Would a 706 GAS be hard to keep fed?

I am looking for my next IH project. I am interested in a 06 or 86 series. I see alot of 706 gas tractors up for sale. My experience with gas tractors is limited to a Ford 841 Workmaster. I like diesels, but I wonder if a 6 cylinder gasser pulls as hard as an equal diesel? I also wonder what the fuel consumption is compared to an equivilent diesel (706 vs 706, ect).

Charles

That would depend on a lot of factors - an answer which isn't very helpful.

A gas tractor starts a lot easier when it's cold. There wouldn't be that much difference in fuel usage doing chores, but a 706 gas would be really thirsty if you were working it hard like pulling a moldboard plow or field cultivator. Diesel costs more than gas now, and the ultra-low sulfur fuel is likely to cost even more.

Charles: The 706 gasser will have a drinking problem if you work it hard. The extra consumption will more than make up for the cost of diesel fuel.

Then look ahead to the day gas and diesel will once again have close to a common price. Our freight is going back to rail and water transportation. Those modes of freight transportation will use a fraction of the diesel now consumed. Long haul trucks are being parked at an increasing rate every day.

I wouldn't buy anything that burns gas or diesel until next spring. I was in a country hardware store getting a few bolts, my purchase came to $6.45. I gave him a $5. bill then reached for the change in my pocket. I had an unusual amount of pennies, and he responded,"I need those pennies, and since there is no one behind you, lets count them out." Wouldn't you know it, in the middle of penny counting along comes another customer, in a hurry. He commented, "those cursed pennies, last year we wanted to get rid of them, this time next year we'll be able to buy General Motors with them."

Both Usteve and Hugh make good points. The project costs are also affected by the choice. The Gasser will be 60% of the cost of the Diesel to overhaul if it needs engine work. The Diesel fuel system alone can be a thousand+ if it is toast. Resale value is however that same amount higher on these old horses. JimN

Well i don't know why everybody thinks that a 706 gasser is so hard on gas. I have owned many more of them then anybody on here i know every nut and bolt in that tractor i know all the squeaks and giggles of it . Yes it will burn around 5 gallon and hour pulling 4x16's at 8-10 inches deep , It will mow around 40 acres of hay pulling a 9 foot haybine up and down our hills over here in 4th low on a tank of fuel . Tractors are not V W's crusen down the interstate . Just how much gas will your pickup burn in say 10 hours of running pulling a trailer ??? Take and old Farmall M out and stick a set of 3x16's behind it and see how long twenty gallon of gas lasts and see how much ya get done with it in a day. When a 706 gasser is tuned correctly running the correct gas they are no harder on fuel then a lot of other diesel tractors out there . If you are new to this type of thing and are not the best wrench out there then a diesel is really not the tractor for you . Just read a lot of the posts on here with guys having problems with there diesels when they get a pluged fuel system or run them out of fuel and can not get the air out of them . If you are just getting in to hobby farming and just playen on the weekends then a gasser will do all that you want . Yes to keep a gasser running correctly they require some work they are no different the the cars and pick ups of that time . THey do not have just jump in and dive and forget computers and Electronic fuel injection they have the old fashioned plugs and points and a old fashioned carb., along with solid lifters that need adjusting form time to time . Better then half the problems people have is the lack of maintenance . It is not a matter of i am going to tune my tractor up and throw a set of plugs and points in . to keep it running like it should whenthis is done then ya check and reset the ing. timing and along with that ya need to run the valves . At the same time ya should check clutch free play and do all the adjustments on the T/A . If ya want a tractor that uses vary little fuel then get a David Brown or a Fiat or go back to a Farmall MD thru a 450 D, John Deere two lunger Diesel

I ran 2 different 706 gassers when I was a kid and they are still one of my favorite tractors. While they can shift hard, they drive really nice and with the high platform you can also see all around from front to back. $4K - $5K is a pretty good price for a 70HP tractor compared to what JD 3020s are bringing (they are good tractors too just green paint = more $$$) or what a new 70HP tractor would cost. Unless you are going to field work more than 100 acres with it I would not worry too much about the fuel consumption. As the vet states, all of these old plow tractors use a goodly amount of fuel regardless of age both gas and diesel. We still run a 1066 and 1466 (both turbo diesel) at the farm and they like to go to the fuel barrel frequently. But, they sure will pull when you need it!:^)

Tod the hard shifting on any I H tractor is due to the clutch and T/A linkage being out of asjustment. When you have everything set correctly they will shift with two fingers . Whenya need tojerk on the shifter to get it out of gear or in gear then ya got a problem and it needs to be looked at up close .

I have both a 706G and 706D, the diesel has the advantage of more torque when plowing. I don't look at fuel consumption, I look at fuel cost which comes out even.

Overall cost of ownership goes to the gasser. Like Tractor Vet said, if you maintain the 706 it will be a great tractor.

Of the two the gasser is the one I will always keep.

Thanks for the replies. I grew up on diesel tractors, I have worked on diesel tractors, and we have a good diesel shop for injector and pump repairs. The only gasser I have ever worked on was the Ford 841. Growing up I think I filled the points 2 or 3 times and it got one set of plugs, no other adjustments. The diesels got priority.

I assumed the gas and diesel would pull about the same given the tractor model. I am loooking at 706, 806, 886, 3010, 3020, 4010, ect for sale and they all are in gas. There must be a reason all these are for sale... Thirsty with a drinking problem? Or the people with the diesels are keeping them.

The heaviest load I would ever pull would be a 4 yd Reynolds scraper. Maybe a 5 shank chisel plow. Other than that it would be an over-sized hobby farm tractor.

