Poor excuse for tractors

They do have their nice points - they're great for hauling silage - heavy, great traction, and handy pto for unloading. But fast hitches, gear grinding, slipping torques, and lack of low end torque will prevent us from trying any more of the later model IH's. We'll stick with the good old original farmalls - we kind of think things slowly went down hill after the M's and H's.

These two tractors have also spent more time in our shop than the rest of our fleet of over 15 tractors combined since we have owned them. Usually nothing serious - just nagging time consuming problems - who's idea was it to put the fuel tank on top of the engine anyways! We have had some of the best IH mechanics around working on both of them at times, and when they were done they say that they're both about average for what they usually see for 756's and 806's. If that's average - we'll stick with our Cases.

No color war intended - just a little frustrated with them and needed to vent. The H's and M's will never leave, but the 756 and 806 are getting closer to the door every year.

Our 930 was bought new back in the 60's but the 970 and 1070 were both bought used just shortly befor ethe two IH's we're comparing here- so I do not agree with the "prior maintenance" theory too much - although I do agree that it can be a factor. The 756 is about the same shape as the one used at Nisbet(for the TP from Central PA:), but I will admit the 806 is a little rougher - although I personally like it better than the 756. The 756 is just way to much rearend for that engine in my opinion, and I'm not sure that shifter was a big improvement.

As for parting with them - we've put too much $ into them to recoup it in reselling them - so we'll probably just keep them around and see if they can't earn their keep here after a while. We are optimistic that some day we'll figure out what all the IH diehards have been saying all along - maybe they'll eventually just grow on us :) But it has definitely not been love at first drive.

As for driving stick - both of my vehicles are stick. I can use an H or M with a PTO driven piece of equipment and shift gears without grinding a one - but just can't pull that stund off with these newer ones - in the field, on the road, anywhere. Maybe you have some sort of fancy double clutch and a half method that you use that works - if so please let me know as it would really help me keep my sanity.

Have fun and keep safe.

I will agree on those German diesels, no torque. The most obvious was the 886 tractors, early ones being 360 American Diesels and the late models being 358 German Diesels. No comparison in the tractors ability. IH sold a lot of 886 on the reputation of the 360. There were a lot of disapointments.

There must be something wrong with your 806 as most of them would come in not far behind the 1206, 1256 or 1066. I once passed a highway tractor trailer on a heavy hill with my 1066 pulling roughly 10 ton behind it. The highway tractor was obviously loaded a lot heavier. In fact I never used the TA, and 1066 was at 2300rpm at bottom of hill as well as all the way up the hill.

I am sorry sir but in my opinion there is not much farming going on where the hills are so steep an 806 or 856 will not take the baler and two wagons over in high gear without using the TA.

I think the 06 and 56 series are one of the best.....if your near PA let me know..... ..I will take them off your hands!

Like Steven, I agree torque on the diesels is not a problem. After being out of farming a friend asked me to give him a hand one spring. He had for tractors a Farmall 666 and 886 with 360 engine as well as a new CaseIH 2090 (I am not sure on that number had 5.9 Cummins and around 100 hp.) he was all excited about. More torque and more power than the 886. The 886 was 2 wheel drive with 18.4x38 duals. Case had 4x4 with 18.4 x38 on rear. I used both of these tractors spreading manure and discing over a period of about a week. He wanted my opinion on new CaseIH. I said,"it is a good thing it has the power shift or it would never haul the big manure spreader over the dales on your marsh, the 886 doesn't need to shift not even the TA." This guy was quite a hot head so by now I had him quite excited. so I threw in another jab, I said," Being used to my own IH 1066, I think they both suck." One day I was in field discing with new CaseIH, my friend pulls up along side with his pickup, climbs in cab with me, practically shoves me out of seat to right of cab and said, "let me show you how to drive this tractor." He was going along, I looked at tach, grabed the power shift lever and moved it quite quickly up to high, before he could get his foot on clutch it stalled. He said,"what did you do that for." I said," that is the speed 886 was pulling disc at yesterday." He jumped out of tractor and back to his pickup, almost burried pickup in loose soil. This guy had two full time employees on farm, and that evening in a discussionon what every one was going to do next day. He said to the two guys," why didn't you guys tell me the Case was so gutless." They responded," the difference is we need our jobs, Hugh doesn't." Next day he then turned on the CaseIH dealer and gave him the gears.

It always amazes me the number of people on forums compareing tractors and judging one against the other, and you discover they are buying 15-20 year old tractors which they have no record of the maintenance on that tractor and trying to run a commercial farm enterprise with them. I am not saying this is not the way to do things. If I were going back into farming today it would not be with new tractors. Tractors, all makes, built since early 1980s are nightmares when something goes wrong. So remember guys, when you are buying 15- 20 year old tractors you are judging the maintenance as much as you are the manufacturer. If as one respondant suggested you are using 60+ hp gassers on a commercial farm that is your problem.

I don't know what the problem is with your 806 either - is it a gas? Our diesel 806 would pull the chisel plow at 1000 RPM same as at 2000 RPM. IH diesels are known for the low end lugging power, the 6-cylinder gas engines I've encountered haven't been overly powerful on the low end.

My 0.02 worth.

Happy Holidays!.

Sometime in the 1940s John Deere had an industry first Power-Trol. for remote control of towed implements.

Around 1954 on the 50 60 and 70 they had the 800 and then 801 hitch. Vary much like a real 3 point hitch.

In 1956 John Deere had New universal 3 point hitch, with load-and-depth control.
This was a real 3 point hitch! I have it on my 620. It really works good.

In 1960 New generation of power tractors the 3010 and 4010 had new 3 point hitch with lower-link sensing.

Good Day

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