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Bill: I got on my first tractor seat in 1948 at 6 years of age. That was a W4 my dad bought new in 1942. My job was driving the tractor pulling wagon and loose hay loader. My grandfather had always done that job, but the hired hands on the load were unwilling to tolerate his quick clutch foot. I was put on probation and told if I wanted to keep the job my clutch foot had to be softer than my grandfathers. Since that time I can see very little difference in the performance of a particular tractor. It doesn't matter whether the tractor is gas or diesel. The big difference I do see is the newer engines have no torque. Some of the tractors built in the last 20 years are pure junk alongside most of the tractors built in 50s,60s and 70s. Todays farmer talks about power shift, they sure as H#$% need it. Gone are the days when you could stick an old Farmall in the right gear for the job at 6am and go all day. I was helping a friend, late 90s, had an 886 with the 360 American diesel, also had a new CaseIH with 5.9 Cummins and 3 or 4 power shifts. I operated thr 886 for a few days on a new 16' tandem disk. He thought he would treat me to the new CaseIH. When I got there in morning he had it hooked to disk. At noon he asked (with his chest out a foot) how I liked the new tractor. I said give me back the 886, I might get some disking done. You guys can have the gutless wonder. No dice, I went back to field with CaseIH. In about 1 hour he showed up in his pickup, and said, "Let me show you how to drive this thing." Crowded me into corner of cab and proceeded. I reached over and shifted power shift up, tractor died before he could get his foot on clutch. He said, " what did you do that for." I said, "886 was pulling the disk at 5 mph and never had to use TA, I just shifted this contraption to 5mph, and it died." Well he got really annoyed, out of the tractor, jumped in his 4x4 Chevy diesel and tramped the accelerator hard he burried her right there in the loose soil. Wouldn't even come out in 4x4. I had to hook on with chain and tow him. Next morning I had the 886 back, about mid morning I saw CaseIH service truck pull up to the new tractor. That new CaseIH did not stay on that farm. I can tell you countless other stories. In the past two years I have driven new 125 to 135 hp Deeres, CaseIHs and Ford NH. None of them will hold a candle to my old 1066. In fact I loaned that 1066 to a friend with a new 4630 way back when. 1066 had 8,000 hours on clock at time. When he brought it home he said, " It makes that Damn Deere look sick." Near as I can tell a horsepower aint a horsepower anymore.
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