Should I think about buying this 656

I hope these pictures work, I have never tried this before.

I looked at this tractor at the dealer's lot Saturday when I went to pick up parts. It is a a IH 656 gasser with an International loader and Year Around cab with heat and air. It was a nasty day and I didn't try it out or hear even hear it run.The salesman didn't know a lot about it, and their only IH mechanic was not there. The salesman told me that it had belonged to "an older gentleman" who was no longer farming, and had traded it against a smaller new tractor. He also said that it had a new clutch installed by the dealer last year, and that it seemed hard to shift, he was of the opinion that it was a clutch/TA adjustment problem. They are asking $3700 for it, it has been sitting there for two months.

It looks well kept, no serious dings or dents, not sitting in a pool of oil or anything like that.

The rear tires are well worn and badly weather checked, but the rims are not badly rusted and they are not leaking chloride. I don't know if the tires are even loaded, but with a loader on the tractor I expect they would be. 15.5x38 tires with one set of rear wheel weights.

The bucket looks like a light duty replacement that is too narrow, doesn't cover the rear wheels, but it is not badly bent, cracked or, welded. The loader frame has no visible cracks, tweaks, or bends, and no nasty pigeon welds holding on an assortment of old truck spring and grader blade "reinforcements", like many other loaders I have seen.

It has a fast hitch, with a real lightweight, category one, three point adapter. There is a frame for a fixed drawbar, but the drawbar itself is not there.

All the glass is in the cab, except for one door that has a piece of plexiglass, which has fallen out. With a tractor this old I wouldn't expect the air-conditioning to work, if it does it's a bonus.

Here are a few questions before I go back to look at it again:

Will the loader be slow using tractor hydraulics?

Will the cab be noisy? Worse than open station?

How much gasoline will it use?

Is this a hydraulic TA, and does it freewheel in low?

What is the lifting capacity of the fast hitch, and does it have down pressure?

Are these tires big enough, or should they be replaced with 16.9x38 or even bigger.

How good are the brakes on this model?

More pix at Link

Where did you say this dealer was again?

Just kidding. If I saw a 656G w/cab and loader for that price. it would be in my yard so fast yer head would spin.

A little more explanation:

On the gas consumption, I am currently using an M to operate a Hesston 1091 moco and to bale 7-800 bales a year. I don't rake or ted with it if I can help it. I have a C, two Super C's and a 330U for the light work. I put something like 400 gallons of gas through the M this summer. How much worse will the 656 be, assuming that with the increased horsepower and weight, plus the TA, I should be able to get over my ground a little faster. The M will bale in fourth gear until the wagon starts filling up and I head uphill, then I have to start shifting down. The M used to handle a Hesston PT 10 in fourth gear in good going, but the 1070 weighs another 900 pounds, and you can really feel it on the hills, both up and down. It is also a bit nervous having no backup tractor for these jobs. I don't do much tillage at all, mostly renovating or improving hay land a few acres at a time. Plow with a Super C and one bottom two way plow, disc and drag with the M.

I always wear ear protection, just wondered if it could be louder than the M with a straight stack

I really need a bucket that will clear outside the rear wheels for pushing snow, even if I have to go careful or change buckets for heavier material. For serious dirt work I have a dozer, or can rent a hoe.

The reason I asked about hitch capacity is that I would like to be able to use it with a 3 pt. mounted winch for skidding firewood. I think it would need to have a solid toplink mount, rather than the bow adapter, otherwise there would be way too much leverage against the fast hitch arms.

I am currently using the 330U for brush-hogging, and not really enjoying it. Doesn't have enough power, and I still need more weight on the front. It's a neat little tractor and I would rather save it for haying.

As far as freewheeling in TA low, I am used to that as I have put in a lot of hours on a Massey 175 with multi-power, same thing different name. That is why I asked about the brakes.

I am kind of thinking of this an interim solution, use it for a year or so, then trade or sell and get a diesel. If it doesn't blow up or get trashed I should at least get some return of my money when I sell.

Loader should be fine. I'd say the bucket is plenty big for dirt. I run a 5 ft bucket on my Hydro 86 and wouldn't want more. I don't think cab nois will bother for loader work but if you run it all day in the field you will want ear plugs. The sound echoing off the glass will fry your brain. Gas is fine for ocasional use on a loader. If you want it for more use you want a diesel, (ask Allan) Yeah, the TA free-wheels in low. Not a problem once you're used to it. No, it don't have down pressure. I'd say the tires are big enough. The brakes should be fine if they have been maintained.

Oh, if you want to keep the cab, I'll buy the fenders. It would look greedy on your part to keep both.