May we talk?

I have restored Allis Chalmers, Fords, Masseys etc, even a bunch of johnny poppers, but not so many Cases. I have a Case/David Brown 990. It's complete, and I ran it about six months ago. It isn't a bad tractor, but it's to big for anything I'ld do with it. If I fix it up, it would be to sell. The problem is that I am seeing the tractor being sold fairly cheaply. While it appears to not be a bad tractor if you need a tractor that size. If I restore the tractor to proper operation with a complete body, but not a new paint job, what do you folks see the resale value of a 990 about 1968 or 1969 be worth? Frankly, I'ld be inclined to trade it off for an 8N Ford and bush hog. It would have to have some value for me to put a lot into it. Most of the people I do business with use much smalled tractors, also. They tend to have less than 50 acres and vegetable, and small homestead livestock are their main stay, so I really don't even have a market for something like this. If I invest in fixing this up, will I be stuck with a low value tractor and a high dollar restoration? It's a diesel model. You folks on this board seem to know who uses these tractors and what value they hold or don't hold. I appreciate you input. Thank you.

Please don't think that I am bad mouthing y'alls tractor brand. Case does make tractors that are more small scale friendly. This just isn't it.

Where are you located? I've got a decent 861 Ford I don't need, and wouldn't mind having another Case.

Quite frankly, a 990 is a lot more small farm friendly than most anything else you have likely restored. What else have you been able to sell with a fuel sipping diesel engine, live PTO and Live remotes/3point for any where close to the same money?

Assuming it is a 12 speed, what other tractor have you sold that has 4 gears that are suitable for a roto-tiller? A 990 with proper paint, cold starting, everything working, and no leaks is a great small farm tractor. They will take operator abuse with the best of them.

The ones you are seeing sell cheaply, are beat up and ugly(last 3-4 on eBay). Do it right and they are worth as good of money as any. $200 in paint, a set of decals(not boat stickers from Chinamart), a proper grill, working gauges and lights.... Everything working right(especially the 3 point hitch).


If it is going to need major work(engine... for 4-47s parts are fairly expensive), its value is mostly in parts.

RG..Shhhhhhsh! LOL

I gotta agree with Rich, a 990 is about 1000x the tractor an 8n is. It'll beat the 8n on fuel, power, power steering, live hydraulics, live PTO, excellent 3 pt, far, far, far better plowing and yet it's not so huge it's going to be hard to use. The 12 speed tranny has gearing specifically made for cultivating and hand planting. A 990 with a loader is actually useful, unlike an 8N with a loader which is just an over grown wheelbarrow looking to get stuck and bust bearings in the steering box.

I have an 800 Ford in addition to the 990. I use the 990 whenever I can just for fuel savings.

I'd say the average 8n in farm clothes and 50% tires is actually worth maybe $1500.00, real worth, not collector worth. I wouldn't let a 990 go in farm clothes and 50% rubber for under $3K.

(quoted from post at 08:24:44 12/11/12) RG..Shhhhhhsh! LOL

Click to expand...

I have a JD 301 diesel with loader here I would trade for a decent DB... It needs a hydraulic issue addressed in the reverser, I am too stubborn/proud to work on it. It is so much easier to work on something you know.

I thought about lighting it on fire, putting it in gear, and letting it drive itself down over the hill into the lake, but I came to my senses when I thought about what the EPA might do to me.

RGMartin, alright perhaps this 990 deserves a second look. Since I have this tractor, it has inherent advantages in repairing and fixing up. I have seen several, however, that appear to have no resale value when finished. You familiar with Allis Chalmers B? I was afraid that this was along that line, where no matter how well I fix it up, it is never going to be worth more than $1500. That would be even showroom new condition. I can revisit this tractor, and if it really is a superstar, I'll have a great tractor.

While I love you folks (not in that way) on the board, the big reason, I wouldn't be so big on trading is loading the tractor on the trailer and taking it to from Tennessee to West Virginia. Mine isn't factory original condition, either. Fixing it up if it hasn't got resale value was the problem I refered to in this thread. The clutch will need replacing soon, there is a buch of decay on the hood, the hydraulics need some attention and the mechanical fuel supply pump was replace (though I have no reason why) with an electrical pump. Though there wasn't any trouble when I last started it up, early summer or so, it looks like the guy before me had been running that starter into the ground. It looks like it has overheated. I don't have any grief fixing it up and either selling or using it, but it would anger me greatly to put a lot of time and money into it, try to sell it and find that like the other 990's I see online, I can't get what I'll have to put into it. That's the big draw with the 8N Ford. I can find them everywhere for under a grand. The parts are also everywhere cheap, and when the tractor is complete, I can get $3500-$4000 for it. If I do a good paint with a shiny red, and am willing to haul it north, I can often get more. I realize that the 8N Ford doesn't have more power than this 990. Most of my metal is fair to reasonable, except the hood. The engine is good, and the prices I see these for sale suggest that I would get $4000 for this, but I was worried that I could go through that much restoring it. As far as the paint goes, 8N red and grey can come from TSC, and with a gloss hardener, it still isn't that much. The colors for Case are very distinct, especially the Flambeau Red.

BTW, I've worked on larger tractors, but the cost of restoring them is prohibitive for making a profit. I've done a series of John Deere 2840's for instance, but only for someone who owns one and wants it repaired. I wouldn't put forth a great feal of effort or money to get one for restoring or money for restoring one. It is a nice British Deere, and I wonder why I never see one on Classic Tractor Fever? I work on larger tractors, though not many Cases. I am just leary about investing money into specutating on one.

$4K for an 8N??? I wish I had a supply of mentally challenged folks like that to sell to. If you can get that for an 8N you should be able to get considerably more for a 990.

Anyway... The parts you say it needs are no great shakes, a fuel pump, clutch disc, $150 tops, add a hydraulic filter, and 6 gallons of Hytran, maybe $200. Fixing the hydraulics will take some head scratching on your part. Worst part would be fixing rotten sheet metal.

One thing that sticks from what you have said is it is a 1968 or so, you also said it is Flambeau chassis. A 1965 to pre 75 990 should be chocolate brown chassis with off white tin. Like these below.





A 1975 and on 990 should look like this:

Bob, I guess my question is are you going to resell to a farmer or to a townie on his 2.3 acre farmette? No, you aren't going to get $5-6K for the average 990. If it's done right with good rubber you may well get that. I guess it depends on your market. Like any "off brand" (DB, Long, Nuffield, etc) you will do a lot better with people that actually have experience with the brand than with the run of the mill guy that only knows JD green and IN red. I guess determining your market is key.

If it was for myself, I'd fix it.