A few years ago I saw in a Nebraska test book a kit for hooking up 2 tractors front to back, they were fords. Memory can play tricks on ya but I think I remember seeing a similar deal only what I saw was mabey a D-9 and an M. The outfit was running a couple hundred feet off the road and 40 or so years ago. I guess my question would be, does anybody have any information on this? Was there a company that sold kits for different makes? Its just been in the back of my head for years, thought I'd get it out there. thanks.
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Tandems
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Actually a some-what common practice back in the 1950's. By the 1960's tractor hp was getting big enough to make tandems unnecessary. Most of the equipment to create a tandem was "home-made" but a few local welding shops did make enough of them to be considered small "companies". Typically two similar tractors were used so gear speeds/engine rpms could be synchronized, but any make/model tractor within reason could be used. Most big farms back then had 2-3 tractors in the 3-4 bottom size range and by hooking two in tandem You could easily pull a 6-bottom plow with only one "GOOD" operator. Keep in mind gas and diesel fuel was selling for maybe ten to fifteen cents per gallon and a 3-bottom tractor burns about 3 gal/hour, but the operator made $1/hour. The idea was to get the most work done per labor hour.
The drawback was most tandem tractors were twice as long as a single tractor which meant headlands on fields had to be much wider because it took so much more room to turn them around. Most tandems were set up so they could be returned to single operation quickly and easily but some were made "Permanent" which means the front wheels on both tractors were removed and the tractor articlulated to turn. Normally older tractors were used for permanent conversions and only used for fieldwork. The non-permanent setups could be switched back & forth in maybe an hour or two.
County Extension offices back in those days had handbooks for farmers contemplating making tandem tractors. They showed designs for controlling engine throttles and clutches. Designs could have the operator on either the front or rear tractor. Each style had it's good points and bad points. Steering the front or guide tractor was easier when the operator was on the front tractor, the rear tractor just followed along providing power when under load....the clutch disengaged while not pulling. But the operator was stuck between TWO loud tractor engines. Having been on a FARMALL M under load next to another M also pulling hard the noise & rhythem makes the hair stand up on the back of Your neck instantly. An H and an M with similar ground speeds but different engine RPM's is much easier to listen to for hours on end. Implements were easier to watch and control from the rear tractor.
BIG tractors in the 1950's topped out around 60-70 HP. By the late 50's the biggest tractors were maybe 80 HP standard tread tractors. By 1965 You could buy new tractors off-the-lot with 110-120 HP in several different colors. By 1970 HP was in the 150-160 range and in the early 1980's You could get right around 200 HP. Currently the biggest tractors are just over 300 net engine HP. You get into the articulated 4X4's that became common in the early 1960's, like IH's 4100, JD's 8010, right around 200 engine HP, and now days You can get 500-550 engine HP. Some of the short line 4X4 builders have gone even further, like BIG BUD, with a V-16 Detroit diesel around 750 hp, and ROME Mfg., Versatile, Steiger, etc. with several models in the 600 HP range.
The drawback was most tandem tractors were twice as long as a single tractor which meant headlands on fields had to be much wider because it took so much more room to turn them around. Most tandems were set up so they could be returned to single operation quickly and easily but some were made "Permanent" which means the front wheels on both tractors were removed and the tractor articlulated to turn. Normally older tractors were used for permanent conversions and only used for fieldwork. The non-permanent setups could be switched back & forth in maybe an hour or two.
County Extension offices back in those days had handbooks for farmers contemplating making tandem tractors. They showed designs for controlling engine throttles and clutches. Designs could have the operator on either the front or rear tractor. Each style had it's good points and bad points. Steering the front or guide tractor was easier when the operator was on the front tractor, the rear tractor just followed along providing power when under load....the clutch disengaged while not pulling. But the operator was stuck between TWO loud tractor engines. Having been on a FARMALL M under load next to another M also pulling hard the noise & rhythem makes the hair stand up on the back of Your neck instantly. An H and an M with similar ground speeds but different engine RPM's is much easier to listen to for hours on end. Implements were easier to watch and control from the rear tractor.
