Don't know what I do't know - FARMALL 706

The rear end is built to handle much more power than the engine can put out.

It has a very simple yet powerful hydraulic system.

You get power steering, power brakes, and most of them have the dual shaft PTO unit, meaning you don"t need to do anything to the tractor to switch between implements that run at 540 RPM and those that run at 1000.

Gas engine starts on any cold Minnesota morning.

The cons are-

Gas engine is thirsty and won"t last if you don"t know how to take care of it (Low-Ash engine oil from your Case-IH dealer and 93 octane gas).

Transmission is no fun to shift if you don"t know what you"re doing.

The shift pattern has High, Low, N, and R in a straight line, meaning you have to take extra time shifting from H to R to avoid grinding through L.

Things to look out for-

Have the TA pressure tested at a Case-IH dealer before you agree to buy. If it dosen"t pass with flying colors, the price is $1000 too high.

If the Park Lock is engaged while the tractor is still moving, teeth will be broken off the reverse driven gear. If you hear any noise in reverse, that"s what happened.

If any of the gears are hard to find, it will need the whole shift linkage rebuilt, at the tune of about $500.

casey

To be honest I think a 706 is a bit large for 9 acre homestead. A midsize utility might be a better choice and good ones can be had for $5000.00.

I would recommend that you learn something about these machines before you rush out and buy one. Make your decision based more on what you need the machine to do and your capability to maintain the machine, not "oooooh pwetty wed twaktor!" I'm not talking about spoon-fed here, I'm talking about picking up a book and having some late-night study sessions. There are plenty of books on Farmalls at your local Barnes & Noble. Learning the history, and the evolution of the tractors will help you decide where in the evolutionary chain you want to be.

A 706 is a fairly substantial machine, probably overkill for 9 acres. A gas model will probably break you on fuel costs alone. There are many high-dollar items on it that could be bad, like the engine, TA, clutch, and several hydraulic subsystems. This is stuff that is even a little much for your average do-it-yourself-tractor-wrench-monkey, because of the size and complexity of the tractor.

Allan

I really do like the 706s. Neighbor had one. One morning he came out to the field and the wide front was gone. Thieves had a concience though and blocked up the front end. It may have been his 1066... My mind is starting to go. Oh did I tell you I found that 39 H? A close friend asked me if I wanted an old H. It belonged to his father. I didn't even know he had it. Talk about between the devil and the deep blue sea!

Go buy your old H before you start your day; you really don't have a choice in this matter, do you?

Allan

All old tractors will cost ya a train load of money.

The good news is that you can completely restore them back to new condition and still be under the price of a new tractor by light years.

Allan

dhermesc - It's gas, 3 point and wide axle.

Nat - When I indicated an old farm building site we're talking 1937 was the last time inhabited. There are scored of trees wider than I am tall, 6' and in need of major clearing. So, I am not working and have purchased a professional 28" blade saw to sever a limb and to take on the 10-12” trunks....As for the 9 acres, 4 are ready for mowing, 5 acres are a thick hedge where I intend to place my next abode.

When talking to those that have hobby farms in the area they all agree on one thing, you need something around 60hp on up to drive a brush hog so it won’t bind, the snow blower, yup we're talking snow up here in this tundra. A ford 8 or 9 will chock (so they say) so get some power. Additionally, as I play lumberjack I'll need to drag those puppies to a clearing for either future cutting or burning (with a permit of course). My city life John Deere 425 with a 5' foot deck and 2 stage snow-blower is what I'd classify as the "pwetty wed twaktor" (good one, I laughed). For the used JD425 I spent 5,800 so I don’t have the relatively to 6K for a big piece of equipment. It's all about cost and your comments are recorded for future reference.

sloroll - done that over the past 4 weeks, they all agree something between my JD 425 and something like the 706 would be a waste of money but I'm all ears to feedback, that's why I posted for candid input. Yes, I agree with going to a local dealer, in this case it would be through one on consignment so I had that very conversation yesterday, what did that mean, the dealer wrings their hands of the purchase after they get their 10%....I may be a bit slow but my city contracts background covers the basics....\

Allan in NE - Before going in the Navy circa '72 I lived in Auburn, I don't remember much snow there and so they keep warning me, 5-6 drifts, so going newer we're talking 15-20K, a tad-bit more than I want to spend.

Nebraska Cowman - Yup, agree with costs, I was hoping someone could say there's what typical failures are for a 706...X, Y, Z and cost associated. Or, now that I have explained what I need it for, perhaps someone will say a JDeere 4020 or something would be better, more parts available and less failures.....Better yet, for that many hours what would be a reasonable price.

For you farmers who have used these in your day-to-day activities, outside working with your hands, I’ve been stuck behind a desk my whole like playing the corporate thing, so I look forward to physically working but the warnings of money put will be heeded.

Go buy your tractor.

Try to buy it as cheaply as possible tho, because be forewarned, it will need an engine, tires, clutch and T/A and the hydraulics will need to be worked over before you are done.

You will easily have $10K in ANY old tractor of that size if you want to get it back into "new" shape. Even so, these red tractors are nothing but pure "bargins" at these prices and the really good news is that because of the way it was designed and built, it will be running and working hard long after you and I are gone.

We've all been where you are. Welcome to our "madness". :>)

Allan

steveormary