what would you buy?

I'm looking at 2 tractors for chore work. They'd see light/medium use on my farm.

Tractor 1 is a 706 gas, cab, WF, good tires, recent overhaul, 2pt, $3500.

Tractor 2 is a 756 diesel, cab, WF, good tires, 9k hours, 3pt. $6000.

I like the diesel better because its a diesel and it has a 3pt. but am worried that the engine would soon need a rebuild.

Am I better off with the 706?

I was around a couple of 706 tractors when in high school. I liked driving them but they shift hard and use a lot of gas. The 8 speed tranmission does offer a lot of variety for different tasks, depending on what you are doing. I have not been around a 756 but have worked with 886 diesels over 20 years old with 10K hours. At that point they need an overhaul.

If you won't be running the tractor for a long enough period to get the engine fully warmed up, you will be much better off with the 706 gasser. The gasser may not be as efficient as the diesel, but it will still run for a very long time on a tank of fuel with light duty/occasional use. Also, that gasser will be cheaper and less complicated to maintain

We used to have a 706 gas with a fast hitch. It was a big pile of s***! You couldn't keep enough gas in it and the 06 shifting set up is bad to start with. Now we have a 756 with the german diesel in it and it is alot better on fuel and it has an improved shifting pattern. Those german diesels run for along time before rebuild. I've heard 15000 hrs at times and who knows maybe the one you are looking at has been rebuilt once already. If it were me I would spend the extra money for the 756!

Thanks. Is it possible/easy to swap a FH with a 3pt from a donor tractor?

Or, am I better off trying to find some fh-3pt adapters?

The adapters would be easiest and least expensive. I once owned an 856 with the fast hitch. An adapter kit let me do anything that a 3 point tractor would do.

We had a 706 gas on our farm. It was our only big tractor. We plowed with an IH 4 / 16 high clearance in black gumbo soil and I believe it used 7 gallons an hour under those conditions.
We pulled a 4 row IH planter, 24' bat wing disk, 2 DMI Big Little grain wagons, and pretty much everything else we had with it.
We owned it and worked it for 17 years and never had any problems with it.
It was a great tractor IMO, and the fuel use was not that bad as my grandfather was very thrifty, and would have used the 450 or the SM on smaller tasks if there were a considerable difference in fuel usage.

Here is a picture of my Hero, my Grandfather, next to our 706.

If you arent planning on using it much, the 706 is probably the best buy for your $$$. I really wouldnt worry about the hours on the 756, either. Our 806 has 10k hours on it, and, knock on wood, has never been torn into. Always had the routine maintence, etc.

Cool photo. Do you still have the 706 in your family?

The diesel would be a better buy. Even though diesel is more expensive, you use less of it thatn the same size gas tractor. The 706 uses around 4 gallons an hour plowing so it is not very fuel efficient but it starts better in the cold and a little less maintenace.

iowafarmer: A 6 cylinder gas tractor is little more than a parts tractor. They weren't economical 40 years ago and are even less so today.

There was not a lot of R & D went into those IH 6 cylinder gassers. Certainly not the caliber of engine as the old pre 1958 4 cylinder gassers. These 6 cylinder engines were little more than modified truck engines. My bet the 706 is probably closer to rebuild time than the 756. 756 has the iron clad German Diesel, well maintained they'll run 20,000 hours.

(quoted from post at 00:17:44 08/26/08) iowafarmer: A 6 cylinder gas tractor is little more than a parts tractor. They weren't economical 40 years ago and are even less so today.

There was not a lot of R & D went into those IH 6 cylinder gassers. Certainly not the caliber of engine as the old pre 1958 4 cylinder gassers. These 6 cylinder engines were little more than modified truck engines. My bet the 706 is probably closer to rebuild time than the 756. 756 has the iron clad German Diesel, well maintained they'll run 20,000 hours.

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Do you just like to hear yourself talk or do you actually believe what you just posted?
Tell you what, since that 706 is such a piece of useless junk to you and everyone in general, I will go and get it. I wouldn't want any innocent farmers to be injured with it.
I will GLADLY purchase that tractor at that price and make the trip from Florida to get it. Unlike Hugh there, I have actually used a tractor like that and know what its capable of. Heck, I need a new riding lawn mower any way, I just hope that junky old 706 will handle a finish mower without blowing up under the load.

HemiMoparMan: Yes I actually believe and know what I said to be a fact. If your comprehension was up to par, you'd realize that cost of fuel alone turns the gasser into a parts tractor.

I bought new tractors to make money, not to make money for the fuel suppliers or the engine rebuilders.

Okay, I'll bite. How much difference in fuel usage is there under his conditions as stated ,"They'd see light/medium use on my farm".
You must also take into consideration that with the 706 he has $2,500.00 towards fuel from the start.
Also this needs to be figured into the equation: 1) fuel cost difference average $0.30 cents less per gallon for gas than diesel.
2) less oil capacity in the 706 when maintenance is performed, therefore less oil is needed when serviced, 3) extra filters required for diesel fuel system and occasional additives for fuel gelling and algae growth.

So, with this in mind what are the per hour cost of usage for each tractor, once again, in his terms :"They'd see light/medium use on my farm." ??

(quoted from post at 06:31:28 08/26/08)
I bought new tractors to make money, not to make money for the fuel suppliers or the engine rebuilders.