BIG tractors in the 1950's topped out around 60-70 HP. By the late 50's the biggest tractors were maybe 80 HP standard tread tractors. By 1965 You could buy new tractors off-the-lot with 110-120 HP in several different colors. By 1970 HP was in the 150-160 range and in the early 1980's You could get right around 200 HP. Currently the biggest tractors are just over 300 net engine HP. You get into the articulated 4X4's that became common in the early 1960's, like IH's 4100, JD's 8010, right around 200 engine HP, and now days You can get 500-550 engine HP. Some of the short line 4X4 builders have gone even further, like BIG BUD, with a V-16 Detroit diesel around 750 hp, and ROME Mfg., Versatile, Steiger, etc. with several models in the 600 HP range.
I used to have have a poster of big bud, I think I got at the farm progress show of 76 or 77. U always do a good right up Dennis. Not meaning to nit pick here but wasn't the 4100 a 2 steering axle setup. U set a lever on the right console to steer just the front or both axles the same directions or both axles oposite directions. I don't remember the years but it came before the 4300 or 4500 which were articulated.
Don't forget the 4156.
KRAIG, DAVE - There was also a 4166 and a few 4186's built too. The 4186's looked really weird, the ROPS for the cab was OUTSIDE the cab. They were still building 4186's when I forst started at FARMALL, They had their own little assembly line and eight people assembled about two tractors per day down in the shipping dept. The tractors started life sitting on two Hvy-dty steel saw horses.
That style of tractor was called a "Rigid Frame" tractor since it didn't bend in the middle. Like Kraig's brochure shows they could steer three ways, front only in the conventional method, "4-wheel Steer" with frt & rear wheels steering opposite ways for tighter turns like the picture shows, and "Crab Steer" where all four wheels turn the same amount IN the same direction. I think the 4100 would not "Crab Steer" but I never spent any time running one so I don't know for sure. I may have an Owner's manual in My "Stuff" but it would be really buried. CASE actually used this style of tractor more than anyone, 1200 Traction King, 2470, 2670, 2870, and then there was a 4XXX series after that. Neighbor I worked for doing fieldwork bought a 2470 that I ran quite a bit. And I know it had all three types of steering. There was a lever on the dash that controlled the style of steering and I had a BLAST chiselplowing one fall going across a half mile long field. The lever basically controlled the rear steer, and the steering wheel controlled the frt steer, and You put the rear steer lever into a slot between two control discs so it was moved manually or You could lock it to one or the other discs so it crab steered or 4-wheel steered.
I know going from 90 HP 4020's & 115 HP 4320 to that 220 HP CASE 2470 (It was "Turned up"...a LOT!) I was sure flying across that field in a hurry. It had the BIG 28L-26 tires shown in the 4100 brochure and it rode like a Cadillac across that cornfield. I think the Guy still runs that tractor doing fieldwork in the spring. At least He did 2-3 yrs ago. John Proschel used to post pic's of His 1/4 scale 560 & His Case 2870 here frequently. Seems like I remember He got rid of His a couple yrs ago.
That style of tractor was called a "Rigid Frame" tractor since it didn't bend in the middle. Like Kraig's brochure shows they could steer three ways, front only in the conventional method, "4-wheel Steer" with frt & rear wheels steering opposite ways for tighter turns like the picture shows, and "Crab Steer" where all four wheels turn the same amount IN the same direction. I think the 4100 would not "Crab Steer" but I never spent any time running one so I don't know for sure. I may have an Owner's manual in My "Stuff" but it would be really buried. CASE actually used this style of tractor more than anyone, 1200 Traction King, 2470, 2670, 2870, and then there was a 4XXX series after that. Neighbor I worked for doing fieldwork bought a 2470 that I ran quite a bit. And I know it had all three types of steering. There was a lever on the dash that controlled the style of steering and I had a BLAST chiselplowing one fall going across a half mile long field. The lever basically controlled the rear steer, and the steering wheel controlled the frt steer, and You put the rear steer lever into a slot between two control discs so it was moved manually or You could lock it to one or the other discs so it crab steered or 4-wheel steered.
