Allis Chalmers D17 Advice

[JoshuaGA]

Thinking of buying a D17 and wondered what everyone thought of them. Which are the best, are there any operating hints that I need to know, any related info. Plan on pulling square baler, medium duty harrow, cultivating, and chore tractor. TIA

JoshuaGA

 

[omahagreg]

Never operated one myself, but dad operated and worked on them at an allis dealer in 'the day'. Says they were the nicest tractor of its day. There are 4 series, each one came with updates to them. Series 4 is the most modern, but also will cost you the most. Sorry for the limited knowledge base, but maybe someone else can fill in more detail. Greg

 

[Bill(Wis)]

Tweaked up 226 cu in WD-45 gas engine puts out about 52 PTO HP if running good. Snappy governor response. Hand clutch also gives two ranges in each of 4 speeds. Middle position on hand clutch stops tractor but keeps hydraulics and PTO (if engaged) running. Foot clutch stops tractor, PTO and hydraulics(Series IV an exception). Wet sleeved engine can be easily overhauled as many times as you want. Most early models had Allis' snap coupler hitch. Handy but will not couple with three point implements. Will only accept Allis built stuff. A lot of the later models came with factory three point. While it's easy to mount an after market three point hitch to the tractor, the factory version is better designed. The series IV, as greg pointed out, is more desired. Why? Mainly because the hydraulic system was changed from low volume, high pressure to high volume, low pressure and the hydraulics are live any time the engine is running. You don't need the serial numbers to tell if it's a Series IV. Just look at the right side where the pulley had previously been mounted. That's where they put the new live hydraulic pump on the Series IV. Then... there's also a diesel version. A Buda six cylinder that has about the same power as the gas but is absolutely one of the smoooothest running diesels. Harder to get parts for the diesel.

 

[TripleRange]

That would be a good tractor for what you want to do with it. They other guys hit all the high points. If overhauled...some guys put in domed M&W pistons for more power. My grandfather has one and it's probably going to outlast both his allis 185s.

 

[thurlow]

It's been better than 40 years since I used one, but I do remember.......I was a teenager and the new, diesel, early series D-17 was our first "big" tractor and our first diesel. As Bill said, it was incredibly smooth running (it was also our first 6-cylinder farm tractor). I hated the parking brake; it was an over-center latch of the brake pedals and never worked satisfactorly. I've been driving various tractors since '52; the most frightened (on/near one) I've ever been, involved that tractor. We had a 14 ft. solid deck A-C rotary mower. I was 'bush-hoggin' some steep hills in a pasture and stopped to move some barbed wire, which was loose in the pasture. Left it setting sideways (mower running) on the hill, so I wouldn't have to use the brake lock and it still wouldn't move. The tractor began to roll and the front wheels turned slightly downhill and it picked up speed. I ran to climb aboard and just as I reached for the handhold on the fender, my feet slid out from under me and under the tractor. If it happened today, the left rear tire and the mower would roll across my body, but at the time, I was strong enough to pull myself from under the tractor and get aboard. Sorry for rambling......haven't thought of that for years. What else.......loved the 2-speed clutch; we cut silage with the tractor for years and it should work equally good for baling hay. The thing was hard to shift....especially at high engine RPM. There have been some recent posts about what type oil to use in an engine. My Dad went to the local CO-OP, who supplied our fuel and oil; told the fuel guy he needed a "diesel" oil for our new tractor. He said.....in effect, "Man, that stuff's made for bulldozers; you don't want to put that into a farm tractor". So........we used the oil he recommended and the tractor used one quart of oil for every half-day for all the years we had it. I was a teenager and had learned MANY YEARS EARLIER not to question any of my Dad's decisions. He was an excellent farmer and well respected in the community; to this day, I don't know what his thought processes were about the oil in that tractor.