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Best tractor to break the 100 horse power mark in the 60's

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
Just to get everybody going on a rainy and snowy day in the spring. The tractors I picked are MM G1000, AC D21, MF 1130, IH 1206, JD 5020, Oliver 1950, Case 1030, Ford 9000. This is just for good fun so have at it.
 
Kevin,
You picked some excellent tractors! This is gonna be tough. I vote for the 1030 Case. My other choice is the Big AC D21.
Kow Farmer
 
Back then I would have picked the G1000, but what I know now it would definitely be the D21 Allis They are virtually trouble free, (no torque) And were grossly under rated. Also are worth the most now.
 
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Always thought the 1206 set the mark for everyone else to chase. I learned to drive on this one back in the day. At one time it was set to run 180hp. Dad still uses it around the farm for odd jobs.
bill
 
That's a question that if one is honest, is hard to answer.Several tractors listed here were known for their large displacment engines and ability to power through tough conditions. Some were praised for their easy handling, and others for their on-the-go shifting. I don't recall any of them having a reputation as being bad, and none of them were of short term production,other than the Ford, before being replaced. I like big cube low rpm engines, so Case and MM.
 
4020 with an M&W Turbo? Although most all(300+) of the 4020 Diesels straight out of the box that I dynoed,turned about 105-110 (Pump untouched-no turbo). 69 4020 gassers always checked at around 110 hp even though none were advertized to have that much horsepower.
 


I guess I have to go with the G1000 also, but they were all good machines as far as I know, I am just biased. I think the MM 705 and 707 were just over 100 pto horse before the G1000 but without live pto and no TA they were a little clumsy.
plainsman1173.jpg

plainsman1242.jpg
 
I remember a conversation with the local tractor repair mechanic about what he saw as the most HP in the 60's tractors. He was an independant and not hooked on any one brand
He said for top HP, the old D21 rarely dyno tested at less than 175 pto HP. The gears to hold that HP were a whole nother matter. Nothing else of that era even came close if not turned up.
 
I'd pick the 1950 oliver also. That is, if it didn't have that screaming detroit. For that reason, I'd say G-1000, or D-21 would be my choices.
 
I'll vote Ford. I have heard and read from a number of different sources that they would Dyno at 165 horse with no adjustment, even though they were built for 130.
 
Even being an Oliver guy I"d have to vote for the 4020 with turbo. A versitle tractor with gobs of power. Easy to drive and work with, but just watch the pyro.
 
The only Tractor over 100 HP I was ever around much was my own D21. I only got to use it for two years before I quit farming but it was a good two years.A stock Photo attached.
a35442.jpg
 
Dodn"t Minneapolis-Moline build a big tractor
for Massy-Ferguson, the only difference being
the nose/grill and the paint color? What model
was it ?
 
(quoted from post at 06:41:14 03/24/11) Dodn"t Minneapolis-Moline build a big tractor
for Massy-Ferguson, the only difference being
the nose/grill and the paint color? What model
was it ?
Click to expand...
Yes ,model 90 or 95 or 97.And like the MM it was a beast!
 
Thanks to everybody that that came on board with a view some are really good with the pictures, a few used tractors that weren't on the list thats ok but not the question or it would get to big, I hope there are more opions to come yet and also that somebody will come up with another question like this be it balers, combines, other size tractors ets.
 
The G1000's were rated for 110 HP when they came out in 1965, but typically put out at least 120. We had a cab just like this on our G900. It's still around...been trying to buy it back from the second owner for 15 years now.
 
neat subject. in my opinion id say the g1000 moline or the massey 1130. i know its not quite 100hp but the oliver 1850 is one heck of a tractor!
 
Nope, Ford 9000 ROPS .113 HP/lb MF 1130 .104 HP/lb. I think of Fords as the Rice Rockets of tractors.
 
The horsepower to weight ratio to me doesn't mean jack, if it's that light you end up adding weight to it so it will pull anything anyway.

I've only driven a handful of tractors on that list. For all around versatility I would have to say split decision between the 1206 and the 9000. Both have their ups and downs. The ford is a very capable tractor, even though I b**ch about my dads TWs all the time. But overall, hmmm. I’d have to say 1206 and keep your hands off the torque. Yeah, 1206 is my final answer.
 
Father in law had a 9000 ford, was good till the brakes went out and dumped all the brake linings into the common sump for the tranny and hydraulics. No mater how much it was flushed out he could not keep hydraulic pumps in it. Brother in laws 1100 Massy kept eating input transmission splines. After being around all of these tractors my vote would be for the AC or 1206. The guys just seemed to have less problems with them the the other guys.
 
Out here in wheat country they sold a lot of John Deere 5020's. I can remember eight new ones at once on a dealers lot. Big Cases like the 1030 sold well to. 1206's were great but the 1256's were the best 1206 ever made much like the best 4010 ever made was the 4020. Cool factor would go be a tie between the A-C D21 and the Oliver 1950-GM. Ford never had anything in the game till 1969 and the 9000 was a beast but it only beat the 70 series Cases to market by a few months. I have no idea on the Massey, what's a Massey Ferguson 1130? Massey never established any sort of presence out here. Only (1) dealer in North Dakota and (1) dealer in South Dakota per my question in a previous post ever survived
continuosly from the early sixties up through today and that in states were tractors almost outnumber people in some counties. I saw a MF165
the other day and it's the first one I have ever seen in person and I believe Detroit made over 90,000 of them yet I can drive about 30 miles and show you a half dozen Allis D21's, a couple G1000's and even a 1950GM Oliver.
 
I've either driven or been around all of these tractors when they were new and the 1206 wins hands down..There wasnt a one around here turning less than 140 horses and they stayed together...They won in the field and on the pulling track..Those DT-361's were quite an engine..
 
Again keep up the good talk about all these great giants of yesteryear, I now have to say I am a Red Man IH 1206 is my favorite never owned one but drove them, so keep up the good talk, it appears the MM 1000 and AC D21 are popular but all have good things going for them, I have summited these same tractors to Yesterdays tractor voting but they never change there survey so thanks again and I will give one more comment when this done Thanks Everybody.
 
In our case the D21 Series II would outpull the 1206. My brother pulled his 21 against me on grandpa's 1206 and handed it to me more than once. Now the 1256 with it's Schweitzer turbo and 407 cu inches vs the Series II 21 that was close. For longevity the IH would beat the Allis.
The A-C had weak connecting rod design and quite a few engine blocks were windowed. The bull gears were also known to fail on the D21's. IH spent a ton and a mean a ton of hours testing the 806/1206's before they were released. They did not want a repeat of the 560's failures and history will show of some well cared 06's and 56's have accumulated incrediable number of hours before needing repair. I have a neighbor that has a 1026 hydro with a DT407 engine going in for it's first overhaul with 34,000 hours. Wow!
 
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