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David Brown tractors???

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I've ran across a couple of these around 50HP for what seels like real reasonable prices. Are they freaks or hard to find parts for/keep running? Did they change makers a bunch? The pics I've seen look real nice, just don't want to consider a headache. I'm referring to 70's models.

Dave
 
Very good tractors. Brother has a DB-990 that runs like a top. David Browns were built in England. DB also built a lot of Case tractors for years. The larger Case models were built in USA and the smaller Case models were DBs. Dont know about current parts availability, but you can post on the Case board and find out. Tom
 
David Brown was a very successful gearbox mfg. for many years in England. They went into the tractor business and sold a lot of them. They were bought out by JI Case in the early '70s and many DB Cases were exported to the US.
I believe that all of the smaller Cases were built by DB up until 1984. I owned a DB 885 43 horse which was a good tractor, trouble free and economical. Then I sold it and bought a Case 1490 70 HP which was DB built. had good luck with it also.
The only problem with the 885 was tight getting on and off.
 
David Brown was one of the toughest tractors that I have ever seen. The 990's were about bullet proof.The controls were a little akward at first and the hydraulics could be a little kanterous at times but the are still great tractors. We still have quiet a few around my area being used on a daily basis. I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if the price was right. Parts are available through Case -IH and other aftermarket sources.
 
BEWARE of hydraulic pump problems! They have a
Hydraulic pump made by "Plessy", of England,
ONLY FOR THEM, impossible to get one anyplace
else so they ask BIG BUCKS for it, along with
a mortgage on your farm, and your first born !
 
Brown's were decent tractors. There's still a lot of them running around here with quite high hours on them today. A lot of things about them were rather queer when you compare them to a Ford/IH/Deere, but still good tractors. Biggest thing probably around this area... 990's did have a bit of a reputation for snapping cranks, but that's probably not a big thing if you treat it half decent.

The bigger problem is getting to be parts availability. A lot of that stuff has gone to a place where time forgot... The guys I know that have them spend a fair bit of time scrounging for stuff. It's not that they can't keep them running, but it's not a simple matter of calling a dealer anymore and just getting what you need...
My opinion... price would need to be cheap to give incentive to the headaches you know you can expect.

Rod
 
buying DB was 1st mistake that Case made in the 70s,.. Up side , Fuel mizers , powerful , and good egornomics ,, down side ,,, DO NOT EVER USE ETHER , OR , one day the crank will break , ,,, 4Cyl. engine had only 3 main bearings , And Yes , funky England engineered and Built ...
 
Had a DB 770 that I rebuilt the motor in, used it for many years. Traded that in on a used Case 1194 (one of the DB Case tractors) That was 20 years ago and it's still running and being used every day. Some stuff about them is a little odd, but I figured out that tractor has cost me about $40 a year - no complaints there...
 
A few guys in my area have them. I have worked
on a few of them. There is a fellow in Ontario
that can get the engine parts. Hydraulic pumps
can be found with a little scrounging. Otherwise
seem to have stood the test of time.
Like previously said, go real easy with ether.
Our local CNH dealer no longer supports a lot of
the parts or they are sky high.
 
I'm in Ohio and you see many here alot of the mennonite and fence jumping amish have them.

But you couldn't give me one ! Back in AG class a fellow student brought one in to put a clutch in it. Worst darn tractor there is to put a clutch in !

I'll take my JD's or even a Ford or Massie
 
I have a 1964 880e 3 cylinder diesel and it really does run great
and has plenty of power. The controls are strange as are the
hydraulics, but the drivetrains are bulletproof.
 
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