Garden Tractor Forums banner

Case/Ingersoll

12K views 39 replies 10 participants last post by  mjodrey 
G
#1 · (Edited)
Well I know nothing about these tractors except they seem very well built and unique, Hopefully we can get some Case guys over here soon, that can give me some tips on how to restore them and some of the different attachments that were made
 
#2 ·
Have you got a Case/Ingersoll tractor ?I know where there is one,I can't remember the model but I think it is a 222 if there is such a model.It is not for sale but I am keeping my eye on it.It never moves,just sits there.
 
#3 ·
I have been around case gt's my whole life, but am not a expert on them. Dad has 1977 case 444 he bought new. Grandma still has grandpa's 444 as well.

I might be able to help some.

Dad converted his 444 to a 18 hp vertical shaft motor, he can't use the mower deck, but it used as utility tractor for blading, and tilling.
 
G
#4 ·
Chuck_050382 said:
I have been around case gt's my whole life, but am not a expert on them. Dad has 1977 case 444 he bought new. Grandma still has grandpa's 444 as well.

I might be able to help some.

Dad converted his 444 to a 18 hp vertical shaft motor, he can't use the mower deck, but it used as utility tractor for blading, and tilling.
WOW, I sure wish you would tell us how he converted the 444 to a vertical shaft. I mean a hydraulic pump is run right off the engine and goes back to run a hydraulic powered rear transaxle, did he can the rear end? interesting, but for the life of me I don't know why. It must have been pretty tough of a job is all I can say.
 
#5 ·
All he did was make a new set of motor mounts and hung the pump off the bottom, it wasn't a difficult conversion. The k321 was shot and he had the 18hp vertical briggs laying around. He could put the whole driveline back to stock very easily.

I'll see if I can get some pictures of the conversion some time when I am over there.

This is a old one I have on hand.
 
#8 ·
restoring a very nice ingersoll 4018 tractor. The onan engine is running great but i am having a hard time troubleshooting the hydradrive. I have the parts list but i could really use a service manual. Does any one have a troubleshooting guide then could send out? Any help make a friend for life. thanks greg
 
#9 ·
greged said:
restoring a very nice ingersoll 4018 tractor. The onan engine is running great but i am having a hard time troubleshooting the hydradrive. I have the parts list but i could really use a service manual. Does any one have a troubleshooting guide then could send out? Any help make a friend for life. thanks greg
If you are using straight hydraulic fluid, it will not operate right. Best thing to use is Shell Rotella 15w40 motor oil. Trust me on this. Straight hydraulic oil will cause surging & bucking. It foams & causes cavitation in the pump. If you have hydraulic oil in it, dump it all out, then sacrifice a quart of motor oil to run through & flush the system. Plug the return inlet on reservoir, put return line into a bucket. Put the quart in the reservoir, then start engine to flush the motor oil into bucket.
 
#11 ·
[restoring a very nice ingersoll 4018 tractor. The onan engine is running great but i am having a hard time troubleshooting the hydradrive. I have the parts list but i could really use a service manual. Does any one have a troubleshooting guide then could send out? Any help make a friend for life. thanks greg]

Greg- I believe I have a troubleshooting manual somewhere. I will look for it. In the meantime, please describe the tractor's symptoms. Olcowhand is correct when he says that many times the fluid used is the culprit. I hope this is the issue.
Once you describe the symptoms Hydrive will magically appear and diagnose the problem, and will guide you through the repair. He is more valuable on these matters than any troubleshooting manual. It is likely that he will have a solution to the problem before I can even find the manual.
 
#12 ·
Also-Greg when starting a new discussion it is nice to start a new thread. You could have titled it: Hydraulic Issue. Please don't think that this is negative in anyway, since I am glad to see a new post in this section no matter how it gets posted. So if you have questions about your 4018 ask away. If you have questions about this Forum, the Moderators here are great guys who will help with any issue.
If you have a picture of the 4018 please post it.
 
#13 ·
:wave::wave::D This will obviously sound arrogant and I've been accused of that many times in the past. :laughingteeth::laughingteeth::laughingteeth::laughingteeth:

My apparent arrogance should just be overlooked. :rolleyes::rofl2:

What matters most is whether you get the information you need. :smile1:

I am a "Case guy" and I am "here". It's the lack of Colt, Case and Ingersoll owner/members that is the problem.

