4WD Tractors

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I've seen many people refer to the style of tractor pioneered by Steiger as a 4WD. But I'm going to call that style "articulated" and use 4WD for tractors with a rigid frame and four tires of the same size.

Note that most modern tractors are 4WD to handle the higher horsepower, but the front, steerable, tires are still smaller than the rear tires. I thought a second set of tires could not be added to the front tires. But the first picture I looked at from an CaseIH dealer near Poseyville, IN had three tractors with dual steerable wheels. (You can tell farmers are hurting because we will have three bumper crops of corn in a row and the price of corn does not cover production costs. The dealer's inventory is a lot smaller than when I visited in Nov 2014. This row of tractors was down the middle of his front lot, which in a satellite shot has just a few miscellaneous items. His back lot is also much more sparse than when I took pictures of his equipment. One farmer had bought all three of the 380s with the dual front tires in the middle of this picture.)

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The above two pictures are examples of what doesn't qualify for this posting. Below are the only two rigid frame, equal sized tires, that I have found so far.

Steiner Tractor posted

For the Love of Tractors posted
crab steer
[Crab steer means the rear wheels are also steerable.]

Jason Ferfecki posted

Rob Hanson posted
My father has found more projects in one year, than I'll probably be able to finish in a lifetime. Case 1200 added to the list. But sure is fun though!

Big Tractor Power posted
 Here is what you could buy a new Case 1470 4wd for back in 1972. 

Screenshot from Combines Harvesters Threshers shared
1680 & 2470
[According to the comments, the tractor is the 2470. Grain carts have become so big that I have seen a lot of them pulled by big tractors..]

Big Tractor Power posted
J.I. Case built and sold 5,900 of the 219 hp 2670 Traction King 4wd between 1974 and 1979.

Mark Sonnek commented on the above posting
Earning it's keep.

Tyler Romine commented on the above posting

Dean Leonard Borcher posted
Picked up this 1470 brochure today can anybody notice what caught my eye?
Doug Warters What the hell kind of front axle setup is that??
Dean Leonard Borcher I noticed that to it almost made me drive out to the farm to look at mine
Doug Warters Mine is an early one and should have these decals. That axle is definitely different than mine, tho.
Doug Warters The Rockford build tractors had these decals. They changed to the new style when production moved back to Racine.
Matt Keller Is that a 1200 front axle, Doug
Shoot could it be a 1200 with 1470 tin just for a photo shoot
Mike Halliday Is the nose supposed to be that much wider than the hood? I'm starting to think Keller is right.
Charlie Meyer Where's the left front fender?

Matt Lui posted seven photos with the comment "1971 CASE 1470 Traction King DEMONSTRATOR $5,500" and the comment "Looking to sell my 1470. Needs 1 front U Joint. Matched set of 23.1-26 tires. Serial Number 8674313. 3832 Hours". But I can't figure out how to access the last two photos.

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Big Tractor Power posted
[A nice catch of the crab steering. It looks like the rear wheels follow the tracks of the front wheels. From some comments I have seen about articulated tractors, that is considered a good thing.]

Combines Harvesters Threshers added

John Doig posted
Sugar Babe at LaPorte GOTO
Stan Russell Well I'll be darned it does have a Detroit
[I assume this is an Allis Chalmers since it was posted in that group.]

Big Tractor Power posted
The International 4100 was Big Tractor Power back in 1966.;

Reilly Heller posted
My 1968 international 4100 still in use on the family farm.

Big Tractor Power posted
Not the biggest but still fun
My international 4100.

Big Tractor Power posted
Four Wheel Drive Friday: Do any of our Big Tractor Power fans still run an International 4156?
Lewis Geyer 30 years ago our grain elevator used one to move rail cars.

Scot Perry shared IH post

More pictures of an IHC 4156. Machinery Pete is calling them rare. Only 218 of them were made.

A couple of pictures of a 4166 back in '08.

Do I post this here because of the 4166 or in articulated tractors because of the other two models? I put it here because I was surprised to read that independent PTO was optional in such a late model tractor.

Jordan Konkol posted

Andrew Motley posted
1 of 1217 built! Still a few left around tho!

For the Love of Tractors added a new photo
Nelly Stout Were any ever in factory moline colors or were they all red and white and then some repainted?

Screenshot
It struck me that the front wheels of this modern tractor have become almost as big as the rear wheels.

Below is another violation of my "same size tires" rules. But I have never seen a fixed frame four wheel tractor this old. Then I realized the M-M G706 is also four wheel drive.

For the Love of Tractors posted

The engines and steering gear look identical. I just checked, White did not buy Massey-Ferguson. Did both manufactures use the same third party to build the 4WD option? I noticed another M-M 4WD.

For the Love of Tractors posted
How awesome is that Minnie?

Machinery Pete posted
Whoa....1970 Allis Chalmers 220 front-wheel assist, restored, sold $83,500 on collector auction today in Davenport, IA
Neil Langlois Not many of those still around. I think only 100 built in total. Awesome looking rig.Wayne Rossbach Cool, a very nice looking tractor, but those tires were not available in 1970.

Screenshot @ -0:12 (source)
[Chisel plow     Quite a few comments in the share and post that you get the tractor moving first and then drop the tool. Starting it under load is hard on the clutch. Especially when you pick the wrong gear to start with.]

Keir Lilley posted
Here's an old timer pic that I spotted today.
[I don't recognize the "Steyr" brand. I wonder if this is a European brand.  It is also a nice photo of a reversible plow.]

Machinery Pete posted his web page on a few 4WD Fords
Minnesota collector looking to sell this restored 1969 Ford County 754 tractor + restored 1962 Ford County Super 6....sweet tractors. Read about 'em here: www.machinerypete.com/…/pair-of-unique-ford-county-tractors…

Ade Jones posted
Anyone else remember the County Super Six, It certainly had some grunt for its time.
John R. Brabb Mine was an older version, duals in back and singles up front

Jordan Konkol posted

Jordan Konkol posted
Dave Shaw So many moving parts.... I hate dealing with driveline at the Parts counter.Graeme Lehmann Ford County tractors (above pic) had a reputation for having a poor turning circle.Scot Coon But they'd pull a cargo ship.

Jordan Konkol posted
Can anyone give me the correct term for this tractor? Obviously it says Ford 6000 Industrial, but what is this 4wd style called?
[Summarizing the comments: it was a Ford 6000's engine, hood, and grille on a Jay Balmar chassis. It was a skid steer. That means the wheels did not turn, you steered by braking the side you wanted to turn towards. That would be why the wheels are so close together.]

Looking at these two (bad) designs for a 4WD, I appreciate why they bought Versatile, which uses an articulated tractor frame for steering.

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I think it is interesting that they are reinventing the old fashioned 2WD. Not only are they more maneuverable, have better visibility and cheaper; no horsepower is wasted by the front wheel drive. I'm surprised they market this as CaseIH instead of New Holland since Ford tractors were historically the utility or chores tractor around the farm.

CaseIH