I know going from 90 HP 4020's & 115 HP 4320 to that 220 HP CASE 2470 (It was "Turned up"...a LOT!) I was sure flying across that field in a hurry. It had the BIG 28L-26 tires shown in the 4100 brochure and it rode like a Cadillac across that cornfield. I think the Guy still runs that tractor doing fieldwork in the spring. At least He did 2-3 yrs ago. John Proschel used to post pic's of His 1/4 scale 560 & His Case 2870 here frequently. Seems like I remember He got rid of His a couple yrs ago.
Here's a few photos that Wyatt C. took of a 4166.
Thanks Kraig. One of the Funniest pic's I've seen over on RPM's site was a picture of one of those pulling a little New Holland small square hay baler.
If I was REAL good with PHOTOSHOP I'd try to put the ZIG-ZAG style grill on the front of one of those pic's so it didn't look so much like a 122 CC and looked like a 125 CC.
If I was REAL good with PHOTOSHOP I'd try to put the ZIG-ZAG style grill on the front of one of those pic's so it didn't look so much like a 122 CC and looked like a 125 CC.
Denny, Art and I have discussed adding in small driving lights like those on the 4100 series. Of course Art would do it to a 1x2 and I would do it to a 1x5. They would be pretty much useless but they would look cool.
snicklas
Well-known member
Just out of curiousity, why were the earlier (4100) yellow and white and the later models the classic red and white?
Hi Guys, I really enjoyed reading about these tractors. We had a 4166 and let me tell you it was a beast. Ours had the chrome straight pipe right out of the turbo. If you spent 10-12 hours a day in that cab you were whipped. We had a radio with head phones which helped alot.
The other wild thing about these tractors was moving them from farm to farm. You would put it in 2 wheel drive & two wheel steer. 4th gear Hi Range at about half throttle was all you wanted to do. It would get to hippity hopping or worse yet almost go into a crab steer mode. Had more than my fair share of close calls (mostly mailboxes). Also our 4166 had the white cab rather than the red one in the picture.
Thanks again guys for sharing your stories, I am mostly a lurker but I read this sight every single day.
Tim
The other wild thing about these tractors was moving them from farm to farm. You would put it in 2 wheel drive & two wheel steer. 4th gear Hi Range at about half throttle was all you wanted to do. It would get to hippity hopping or worse yet almost go into a crab steer mode. Had more than my fair share of close calls (mostly mailboxes). Also our 4166 had the white cab rather than the red one in the picture.
Thanks again guys for sharing your stories, I am mostly a lurker but I read this sight every single day.
Tim
KRAIG - I actually like the idea of those small front lights....just a small LED would be enough. I will admit I think they'd look best on a 125.
SCOTT - IH built the 4300 tractor (not to be confused with the 4366/4386) at their Libertyville, IL Industrial equip. plant from 1960-1963, ONLY 45 total tractors. It used IH's 817 cid 6-cyl. turbo diesel and made 180+ drawbar HP. Too big for most ag operations so they all got sold to construction companies. They were all painted yellow. The 4100 was a down-sized version of that beast, only 429 cid turbo-diesel, and as Kraig's brochure shows, only 116 drwabar HP. The yellow/white paint must have carried over from the 4300. Although Federal yellow was frequently painted @ FARMALL to simplify assembly operations a standard red/white paint scheme allowed 4166 parts to be painted along with everything else. I just checked one of My books and FARMALL didn't build a 4186, the last tractors built in '76 were still called 4166's. But I remember We were still making gears & shafts for them in the spring of '77 to finish off the build schedule. Because after the 4166's were stopped the 686/H86 production went down to that area instead of being built on the main lines.
TIM - I know exactly what Your talking about with tractors starting to bounce when running on the road. I used to haul a LOT of heavy loads of ground feed for the hogs from the feedmill in town 5-6 miles from home with the Super H & auger wagon. On certain roads the auger wagon would start rocking back & forth loading & unloading the tractor drawbar bad enough it would almost bounce the frt wheels off the ground for a second. Only thing You can do is slow down to break the rythem. Son & I still take the Super H and Dad's old '51 M for trips "around the Block", about 2-3 miles whenever We have them both out on nice days.