I can't answer questions that don't exist.
 
#14 ·
hooligan said:
WOW, I sure wish you would tell us how he converted the 444 to a vertical shaft. I mean a hydraulic pump is run right off the engine and goes back to run a hydraulic powered rear transaxle, did he can the rear end? interesting, but for the life of me I don't know why. It must have been pretty tough of a job is all I can say.
Yes, there is a 222 model. And if you actually want that one, then motivate yourself enough to walk up to the door and ask them if they are looking for someone to take it away because you drive by all the time and see it sitting in the same spot.

You'd be surprised at how many tractors have been obtained for free by just asking.

Of course, the downside for you, my friend, is that once you discover the virtues of the Case machinery, you just may end up selling off those Bolens units you have.
 
#15 ·
Chuck_050382 said:
It brought the tractor back to a useable state. It is used to push snow and rock, to till, and to pull the lawn sweeper and trailer.
Let me put it this way.

Between the two scenarios of having your father send that Case to the scrap yard or having him do what he did to make it "useable", I'll take the latter choice. I don't agree with what he did but it was his tractor. As you said, it is still restorable but this is not a "neat conversion" in any sense of the phrase. Installing a vertical shaft engine means you lose the ability to power belt-driven attachments such as mowing decks and snow blowers....both of which are the #1 and #2 purposes that LT's and GT's are purchased for.

Obviously, Dad took that fact into consideration at the time and decided it did not matter and of course, it was his right to do so. The good part is that Dad's conversion can be reversed but the value his old tractor will bring in its current state is very small. If I saw that and it was close by to me, the max I'd pay is $100.00.
 
#16 ·
hydriv said:
Let me put it this way.

Between the two scenarios of having your father send that Case to the scrap yard or having him do what he did to make it "useable", I'll take the latter choice. I don't agree with what he did but it was his tractor. As you said, it is still restorable but this is not a "neat conversion" in any sense of the phrase. Installing a vertical shaft engine means you lose the ability to power belt-driven attachments such as mowing decks and snow blowers....both of which are the #1 and #2 purposes that LT's and GT's are purchased for.

Obviously, Dad took that fact into consideration at the time and decided it did not matter and of course, it was his right to do so. The good part is that Dad's conversion can be reversed but the value his old tractor will bring in its current state is very small. If I saw that and it was close by to me, the max I'd pay is $100.00.
future sales was never taken into concideration. Dad will never sell it. he had no plans of ever buying a snow blower for it and has other equipment to mow with. it was more important to beable to use it with its blade and tiller.
 
#17 ·
Chuck_050382 said:
future sales was never taken into concideration. Dad will never sell it. he had no plans of ever buying a snow blower for it and has other equipment to mow with. it was more important to beable to use it with its blade and tiller.
I'm a firm believer in doing what fits "yourself", and seems your Dad does too Chuck. I don't modify everything I get, but if saving money, or making something work for me how I want it to dictates changing something, then I do it. Why spend a ton of money when you have what it takes to retrofit, when it'll do all the jobs you want it to anyway.
 
#18 ·
Chuck_050382 said:
future sales was never taken into concideration. Dad will never sell it. he had no plans of ever buying a snow blower for it and has other equipment to mow with. it was more important to beable to use it with its blade and tiller.
And there is nothing wrong with that. But in truth, eventually all things do pass from our hands. In the meantime, I'm sure that he is enjoying the qualities that Case tractors bring to their owners.
 
#19 ·
hydriv said:
Yes, there is a 222 model. And if you actually want that one, then motivate yourself enough to walk up to the door and ask them if they are looking for someone to take it away because you drive by all the time and see it sitting in the same spot.

You'd be surprised at how many tractors have been obtained for free by just asking.

Of course, the downside for you, my friend, is that once you discover the virtues of the Case machinery, you just may end up selling off those Bolens units you have.
When it comes to doing that,I can be a little shy sometimes and I really need to get over that.Yes ,I really do want to get a Case,and I have actually found two 446's. One is not for sale even though it just sits,and the other one has a knock in the engine.The one with the knock can be had,but the guy wants too much for it ( $1000 ).People up my way are nuts when it comes to prices . As far as selling my Bolens units,we'll have to see about that.:D
 
#20 ·
There's an old saying that goes like this. "Faint heart never won fair maiden."

Both tractors can likely be had.

