560 gas Vs. Diesel

I have found 2 560s for the same price and in the same condition. The only difference is one is gas and the other is diesel. i am going to use the tractor. i have heard the diesels are really hard to start, are expensive to work on, and have cooling issues. I know the gas version likes fuel. What is the better choice?

get the diesel

go to your CIH dealer and buy 6 new glowplugs, dont buy cheaper ones you see on ebay and other places. a few extra bux spent here goes a long way. make sure you have GOOD CLEAN connections on your battery cables and the proper sized battery. these are a few little things that many people neglect then badmouth their 560D when its hard starting inth e winter


the gassers are some fuel guzzlin beast's compared to the diesels

How much fuel are we talkin? My D-17 AC burns 3 gallons an hour pulling a ten foot disc.Isnt a 560 quite a bit bigger than a D-17?

I find that my M with roughly 40 HP burns as much gas per hour as my 766 diesel with 90 HP.If you going to put 10 hours a year on it gas is fine, but if your going to put 100 hours a year, better get the diesel.If your worried about starting in the cold, look at the 66 series tractors. They are a bit newer and more expensive, but they start great in the cold. Kent

I had to make the same decision when I purchased a Farmall 656 earlier this year. Other then the cold weather issues associated with diesels the things that were most important to me was the amount of use I envisioned for the 656 and the overall cost of maintaining it. I already have a couple diesel tractors, one comparable to a 656 and the other in the mid 40 hp range. Those tractors are used for the majority of the tillage and heavier work as they get some moderate use. The Farmall 656 is mainly used as a hay baler tractor along with some pasture clipping during the summer with a rotary cutter. I expect to use the 656 around 50-75 hours a year and any added fuel cost is far less expensive then maintanence and other issues related to a diesel. The gas models are easy to diagnose problems with while I am not a diesel guy and don't do any service on them as they see the dealership for scheduled maintanence and fluid changes during the off season in the winter. I and local neighborhood folks have no problem keeping the gas models working if something comes up during use. I enjoy the Farmall 656 more then any of the larger tractors I have and find I'm using it beyond just what it was purchased for. If you have never been around a 6 cylinder IHC gasser you are in for a treat. I use 93 octane non-ethenol gas in my 656 and it runs really sweet, Hal.

(quoted from post at 16:17:11 12/17/12) How much fuel are we talkin? My D-17 AC burns 3 gallons an hour pulling a ten foot disc.Isnt a 560 quite a bit bigger than a D-17?

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Not much difference HP wise... 560 a tiny bit more. You don't say if your's (D-17) is gas or diesel, but at 3 gph, it must be diesel..IH may use a little more fuel in either G or D. However, AC tractors of that era were light weight and needed either Snap-Coupler implemets to get the weight transfer or be heavily weighted. IH was heavier to start and needed less added. One of my uncles found that out when he bought a WD-45 and tried to pull the same 3x14" plow he did with his F-20... had tons of power, but needed to add a LOT of weight.

(quoted from post at 21:31:06 12/17/12) I have found 2 560s for the same price and in the same condition. The only difference is one is gas and the other is diesel. i am going to use the tractor. i have heard the diesels are really hard to start, are expensive to work on, and have cooling issues. I know the gas version likes fuel. What is the better choice?

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If the primary use will be farming 300 or more acres of row crops, go with the diesel. If the primaty use will be a few acres of hay, mowing some pasture, and maybe pushing snow in the winter, you'll be much happier with the gasoline version.

Diesels need to be worked hard every so often, and definitely need to reach full operating temperature each time they are started up. If you can't do that with a tractor, then the gas version will be a much better choice.

According to the Nebraska tests, the 560 diesel recorded an economy of 13.57 hp-hrs/gal and used 3.3 gallons per hour during the ten hour drawbar test. The gas model had numbers of 10.73 hp-hrs/gal and 4.2 gal/hr during the same test.

at 3 gal. per hr it better not be a diesel! the 560 diesel will hardly burn 2 gal in 1 hr.
even my 660 will hardly burn 3 gal.of diesel per hr.

If they are both the same price, and in the same condition, the gasser is way overpriced. The diesel is the better deal.

Good glow plugs, good batteries, good cables, and a couple of hours on the block heater on cold winter mornings will do wonders for the tractor's attitude.

How do you plan to use the tractor, and for how many hours per year? Normally diesel tractors sell for more than gas tractors, run longer between engine overhauls, cost more to overhaul and are noisier. Fuel cost per hour is now about equal.

Gas pump prices (MN)
Diesel
3.2 Gal/hr X $3.79/Gal = $12.13/hr
Gas
4.2 Gal/hr x $2.99/Gal = $12.55/hr

If you get a fuel tax refund $0.54 for diesel and $0.48 for gas (Minnesota & Federal taxes)
Diesel
3.2 Gal/hr x $3.25/Gal = $10.72/hr
Gas
4.2 Gal/hr x $2.51/Gal = $10.54/hr

Each tractors: condition, tires, intended use, price and your personal preference will tip the decision to one tractor or the other.

The D-17 is a gas. I went and looked at the diesel yesterday. It has 9000 hours and the fuel pump is getting bad. the TA lever is also gone and the steering wheel has a half a round of play in it. the drawbar hole is also almost pulled through. The gas has 3000 hours, one owner, and everything works. I farm 250 acres and have cattle.I will use the tractor pretty hard. All of my other tractors are gas so I am used to the price diff. Im really wanting to know which one is going to be the most reliable.

(quoted from post at 15:27:16 12/18/12) The D-17 is a gas. I went and looked at the diesel yesterday. It has 9000 hours and the fuel pump is getting bad. the TA lever is also gone and the steering wheel has a half a round of play in it. the drawbar hole is also almost pulled through. The gas has 3000 hours, one owner, and everything works. I farm 250 acres and have cattle.I will use the tractor pretty hard. All of my other tractors are gas so I am used to the price diff. Im really wanting to know which one is going to be the most reliable.

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Sounds to me like the 560 diesel is flat worn out and should be considered a parts donor tractor only. The 560 gas probably has more life left in it.

The tractor that isn't totally clapped-out will be the more reliable one.

Do you absolutely *HAVE* to make a decision right now? You could always wait and see what else comes along.

I ran 560D's for my BIL and his dad years ago. They were fairly economical. Go through most of a tank of fuel in a full day of plowing with the rated sized plow. A freind had a 560G when he first started farming. He claims that he would go through 1 1/2 tanks of gas in a full night of plowing (had a day job). But that is comparing apples to oranges. The 560D's were hooked to 4-24 plows. Gary was 4-16's. The D's were in pretty good shape and Gary was just starting out and didn't know anything except how to change oil. His 560G is long gone and he has become a pretty good mechanic but just last year I had to show him how to time a gas engine. So his 560 may not have been in the best of shape. Diesel was cheaper than gas at the time.

On starting, BIL and his dad used a 560D year round to spread manure daily here in west MN. I know they had troubles starting them unless they plugged in the block heaters. They used em right down to -30F.

Rick