Tractor with lowest reverse speed?

[chas036]

I am looking for a older tractor (50's or 60's vintage) that has a very low reverse speed like 2 mph or less that I can use to run a 3 pnt snowblower. My JD 620 and 730 are just to fast in reverse to use a snowblower.

 

[Stroby]

Get something with a hydrostatic transmission. Used on for just that purpose for several years.

 

[Steve in IL]

Staying with your time era, I am thinking something like an 861 Ford, with a relatively common aftermarket Sherman (or other brands) reducing auxiliary transmission. There might be other tractor manufacturers that could be fitted with similar solutions. But for a snow blower, you will not only want slow speeds, but also a two stage clutch, or better yet, an independent PTO, right?

 

[544hydro]

IH hydro will do the trick.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 16:48:33 11/02/22) I am looking for a older tractor (50's or 60's vintage) that has a very low reverse speed like 2 mph or less that I can use to run a 3 pnt snowblower. My JD 620 and 730 are just to fast in reverse to use a snowblower.

've seen Olivers with two reverses where the R1 was pretty slow.

 

[old]

Problem is the Sherman also slows down the PTO so not likely to work well with PTO driven equipment. Plus the Sherman does not work with the Ford 5 speed transmission it only work with the 4 speeds

 

[Cash4Toys]

Been there, done that. Had a 720D on a snowblower, but it just beat the heck out of it. Once rpm came down it just puonded the blower drive line. Then I tried a 830 Case with COM, and that doesn't exactly work all that well either. Was supposed to keep PTO speeds up but match ground speed or wheel torque, but on snow or ice it would just spin. Oliver 1755 was up to bat next, did an awesome job, geared under 2mph in R1-U, like 1.5 mph. Hydro is probably the best solution, but, probably not so many around.

 

[rusty6]

(quoted from post at 10:48:33 11/02/22) I am looking for a older tractor (50's or 60's vintage) that has a very low reverse speed like 2 mph or less that I can use to run a 3 pnt snowblower. My JD 620 and 730 are just to fast in reverse to use a snowblower.

My Cockshutt 40 has one very slow reverse and live pto which was great for the job. The Super 90 Massey is even slower but the pto does not work due to a well worn steering/pto pump.

 

[Steve in IL]

Good point. Then how about the first of the 3 cylinder 4000s? Pretty slow in R1 (2.3 mph), and independent PTO.

 

[TimWafer]

I use my Farmall 656 Hydro for just that. Slow as you want to go.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Tractors of the 1950's and 1960's were not known for slow reverse gears generally speaking.

Hydros barely meet your criteria, as the 656 Hydro was first introduced in 1967. Most hydros will be from the 1970's.

I suspect your criteria of 50's and 60's is an attempt to keep the cost down. Right now the IH Hydrostatic tractors are relatively hot as collector tractors, so they're not going to meet your criteria of low cost.

Your best chance at a hydro would be a gas hydro that's been used but not abused, but even those are bringing premium prices. Back when people bought them to use, gas hydros were dogs on the market. Perfect for occasional use as a snowblower tractor.

Live PTO and a strong left leg are going to be the name of the game. A trick my grandfather used running the snowblower with an IH 806 was to run a single tire chain. The unchained tire would spin on the packed snow if the blower met resistance, and could be advanced into the snowbank by tapping the brake on the unchained wheel to cause the chained wheel to turn.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Oliver/Fiat 1365 55HP very slow reverse in low range

 

[495man]

MF utilities 35 135 etc low range reverse is slow.

 

[TractorDad3]

Oliver super 55s and Oliver 550s

 

[jon f mn]

Any Case with Case-o-matic will fit perfectly as the com will keep the engine in its power band regardless of pto load. 500/600 or 530/630 would be excellent. The larger 800, 7/830 will give more weight and power. The 800 and eagle hitch 7/830 wil require some minor modifications to the blower to make the higher 3rd arm location work, but that's not hard to do. The later 7/830 comfort King has standard 3 poi t hitch and works fine. The large frame models in Diesel are more difficult to start, but can be started if you have them set up well with tak heater, good batteries and cables.