The one that sits....... well... I'd start by introducing myself and then ask them how they came by the tractor and when. I'd then ask why it is they no longer use it. From there, I'd ask them why they don't repair it because we both know why they don't use it, now don't we? So, that opens the door to asking the obvious question. "If you aren't going to repair it, then why not sell it to me? It ain't getting any younger sitting there and it ain't gonna fix itself. All that's happening is it's slowly rotting away and the longer it sits there, the less it's worth."

As for the "silly money" 446, that's easy too.

"Since it costs over $1000.00 to properly rebuild the Onan in your tractor, please explain to me why I should pay you $1000.00 for this tractor? If you keep running it with the knock in the motor, sooner or later the knock will turn into a single bang and that bang may turn the engine into a boat anchor."

With most people, it's hard to defeat a common sense approach but I admit that there are those who cannot be swayed from their mindset. All the same, New England is lovely at this time of year. LOL A little road trip with the family and a trailer on the back can result in a USA Case ending up at your home.
 
#22 ·
mjodrey said:
hydriv,
I do like the way you think.
I'm not sure as to the reasons behind you wanting to own a Case.

If you are looking to buy a project tractor to first restore and then "show it", then the 155 you know about would be a good choice. They are very simple to work on, parts are easy to find and the Kohler is one of the cheapest engines to rebuild, should it need it. The 155 also has that "older look" to it and people often find that quite appealing.

If you are seeking a "work tractor", then the best choice is a 444 Case, whether it just says Case or it says Case and Ingersoll or just Ingersoll. If you prefer the Desert Sunset/Power Red paint scheme like I do, then find a 444 that was made in 1971, 72, 73, 74, 75 or 76. All of these have the Snap-Fast attachment system for hooking up decks, blades and blowers. A 444 from 1969 or 1970 does not have Snap Fast, so stay away from it because old attachments are hard to find.

The 444 is a far better choice over the 446. You can rebuild the Kohler for a few hundred but the Onan will cost you a grand. You won't notice the 2 hp difference. Granted, the Onan boxer engines are smooth compared to the pumping action of the one-lung Kohlers but to me, that isn't enough to justify the higher cost of ownership. If you intend on clearing snow or working in the garden with ground engagement tools, then the extra 4 inches of ground clearance makes a 400 series a lot handier than any 200 model. And if you want a 3 pt hitch, then going with a 400 makes that a non-issue because the hitch was not designed to go on a 200.

These tractors are plentiful in Pennsylvania and apparently not very expensive according to Classic Motion on MTF because he lives down that way. Sometimes, you can find an excellent deal in one state and then find someone to bring that package north so that it's within a day's drive both ways for you to retrieve it. Halifax is only a bit over six hours to the Maine border town of Houlton....as an example. It does take some planning but it is possible to set up a meeting at a specified location in a town such as Houlton so you can take possession of the equipment and then bring it back across the border. It will be subject to your HST but not to any import duties. Since you are not in a rush, you have plenty of time to make something like this happen.
 
#23 ·
My reasons for wanting to own a Case are:
1)I don't have one,and would like to add one to my collection.
2)I like their looks,especially the Desert Sunset/Power Red ones.
3)I like how they are built.
4)I may show it a bit,probably won't work it much.
5)Basically I guess,I just want one.
I know these are probably not the best reasons for wanting one,but there they are.
 
#24 ·
To the contrary; those are all very good reasons. Now it comes down to your personal choice of tractor style between the older 100 series and the newer 200/400 models that emulated the styling of the 70 series Case Ag tractors as of 1969. If you can snag that 155 for a fair price and you like that style, then it's a good starting-unit for your collection.
 
#25 · (Edited by Moderator)
I wouldn't mind having one of the older style and one of the newer style.I am partial to the 15" rear wheels,so I would like to have at least one with 15's.I guess to a point ,I'm not in any hurry.

What were the Case Demonstrators?There appears to be one one kijiji in Moncton N.B. ,It doesn't say Demonstrator anywhere on it but Instead of being Desert Sunset and Power Red,it looks to have Power Red wheels, chassis, axles,and the hood and fenders look like they are some sort of gold color .The nose piece on the hood is matt black,and the decals are not the usual ones.
 
#26 ·
Here is a picture of that Case from the kijiji ad.It doesn't really look in the picture like it has been repainted.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top