your choice of a 90-100 hp in 70's

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

if you had your choice of any 90-100 hp tractor in the late 60's early 70's what would you take and why?

Best options in my opinion
1. Oliver 1850
2. John Deere 4020
3. Farmall 806
4. Ford 7000
5. Massey Ferguson 1100
6. Minneapolis Moline G900
7. Case 970
8. Allis Chalmers 190XT

For tillage id say the 1850 wins and the 806 is probably 2nd followed by the G900. But for overall use a 4020 can do just about anything. They drive real nice and make a great haying tractor. So pick your tractor and make a case for it!

-please remember this is all just for fun

LAA · Jul 21, 2010

I have used or farmed with 3 tractors out of the list, the 190 XT burns fuel as fast as you can pump it in and has very little hydraulic capacity and hard steering. We pulled rice carts for years with a massey 1100 and it was tough but never struck me as a tractor I would take to the hay field. The Case 970 would be my choice, it is a versatile tractor, good hydraulic capacity, good on fuel, plenty of mowing and baling power and because Case was big in my area there are several around.

mkirsch · Jul 21, 2010

IH 806 would be early-mid '60's.

The 856 was made from '67 to '72. that's consummate "late 60's, early 70's tractor."

I would have to say that the top 2 would be the IH 856 and JD 4020, not necessarily in that order, but perhaps. Those two tractors had the lion's share of the market, and you see a LOT of them still in operation today.

JW · Jul 21, 2010

970 would be first, easy on and off, good power and hyd, good pto. Second would be a 826 Ih. Same reasons as above only a little less power but all around handier.

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

yeah that is true the 806 was more of a rival to the jd 4010 then the 4020.

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

im not at all familiar with the cases. ive never drove one and that is the main reason i put it so far down the list.

Deere Scotty · Jul 21, 2010

4020, or the 1850 possibly; if the IH 966 could qualify that would be my choice. They came around 72, or 73.

NY 986 · Jul 21, 2010

I am going to go by your original heading opening up the entire 1970's. Also, technically tractors like the 806 were discontinued before the late 1960's (1967). I could easily change the order on numbers 1 through 3.

1) JD 4230 w/ SG cab, QR trans.. Good all round like 4020
2) IH 966 good powerful tractor. 986 excellent successor
3) White 2-105 powerful rugged 4wh dr, good cab
4) MM G955 best of Moline and Oliver technology
5) Case 1070 Middle of the road tractor with same rating
6) AC 7000
7) Ford 8600
8) MF 1105
Honorable mention: JD 4020 D SC. Would be on list but really
is a 1960's tractor. If you mentioned going up to 110hp JD 4240 would be there instead of 4230. IH 856 made in 1970's but really a 1960's tractor like 4020. Case 2090 was significant upgrade over 1070 IMO.
Other comments: Ford 8000/ 8600 never did well here, probably contributed to their fade in the high horse power market. Even the AC dealers said that AC should have gone right to the 7010 from the 200 if not the 8010. Still, a lot AC guys figured out how to get along with them. MF...... just not enough around here to fairly comment about. Deutz and Same (Italian) had their supporters here and were not being hauled off to the repair shop all the time.

OliverGuy · Jul 21, 2010

Oh you know the answer olliekid.

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

well my intentions were basically 1965- to the beginning of the 70's. but i would agree with just about everything you said. My only change would be to put the white 2-105 up to 2nd. There are TONS of them still in use today and they really are a great tractor.

buickanddeere · Jul 21, 2010

Choice for a hobby tractor? Odd jobs busy season tractor or spare? Or the primary tractor on a farm that you rely on to make a living?
Type of land and farm operation?

dhermesc · Jul 21, 2010

I never thought much of the 970 because there were not that many around in my area when they were new. My BIL ended up buying two of them in 1981 and only recently traded one of them off. If those two represent the rest of the them I would say they are every bit as good as the IH 966/986 and the JD 4020. They can take a beating and keep in ticking.

Personally I always loved our 886 with the German deisel, great fuel economy and if you took any kind of care of it they run forever. Ours had two overhauls - one at 10K hours and the second at 20K hours and it was still as good tractor at 25K when it was traded - just wasn't big enough anymore.

thurlow · Jul 21, 2010

Appears to be a hypothetical question; one of those, "My Dad can whip your Dad."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah!!!"

"Prove it!!"

Mike M · Jul 21, 2010

People made thier choice and production figures should show what that choice was. No need for gussing.

John Harmon · Jul 21, 2010

Dad had a Oliver 99 w/Detroit Diesel power in the early 1960's. I think it was a 6 Cylinder.Not real sure as I was never around it much back then. It was real loud when under a pull usually with a Oliver 5/16" plow. He was deaf as a door knob for most of the year after planting season. How does it compare? I had some AC tractors but nothing with 100 HP. My Neighbor had a AC D21 ,It must have been close to 100 HP.

msb · Jul 21, 2010

Hands down winner 72 4020. Most all of the flaws in the previous Deere models were overcome or improved except for the CB injection pump. That was a step backwards in my opiniom and I worked on a bunch of those pumps.

GordoSD · Jul 21, 2010

No brainer, 966

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

the 966 and 1066 are the next line of tractors after what i intended. i would compare the 966, 1066 to the jd 4430 and 4230

Anonymous-0 · Jul 21, 2010

71 and 72 4020 used jdb pump not the cb it was on 69 and 70 models

Anonymous-0 · Jul 21, 2010

easy choice,966.since they arrived in early 70's,then 806.with the 8 speed tranny and t/a,what more could you ask for.

DeltaRed · Jul 21, 2010

IH 856

wolfman · Jul 21, 2010

Late 60's REAL early 70's, IH 856. 1972 or so, the IH 966. Probably in the history of man there will never be a beefier, more user friendly tractor made in the 100 hp range than the 8's and 9's. Did I mention nimble and very capable. Gears galore; shift with either hand; best 3-pt ever. A distant 2nd choice -the 4020 then 4230.

Phil in Pa · Jul 21, 2010

The 1100 out of familiarity. I never found a reason to dislike that tractor.

olliekid · Jul 21, 2010

ill put it this way.. if you were starting a farm in 1970 and you could buy one 90-100 hp tractor which would you choose?? this is only for fun

jwal10 · Jul 22, 2010

If I were doing 1969-70 for tillage I would take the 856 1st, 4020 2nd and the oliver 1855 3rd only because of parts availability around here. If for an all around tractor I would put the 4020 powershift over the 856 for easy handling. I have never run a 1855 but the 1655 was a great tractor. I liked it better than the 3020 or 656....James

Anonymous-0 · Jul 22, 2010

I have a 1850, 4020, and an 1105, on the farm. The best answer would have to be all of them! What one does, the other is a little better at or a little worse, so to have that choice would be great!

olliekid · Jul 22, 2010

id like to work on your farm! id love to drive all 3 of those

CBL95 · Jul 23, 2010

IH 1206 or AC 200 or 220

Anonymous-0 · Jul 28, 2010

had a 4020 1972 had more trouble with it than any tractor i every had and a 4020 syno dose not have independend hyg

your choice of a 90-100 hp in 70's

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