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We are not talking about "NEW" tractors here. We are talking about good condition used tractors, one of which has recently been overhauled, and is nearly half the price.
If we were talking about new tractors, at an equal price, then yes a diesel would be a better investment.
You say you don't want to make money for the fuel suppliers, well thats great but unfortunately, you have to put fuel in them or they don't run for long whether they are gas or diesel. So what it all boils down to is how much less fuel is that diesel going to use.

Here is the test results for the 706 and 756 from Nebraska Tractor tests.

Nebraska Tractor Test 858:

Engine: 263 gasoline

PTO (rated eng speed): 73.82 hp [55.0 kW]

PTO fuel use (rated): 12.86 hh/g [2.5 kWh/l]

Drawbar (max): 66.18 hp [49.4 kW]
Oil capacity: 9 qts

Nebraska Tractor Test 957:

Engine: 291 gas

PTO (rated eng speed): 76.56 hp [57.1 kW]

PTO fuel use (rated): 12.16 hh/g [2.4 kWh/l]

Drawbar (max): 65.67 hp [49.0 kW]

Oil capacity: 9 qts
Battery: 1 (gas/LPG)

Nebraska Tractor Test 955:

Engine: 310 diesel

PTO (rated eng speed): 76.09 hp [56.7 kW]

PTO fuel use (rated): 15.08 hh/g [3.0 kWh/l]

Drawbar (max): 67.46 hp [50.3 kW]

Oil capacity: 12 qts
Battery: 2 (diesel)

Sorry, I don't see the fuel savings in here. Do you?
And there is an extra battery required for the diesel, and an extra gallon of oil required too.

(quoted from post at 10:13:53 08/25/08) I'm looking at 2 tractors for chore work. They'd see light/medium use on my farm.

Tractor 1 is a 706 gas, cab, WF, good tires, recent overhaul, 2pt, $3500.

Tractor 2 is a 756 diesel, cab, WF, good tires, 9k hours, 3pt. $6000.

I like the diesel better because its a diesel and it has a 3pt. but am worried that the engine would soon need a rebuild.

Am I better off with the 706?

Click to expand...

hat kinda shape is the PTO in on both machines? The 2 point vs the 3 point isn't a huge issue in my opinion. The gasser will start easier or should anyways. For the price if all other things are equal it would be hard to turn down the gasser if the diesel has 9000 hours on it.

iowafarmer,

I have both of those tractor so I'll throw in my .02 for a light to medium use chore tractor.

The 706 is, the 756D is not. A 656, 706 or 756 gas would all be ok. 2 or 3 pt is up to you. The problem with the 706 is that when IH upgraded the tractors in the 1960's the farmers mind did not, or IH did a poor job of educating them.

A lot of men went to the dealer needing to buy a 806D but they still had the M on the brain. They bought a new 540 or 550 plow and went to work plowing 900-1000 acres a year with their medium duty 706g tractor.

IMO the 706 is a great support tractor, it can disk, pull wagons, plow snow, grade the driveway, spread poo. The 756 is the opposite, it really shines when pulling a 5 bottom, it likes to snort. But put it on 706 duty (chores) and it gets congested.

I don't know about the 706 being useless junk. But I'd go with the diesel. We had an 826 german diesel and still have a 756 gas. I wish we would have kept the 826 and ditched the gas. If the gasser hasn't had engine work done yet, its more than likey gonna need it soon. I'm not a believer in the fuel specs posted below. Our 756 guzzles the fuel. I don't know exactly how much it uses, but it does only what it has too around the farm. It cannot economically run a hay rake or baler. Too big of a gas engine for small jobs, too small for others. A diesel engine runs better and longer under loads at higher rpms. Thats the nature of the beast. A diesels fuel consumption does not vary as much on workload like a gas engine does. Fuel efficency wasn't the priority in the 60's like it is today.

IH made an indestructable 6 cyl engine. Just look at how massive they are. With proper maintaince they can run up to and over 5000 hrs without overhaul. Thats a lot for a gas engine.

The 56 series shifter is nicer, however it does wear and become a problem too. The factory 3pt is a plus as well. I think if the initial money is an issue, the 706 will work good for you. If its nots, you'll be happier with the diesel in the long run.

Uh OH, my bad

Read to fast didn't see recent OH on 706 gas.

Sorry.

(Think I'd still go with diesel)

HemiMoparMan: I'll be the first to admit, I know very little about 6 cylinder IH gassers, which is exactly all I intend to know. I've talked with dozens of users that bought them new. Poor source of power compared to same size diesel, is the most common comment. I've had more than a few guys tell of putting 6 Imperial gallons per hour through a 263 gasser.

Here is what I do know for fact, our last gas tractor of any size was a Farmall 300 and it sucked back 3 gph on a 9' NH460 haybine. Bought a 560D in 63 and much to our surprise on that same 460 haybine it burnt 1 gph, handled the haybine much better, thus cut 20% more hay per hour. Maybe these things don't count with some of you folks, but if your cracking the hours on it adds up. No, I never bought a 6 cylinder gasser, 300 was experience enough for me. Both my 560 and 656 diesels went roughly 10,000 hours each to first rebuild. There were no spark plugs or points to change, never a timing set. Service was little more than change oils, filters and grease them.

I put 11,000 hours on my 560 in 17 years, 15,000 hours on 656 in 20 years, 1066 crossed the 10,000 mark in 8 years and a 100hp Deere 13,000 hours in 10 years. You tell me how much higher the fuel bill would have been doing that same work with gas? Bear in mind we have always paid 30% more for fuel here in Canada than south of the border. Difference is taxes, but taxes are a fact of life.