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Just bought a restored W-9 at auction this past Saturday. I, too am interested in finding out about any W-9 shortcomings. On the other hand, I'm not planning on making a living with it either. Some interesting things I've noted so far: the engine is a 4-335 gas. An IHC tractor reference book claims 52 BHP for the W-9. C.H. Wendel's book , 150 Years of International Harvester, also states 52 BHP. Yet in another C.H. Wendel book, Nebraska Tractor Tests Since 1920, 49.40 BHP is listed. What gives? The W-9 is not very nimble, but it was intended for use out west and not for ying-yanging around in a two acre patch. I'm used to M's, 460's, and 400s, and sitting on the W-9 can be likened to straddling a hippo. Not that I've ever done that. Again, I just bought the W-9 and have little "seat time" on it. I can't wait for our Club's annnual Plow Days. The W-9 ought to handle a set of 4-bottom trips no problem. While the Nebraska BHP figure for the W-9 is no more
than what is listed for the 460, I'll put my money on the additional 114 cubic inches of the "hippo" dragging 4 bottoms through our wonderful clay soil here in east central Ohio. I suppose that for transportability (going to tractor shows) the heftiness of the W-9 could be regarded as a weakness. What? About 7000#? As for parts: I quickly visited tractor squid land when I brought the W-9 home. Seems like the overhead clearance of Mom's barn door opening didn't quite agree with the W-9's stack height. I exploded the manifold in one millisecond of bone-headedness. The 3" steel pipe stack that was (emphasize was)on the W-9 ain't what you call flexible. Called an outfit in Kansas. They had new and salvaged manifolds plus gasket no problem. Should see the parts today. I'll play with the rotund one for a year and check back with you around then. Would really like to have a Super WD-9.
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