130 HP tractor recommendations

[Team1]

Currently have an International 1066 blackstripe open station. We have owned it for over 30 years and it has been a good tractor to us. Looking to replace this tractor with a cab tractor as we only have one other tractor with a cab currently. I would like a tractor with a somewhat nice cab (keep the dirt and sound out). Definitely have to have a 540 and 1000 PTO and looking somewhere in the 130-140 HP range. Tractor would be doing mostly chore work like grinding feed, running the manure spreader, and pulling a few silage wagons. During planting season it would pull a 9 shank chisel plow some and a 15 foot no till drill. We would possibly also use it to spray with 60 foot booms and pull an 11 row side dresser. The tractors I am looking at are as follows:

John Deere 4430
White 2-135 Series III
International 5088
Case/Case IH 2294

I have chosen these tractors for various reasons but mostly they are the ones I believe fit my needs the best and are within my price range. I think the 4430 will be slightly out of my price range but havent ruled it out yet. I have ruled other tractors out for various reasons and am not looking for other suggestions but mostly would like people to rank these tractors in the order that they like the best and get some input on the goods and bads of these tractors as we have never owned any of these models. Any comments on these model tractors is welcomed. Thanks in advance.

 

[SVcummins]

We had 3 4430 one powershift and two quad range good
tractors with a nice cab

 

[rockyridgefarm]

4430 is a little light at 125 hp. My opinion that it has the best cab of the models you listed. I have an early 4430 and used to have a 1977 4430, but I sold it to buy a 4640. The 4640 cost $9500 and I sold the 4430 for 13,000. Probably the best upgrade I have done. But 4640s dont have 540 PTO. I have a 540 adapter and run the tractor at half speed if I use it. It is not a perfect solution, but it works.

So my pick would be the 4430, or better yet, a 4440

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Oops, I did not rank them...

4430
2-135
5088
2294

 

[J Hamilton]

Do your homework on each tractor you're
considering. How many hours on them, has
the engine, transmission or hydraulic pumps
been rebuilt, how many hours since a
rebuild, have they had regular routine
maintenance and service or were they
neglected? Is the steering tight or loose,
and how well do the brakes work and hold?
Try to find the history on them. Did they
do heavy or light work, how many owners,
why are they selling or why did they get
traded in if at a dealer. Just some things
to look for and ask so you don't end up
with a "polished turd" one that looks good
but is junk.

 

[DeltaRed]

4430 (as said) is a bit light. It has a category 2 three point,whearas 1066 has a cat 3 hitch.And it's only factoty rated at 125 horse. A 4440 would be a better choice. Anything bigger in the JD line will have only 1000 rpm pto.My vote is a 1086,or 1486 and keep the 1066. You will need/use the 2nd tractor more than you can imagine.And,staying with another IH,everything 'fits'. Hydralics,hitch specs,filters,weights...An 'off brand' tractor may be 'cheaper'(the JD will be much more money),but in the long run you will be happy you stayed in the same 'ballpark.

 

[Robert (ID)]

White 2-135

Same engine as the 2-155..
6x3 trans thats 18 forward gears to choose from..
series 3 is console shift no shifter to trip over getting in and out, thats a big plus...
the series 3 cabs had alot of creature comforts for the day and age..

 

[tomNE]

7020 allis is what fits best and is ez on the check book

 

[Kansas4010]

I have 2 4430s and haven't had any
problems. They did have weaker rear ends
but the only people that had problems
usually turned the fuel up and tried
pulling implements way too big. They
aren't known as the easiest starting
tractors. The 4440s did have enough
improvements that if you could possibly
swing one I'd look for one of those. Both
of mine have been in the family since they
were a couple years old.

 

[NY 986]

What is your price range? I think I would look at an IH 1086 for parts availability versus the 5088. The 2-135 is a good tractor but don't buy a tired one. For that matter
don't buy a tired tractor period. As has been suggested individual history of any tractor will be most important. The 4430 should have the best parts availability but new
engine blocks, cylinder heads, etc have not been made for any of them for quite some time.

 

[Jim in Sask]

If you can swing it get a Case IH 7110.

 

[Huskergreen]

I have had 2-135 for 30 plus years and think it would be a good choice. Some had the 540-1000 pto option and some did not. As with
any used equipment, condition is a major factor. The 2-135 is a good all around tractor. If you find one with cummins engine
replacement would make it a great tractor, not that the original herc was a bad engine. Lots of torque.

 

[jon f mn]

Of those the case will have the best cab and be most fuel
efficient. The white is also good and fuel efficient but the
controls are not as nice as the case or Deere. The ih has the
worst controls but a bit quieter can than the white. The Deere
will burn the most fuel but otherwise be a good tractor. I don't
see any huge advantage to any as far as reliability. They are
all old and as such can break down any time.

 

[jon f mn]

I may be wrong on the controls on the IH, was thinking of the 86 series. I believe they still have the backward door tho

 

[Mark-Mi]

I know you did not want to hear it. CaseIH 7110
Bullet proof 18 speed power shift
Closed center hydraulics
Dual speed pto

 

[SVcummins]

Best cab and best controls

 

[jturbo10]

John Deere 4450...about 150 hp.

