want your opinion

Looking for a tractor around the 1980 year little newer or older ok. Want one that can pull a 6-18 plow and handle a forage chopper. Question 1 What would be your first choice. I know some people like John Deere some like IH others White or Case. Question 2 Other than your brand of choice what would your second choice be

There will be Variable opinions here,, BUT... I have a mahindra 2003 E-350 DI 35 HP, Is a Heavy Duty Tractor all the Way, Handles a Five Ft Bush hog.. and 16 Disc easily,, Larry in N. Ga

3545 Massey with MFWD, 2nd choice might have to be a White, but I like the looks of the 9000 series Duetz Allis, they have the White rear ends.

Case 2394. There is no second choice/

What you are willing to spend will dictate my response. If you are willing to spend above 30,000 dollars I would look at a JD 50 series row crop w/ MFWD. Condition and previous history will probably be most important in your search regardless of what make and model you zero in on.

(quoted from post at 18:03:15 01/24/18) Case 2394. There is no second choice/

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6-18 in what kind of dirt?

Sounds like a good tractor but I believe its going to come up short hooked to a 6 bottom plow.

Well other that my first choice my second would be a tw35 ford

In my soil-so. central Mn.- to pull 6-18 you need some serious power. A 40 yr. old tractor is going to have a ton of hours on it and going to need work all the time so I would get one that has closest dealer. In my case that would be a Caseih. Dealer is 2 miles away.

yea I think the little red tractors tongue would hang out on a 6 ,18,,,,,whats your budget I agree tw 35 . case 4494

I would suggest you come up a decade , and look at a Magnum CaseIH. You are talking about doing some heavy work, even a 92 model tractor is over 25 years old ,and can easy have over 10,000 hours. These are good tractors, and a prime tractor will still easy fetch 40 Grand

I was farming in the 80's and the two most popular brands here in southern ID. were Case Johndeere and IH. A piece of equipment is only as good as the dealer that represents it. Fortunately we had three great dealers in this area that bend over backwards to meet the needs of the farmers here. I bought a new Case 2390 durning this period of time and can't say enough for the way it performed and held up. On the dyno it put out 185 hp.had a four speed trans with three speed power shift with close increments. The comparable JD was a 4840 with a syncro or eight speed power shift at about 180 hp.The JD power shift was not a desirable trans as the split between gears were to far apart. The syncro being a better trans for most applications. The IH brand for this period were good tractors but were very unhandy to run. My choice for the 80's period would be Case.

The 4840 was Powershift only.

Well the ones right around 1980 that I would think about are a JD 4440,IH 1086 and Case 2290. The IH 1086 the cheaper of the two.

I would NOT even think about a Ford TW35 or any of the large Ford tractors older than the Genesis series. They are a pretty good tractor. The TWs finished of Ford in the higher Horse power row crop tractors.

I would rate the JD 4440 then the Case finishing up with the IH. The JD 4440 is a proven workhorse that will do heavy work but still handle nice doing smaller tractor jobs. The Case 2290 is a rugged and dependable tractor, just a little clumsy handling. The IH 1086 has a good motor, TA can be an issue. Terrible shifting transmission if it does not have the shifter updates. The worse cab/door of them all, still cheap dependable horse power.

All 3 of those are a little light for 6-18s in heavy soil.

A Case 2390 would compare closest to a JD 4640 which had a 16 speed option in the Quad Range. It could be turned up just like the 2390. A 90 series with MFWD would be nice but they are few and far in between.

I'm not sure the 1086 is gonna pull that plow but depends on your soil I guess. I have a 1586 and it pulls an IH 720 6-18 on-land plow fine as long as soil is dried out enough. I struggle in heavy soil if it is wet under the surface. I have to be honest in this response, though. The year I used that plow was my first year using something that big. I have chiseled since. Here 6 years later, I think I would have less trouble. I'm not confident I set it up right. Some people complain loudly about features of the 86 series IH. Other than the stupid doors, I have had no trouble with operation.

23 or 2590 or94 would be my pick , very nice cab and will take on a 6 /18 plow wit no problem

Just as an example, In moderately hard pulling soil my 4650 handles 5-18’s at 5 1/2 mph at 8” deep. Sometimes I could bump it up to 6 mph but that was working the old girl a little harder than I like to see. It could pull 6-18’s but i have a feeling 4 1/2 mph would about all the faster it could go.

What's your price range my friend?

15000

Thanks for the reply. I have very rocky land thats why I got the 6-18 plow. Plan was to go slow and still get quite a bit done. If plowed at 6 miles an hour I'd only do it for about a 100 yards then I'd be headed to the shop. Have a 1466 I was pulling it with,but quit that when I read the rearends did'nt stand up to heavy pulling. Was thinking maybe a 1586.

