diesel was either an Oliver 550 or an Oliver 1550- both bought used in about 1976, can't remember which was first. Still have the 550, and the 1550 is just down the road at the neighbors.
 
Also, noticed a lot of grousing about N Fords in this thread. Sure, they're limited as to what they'll do, but are still useful for the small farm. As somebody on here said, in an N-bashing thread, "The Ns are great for some things, like going down and getting the mail. If you don't have a lot of mail."
 
Our first diesel was also a Fordson Power Major in 1961. It was being demonstrated on a local farm pulling a 14 disk one way plow and we bought it there with the JD plow. It had wide tires and weights. It replaced a pair of 8N's pulling 8 disk one way plows. I was about 13 and loved operating it with the power steering, live PTO and comfortable seat. I recall using ether to start it. It was an excellent tractor for our purposes raising hay and grain in Texas.
 
Speaking of Hard starting diesels ..we have a deutz 6806..bought new in 1978..it wont start below 45 degrees..so dad made a gear box for our 66 massey 135(gas) has a driveshaft to run to the deutz..hook up shaft to both tractors..engage pto on massey...get on deutz engage pto(and hit the starter at same time)deutz will fire right up in 1 second...dad was too cheap to heat the shop so that's the way he did it...I now heat the shop when I use it.
Keith
 
Grew up on dairy in Washington state.First diesel dad bought was a well used international B 275 no power steering .That was in the seventy's.I spread a lot of manure with that tractor.A few years later he traded it in on a deere 830.Thought I died and went to heaven.
 
RD4 Cat bought in 1947,Dad had the motor rebuilt by Cat dealer before using. Tractor had been bought new by a friend who used it to pump water during the war track frame had less than three hundred hours when we first used it. Last ran thanksgiving 2002, prior to that it had sit for 30years.
 
The very first tractor was a 1917 sandusky model E.

The first diesel grandpa had was a massey harris 44 special diesel.(dad said it was trouble from day one!)

here's the list in the order we bought them,

1917 sandusky model E
1928 mcCormick 22-36
1936 John deere A
1941 John deere A
1946 ford 2n
1952 ford 8n
195? MH 44 special diesel
194? mccormick WD9
1960? Oliver 1850
1941 Farmall H (H and m were great grandpa tractors)
1948 farmall M
1973 Oliver 1855
1957 Allis wd45 diesel
1966 Farmall 706 german diesel
1974 John deere 4430
1962 ford 4000 RC 4cylinder
farm rented out in 2006

still have the Allis wd45,706,4000 and 4430
 
I think dad had a TD-6 IH crawler, (before I was born), Then later a Case 830 and then a 4020 JD. The only diesel Ive bought so far is a 1971 G950 MM.
 
Look at the production numbers of N series Fords. There must be a lot of people who needed to "go get the mail".

I learned to rake hay on an 8N. They are a great tractor for a young person to learn how to drive on.
 
Oop's I don't own a diesel yet. Son bought a 986 International a couple years ago that I use to grind hay with. The first diesel I saw was when the neighbor got a WD 45 diesel when they come out new. His brother was a dealer.
 
In 1964 Dad bought an IH B-414. Great tractor, still on the farm but not currently running, on deck for restoration.
 
The first diesel on the farm was the 4010 which is still here. My first diesel that I bought was the 986.
 
A brand new 856 IH. I want to say it was a 1967. It was used about three years without a cab and then some really bad aftermarket crockpot cab was put on it. I hated that cab with a passion. For all of the time on the farm growing up gas tractors outnumbered diesels. It was tough for the elders to "believe" in them. I guess I may be the same - I have three tractors here that are gas and I use them regularly. Even for regular things like grinding feed and loader work. They are just so easy.
 
Dad had a Farmall H and an M. He also had a TD9 bulldozer but when it came time to buy his first diesel wheel tractor he bought a used Case 401. My first diesel was a 4020 P.S. FWA, traded my Farmall B and M....James
 
190XT was a good tractor. Lots of power for its size. Traded it for a 200, most of which were good tractors, but the one we got was a lemon. Traded 200 for a 7000, which was a real dud. Traded 7000 for a 7020 which was a very good, dependable tractor.
 
Back in HoIIand where i grew up in the fifty's 99% of the tractors at that time were dieseIs.
One had a hard time finding a gas job if he wanted one.
Iots of cars had a dieseI option as weII.
My first tractor was a ford mayor dieseI.
My first car was a 54 mercedes 180 D
 
Bought a D4 Cat when I was about 19 yo, sold it for a profit 6 weeks later. Farming on my own, first diesel was a 1967 4020, bought the second year I farmed, 1973.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top