Posted 7/7/2011 14:09 (#1852641) Subject: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
Eastern Iowa
What is everyone's thoughts on the International 504? Anything that is a problem with them?
Thought of using it on a International 430 baler and just putzing around the yard for odd jobs. It is a NF, gas, with the 3 pt and fast hitch. 2 hydraulics (4 outlets).
Has a TA that I am told works (haven't driven tractor yet). Were these a mechanical TA like the M's, 450's, etc?
Posted 7/7/2011 14:20 (#1852656 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
M
not the best tractor but not the worst. the 404 might hace had a c engine but the 504 was bigger. we baled alot of hay years ago with ours. had a mounted picker on it to it was a little for that.
Posted 7/7/2011 16:13 (#1852774 - in reply to #1852764) Subject: Re: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
The engine is what IH calls the C-153. I don't think it is the same engine as a H because it winds tighter, but the power output is about the same. Basically a Farmall 504 is a 1960's H with live PTO and power steering.
Never had a 504 but had a IH 210 swather with the same engine. Not a real powerhouse by any means, but a good engine. If the price was right and I had a need for a tractor that size, I wouldn't be scared of it.
Posted 7/7/2011 15:59 (#1852765 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: Re: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
WC IL
Have a friend that used to have a diesel 504. Needed to replace the clutch and discovered the flywheel could not be machined again. Had to sweet talk CNH into getting him the original blueprints from Germany for the flywheel. Then had to find someone to interpret them into English. Then the local machine shop made him a new flywheel. Wasn't horribly expensive, but took about 3 months to do the whole deal. Not sure if you might run into the same situation on a gas, but you might want to talk to a dealer about parts availabilty. TA is mechanical. I thought the engines in them were basically a 4 cylinder of the same bore and stroke as a 460, but not sure on that.
Posted 7/7/2011 16:13 (#1852775 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
Dickinson, ND
I've had one since 1988. It's a good chore tractor. The engine is different from an H or other earlier series. It's not sleeved and has a smaller carburetor. I have an old 350 Utility with about the same hp and the 504 uses less gasoline per hour on the same load. I overhauled ours quite a while back and we just bored it .1000 put in pistons to fit and it's been fine. You can get an updated hytran filter for it and I converted the cartridge to a spin-on oil filter. Not sure if you can get the kit anymore. Ours is a wide front, a new Schwartz I put on when we overhauled it. It has good hydraulics, the 3 point would lift a 1000# bale maximum. I use it on a Woods mower (84"), a Buhler HD 6' tiller etc. I've baled with it a long time ago, it handled a small sqare baler with no problem.
It was worked to death before I got it and over the years I've added an alternator, lights and replaced two steel lines that cracked with hose. TAs work fine if you just release them and don't slip them. Also, an old IH mechanic told me never to let the tractor roll backward with the TA engaged. The TA works fine on mine and has not been changed since I owned the tractor. I've put about 3000 hours on it since '88.
Posted 7/7/2011 18:17 (#1852885 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
near dyersville iowa
didnt they make two versions? row crop and utility? my only experience was with a utility..and it wasnt good..although i think it had a hard life by the time i got to run it.
Posted 7/7/2011 20:58 (#1853093 - in reply to #1852885) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
Eastern North Carolina
johnwayne360 - 7/7/2011 18:17
didnt they make two versions? row crop and utility? my only experience was with a utility..and it wasnt good..although i think it had a hard life by the time i got to run it.
Posted 7/7/2011 19:36 (#1852981 - in reply to #1852911) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
John, not disputing your numbers at all. For practical purposes, anything a 504 will do, an H can do and vice versa. The 504 being 10+ yrs newer simply has a few more creature comforts than an H.
Even though it has a higher governed engine RPM, I would not buy a 504 expecting it to have more power than an H. If anything, an H has more grunt on the low end.
Posted 7/7/2011 20:06 (#1853019 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: The good/bad of a 504......
I bought a late '66 gasser years ago with a Kelley loader at a sale. Stood around all day in the pouring rain because I thought I could get it cheap. It had a hydraulic whine which was actually someone pulling both remotes back instead of just the one for the circuit the loader was on. I got it bought, cleaned it up and did fluids when I got it home. We worked the crap out of it and it stood up well. They are handy nimble little tractors, the only downside IMO is the C-153 gasser, they won't do what an older 300 or 350 will, but unlike the others said here, it is considerably more than a STOCK H(Put firecraters or M&W's in it and that will change). I put it on our IH 37 disk once, but wasn't impressed and it never did anything serious after that......Just loader work and a yard tractor. Ground feed with it once on our NH 357 mill and at about half a tank it didn't want no more either. All in all, a good machine and I kept it when we quit. Other machines came along and the loader was taken off and that left, but I still have the 504. Plow the garden with it and do odd jobs, but that is it. Its too nice to get rid of, only has 2300 hrs and the original paint.
Posted 7/7/2011 23:06 (#1853419 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: Re: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
Iowa
One sold on a sale north of Clarion a few weeks back: diesel, wide front, recently OH engine, nice shape. I believe it brought $5,000+. I spent a couple hours researching the 504 a while back; the archives on ytmag.com and Red Power forum have a great pool of information in addition to the responses in this thread.
Posted 4/17/2013 13:12 (#3042148 - in reply to #1852641) Subject: RE: International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
i have a 1959, 504 utility by the serial # and do everything with it. only a small operation (47 acres) but we plow, disk, haybine, bale, (square and round) rake, carry 2-5 x 4 round bales, plant and pick corn. it is an awesome little tractor with a loader. not a huge power house but its super dependable and easy to get parts for if needed. in the future we will get a little bigger tractor but for now is doing a great job for everything we do. my wife loves to run it and it`s just right for her. when im not home she can do about anything needed with it without worrying if it will break down. i paid 2900.00 for it and have had to do nothing to it but change the oil and hydraulic fluid when i got it. it will be around our place for a very long time.
International Farmall 504? Good, bad ugly? Run away?
