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| My 2 cents from an IH guy!:
Case made a really good tractor. However I’m going to add context to the topic. Like other tractors of that era, you had to know HOW to drive them! Let’s look at the IH and TA. The TA really gets maligned more than it should, but you had to know HOW to drive them. If you did, the TA lasted for many, many years. I would also say the same for Case and their transmission. Maintenance is assumed when I make this statement. Here are 2 points I want to add as well:
1) When these tractors were designed and sold in their day (60's and 70's), generally there were a lot less hired hands. A farmer would buy the tractor and would be the primary user, as well as the family. As the years rolled into the 80's and 90's, more hired hands showed up on the farm scene, again in general, because farming was changing. Throw into this mix these old horses. They now were a few years old, so plunking a hired hand on these older machines that had older transmission designs caused problems that were greatly amplified, in my opinion. Many TA’s in IH’s were blown when unknowing, inexperienced hired hands used them for road-speed brakes, let alone in hills!!! Case was no different in their design and use, as well as the other manufacturers.
2) From 1970 onwards, Case was a shrinking company, and by the time of the merger with IH in 1985, was a shadow of it’s former self. By the end, Case was only into tractors, shedding everything else (eg combines, haying equipment, etc) years earlier. By 1974 IH had made 5 million tractors, and was set to have crossed 6 million by 1987 if the merger hadn’t happened, from what I’ve read. My point is this - after the merger there were a heck of a lot of IH tractors around, far more than Case. So much so, that when it comes the TA, not only does CaseIH sell replacements, so do at least 2 other after market companies as I recall - simply a volume of old IH tractors still out there, and demand issue for parts. Case tractors - not the same. Few were made in comparison, so only CaseIH makes parts, so you are going to pay!!! The Case transmission designs are unique - there is not a lot of demand that would have had other after market manufacturers get into the game for Case transmission parts, as far fewer Case tractors were made. Let alone those still around who know how to work on them - again a numbers thing given how many Case tractors were made compared to IH.
Bottom-line is this: If you know where a Case tractor comes from, and you know that those who had it KNEW how to use it (and assuming maintenance), then don’t be that afraid. Let’s face it, any make of tractor that was abused or used improperly is going to need some “TLC”, so really it’s universal advice for any color tractor - especially if it’s 30 years old! Except with Case, point # 2 above comes into play.
I love my 986, and it has the original working TA since new in 1981. I bought it used, but knew where it came from and how it was used, so not an issue. If it were a Case, I’m sure it would be the same (and the nicest looking Case was the 70 series in the “Black Knight” demonstrator colors!!). However, if you’re looking at a Case that has an unknown past, you better have deep pockets if that transmission goes. | |
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For all those that had CASE tranny problems....