 

[NY 986]

May not be the slowest but a 3020 Power Shift gas with 13.6 X 38 tires might fill the bill in terms of cost. Worn tires but having chains will help with ground travel speed. The 3010 gas catches a lot of heck here but there must be a way to make them go as I see them around here. Either way buy one that you can see run and drive it. No matter what you consider at a minimum I believe you will spend 4-5 thousand dollars. If you have basic engineering and fabricating skills you may be able to adapt something to hang on the front of your tractors thus eliminating your speed problem. Guys have posted here in terms of making front mount units.

 

[DIM]

I had a 880 Oliver with a 7 foot snow blower. I liked it had four speeds in reverse. I could pick a speed to match the snow depth till the snow got too deep then I was pushing snow faster than blower could eat it up.

 

[Bruce from Can.]

I think you should go modern, and get something from the late 60s-early 70s. A 1972 IH Hydro is now 50 years old. Most folks recognize a 50 year old tractor as an antique these days. I had a IH 584 with a hi-low-or reverse shifter and 4 gears on each. Lowest gear reverse was very good for snowblower

 

[sotxbill]

a... 5640/6640/76040 SL models will have the 12 sp forwards and 12 sp reverse. Its a 4 speed with a creeper range, low range and high range. So yes its very very slow in creeper range with 4 speeds to pick from... fwds and rev. with a shuttle.

 

[DeltaRed]

As others have said,an IH Hydro is as good as it gets.

 

[oldwrencher]

slow speed for a snow blower? Find a White 2-62 or 2-65 which is an iseki. If it will crank it will start and will go slow enough you have to drive a stake to tell it's moving.

 

[Duner Wi]

IH 504 utility with 28 inch rear rubber I think fits your bill.

 

[chas036]

(quoted from post at 22:23:56 11/02/22) If you have basic engineering and fabricating skills you may be able to adapt something to hang on the front of your tractors thus eliminating your speed problem. Guys have posted here in terms of making front mount units.

I would consider a constructiing a front mount option, but how would I transfer the PTO to the front?? I have a JD 730 gas that has a real slow first gear and it has a wide front, and i could construct a front mount that would use the 3 pnt and pullys to lift and lower it. But how would I hook up the pto?

 

[wore out]

But how would I hook up the pto?

I have an Erskine FM960 just like the one in the photos above (currently NOT mounted on a tractor).

They use a chain ''dropbox'' for the PTO.

Some other brands use a dropbox with gears.

 

[Northvale PA]

4020 powershift. After the first pass in low reverse, I can run in 3 or 4th reverse to clean things up.

 

[Dieseltech]

Here's what I play with in the snow, a Powershift 4630.

 

[Rich'sToys]

My brother uses an IH 826 gas hydro.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 16:24:24 11/02/22) As others have said,an IH Hydro is as good as it gets.

It is, if money is no object. You're fighting with the "collectors" these days even for gas hydros.

If money is no object, just go buy a new hydrostatic compact with a front mounted snowblower. You can move an incredible amount of snow with a surprisingly small tractor.

The most budget-friendly suggestion I've seen here is the CaseOMatic. Everybody's afraid of them.

 

[NY 986]

The OP has posted about tractors here many times and his ceiling in terms of budget appears to be 4-5 thousand dollars. That
takes about 90 percent of the suggestions here off of the table. And the ones that meet his criteria are not just laying around
all over to be bought on a day's notice. Unless something has radically changed in terms of budget that he will allow I think he
will look to adapt or find a snowblower to put on the front of what he has for tractors.

 

[mrslesq]

I'll bet you check the wind direction before starting to blow snow!

 

[rrlund]

I'm late to the game, but any Oliver with Hydra Power or Over/Under. R1 underdrive is pretty slow. As TF said, a 1355 of 1365 is painfully slow in low reverse too.

 

[steel]

Bought pretty much as a snow machine for the IH 80 blower.

 

[Northvale PA]

Comes out of the north and blows sideways across the drive lane, which drifts in badly. That hydraulic aim is nice. But a cab would be tops. Some day....