white 2-135 engine

[gary in neb.]

looking at a white 2-135 red stripe on hood thats on an upcoming autcion close to me. has 6500 hours on it but also says motor is a cummins with about 3500 hrs on it. i thought White used Perkins engines? i think it said it"s a 5.9L engine. dont know alot about White tractors but can"t afford the green ones or red ones and the couple guys i know that have them like them. anything to watch out for??

 

[IanC]

2-135 and 2-155 all had Hercules DT5000. Putting in a Cummins 6B 5.9L would make it a poor mans Workhorse 100. The 5.9 will have the HORSEPOWER of the Hercules but not the torque backup.

 

[gary in neb.]

so how would it compare to my 4020? basically i would use it to plow a small 20 acre patch and bale round bales, and maybe run a 10ft disc mower.

 

[rrlund]

The 4020 compares to the 2-85 or a 2-105 on the Deere's best day. Those two had the 354 Perkins. Physically the 2-135 feels twice the size of a 4020. Agile for its size. Here's mine.

 

[gary in neb.]

nice looking tractor. pretty much looks like what i'm looking at on upcoming sale. did find another one, i think it has original motor and about 7500 hours on it for 10k and not too far away, but have had some tell me thats to many hours on the hercules engine. i'm not a white tractor man so i dont know, but looks like i'm gonna get to know cause i like the look and style and green is twice as high...

 

[rrlund]

This one has about 10,100 hours on it. I overhauled it three years ago I think it was. Not all that bad to work on. I bought the parts from Maibach. Pistons,sleeves,rod bearings,main bearings and gaskets,with shipping set me back less than $1900. That's with the original 478 Hercules. This one's the Series 3. There was a Series 2 also and they were a red stripe,but they were pretty much the same as the gray stripes. The only difference was that the gray stripes were built when White Motors owned the company and the first red stripes were built after Texas Instruments bought them out. The Series 3 tractors had some improvements,mostly the cab.

I traded a 4040 Deere for this one,even money. No regrets. The White has been a lot less trouble.

 

[jordan hackman]

we have an oliver 2150, white 2-135, 2-155. all of them have the hercules diesel engine, this motor was originally used for construction equipment. anyway they are strong tough motors that sadly like to suck fuel. now who ever modified it should have put the 8.3 instead of the 5.9 cummins. still based on what you have stated to use it on it should be fine. our 2150 has been pulling a 26ft disc for 20yrs, the 135 pulls the 12 row planter and the 155 is the new guy to the family. i can"t think of any real look for items on a 135 but i would make sure the hydraulics work because pto, brakes, steering, etc. all use them.

 

[Neil Grant]

I have always thought the Cockshutt's, Olivers, and Whites with the Hercules were their respective companies finest work. There is a 2050 or 2150 Oliver that runs a sawmill at Athens Ontario every year at Farmesville. I could listen to it for a long time. Sound absolutely great!

 

[davpal]

That picture brings back some memories. I spent a lot of hours in a 2-155 pulling a 30 foot White 272 disk. Pulled it very well. Those tractors with the herc motor are so smooth running and have a ton of power. Cabs are nice and quiet and they steer really nice. Lot smoother and quieter running than the White 4x4 articulated clunky tractors. Pull about the same as the 4x4 until it gets greasy and then the 4x4 has a huge advantage.

 

[Brendon Warren]

I've been to Athens with my dad a few times. It was a good time.

 

[rrlund]

I've got to tell you,that 4x4 of yours is one of the nicest looking old Whites I've ever seen,I'll say that for it. Those big singles on it make it look sharp!

 

[mikefromcny]

If anyone else is looking to reposer, The same hercules D5000 was used in military trucks like the deuce and a half. My neighbor has a 135 and a 155, they will be getting new engines in a month or 2.

 

[Dieseltech]

The military engines had heavier crankshafts too. Neighbor replaced his broken 2-135 crank with a military one out of a salvaged army 6x6. Memphis Equipment in Tennessee is a good place for engine parts too for the White engine, as Continental/ Hercules fit also.

 

[bp4455]

a good running 5.9 should smoke a 4020 easily

 

[Alan K]

Just to add...Check the steering if possible, especially down the road. I dont know if the later ones were updated but my cousins 1978 2-135 wanders traveling down the road. Also I believe if some of the earlier 2-135s were painted or re-decaled they used red stripes on them to update them. Might be something to check as well to make sure it is a true red stripe. I think the later ones were usually Series III.

 

[770puller]

We've got a series 3 2-135 with 8000 hrs owned by white Oliver dealer who farmed also they had it apart before we bought it. Can't go wrong with one they are a work horse I've recently bought a 5488 oh it's got more power but the old white will runn right along with it and handle the rough terrain better

 

[davpal]

Thanks rrlund. I figured it was a good combo with the super singles. Didn't figure it needed duals with only 150 hp. The single tires seem to have just the right amount of grip and slip to protect the driveline. It really works very well in the field. Runs and drives nice and turns on a dime. She is old and clunky though and could use a paint job again. I always wanted to get it all painted up and take it to the Oakley tractor show. Never been one over there yet. Maybe someday I will.

 

[Donald Lehman]

BP4455 and IanC's answer on the 5.9 should pretty well sum it up as far as the motor goes. Our 4020 weighed in at 10,020 lb. with a set of rear wheel weights and 1 front weight with the tires loaded. Tractordata lists the 135 as weighing a minimum of 14,000 pounds dry weight. That's a whole lot more tractor traction-wise. The White would have a better gear selection than the 4020 also. My 1955 4wd weighs just shy of 17,000 lb., so a 5.9 powered 135 with loaded tires should have a similiar HP to weight ratio and that's not too shabby. Other than possibly manuverability, the 135 would be superior to the performance of the 4020. If I could only own two tractors, I would be quite happy with a 4020 and a 5.9 powered 2-135.

 

[rrlund]

Wish you would. That thing's a beauty.