Case 731

[Traditional Farmer]

Looking at a Case 731 tractor.What are the good and bad things to look out for? Value? Diesel runs good I'm told

 

[DeltaRed]

That tractor is old enough that any inherant issues have been corrected. I would look at overall appearance/condition.Straight,well cared for.Or beat to crap....Wear in drawbar hole,wear on pedals,slop in hitch and front end...Tires are a major issue,but the easiest corrected,but pricey.'Bad' tires wont stop it from workingLook for active oil leaks. All old tractors leak some,just look for the ones that are running oil.Pull the dipsticks....Does it start well,or does it need a lot of ether to start? I'm not a Case guy,these suggestions simply apply to all old tractors. The ones I've been around are good tractors. The long stroke Case engines pull like locomotives and are easy on fuel.And the(30 series) hoods/tinwork are some of the best looking out there

 

[jon f mn]

They are awesome tractors. The power steering is not what most other brands had gone to by then, it's adequate but not great. The brakes get a bad rep but are similar to other brands at the time. If they are in good shape they work well. Crack the drain plug and check for antifreeze in the oil. The most common engine failure on those is o-rings on the sleeves getting hard and leaking.

Those can be either a dry clutch or case-o-matic. Both are better than anything else out at the time. The dry clutch is larger than most brands with well over 100hp, so they hold up well. The case-o-matic can only be damaged by running low on oil. If it's a com they take some learning to get used to them, but most that do learn think they are great units. It's basically the same system as a car or pickup with an auto transmission only everything works manually. And they last forever as long as the don't run low on oil. They do tend to grind gears a bit, just make sure all shifting is done at very low idle. And always start at idle and add gas to go. Once moving pull the com lever and it will lock and pull like a dry clutch. Then when need for power or to slow shift back to com.

 

[Hoofer B]

I like them and have a 730 COM diesel in my shed. There are 2 listed on C L for over 6 grand in WI right now. Sometimes you see them for 3 grand. Condition and tires are everything. Bill

 

[NY 986]

The 730 and 830 diesels have a balancer in the engine which can be prone to failure. If you bought it you would be wise to inspect the balancer.

 

[chcase]

As Jon stated below the 730ck tractors were top of the line when they were built.Check for antifreeze in oil.I own 2 730ck that still earn their keep. One came to the farm new and will still be here when I am gone. Keep oils changed when due and filters.

 

[ss55]

Simple, very durable, easy to work on tractor based on the 1955 Case 400 design. I think there were three generations of 730s: low tin like the 700 and 800 with the proprietary Eagle Hitch and rear mount; high tin, and Comfort King with a real 3 point hitch, higher operators platform and front mount. All had 8 speed transmission, power assist steering, non-power disk brakes and 1200 to 1500 PSI hydraulics with its own hydraulic sump. Ergonomics and comfort were fair, narrow front was very maneuverable, wide front less so more like the 1950s. They were very advanced for the 1950s, middle of the pack in the early to mid 1960s and long in the tooth by the time they were replaced by the 70 series in 1969. Farmall 460 and 560 would be very comparable.

Case-O-Matic transmission substituted a lockable torque converter in place of the normal clutch (called Dual-Range). Case-O-Matic drive was much like driving a forklift, Direct drive locked up the torque converter more like driving a normal tractor. People either love Case-O-Matic drive or hate it, so drive it to see if you like it. Avoid prolonged heavy pulling in Case-O-Matic drive as the torque converter converted a lot of power into heat under high loads. Early models had a single shifter with a dual H pattern like Oliver tractors of the same time used. Later models moved the range shifter to the dashboard.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

Here is a picture of my 730 Diesel

This tractor is a 1964, and what is called a high tin. This tractor has been on my farm for 20 years, and has done a lot of work, mostly cutting hay, planting grain, running square baler. Extremely good on fuel ! The brakes and power steering are ok so long as they are maintained. Biggest downside is this model can be awkward to get on and off. The later Comfort King style are much superior for getting on and off of.

 

[r.w.b.]

in my opinion only 2 brads are rugged built in that era,john deere and j.i.case. but think back john deere design engineer left went to case. i know static headin my way but it is what it is