Red power hay making tractor?

[coldspring_98]

Hi guys and gals...been sort of looking at hay making tractors. I grew up running green tractors but I am no where near color blind! We currently use my dad's 4440 to pull our 5x6 baler with most of time. I love that tractor a lot and would love to have one of my own, but as you all are aware the prices on those 4430-4455 JDs are through the roof. I'd like to have a tractor at my place that could pull the baler and mower conditioner and do other odd jobs, just to save having to drive the tractor and baler the 30-45min drive in a tractor to and from my dad's place. It would be a lot easier just to pull the baler to my place with a pickup truck! Anyway I need something with a cab, dual pto, and dual hydraulics, and preferably 2wd. Not wanting anything too big, something nimble for hay work 100-150 hp. The hardest work it might do is pull a 15' drill or maybe a 5 btm plow when tearing up hay fields. So anyway to get to the point, I know very little about the red tractors of that era, 66 series, 86 series, and 88 series. I do have a 7140 magnum and wouldn't mind having a smaller magnum for this job, but again prices are crazy. (what isnt cheap right now anyway). But I am kind of ruling those out because of the price. I also know the 66 series cabs aren't the nicest so probably wont go that route either. Been browsing 986 and 1086s as well as 5088s. I would welcome opinions on these models and like to learn more about them. Pros and cons, etc. I know the 86s have the TA which have known problems but its my understanding if you use them right they shouldn't be too much trouble, especially in lighter duty work. I do feel that I want to stick with either John Deere or IH because of service/dealers in my area. Thanks for any input.

 

[Cash4Toys]

I always wanted an IH 10 or 1486 series, but never pursued it that hard. A couple of years ago I helped a friend who has one, and I put some time on it. It was my choice to use it, but he told me I'd be sorry. Glad I never bought one. Cab on those in my opinion is a joke. Hard to get in and out of, miserable actually. Hydraulics are slow, shifting is awkward. I was picking rocks with it, so a lot of back and forth. Visibility left a lot to be desired as well.
He was always IH, but has some CASE 20, 22 and a 2590 series now. I switched to the 2090 after the first day. Much nicer than any 86 series IH. Better cab, hydraulics, visability and control layout. Shifts a lot nicer that the IH, forwrd to reverse is simple, although the clutch does take a little getting used to. You can buy them pretty reasonable, you should look at them as another option or at least don't discount them.

 

[Part Time Pete]

I've got an Oliver 1755 and a White 2-105. With the over/under hydraul you have three ranges of shift on the fly - both are excellent hay tractors, and maybe a little cheaper than the red or green ones

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

For finding something economical the IH 86 series is your best bet right now. They are in that gray area between "affordable power" and "collectible." There are enough nice ones to satisfy the collectors and plenty of so-so ones out there that prices aren't through the roof.

The 5088 series went straight to collectible because relatively few were built. Oh there was about 5 minutes where they were kind of dogs on the market as potential "orphans," but then the tractor collecting craze took off and they got valuable because they were "last of the breed."

86 series cabs were designed for skinny 5'9" left-handed people. Criticizing the 86 series cab ruffles a lot of feathers, but it's true. I'm 6'1 and my knees hit the instrument panel when I turn to look out the back window. The best bang-for-the-buck upgrade you can make to one, IMHO, is to install the K&M door cylinder on the left side. This lets the door swing past 90 degrees and gives you a lot more room to get in and out.

 

[Tx Jim]

Many years ago I drove my friends IHC 986 for a few hrs pulling a field cultivator for my friend. I disconnected that operator unfriendly tractor & attached my JD 4255 to finish plowing. I vowed never to set foot in that 986 again. I operated my 4255 plowing for my neighbor several yrs since but I held true to my vow to never set foot in the IHC 986 again. I think later model IHC tractor might be more operator friendly.

 

[ss55]

Hi guys and gals...been sort of looking at hay making tractors. I grew up running green tractors but I am no where near color blind! We currently use my dad's 4440 to pull our 5x6 baler with most of time. I love that tractor a lot and would love to have one of my own, but as you all are aware the prices on those 4430-4455 JDs are through the roof. I'd like to have a tractor at my place that could pull the baler and mower conditioner and do other odd jobs, just to save having to drive the tractor and baler the 30-45min drive in a tractor to and from my dad's place. It would be a lot easier just to pull the baler to my place with a pickup truck! Anyway I need something with a cab, dual pto, and dual hydraulics, and preferably 2wd. Not wanting anything too big, something nimble for hay work 100-150 hp. The hardest work it might do is pull a 15' drill or maybe a 5 btm plow when tearing up hay fields. So anyway to get to the point, I know very little about the red tractors of that era, 66 series, 86 series, and 88 series. I do have a 7140 magnum and wouldn't mind having a smaller magnum for this job, but again prices are crazy. (what isnt cheap right now anyway). But I am kind of ruling those out because of the price. I also know the 66 series cabs aren't the nicest so probably wont go that route either. Been browsing 986 and 1086s as well as 5088s. I would welcome opinions on these models and like to learn more about them. Pros and cons, etc. I know the 86s have the TA which have known problems but its my understanding if you use them right they shouldn't be too much trouble, especially in lighter duty work. I do feel that I want to stick with either John Deere or IH because of service/dealers in my area. Thanks for any input.

Case 1070 to 1370 or 2090 series or CaseIH 2094 series would be competitively priced with IH 66 and 86 series with IMHO better cabs. Most will have 12 speed partial power shift transmissions and the smaller tractors have 540/1000 PTOs. Case bought out IH in the 1980s so you would get parts at an IH dealer.

 

[EFV]

The red tractor that would do most of what you want is one nobody has mentioned, a 186 Hydro.
For haymaking operations nothing matches a hydro tractor. It seems dairy farms have outgrown
using them for feed wagons so less competition now. Depending on how heavy duty your 15 foot
drill is whether or not a 186 would be happy pulling it. Dropping to a four bottom plow means
transmission will last until you are on the other side of the grass. Since a 7140 Magnum is available
why do tillage work with the Hydro ? Visibility from 86 series cab won't be a problem, your 7140
already has one and you didn't say you didn't like it, probably because you have Deere tractors
and not having a slightly off center post in your view is a relief. LOL. A 3488 Hydro is the Holy Grail
of hydros but collectible and uncommon make them expensive.

 

[jwal10]

Few options with IHC with good cab and affordable. I had a 656 with a Cozy Cab, wasn't bad, better than a 66 cab but a Massey 1085-1105 had a better cab. Ford had some good cabs around those years. I rented TW30 and 35's for a few years, had decent cabs. White had a decent cab. Still buy a working 4040 or 4240 for a decent price and have powershift and a very nice cab....James