SCOTT - IH built the 4300 tractor (not to be confused with the 4366/4386) at their Libertyville, IL Industrial equip. plant from 1960-1963, ONLY 45 total tractors. It used IH's 817 cid 6-cyl. turbo diesel and made 180+ drawbar HP. Too big for most ag operations so they all got sold to construction companies. They were all painted yellow. The 4100 was a down-sized version of that beast, only 429 cid turbo-diesel, and as Kraig's brochure shows, only 116 drwabar HP. The yellow/white paint must have carried over from the 4300. Although Federal yellow was frequently painted @ FARMALL to simplify assembly operations a standard red/white paint scheme allowed 4166 parts to be painted along with everything else. I just checked one of My books and FARMALL didn't build a 4186, the last tractors built in '76 were still called 4166's. But I remember We were still making gears & shafts for them in the spring of '77 to finish off the build schedule. Because after the 4166's were stopped the 686/H86 production went down to that area instead of being built on the main lines.
TIM - I know exactly what Your talking about with tractors starting to bounce when running on the road. I used to haul a LOT of heavy loads of ground feed for the hogs from the feedmill in town 5-6 miles from home with the Super H & auger wagon. On certain roads the auger wagon would start rocking back & forth loading & unloading the tractor drawbar bad enough it would almost bounce the frt wheels off the ground for a second. Only thing You can do is slow down to break the rythem. Son & I still take the Super H and Dad's old '51 M for trips "around the Block", about 2-3 miles whenever We have them both out on nice days.
snicklas
Well-known member
Dennis, Thanks for the info. Since you said they switched back to the red and white for standardation, does that have anything to do with the 82 series being red.... or was that "just one of those things"? Don't get me wrong, I like the red (we have one in the family) but I was a shock the first time we went to an IH dealer and there was a showroom full of red garden tractors .....
Here's a photo Ryan Mull took at the 2002 RPRU:
Here's some from the forum archives from past RPRUs.
Here's some from the forum archives from past RPRUs.
snicklas
Well-known member
Kraig, On the pictures you just posted.... what does the whole line say on the left front fender? I can make out "......... .... a Cub Cadet"
I saw this at a local tractor show a few years ago.
Not sure it the owner finished it.
Not sure it the owner finished it.
I think it says "I was a Cub Cadet". Not sure though. Perhaps someone has seen it at a RPRU and will post what it says for sure.
SCOTT - As near as I've been able to find out ALL IHC plants bought their paint at the same source, 2150 red & the current white, 903 I think came from Moline Paint Mfg. in Moline, IL. Made things nice for FARMALL & the E.Moline works but harder on places like LVL, Memphis, etc. Valspar also supplied some paint also but I forget what colors.
The change from yellow/white to red for CC's was more marketing driven I think. Paul Bell would probably have the best info on that.
I also just read a bit more in one of My books. It claims that 4100's were built at Libertyville also, same as 4300's, so that's why they were yellow. I bet the 4156's were built at Libertyville also and when production transferred to FARMALL for the 4166's THAT's when they switched to red!
KRAIG - That 4300 weighs right around 30,000#. Hauling that thing to RPRU every year must get expensive. Next time I see it I'm going to look it over MUCH more closely. Guy that posts a couple times a year over at RPM has three or four of them and knows where a few more are at. All the molds to make tires to fit those things have been retired or scrapped. They're almost all getting to the point of being "Static Displays" at shows to conserve the tires. And Your correct about what the lettering says.
DALE - You got Us back on topic! Nice Tandem. Pair of Super M's should pull a 6 or 7 bottom plow really well back where I grew up. Dad had Me try pulling 4-14's with the Super M-TA for a bit one spring but running in 2nd gear in old corn ground it seemed to be much slower than pulling 3-14's in 3rd. If that back Super M was a Narrow Front end the lower bolster attached with only four bolts so the front wheels could be put back on in minutes, the frame of the tandem unhooks from the front & rear tractor's drawbar, the mechanism to control throttle & clutch unhooked and both tractors could be used single-ly in maybe an hour or less.
