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looking at an international 444 gas,any opinions?

M

Mike Henry

Member
A local dealer has a international 444 gas loader tractor.He wants $6000. for it. It drives well,loader seems ok.Bucket is a little weak but can be fixed easily.Right brake seems to be almost nonexistant. Can anyone give me any suggestions,tell me of any akealies heals. Want to use it for moving round bales and working the garden.It is replacing an 8n that has no loader system and is getting tired.Any advice is good advice. Thanks in advance.
 
I'll probably get flamed for this, but I've never thought a gas tractor was a good idea. I think diesel is the only option on a tractor: better economy, better torque and driveability, and in nearly all cases, better longevity. Just my $.02.

John
 
I have driven a 444, used mostly for spraying and other light work -- I did not own it. Brake should be easy to fix. I would say it is a little light for a loader particularly when you mention round bales, but having no experience with the loader part I really can't say. The gas part would not bother me. That small tractor does not use much gas anyway and would be easy to overhaul. The price seems a little steep to me, but dealers usually have the highest prices. To summarize, they are good little tractors.
 
If you're going to use it to move round bales, you'll be happier with a larger tractor, and you should be able to find one for that money.

I agree that diesel is best for most purposes, but if you're feeding round bales in a cold-winter area, you'll probably be happier with gas. And gas tractors in the 50-60 HP sizes, which is what you need, are generally cheaper than diesel.
 
That dealer has it priced twice, he probably stole it on a trade in or from a widow woman at an estate auction. I'd bet $3000.00 will buy it if he has had it long enough.
 
You know, being from the South, I didn't think about gas starting easier in a cold climate. I guess that would be a distinct advantage of the gas engine. My MF 175 barely starts if it's below 50 F!
 
Mike that's true in newer tractors, but with the older tractors the technology wasn't there yet. The older gassers were easier for the farmers to fix in the field. As far as longevity, Still a lot of people using gassers from the 40's and 50's as a regular work tractor.
 
I just sold an IH 364 which is quite similar but later model. Mine had 2,200 hours was a diesel with powersteering and good brakes and four new tires. I sold the tractor, bushog, flip scoop, boom pole, and landscapebox for $5K. I had it for sale for 8 months :?:
 
There's nothing wrong with a gas tractor. But a B275, B 404,414, 424 are British junk. I used to work on a 2414 forklift at a turf farm. Worst piece of crap to work on ever. Just my humble opinion.
 
We had a 3444. Which I believe is the industrial version of the 444. It was a great little tractor. It was the same basic tractor as the B414. Remember the British import? The drawbacks were the British carb. and dist. I doubt you can get parts for them any more. If the 444 has a "farm" tractor front end I would think that might be a little light for continual loader work. And you're going to have to counterweight it seriously.
 
For anybody that says the British IH tractors are junk, ask for specifics. I say that is pure nonsense. I've been using them for years and they've all been very rugged. More so then Fords or MFs in the same size-range.

444 is a little different then others in the British series because if gas, it uses the C-153 engine instead of the British BC-144 engine. So, any negative comments about British carbs or ignitions do not apply to the 444 gas version. 444 diesel uses the same BD British engine, but not the gasser.

The tractors that DO use the British gas engines, e.g. B-275, B-414, 354, 364, 434, 3414, etc. . . . use British Zenith VN or VNN downdraft carbs and Lucas igntions - but parts are still easy to get. You just have to know what you're looking for. Same carbs and distributors are used on many small British cars.

I think the price you've been guoted is way too high. Good tractor yes, but silly asking price.
I've bought many running but beat up for $800 to $1000. In excellent shape they usually bring around $3000 - with live PTO, power steering, live hydraulics, hi-low range trans, and differential lock.
 
Our tractor(backhoe loader) had a British Delco Remy distributor with a plastic tach. drive gear which seemed to like to push the soft plug/cap out and/or strip the teeth. Do you know where they can be obtained?
 
Don't know about the gas but I have a 444 diesel which is a good tractor. Brakes on mine, especially the right one, were weak until this winter. The right linkage finally gave out from pressing on it so hard so I had to tear into it. I imagine you will find your tractor has the same problem mine had, a leaking grease seal where the differential lock shaft goes into the gear box. To get to the seal you have to take the top off of the transmission and PTO shaft out to take the bull gear loose giving you enough room to get that right brake assembly, including housing where the seal is, off of the tractor. Bad design. However, once I got it all back together I have excellent brakes. I changed the left side too but had no leaking seal to deal with on that side. I agree that the asking price on your tractor is too high.
 
I have a 1968 444 gas, and I think it is a great little tractor. It pulls a 2-14" bottom plow and a 6' 3pt disc in my garden, 7' finish mower, and other various attachments and I have yet to have any trouble or lack of power (they are about a 40hp tractor.) Very easy on gas, and any parts i've need were readily available either from my CIH dealer or right here on YT.

I agree with the others, for moving bales you would need a counter weight, but I have seen many of these with loaders on them in the sale ads.

I put an electronic ignition in mine, and it never misses a beat even in winter - I have a short video on my youtube page (casstuba) of me plowing out of 20" of snow.

The brakes are terrible - but I never bothered tearing into mine since it is all flat here, and it really doesn't take much to stop. I think i do have a bit of moisture in the brakes, because this winter the right side wheel locked when I first went to move it, but rocking a couple of times released the ice.

$6000 is steep. I got mine for $2000 no loader.

Brian
 
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