Case 1030 buying opinions

003Ryder

New User
Hey everyone! I'm brand new here and had a couple of questions for all you old tractor folks. So I'm looking at an old J.I case 1030. Here are some pros and cons

Pros:

Only 3,000hrs (working tack)
original owners.
Tires have good tread left
no apparent abuse or over working
little smoke, some blow-by (problem?)
all gauges work
everything seems tight.

Cons.

Slight power steering leak.
P.T.O spins regardless the location of the lever
Tires show cracks and rims are pretty rusty from calcium

the seller wants 5,000$$ might be able to get him a little lower than that but not sure. I would use the tractor to do hay on about 20-25 acers. Some slight disking here and there, small square bales. What do you guys think of it? somthing to pick up or run away from?

Thanks in advance!!
 
Not a bad tractor, but make sure it has 540 pto as they only have 1000 rpm from the factory. Many have been converted to 540 over the years and if necessary that is not hard, but they do not have 2 spd pto. Check for antifreeze in the oil, they are getting old and the o-rings on the sleeves can leak. Also check for oil or bubbles in the radiator which can come from a cracked head. If those things are good they are a good solid tractor comparable to an 806 ih, 1850 Oliver, 4320 jd ECT.
 
The seller is dreaming on the price around here. That would be lucky to bring $3500 around here. Especially with a PTO issue.
 
The 1030 is a very solid reliable tractor. IMHO, it was already dated when it was introduced in '65 or '66. They have "power assist" steering and everything else is manual. The steering, clutch and brakes are heavy to actuate compared to their contemporaries, but they hold up well and the transmission is very durable. The disk brakes are not great, but comparatively simple and easy to rebuild. 3000 hours is very low hours for any tractor half that age. Weather checked rear tires and rusty rims would cost $2,000 to replace. A little blow by was common even when new, it is most likely just water vapor, but check it for sure. If the engine has never been touched, the sleeves and o-rings could become problems. Check the coolant for exhaust gases and the oil for antifreeze? Comfort King tractors never had a high trade-in/resale value compared to other brands.

Drive a 1070, 970, 2290 or 2090 before buying. To me a 1070 is more comfortable and feels 15 years more advanced than a 1030. If an all manual open station fits your needs it could be a good tractor for you. Myself, for $5,000 I would be looking at 1070's with power shift and a modern cab.
 
$5,000 for a good low hour 1030 with tires that hold air is not a bad price around me. Would have to have mechanical issues or flat tires to sell for $3500 around me. Non running with no tires they bring $1,000-1500.
 
Same here he would be setting on it come spring by asking anything over $3500.oo and he had better not take it to an auction or he wont get that. 5000 seems like almost two prices to me. And here is why there is jot that many buyers out there for that old case tractor.
 
Nothing against the tractor, but it's pretty big for the jobs intended. A smaller one may be more suitable, unless you have your heart set on this one......pretty near everyone on this site has some variation of that affliction! Lol. Ben
 
A 1030 is a 'bucket list' tractor for me.$5000 seems a bit high. Especially with the issues.However,1030s are fairly scarce.So if I really wanted a 1030,I would probably pay it.IMHO a 1030 seems to be a fairly bulletpoof tractor.Neighbor had one once. It would give a 1206 a run for it's money.
 
first , too much money for that tractor!you better run it and check the rad for bubbles to see if heads are ok. plus its a short tractor and rides rough. an 806 is twice the tractor. just because the tack is working now it very well could have been not working for ten years. you need to know the owners and also look it over good. easy to tell if engine was apart. if it was then expect a lot more hrs. plus if it was taken care of it should have the original tires. post a picture of it?
 
May or may not be too big. There is no substitute for horsepower.A wise old man once told me that a biger tractor will do everything a smaller tractor will do....and lots more. He was right. Plus the big tractor will use less fuel because it is not working hard. but you got the power if/when you need it.90/100 horse is a good size to have. 806;4010/4020;Oliver 1850 are good alternatives.
 