 

[T in NE]

I'll third the magnum.
71-72-89, 10 or 20.
Also C series (505CI) Cummins power

 

[Mark-Ia]

What kind of dealer support will you have with various models?

 

[Bruce from Can.]

Things I like to keep in mind when looking at older
equipment. Do a quick search, and see how long
the build period was on the model you are
interested in, and how many had been built. The
more common the tractor, the more parts donator
tractors that will be sitting in wrecking yards, cause
that’s where you will be headed to get parts. Most
equipment companies are trying to forget that they
ever built the tractors on your list. The more tractors
built, some aftermarket parts could be available
CNH really just seems to wish all of the IH and
Case tractors would just be retired, and price what
parts they still have to discourage you from buying
them. One other major consideration I have with
tractors nearing 40 years old is, all of the factory
trained technicians that new how to do specific
repairs like rebuild a power shift on a Case tractor,
have all retired. Very few guys now have had any
experience doing work on these tractors even if you
can get the parts.
IH built thousands of 1086 tractors like you have,
and they shared many the same parts of the earlier
1066 tractors as well as all of the 966 986 886 866
786 766 tractors so parts are easy to get for these
tractors. The 5088 IH on your list, nearly a orphan.
As others have said, up your game and get a
Magnum, you will spend the same $$$ in the end

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Almost all the independent shops in my area can't/won't work on the newer tractors because of the situation with the electronics,I have several that will work on my older tractors at a good price.Had the head replaced on my Oliver 1650 diesel,couple injectors,couple minor things, my mechanic charged me about $1200 total first major work done on it in the 20 years I owned it.What is that about 1 payment on one of those Kubotas?(LOL)A lot of the older Deere and White/Oliver tractors in my area no problem getting any of them repaired I know of,now if my neighbor with the 6 year old JD could be that fortunate he'd be real happy. He gets the dealer out, they monkey with the computer,wave a magic wand, etc and hand him a bill for $800-$1000.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Move up to the magnum or the Deere and move up to the 4450 you will not be sorry. The magnum will have the hydraulics for the newer equipment so you can fold the newer planters and such and even lift them. Also what dealer support do you have?

 

[showcrop]

Of those listed I am sure that you will get the best bang for your buck from the Case.

 

[formerly ny bill]

For the jobs you list, having both PTO shafts right there should top the list. I have mostly IH, but also had a White 2-105. changing the
shaft each time I moved the White from the discbine to the spreader got old really fast.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

I won’t disagree the new tractors are not going to be cheap to repair once all the electronics goes for a dump. And you are lucky to have repair shops with guys that are still in touch with how the older tractors work, and are willing to fix them at a reasonable shop rate. I don’t want to start giving $100.00 a hour or more to teach some young fella what goes on inside a older tractor. And then be told once in there, they can’t get the parts they need. I still like many of the older tractors, but dealer support on a 40 year old tractor is unlikely, my only point.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

(quoted from post at 05:05:19 07/13/20) For the jobs you list, having both PTO shafts right there should top the list. I have mostly IH, but also had a White 2-105. changing the
shaft each time I moved the White from the discbine to the spreader got old really fast.

Formerly ny bill,

My solution to the PTO problem is to only buy 1000 rpm equipment. I only have a couple pieces that are 540 - krone 42t rake, knoedler auger wagon, and Deere 336 baler. Those generally only run on my 540 only Deere 60 or 2030. Very seldom change shafts, and the only tractor I have that has switchable pto is a 4430 that does not get used much.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

These are my own personal impressions and may not be completely based in fact:

Parts for the Case are nonexistent.
Parts for the 5088 are getting hard to come by.
My impression for the White is parts support is still good, but expensive, even by Deere standards.
Far as I know, Deere still fully supports the 4430.

The early-mid 80's was a depression in agriculture, not many new tractors being sold and as a result there was a lot of fallout in the industry. Case, International, White, Allis Chalmers, all these companies were in trouble and ended up merging in various ways. Only Deere survived that intact.

If you're specifically looking for a tractor from that era, the Deere is the only one I would look at. Maybe the White if the Deere is out of your price range.

I know this is not what you were asking for or want to hear, but I would either go with a tractor series that was around before 1980 or something from 1987 or newer.

 

[Ken Macfarlane]

Down side of it is weird parts pricing. I looked at two with bad charge pumps, the gear pump down in the belly was 3000-4000$ at the time with only 2 available in North America. Mfwd parts on one of the axles nla. The Hercules takes some knowledge but can stick some military parts in an make them start better / better fuel economy than the original setup.

 

[centash]

Nebraska Tractor test shows a 4450 at 16 hp gal vs 14 for the Case, a 4450 being the same vintage as the 2294. Sound test show the Deere 2 db quieter....but the Deere would cost considerably more than a 2294....A 4430 could be more than 10 years older than the Case.

Ben

 

[jddrawbar]

4430.....not even a close call.

 

[centash]

A 1086 would be the most similar to your 1066, have a half decent factory cab, in
the price range; a bit easier to adapt to from your 1066.

Ben

 

[2510Paul]

I’m 100% with Caterpillar Guy. Paul

 

[2510Paul]

I suggest you call Larry Anderson and see what he has. Paul

 

[SVcummins]

The powershift kicks the crap out of anything mentioned not even close Either