The change from yellow/white to red for CC's was more marketing driven I think. Paul Bell would probably have the best info on that.
I also just read a bit more in one of My books. It claims that 4100's were built at Libertyville also, same as 4300's, so that's why they were yellow. I bet the 4156's were built at Libertyville also and when production transferred to FARMALL for the 4166's THAT's when they switched to red!
KRAIG - That 4300 weighs right around 30,000#. Hauling that thing to RPRU every year must get expensive. Next time I see it I'm going to look it over MUCH more closely. Guy that posts a couple times a year over at RPM has three or four of them and knows where a few more are at. All the molds to make tires to fit those things have been retired or scrapped. They're almost all getting to the point of being "Static Displays" at shows to conserve the tires. And Your correct about what the lettering says.
DALE - You got Us back on topic! Nice Tandem. Pair of Super M's should pull a 6 or 7 bottom plow really well back where I grew up. Dad had Me try pulling 4-14's with the Super M-TA for a bit one spring but running in 2nd gear in old corn ground it seemed to be much slower than pulling 3-14's in 3rd. If that back Super M was a Narrow Front end the lower bolster attached with only four bolts so the front wheels could be put back on in minutes, the frame of the tandem unhooks from the front & rear tractor's drawbar, the mechanism to control throttle & clutch unhooked and both tractors could be used single-ly in maybe an hour or less.
Another interesting thing about our 4166 was servicing it! You could shoot a whole day just servicing it. Oil & fuel filter not a big deal but once you started greasing it, you were in for an adventure. between all the u-joints on the drive shafts, all the steering joints(Front & rear- plus it never fails that that one grease fitting is poited the wrong way)The steering knuckles out on the ends of the axles. Then you had the planetaries out on the ends to check & it seemed like you had to move the tractor 4 time to check the four planitaries. But the worst job was something as simple as changing the air filter. On ours it was under the dash on the left side of the cab, I believe there were 8 bolts that you had to take off to get to the outer filter & deal with the inner filter.
The other thing that was funny about that tractor was the AC & heater, in the summer it had two settings freeze or fry! You had to be sure that you kept the drain lines for the evaporator clean or else when you turned on the headlands water would come out of the outlet vents.
I guess I just liked the fact that it was a no frills "go get your work done tractor" Fuel it & run 12 hours, but like I said you were glad when you crawled out of that cab at the end of the day. We pulled a IH 710 7-16 on land plow & a 24 foot Vibra-shank feild cultivator. that was the old girls main job, but dad used to hook the chisel plow on her every once in awhile.
Thats what I like about this forum, people like Dennis that can talk it because he lived it( and others too, the knowledge, the stories & Kraig, the pictures that you have are amazing. It reminds me of being a little kid when the new IH product catalog came thru the mail & dad would keep it right in his magazine rack. Boy to have those catalogs today! Anyway for a lurker, I have rambled on way too long, but as a lurker I can't tell you all how much I enjoy this forum.
KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB>
Tim
The other thing that was funny about that tractor was the AC & heater, in the summer it had two settings freeze or fry! You had to be sure that you kept the drain lines for the evaporator clean or else when you turned on the headlands water would come out of the outlet vents.
I guess I just liked the fact that it was a no frills "go get your work done tractor" Fuel it & run 12 hours, but like I said you were glad when you crawled out of that cab at the end of the day. We pulled a IH 710 7-16 on land plow & a 24 foot Vibra-shank feild cultivator. that was the old girls main job, but dad used to hook the chisel plow on her every once in awhile.
Thats what I like about this forum, people like Dennis that can talk it because he lived it( and others too, the knowledge, the stories & Kraig, the pictures that you have are amazing. It reminds me of being a little kid when the new IH product catalog came thru the mail & dad would keep it right in his magazine rack. Boy to have those catalogs today! Anyway for a lurker, I have rambled on way too long, but as a lurker I can't tell you all how much I enjoy this forum.
KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB>
Tim
