Worst Case Tractor Ever

[KL in Wi]

We had a 500 six cyl, a 300 round nose a 930 ck and a 430. All bought used except the 430, bought that one was bought new. All were excellent tractors except the 430. that was the worst tractor ever built. After 13 years we finally got rid of it with only 631 hours on it. Everybody refused to run it.

 

[Don Rudolph]

I had 2 Case 830 COM, I liked them. I had a 2010 JD gas. It wasn't the best loader tractor. I think the Diesel engine was the problem, not used in anything else. The gas engine was always needing some tuning but the rest of the tractor was no problem. I went to a 2020 next, then a 2030 for loader tractor. We used a loader tractor a lot, and pulled a sprayer with harrows for Avadex on wheat. Unload flex harrows off wagon, set side by side and attach to wheel booms. Tractor pulled wagon, sprayer hooked behind, wheel booms trailing behind, down the road. I never liked the 2010 transmission, even on 10, 20, 30 series JD's. I would much rather the 2 stick German transmissions. I had a 1010, it was different all together. Never had a problem with it. It had a 3pt. fork lift on it, toting filbert boxes. Seemed built more like a JD 40 I had for running grain augers.

I didn't mind the chicken roost steering, gave a lot help to make steering easier. Grew up on a DC with a wide front way out there. A DC 4 die seem to steer OK though, turned much shorter. I had a 300. Dad had a 400. I got a 430, loved that little tractor almost as much as the 300. Had 2 830's, a 770 and a 870.

Dad was all IH but when he wanted a diesel, he knew he did not want an IH. He had a TD-9 and it was a mess to keep running, many cracked heads. He bought a slightly used 400 Case with a Case trip loader, traded a Farmall M with an old pipe loader. We had a great Case dealer+ they sold Oliver and Gehl forage equipment, Bear-cat hammermills and flail choppers. Dad stayed with case, 00 series to 30 series until he bought an IH 706 used. His last tractor was a Farmall 1256. He did not want a 70 series powershift. I liked the 2 range 8 speed Case transmissions but would have been nice to have 1 gear up or down, without clutching, but it was best they didn't make one. I never got the need for so many gears, I sized the machine to the tractor but a high low to split a gear in the tough spot or at end of row was really nice. Like Massey and IH had. But never liked the TA on the bigger tractors. I did have a 504 with the old TA, worked nice with a loader for a faster reverse. I just took that all the way to the JD 8 speed power shift, Never liked the 15 speed. Guys were always trying to shift up one more gear, but just wouldn't quite pull it. Gears were just closer together for more shifting, up and down. One gear was enough with the 8 speed most of the time but needed 2-3 on a 15 speed. 8 speed I just ran right there in 5th, perfect for speed and the equipment of the time, but could shift down without clutching....James

Could I ask you the name and location of the Case/Oliver dealer? Thanks!

 

[jwal10]

Could I ask you the name and location of the Case/Oliver dealer? Thanks!

Harrold & Jensen, Albany Oregon

https://www.albanyoregon.gov/images/stories/history/city-directories/1958.pdf

 

[Don Rudolph]

Harrold & Jensen, Albany Oregon

https://www.albanyoregon.gov/images/stories/history/city-directories/1958.pdf

Thank you very much! They must have been movers and shakers back then.

 

[olgentdc]

I’ve always kind of figured this is why they let the Germans build the later little ones after they bought the factory over there. Good primo stuff was made in Waterloo and always has been. Some of the other places had their share of struggles and interesting ideas. About the time they got the engines right in the little ones they changed the transmissions and had the ones that roll away if not left in the right gear and crack transmission lines like eggs.

Crab steer case would be the modern one nobody liked I think my grandpa had a case sc that was a great tractor my uncle still has it. Would be the one that replaced the earlier lemon like they said I always wondered how they kept from snagging stuff with the front steering sticking out like that but I suppose you get used to it

Those steering arms never came close to hooking anything , I drove DC and SC Case since i was 11 ( actually was just 4 on a SC pikinup hay ) hauling , manure, raking , discing and even logging ,, Never had trouble with steering ,,,. But OHHH ! , For a while here i had a Hand clutch DC and SC That i used quite a bit and I hated that right handed clutch on a SC ,,. I was used to grabbing the left Hand DC clutch ,,. WHY in the world Case built them that way is just plumb rediculous !

 

[J Hamilton]

Those steering arms never came close to hooking anything , I drove DC and SC Case since i was 11 ( actually was just 4 on a SC pikinup hay ) hauling , manure, raking , discing and even logging ,, Never had trouble with steering ,,,. But OHHH ! , For a while here i had a Hand clutch DC and SC That i used quite a bit and I hated that right handed clutch on a SC ,,. I was used to grabbing the left Hand DC clutch ,,. WHY in the world Case built them that way is just plumb rediculous !

It gets really confusing for a while when you get off a hand clutch SC that you push forward to engage to an L or C that you pull back to engage and their clutch levers are on the right too!

 

[chcase]

My idea of the poorest Case was the "DC" and the "CC" models hand clutch models. The "C " series was next because of the way the clutch handle worked, backwards from the "DC". More important . it was on the right side while the "D" series were on the left side.
The "CC" was pulled back to engage. The "DC" clutch handle was pushed forward to engage.
The "SC" was another screw up of its own, being on the right while the "D" was on the left side.
Dad had a "CC" and two "DC s at the same time for a few years. Thankfully no one got hurt with those hand clutch s, as messed up as the were.
Also, we bought a new, early model30 baler with the two cyl. engine. We took delivery in Dec, a few
months latter a company service man showed up with a bunch of new parts to put on it. Believe it or not , he came back for the second time with more parts to put on it!
When it came time to bale hay , we took it to the field and the dealers 'top' baler man was there to start it.The first time the needlwent inthey both came out busted.! That baler was not made like the old DC s as they were bullit proof.

There was kits to have the clutch handle put on left or right side of the DC or SC tractors