Case 2590 or if you need more traction a 44 or 4690. Tony

1486 IH or a 2-155 white. Finding a green and yellow model in that horsepower range for that price might not leave much meat on the bone. With the White you get a lot of robust iron for the money. Just my humble opinion. Happy hunting

In 1979, we purchased a new 4440 John Deere with the Quad Range transmission. For having more choices in ground speed in heavy pulling, that transmission is my preferred choice. We pulled 5-18 with that tractor typically in gear 2, range B. We also used that tractor on a model 800 Gehl pull type forage harvester. The tractor was factory rated at 130 hp, but I recall when it was on the dyno, it put out around 150 hp. A 4440 is not enough for 6-18, and I don't know what forage harvester you are looking at hooking to. You are dead on about the rear end of the 1486, as there were a half dozen 1486 IH tractors in our neighborhood and every one of them were "workhorse" tractors and the rear ends did not stand up long term as they were a bull gear final drive. The 1586 has the planetary final drives, which I think are similar to those found in the 50 Series IH tractors introduced in 1981 or 1982. The 1486, like the 1466, offers 16 forward speeds coming from 4 speeds, in 2 ranges, multiplied 2x with the Torque Amplifier. The 1586 had 12 forward speeds, provided by 3 speeds, in 2 ranges, multiplied 2x with the Torque Amplifier. The factory Torque Amplifiers, particularly in the higher powered tractors didn't hold up exceptionally well in our neighborhood. Those who had 1086 IH tractors seemed to have a decent and reliable tractor in the long run, including the T/A. As far as the shortcomings of the T/A, I cannot speak/write, if this was due to operator mis-use or a shortcoming of the T/A itself. High Capacity was an aftermarket builder of T/A's that were known to hold up better than the factory T/A. I think a 1586 or 4640 would be an absolute minimum in horsepower you would want pulling a 6-18 plow, at least in the soil conditions we have on our family farm. Either of these tractors is nearing 40 years old, and those in the price range you are looking at, I think a 4640 is outside your price range. Both tractors in the price range your have cited are likely going to need some mechanical attention sooner rather than later. I cannot offer anything on a Case. We never had one. I hope my comments did not come across as one-sided. I do run John Deere tractors on our farm, but my favorite IH tractors happen to be the 50 Series IH tractors, with the 5288 and 5488 being my favorites, and I did run both for friends over the years. I wouldn't mind finding a decent 5488 some time and putting it to work on our farm, especially if it has MFWD. These tractors were the predecessor to the very successful Magnum tractor with the basic design and components, less the IH engine.

All the tractors mentioned would get it done. If your not against Massey a 3525 or 3545 would be alright too maybe even a 3505 if your not in a big hurry in the field.

The Case tractors of that vintage tend to sell very reasonably. You don't have to look far to find them at under 5000 hours in your price range.

For that money you could go 4x4 in some older models like some old Stiegers or 2+2's 4 150 all can be bought for less than 10,000.

As others have said you could touch a pretty good Case 2390 or 2590. In JD you are kind of limited in options. You might get a decent 4640 and since guys are not wanting older articulated tractors that pushes down the value of an 8440 which would be possible to find a well maintained unit at 15,000 dollars. One that had a lot of recent work and looked plus sounded good sold at an auction last year for just a sliver above 14,000 dollars. It sounds like you want to go away from IH but the 2 plus 2 tractors would help spread the load drive-wise to 4 axles instead of 2. White you might find a good 2-155 or 2-180 MFWD at that price or you might not.

I usually agree with you JD Seller but not on the Ford tractors. I have used several Ford TW series and they have all been trouble free. I now own a Ford TW 25 that looks like a fugitive from a junkyard but everyone who operates it loves it. I also have an Ford/New Holland model 8830 with 4 wheel drive and it is a great tractor. Those Ford tractors still bring high prices and that would be one reason that it will not be a good choice for the poster but if he finds one that is within his price range It might be a good choice.

Ford 9600, 9700 would be in that era and is very dependable tractor and would be priced better than a Deere or IH.

Are you looking for a 4 wheel drive articulated tractor? I don't think a front wheel assist would cut it here with that size plow. Just know never any plows that big around.

Where are you? There's a White 2-155 coming up in April on a sale in northern Michigan.

Forty year old tractors all went through the 1980's farm recession. Those big enough to pull 6x18 were the great big horses of their day, meaning they were worked hard whenever they were used. Now-a-days I would be concerned about a major breakdown from pushing one too hard. Six x 18 is a lot to pull with a 2WD without MFWD, an articulated 4WD would be better. Pulling a chopper splits the load between the PTO and the drive train, only the engine and cooling system are maxed out.

How hard would it be to drop one plow bottom to make your plow 5x18 that you could pull comfortably at a steady 6+ MPH rather than spinning and lugging below 5 MPH? Less ballast would be needed to maintain traction and you would put less strain on an old drive train of unknown condition. A 5 percent reduction in slippage is a 5 percent gain in both speed and in fuel economy. Many plows can be reduced by one bottom without much expense, just labor and modifications to the lift rod and steering rod. Check your plows operators manual for instructions.

Salesmen got a bigger commission selling the largest plow a tractor could pull, but most farmers got just as much work done pulling a slightly smaller plow faster.

Not really looking at getting away from IH. We have had very good luck with our Ih and have a dealer fairly close. Just that 1466 drive train not good from what I have read. 1586 has the problem with the brakes. Have considered the 2 plus 2. Most comments not positive on here, but I've talked with two people who have them and love them. The 2-180 has the 3208. I drive truck have a bit of expierience with that, not all good. They all seem to have some short falls. makes my head hurt.

Deere 4640 or 4840 (pretty much the same tractor with some minor differences like different fuel tank capacities, injection pumps, options) is hard to beat for a chopper tractor. Might be a little light for 6-18s unless your soil is light. I've pulled 5-18 IH 720 in-furrow plow with mine. It's a good match in my hills.

If you get one for PTO work, make sure the PTO is in good order. Also, supposedly need to stay above serial number 10,250 (4840) or 18,214 (4640) in the powershifts because of a bearing issue. I don't think it was an issue on the quad ranges on the 4640. Someone more knowledgeable can explain better.