66 Series Debate

I believe our old 8 will run forever. In fact, the only thing I can see wrong with the 06-56 series tractor is the shift, but to me it is no big deal. I find it funny that when they came out with the 66 series, the only thing that they seem to have kept was the shift, and downgraded every thing else. Ours has a cab, and when I had trouble recently with the range transmision lever, I had to disassemble the right hand cowl of the tractor to get to it. Who was the genius that eliminated the cowl cover on the 06-56 series? "Why take out six bolts and one panel, when you can take out 12 and three or four panels?" must have been their motto.

I am a die hard red fan, but I do believe that the only reason IH came out with the 66 series is that they weren't selling enough parts. The 66 series seal International's fate, in my opinion. Anyone still clinging to the beauty of the 1066 is welcome to ours when we get a motor in it. Until then, imagine the 66 series if it were a 1456 with a powershift. That would be a beautiful tractor, wouldn't it?

I was looking throught the list of the 60 heavy users at RPM. I see you are leader of the pack. How has the Power Stroke worked out for you.

Haven't had a lot of time the last few months, mainly just look at that forum and hardly ever come over here anymore, though I really do like this site, too.

The PSD is doing really well, sits in the garage most of the time though and is spoiled. Still only 17,000 miles on it and it is close to two years old now.

Good to hear from you, too. I still have your email address.

I was at a CaseIH parts counter last spring, standing in line, with the water pump from my 1963 - 140. Guy next to me said,"That is an original pump. We have a little 25 hp CaseIH at farm, new in 1990 and on it's 3rd water pump." That is the goal today my friend to have that new tractor needing parts before you get it home. I can not understand how society puts up with this nonsence in cars, trucks and tractors. It is just run run run for parts and service from the day it is new, and by the time it is 5 to 7 years old the bloddy computer will not even tell you what is wrong anymore.

My friend it really has not a lot to do with just your 1066. We were buying new cars, trucks and tractors in the 1960's that the dealer never saw again after the day of sale. So the industry just decided to increase the price and change to junk product at same time. And North Americans are still buying.

Cavitation is indeed happening with Maginums. For the money being put out for new tractors today, you should have an unconditional guarentee that not one bolt need come out of the valve cover or oil pan for the first 15,000 hours. It should be 100% percent of the entire engine except turbo and injection system. Lets face it, if you are going to pay top dollar you want top product.

I've heard the praises of the 56 series a lot here lately. What, exactly, made them a better tractor than the 66 series?

Second, they are easier to work on to some degree. The styling done on the 1066 seems to mean you have to remove more bolts, more tin, to get to what you are working on.

Third, I don't like the injector pump on the 1066. You don't seem to have any power unless they are wide open. Grinding feed, for instance, with the grinder full I can let out on the clutch on the 1256, it will pull at an idle, you can hear it open up. The 1066 will die. It doesn't seem to lug at low rpms.

I just think the 06-56 series is a longer lived tractor with less hassle. If I were buying an older tractor for auger work or chore work, I think a 1206-1256 is a better tractor at a cheaper price, even though it has a few more years. The only thing to miss is air conditioning.

Problem is they are not efficient. I bought my 1066 new in 1975 and in 8 years put 10,000 hours on it. It was a real hog on fuel especially on light work, now I didn't need to use mine on light work. All 66 series tractors that came to our area came without water filters, and 90% of them fell to cavitation around 8 years, didn't matter whether it had 2,000 hours or 10,000 hours. One heck of a heart breaker for the guy with 2,000 hours on his machine. There are 56 series tractors over 20,000 hours that have never been rebuilt, not a lot but a few. Very few 06 and 56 tractors didn't make 10,000 hours to first engine rebuild. Most 966 and 1066 had engine rebuilds before 5,000 hours. Many of them are still under 10,000 hours and had 2 engine rebuilds.

I was luckey 1066 at 10,000 hours in 8 years, 656D at 10,000 hours in 15 years 560D 11,000 hours in 17 years and a 100 hp Deere 14,000 hours 15 years. Those figures are hours and years to first engine rebuild. Most 1066 didn't even come close to that.

Remember only efficient tractors will make money for you,doesn't matter how much hp they have. In my opinion with new tractors approaching the $1,000. per horse power range, they damn well should have a 15,000 hour, absolute guarentee on the engine, maybe even the whole tractor.

This was new technology to the new tractor buyers in the 1970's. It is my belief that with proper care every 66 series tractor out there could have and should have gone 15,000 to first engine rebuild. At 8 years of age and approaching 10,000 hours in 1982, I would have said my tractor was headed for 15,000 hours to first engine rebuild. Then one day during fall tillage my heat gauge started rising, too late anti freeze in crankcase.

Since that time I have seen countless adds for used 1066's, yes thousands of them 4,000 to 7,000 hours and a freshly rebuilt engine. On the other hand stories such as you tell of your tractors are few and far between. This type of thing is not unique to IH tractors. Everything we buy today is the same. 5 year old automobiles with an oil pan leak from rust, absolutely unheard of in the 1960's. All this wouldn't be too bad if they still sold these things at pre 1960 prices. That is afterall the deal on agricultural commodities, pre 1960's prices.

Look at household appliances, used to be if you wanted quality you paid a little more. Now all that would achive it waste a bit more money. My good wife has an electric can opener, automatic it's called. Made by Philips in the good old USA. It was given to us as a wedding present 39 years ago. What more can I say, corperate America is robbing us blind.