I have been around most all of them. 2470 and 2670 cases seemed to me to be pretty good ones, the 4490 was quite a bit nicer in the cab. Mechanically the main difference in the 70 and 90 series, as far as operating, was the steering. The crab on the older ones was linkage and cble style which could be a pain, the 90's were electric over hyd. and seemed to work ok but if the wiring gets messed up, and they do ,look out. It's a nightmare. I once drove one 30 mi. stuck in crab. Would much rather have a 26 or 46 as the smaller ones were kinda puny to me. We had a 2470 and a 1570, and in most cases the 15 would walk all over the 24. The other thing is these old tractors aren't worth a whole lot, so any major repairs may not be cost effective. Such can be the case for any older tractors though, especially 4wd. Now for the masseys, I would not even consider a 1500, 1505, 1805. They are kinda cool, but there are much better ones to be had for the money. 4800s and 4840 are OK. Really big and heavy with not a lot of power. 903 no turbo, real loud, not much guts, don't hold up too well. A 4880 or 4900 would be much better. No bigger or heavier, just more power, quiter, and more durable. I have a 4840 with a turboed engine, set up similar to a 4880 and a 4900. I love them both. A 4800 barely has enough power to spin in low, work well for some people, but not real exciting to drive. The 7020 and 7520 deere's are ok. A little crued to say the least, but nicer than a 4366. Pretty tough and simple, but just that simple. The 30 through 50 series, in my opinion were some of the most comfortable, nimble, best driving 4wds ever. You will here horror stories about them, but in my opinion they are as good or better than the others you have listed. A good 8650 will do a ton of work in comfort and style. Not been around the versatiles as much, but I do own a steiger and many of the same stuff goes for both. Wouldn't recomend the 555, not the best engine. Neat tractor just not one of the most reliable, and a nightmare to run down engine parts. How many triple nickel cummins have you worked on? I don't know a thing about a 700, but as far as i know any versatile in the 800 line is a good overall tractor. Everyone I have ever seen had an 855 cummins, tops for reliability, efficiency, and affordability in an older tractor. Seems I may have driven one with a 903, not quite on par with the 855, but OK. Also we have 4 2wd tractor in the over 100hp range and they do a fine job. We have a 4840, 2590, 2594, and an old 4430. Any of the first three will walk the dog right with a 2470, 555, 1505, and in most cases an 8440. Most anything a 4840 doesn't have enough traction to pull the 8440 won't have enough horse to pull right, in my experience. We also have a 7140, 4955, and 8410, and they are great except for wheel hop. Also like you stated not even close to the same price range either. Our 4wd ranks now include the two masseys, a case 9180. deere 8870 ,steiger st-310 with a 400 cummins. The masseys and steiger are good ole tractors, but not in the same class as the other two. They all pull about the same, but the 8870 and 9180 are powershift and the hydraulics are light years ahead. The 8870 is the more nimble and refined of the two, but the 9180, along with all 1000 series steigers and 91xx-93xx series case ih tractor seem to be the toughest and overall most reliable big 4wd's ever built. Just my opinion, never been on a tractor I didn't like in some way.
