Considering a big HP tractor, any recommendations?

I have an M, we are getting my father in laws SMTA soon (cracked transmission housing, that project is going to take a while), and hopefully someday ill get a 450, Super C, and Super A, (everyone has to have dreams you know).

I live on a private road that needs a lot of work so a big HP tractor with a loader and the ability to pull a heavy duty box blade/back blade would be nice, that way I can leave the antique tractors for fun use. We have every variety of the 66 series Internationals on my wifes family farm and her uncle says go with a 1066 but what would you guys recommend? Id like a cab with heat/AC but im not sure what is out there regarding that, they hate cabs down on the farm but said there was one year/series cab that was decent? I understand its personal preference so id love to hear yours. thanks, Anthony

Since you're not farming much if any,you dont need such a big tractor.A 560 will do all you need.A 756,826,865 or the 766 or 966 with a YAR will more than sufficent.A YAR,Hiniker,(Ansel)Ace of Diamonds,or a similar cab will be fine-just noisy.Here is a pic of my 826Hydro/Yar cab.I also have a 706 with the Ace of diamonds cab.I like the Ace cab better.

The cabs were much improved on the 86 and 88 series. Both series were good tractors. A 1086 will be much cheaper than a 5088 but the 88's were real nice tractors.

Here's the 826.The doors havebeen removed for summer work,will returned for winter.Both tractors have heat.

For long lane - road maintenance doing it with a tractor and a box blade or three point blade would not be my idea of a fun time . As i have been there done that . The tops on my list would be a dozer with a 6 way blade or and old small gallion grader . The one farm i rented had a 3/4 mile long lane that was a total mess , we did the tractor with a heavy three point blade thing even made some mods to it and added a trailer wheel on the back for a more road grader affect . Fought that lane for a couple years till i had enough . One weekend i borrowed a friends 750 Deere dozer and went to work on the lane , that sink hole went bye bye as i dug it out so deep and about two hundred feet long and over two blade widths wide and filled it with shale and clay compacted plum removed the banks added ditches down both sides and crowned the road banked the turn added two culverts and catch basins i done made me a BOLEVARD two lanes wide with a high speed banked turn and sand rocked it from top to bottom . Don't care how bad the weather got you could drive back in with a semi and drive out . Before if it was wet ya needed no less then one extra tractor and a long chain to get a load of corn out in a small gravity wagon . Then once a year i would take a Deere 550 with a 6 way blade and dress it . I got all the stone and shale out of the old strip cuts up in back of that farm .

a contractor friend of mine, told me that if you cannot keep a piece of equipment busy about 70% of the time, do not own it; rent it; and when you finish the project, do not let it sit, take it back.

886 with CAH.

In all fairness tractor vet, I think the improvements in your driveway had more to do with all the material you hauled in, than the "green" bulldozer.

When all you have to work with is a mud pit, it doesn't matter what you stir it around with. You still have a mud pit. It wasn't the box blade's fault that the road was in poor condition.

That could easily be maintained with a tractor and a box blade now.

I know I'll make some people mad here, but if a cab is very much of a requirement, a JD with a Sound-Guard cab is the only way to go... [u:9ed479d493]quiet[/u:9ed479d493] and you can see out almost as good as an open station.

Thats exactly what my wifes uncle said. He said IH really screwed up not developing a cab like the one on the JD your talking about. I only want a cab because it would be nice to have heat in the winter (AC is not as important) so I can move snow banks comfortably, other than that I really dont have a need for one.

PSSSSST, don't tell anyone but I think your door is missing.

Anthony I have a Super M transmission/rear end still on weather cracked tires. Even has the brakes. I originally bought it off this site for the tires but scratched that idea after it was delivered. Ol boy who had it threw a rod in the engine. He never got around to replacing it. Been in my barn at least 10 years.

If you happen to need a original transmission housing for the SMTA and a may or june date code will work. Have a bare housing that I saved for years and would sell very reasonable. Almost hauled it to the junk several times but thought better of it. serial # was in the mid 70,000 range.

My vote is the 1066. Lots of em built, lots of part available.

Is it an SMTA or a SM? Is it just the rear end or the entire tractor? where are you located and what you looking to get? I have to clear it with the boss so no promises, shoot me an email with some info, email is open. thanks, anthony

If you want a nice cab, just go up one more model and get a 1086.

Some mentioned the Deere sound guard............I have both and prefer the cab on the IH 86 series to the Deere cab...........more room...just as quiet...and better visibility.

(quoted from post at 17:51:40 10/29/12) If you want a nice cab, just go up one more model and get a 1086.

Some mentioned the Deere sound guard............I have both and prefer the cab on the IH 86 series to the Deere cab...........more room...just as quiet...and better visibility.

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I don't know about that... it's all personal Opinion, but I've drove a friend's 1486 and I grew up in Sound Guard Cab equipped 4430's, and I'd take the 4430 cab any day. I like the window by your feet- lets you see right in front of the rear tires- can't see that in an 86 series cab. Also, IMHO, the Quad Range equipped Deere shifts much better than an 86 series. Biggest downfall I see with a 4430 Vs. 1086 is the Deere Hydraulics suck compared to IH's. With the tractor shut off, the IH 3 point holds the load up- JD will be on the ground in 5 minutes. (or less) I'm an IH guy- but if a 4430 and a 1086 were for sale, and were in the same condition for the same money, I might lean for the Deere. Either way, I won't be buying either anytime soon, my old 806 is serving me just fine. (did I mention I love my 806?) -Andy

The 86 series had a decent cab just not the best for getting in and out.The 66 series cab left a lot to be desired and JD s Sound Guard cabs were much better.If cost is a factor the 86 series bring about the same as 66 and JDs bring 30% more.

The soundguard cab has the joint right in the sight line and you have to step around the dash more than the 86 series cab.

Nice pair of tractors. Probably the best pair possible from the 1979-1980 era.

I find the sound-guard cab about as handy as the 66 series factory cab. Gotta go in either over, or between the wheel, and side of the cab. And whoever designed it had never spent a day in a field with a tractor, there is no place for your knees when you turn around to watch what you're up to.

Then you add in the doorframe and stacks being left of center, I find myself driving down the left side of the road constantly so I can see what's ahead of me. Then add the door opening right onto the manifolds, have fun holding onto that grab bar when it's hot out and you've been working it. Keep a pair of gloves in it.

The 86 series cab/ROPS isn't the handiest for fueling, always found it easiest to stand on the 3 pt lift arms, but it's a lot easier to get in and out of than the sound-guard, at least for me. And I'm not quite sure how one hangs themself by the pants off the shift lever. Never seemed to be a problem around our place. Could be we didn't wear our pants like them guys that are always outrunning the police on "Cops", I dunno.

find yourself an 826 hydro with a factory cab
a little noisy,if it doesn't have a heater just add an after market one they work just find
as long as you have 3 point on it and it says ih you'll have the best draft control ever made.
once you get on to use the draft control,very very touchy,when trying to get them set for leveling a driveway,it'll look like you have a roadgrader hidden somewhere,and add a lundell single stage snowblower to it,you'll never get snowed in