Allis CA

[Roy Suomi]

I'm considering a CA for around the house work. Grading for a new lawn and mowing. I like the idea of the way the pto is set up. I haven't seen much activity on this tractor here on this site. Either not a lot of them being used or they're pretty trouble free.

 

[old]

They are not a real common tractor. Not rare either just not one that seemed to catch on back in the day

 

[Paintjar]

I have one and they are great. Motor is very good. I have not done much to it and still starts right up.

 

[Bob Bancroft]

Does the hand clutch work? That's the only way you have live hydraulic and PTO.

 

[Jim.ME]

The one we had was pretty trouble free. Tune ups, a couple carb kits, a rear main seal, a couple springs in the hydraulic pump, and an engine clutch were about the only things done. Over the years it ran sprayers, including an 80 gallon backpack with fan, rotary cutters, harrows, pulled trailers, lugged things on three point forks, tedding and raking hay, FIL even used it to bale with his 14T. It became too small for the needs in later years so it was used occasionally for yard work, pulling trailers and wagons. It was around here for about forty years and the only reason we let it go is it wasn't being used enough to justify keeping it.

I don't quite understand what you mean by the way the PTO is set up. The PTO has to be engaged to lift the hydraulics, so you want to remember that, when you park it, if you have a ground engaging PTO driven implement attached you want to lift before moving (or you may have to disconnect the PTO shaft before starting). It is a single stage engine clutch. The "live" PTO comes by pulling the wheel clutch lever which disengages the clutch located in the right wheel driveshaft. You have to hold it disengaged, it does not lock in the disengaged position. Ours was a fairly stout pull to disengage and hold. Once you get used to it; it works much better than just having a single stage clutch that stops everything. The PTO and hydraulics stay live when the wheel clutch is disengaged.

 

[Jim Phelps]

I have two CA's, they just broke about 3 acres of garden, I use one to pull a 6' finish mower, and they will be used to disc and plant sweet corn. I wish I had a snap couple planter but right now I use a 3ph adapter. I pulled a 2-14 plow to break the garden turning wheat sod at half throttle with no problem if you get the plow set right.

 

[Jhn]

It is a nice tractor and the resale price is good. It has a good hydraulic set up and with hand clutch for live pto and hyd and snap coupler arms its quite a bit better than a c or b and has better looks. They're prabably known for low engine oil pressure but prabably won't matter for limited use.

 

[Roy Suomi]

I was looking at a manual and a little surprised at the oil pump. No gears , just 2 spring loaded vanes. Looks a little hokey , but I guess it's worked all these years. Who am I to say ? I remember as a kid the rides at the Mardi Gras in Fairport Harbor Ohio had most all rides running with AC engines from morning to night. Must be OK.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Limited use? Hardly, I have a CA that is over 70 years old and has been used all those years no engine work done on it.Still runs great with no smoke.One of the most durable tractor motors ever built.

 

[tractorguy2]

The CA is a good little tractor. You will have a hard time finding implements that will fit unless it comes with implements.

I would look for a Ford with a 3pt. 3pt equipment is much easier to find and I would bet cheaper.

Back in 2001 I had a new neighbor move in across the street. Right way he started looking for a small tractor for his new hobby farm. I took him around and showed him some 8n's that I knew were for sale. He was not interested. Determined he needed a Farmall. Warned him he would not find fast hitch implements in this area. He went and paid over $3000 for a 56 Farmall Cub. After three years of trying to adapt garden tractor implements to the Cub. He went and bought a wore out Ferguson TO-20.
Wasn't long and Dave had a whole yard full of 3pt equipment. The Cub was destinated for pulling wagons.

 

[Jim.ME]

They make 3 point hitch kits for CAs. Mine had a kit on it and worked fine. It was modified so the regular drawbar hooked to the snap coupler stayed in place.

 

[phil(va)]

I have a CA with the 3 point hitch added on. I use it for mowing with 6 foot mower. Tricycle front lets it turn real short, almost like zero turn. Oil filter is hard to find and very expensive ($18 at NAPA), but otherwise it's been great.