First of all, Thank you everyone for replying on short notice, I went and looked at it a couple weeks ago, i didn't get a pic of it sorry :(, it has the original tires front and back. I talked with the owners, they seem pretty trust worthy people. The tractor has been sitting for the past 10 years because they wanted one with 4WD, I did not check rad for bubbles but will next time I go over there. I checked the oil while I was there and it obviously needed to be changed but no metal flakes that I could see and no anti freeze either. The engine is un-tampered with and has no visible leaks or damage as far as I can tell. I did drive it around for a bit, there was little to no tranny noise and seemed to shift well. They brakes where nothing to brag about but they stopped the tractor fairly well. I forgot to mention that it does have a cab. There is a little fan and electric heater but no ac. Glass is all good and windows function properly. Around here its hard to find any tractor over 110hp for anything less than 6-8 grand lol! Anyway Thanks again for all your input and I will maybe try to get some pics up before too too long but not sure when I can get over there again.
 
just did a 730 pto clutch job kind of a pain in the as- to do clutch pack was burnt getting it set after install is a pain
 
Beg to differ.....most diesels will have there highest hp-hr per gallon under full load at rated speed....and less weight to lug around with a smaller unit. Now, if you overload that smaller tractor, I would agree with you. Ben
 
(quoted from post at 19:08:51 10/17/17) Around here its hard to find any tractor over 110hp for anything less than 6-8 grand lol! Anyway Thanks again for all your input and I will maybe try to get some pics up before too too long but not sure when I can get over there again.
I like the 30 series tractors. Amazing to find a 1030 with that low hours and original tires. I'd prefer the 930 but nothing wrong with a 1030 either. They used to be a big tractor but guess what? I'm using a 2090 Case now to cut and bale hay. Our concept of big and small changes over time.
 
Most places that tractor would not bring $2500 with the PTO out of adjustment and 50 year old tires with rusting rims, the fact that it has been sitting for 10 years is a big red flag to me, a lot can go wrong just setting there. I like the 30 series and feed cows every winter with a 930 but I would not look twice at the tractor you describe for $5000.
 
I bought my 1030 nearing ten years ago, and have run over 1,000 hours on it during that time. I paid $4,500.00 for it, in Canadian dollars. I swapped the 1000 rpm pto to a 540 and fixed the hydraulic control, and this year a power steering belt. I don't think I have a lot tied up in this tractor, and it works very nice. I think that as long as you keep the tractor in working order, you can near always get your money back out of it when you sell it. I paid quite a bit more for a Zero turn lawn mower , and I would ne lucky to get a tenth of what I paid for it in ten years.
!030 is nice to cut hay with , and will disc/cultivate just fine , and a whole lot more.
 
Is the cab a Case factory cab? If it is it my have some value to a collector, they do exist, but 30 series Case collectors are few and far between. An older cab could still be an asset on a snow blower/snow pusher tractor. For most people, those older after-market "ear beater" cabs without air conditioning are so hot and so noisy they decrease the value of any tractor. If the doors can be removed and the windows opened wide or removed, the noise level and heat would be reduced to where the cab could be a more comfortable sunshade.

At $5,000 I think the tractor is priced for the collector market, if there is one. If the tractor fits your operation, you could get $5,000 worth of work out of it if the tires hold up and you don't mind driving it. It would be hard for you to resell it as-is for $3,000. If you had to put four new tires and two rear rims on it, fixed the PTO, and replaced the sleeves, I suspect you would still have a tough time getting anywhere close to $4,000 for it.

I think 1030's were rated at 101 HP (Nebraska Tractor test #952), which is still plenty of power for most haying. They have a great torque reserve that lugs well, but I don't think the old style in-direct injection cylinder head converts over-fueling into extra HP as well as direct injection engines do.
 
As a field tractor, just going around in circles I would rather run my 1030 than my 1070 or 90 and 94 series tractors. Just a simple old horse, sitting up there in the open.

I gave 3500 for it a few years back with a 1070 engine(bad heads on the original, know the mechanic that did the conversion) in it and the 540 pto conversion, 3100 hours on a good tach.
 
30 series diesels after their oil is just change will blacken up, just a trait. I love my "1030"(mine has 18,000 hrs.) and there are lots of "30" series collectors over at the Case forum here on YT. Most are friendly and glad to help. We sure would like to see you there.

Dan
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My 14 year old son discing stalks this morning.

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Wow, back in 89 my dad bought a 1030 with a fresh overhaul, and the 540 installed for around 4600.
Got to disc up some ground when I came home on leave the next spring. Compared to the old 800 it was a dream tractor.
 
Hello everyone! Once again thank you all for your information I really appreciate it. I decided to buy the tractor and am going to pick it up in a couple of weeks. I look foreword to trying it out and seeing how it does. I will post updates on it when I have done some work with it next hay season.


Thanks Again
Ryder
 

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