Sad day for IH

[Bruce from Can.]

On November 26 1984 International Harvester was bought up by Case . And the new company CaseIH was born .
I picked this picture and information up from social media. I thought the first CaseIH branded tractors hit the market in 1986. I had a IH model 584 2wd that I had bought new, but decided I wanted a loader, so I traded it in in a brand new 585 CaseIH with a CaseIH 2200 loader. Tractors looked the same except for the Case grill.( personally I thought the IH grill was much better designed). I soon discovered that the transmission in my new tractor was geared faster than my original, which made it much better for cutting and baling hay.

 

[Ford5610II]

Your picture didn't come thru.

 

[jon f mn]

Your picture didn't come thru.

That's weird, it was there earlier

 

[Bruce from Can.]

That's weird, it was there earlier

That’s odd, I’ll give it another try

 

[INCase]

I remember as a kid (high school) seeing the Red painted Cases sitting at the IH dealer (Tull Brothers in Seaford Delaware).

Our Scout camp traded in the old MF loader/hoe for a new Case/IH utility with FWA shortly after the transition. it seemed like (memory fading after 40ish years), it had IH tin and grill but seemed like it was badged CaseIH or at least the loader had CaseIH on it. was a nice tractor to drive compared to the old 1963-5ish MF

 

[495man]

We had one of the last IH tractors, new in 1985, 385 w/2200 loader.

There were a few IH 484 sold that had a Case International 2200 loader on them from new.

 

[wore out]

On November 26 1984 International Harvester was bought up by Case . And the new company CaseIH was born .
I picked this picture and information up from social media. I thought the first CaseIH branded tractors hit the market in 1986. I had a IH model 584 2wd that I had bought new, but decided I wanted a loader, so I traded it in in a brand new 585 CaseIH with a CaseIH 2200 loader. Tractors looked the same except for the Case grill.( personally I thought the IH grill was much better designed). I soon discovered that the transmission in my new tractor was geared faster than my original, which made it much better for cutting and baling hay.

How about folksvagen buying out the last remnants of the IH truck line (Navistar) and what is now to become of a classic American brand?

 

[caterpillar guy]

I thought that May of 1985 was the last of IH as a stand alone company. Then Tenneco bought them out and merged them with Case, which they had owned for several years before that. Also was under the understanding that the smaller utility tractors stayed as IH made and the bigger field tractors were of the Case design. Thought the 100HP was about the breaking point for the change. I also found it funny how all the IH dealers around here snubbed their noses at a Case like they were better than a Case or treated them like a redheaded step child . then once the merger was done they all wore that Case IH emblem like a new badge of greatness. I still find it so hypocritical of them. And want to laugh at it in their presence.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

I thought that May of 1985 was the last of IH as a stand alone company. Then Tenneco bought them out and merged them with Case, which they had owned for several years before that. Also was under the understanding that the smaller utility tractors stayed as IH made and the bigger field tractors were of the Case design. Thought the 100HP was about the breaking point for the change. I also found it funny how all the IH dealers around here snubbed their noses at a Case like they were better than a Case or treated them like a redheaded step child . then once the merger was done they all wore that Case IH emblem like a new badge of greatness. I still find it so hypocritical of them. And want to laugh at it in their presence.

The tractor in my picture is what CaseIH offered in the 1986 model year, it was the same basic IH 52hp tractor with only a different grill and name badge. The transition in the tractor line really began with the high hp tractors, with the introduction of the Magnum and Maxum tractors. Before that they high hp tractors were a blend of Case and the old David Brown tractors. My IH dealer quickly embraced the new brand name, and sales for them went quite well for the first couple decades, but the equipment line changed in the hay and forage from IH to being NI with CaseIH badge, then to Heston with CaseIH badge and on to NH built equipment with the Case IH badge . Also I understood the franchise agreements changed, and dealers had to buy different contracts to sell different equipment. So there was a contract to sell hay and forage, another for tillage. A different contract to continue to sell combines, one for high ho tractors and another for smaller utility tractors. And to maintain these contracts dealers had to sell a fixed number of units, example 10 combines each year, or 20 tractors over 100ho. Over time we could see dealerships that didn’t offer tillage equipment or combines. Eventually we got to where we are now with fewer dealerships and dealerships merging for stores into one company. It’s been quite a evolution to watch. The one thing that get under my skin is CaseIH fully embraced it’s IH history but attempts to ignore the long history of the J.I.Case company and DB/Case

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

First off it wasn't purchased by "Case," it was purchased by Tenneco, which had previously purchased Case and decided to mash them together.

Second off you can continue the self-flagellation, wailing, moaning, and gnashing of teeth, but I prefer to leave it in the past. Things could have turned out a LOT worse. Everything could be painted Power White and Power Red. They didn't have to include an "I" or an "H" in the branding.

Other than a couple of years of strangely painted tractors, I don't think history would have turned out much different, all else being equal. Anything truly Case was gone by 1989. They continued to build IH designed tractors into the early 2000's.

Frankly the real "winner" is Ford... They're still building those Farmall 100A series tractors.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

First off it wasn't purchased by "Case," it was purchased by Tenneco, which had previously purchased Case and decided to mash them together.

Second off you can continue the self-flagellation, wailing, moaning, and gnashing of teeth, but I prefer to leave it in the past. Things could have turned out a LOT worse. Everything could be painted Power White and Power Red. They didn't have to include an "I" or an "H" in the branding.

Other than a couple of years of strangely painted tractors, I don't think history would have turned out much different, all else being equal. Anything truly Case was gone by 1989. They continued to build IH designed tractors into the early 2000's.

Frankly the real "winner" is Ford... They're still building those Farmall 100A series tractors.

Let me serve you back some of your own. Ford ? Ford ? I don’t see any farm tractors or equipment branded Ford. I see one company CNH , which I understand has last been owned by Fiat, but that could have changed now too. The Ford name plate has completely disappeared and replaced by New Holland. So CNH has two different labels CaseIH and New Holland.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

On November 26 1984 International Harvester was bought up by Case . And the new company CaseIH was born .
I picked this picture and information up from social media. I thought the first CaseIH branded tractors hit the market in 1986. I had a IH model 584 2wd that I had bought new, but decided I wanted a loader, so I traded it in in a brand new 585 CaseIH with a CaseIH 2200 loader. Tractors looked the same except for the Case grill.( personally I thought the IH grill was much better designed). I soon discovered that the transmission in my new tractor was geared faster than my original, which made it much better for cutting and baling hay.

I remember reading about the changeover in the Agriculturist (they were still large format) & my uncle who owned the local IH dealer confirmed that & said IH was no more. My carpet farm got blue tractors after that. CaseIH didn't have my interest again until the new Magnum had been out for a couple years. Still don't have a whole lot of interest in CaseIH.

Mike