Thanks, Charles

Vet: My 656 Diesel, would pull 5x16, 8" deep, using less than 1.5 Imperial gallons per hour. Probably was only making 4 mph, however a 5x16 making 4 mph will plow more than 4x16 making 5 mph.

As for the 9' haybine, 656 diesel 1 gpm, and yes I am talking Imperial gallons. I had used my 300 on that same haybine burning up 3 gallons of gas per hour. I didn't need to find out about a 6 cylinder gassers.

The 282 diesel, and I had two of them, required no tune ups until they had 9,000-10,000 hours on them. How many times did you tuneup that old 706 gasser, in the firs 10,000 hours. I kid you not, my 560 was rebuilt at 9,500 hours. That was the first time valve cover, oil pan were ever off. The injection system had never been apart or even adjusted, other than to step the hp at around 600 hours. My 656 went over the 10,000 hour mark, never having had valve cover or oil pan off, and injection system was never touched.

I had seen enough of old gassers by 1960, I didn't need to experience 6 cylinder tractor gassers. And don't run away with the idea you've worked these more than some of us. In 1976 my farming and custom work operation clocked up over 5,000 hours on 7 tractors and 2 skid loaders. Only the 1066 and articulated Deere went out on custom work.

with gas being over a dollar a gallon cheaper than diesel fuel right now the gas tractor won't cost anymore to run than a diesel. i have a 706 gas tractor and i wouldn't trade it for a diesel, so many less things to go wrong and way cheaper to keep running. a 706 gas is probably the most under valued tractor out there.

Hi, I'm with the tractor vet, the best way to keep the gas from belching out the exhaust pipe is to keep em tuned up. If you buy it , treat it to a complete tune up, don't be cheap and file the points and scrape the crud off the dist terminals. Put in everything new, plugs, points, cond, wires, cap and rotor, you will be doing yourself and your tractor a big favor and you will be burning all the gas you paid for, not sending it up in clouds of black smoke.
Bob S.

Here in Louisiana, some places are selling on-road diesel cheaper than gasoline now. I have not bought any off-road lately (gas or diesel). I have used on occasion a Ford 3000 and a JD 2040 gas. The 2040 was a good tractor, but 4 cylinder. If I find a 706 close, I will try to take it for a spin and check things out. Might surprise me I like my IH Red, but the 3020 and 4020 are good tractors. I just cannot bring my self to pay 2:1 green:red.

Charles

I was looking on the Nebraska Test site at the 706 gas and diesel. Turns out the gas is almost the same hp-hrs/ gal as the diesel - 13.19 to 13.16 at pto speed and 13.15 to 12.86. The varring load tests are also similar, probably within 10-15%. If gas is cheaper than diesel, the only drawback would be keeping it tuned which would be very important for a large gas tractor.
Here is the link to the nebraska tests which are a lot better than an opinion where consumption or load is not measured all that accurately.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2288&context=tractormuseumlit
I am a little partial to Cockshutt's my self, but I do much enjoy IH also.
Regards

Neil

Neil: Do you believe that?

Hugh, I would have to believe the Nebraska tests. I think tractor companies - I know Oliver was - were trying to develop as fuel efficient gas engines as possible during the late 50's and early 60's not knowing yet that diesel would be come the fuel of choice. Also, the non direct injection engines were not as fuel efficient as direct injection. Usually gas tractors are 10 - 13 hp-hrs/gal(us). Diesels as 12-18. So a 560 Cockshutt at almost 18 hp-hrs/gal would be almost twice as efficient as a low compression gas.
Also, the later IH's and others diesels did better on fuel with direct inj and higher comp. We also know that IH was a leader in Torque Rise as RPM falls - away ahead of others during this period. Here is a link to a Neb test of the 786 which show much better eff - probably higher compression??.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2758&context=tractormuseumlit
Hugh, I have always enjoyed your posts. Enjoy those IH's!!
Neil

Neil: I've only ever seen one IH 6 cylinder gasser in my life. I've been told by countless owners of them burning 5-6 gph. I find this believeable as my 300 burnt 3 Imperial gph on a 9' haybine. My 656 diesel would come in at 1 Imperial gph on that same haybine, plus it mowed about 20% more hay per hour.

I also had a 282 diesel in my IH 560, and during the years those two tractors were my main source of power, it took damn heavy work to hit 2 Imperial gph and my 560 was turned up to 90 hp for 16 of it's 17 years. I also have to say, during the years 560 and 656 did the bulk of the work, my fuel and repair bills were lowest, in relation to work done. It's also interesting the net profit was better during those 7 years than any other period before and after. And after included a 1066 and 100 hp Deere. There were factors affecting bottom line unrelated to tractor power.

I wouldn't doubt the Nebraska testing. What I would doubt is its relationship to real-world performance.

Where Hugh harkens back to the glory days of his 90HP 560, I harken back to when we changed out the knocking C291 gas engine in the 756 for a D360 diesel out of a prison bus.

When my folks did the books the winter after the conversion, the gasoline consumption on the farm was down and diesel consumption was up, of course. Gas-to-diesel, the ratio was 4 to 1. For loader work, that tractor used 4 times as much gas as diesel in a single year.

If the Nebraska testing is accurate, which I think it probably is, then they seem about equal in fuel. I do feel a diesel of equal HP has more torque down lower. Would the use of leaded fuel vs. unleaded make a difference. I am from a younger generation unfamiliar with true leaded gas. But I have been told that gasoline 30 years ago had more punch.

Charles