Farmall B-450 and International B-450

If we had been as well informed back then as we are today, fast hitch on big tractors would have hit the trash rather quickly. I always liked the SC, 200, 230 and 240 hitch, plus the single point hitch on the offsets, however a 560 doing heavy drawbar work, fast hitch was a disaster. In only about 3,000 hours my 560 hitch became so loose, it was almost like pulling a forage harvester or baler with a 4' chain. I rebuilt the pivot point holes, but they only lasted one season. In the end I cut the fast hitch up for scrap around 1968, and bought a new M type U drawbar and swinging drawbar. At that point I would have spent the money for that 3 point hitch. And believe me, I knew about Saginaw.

At the time we were selling Farmall B-450's I thought that the B-450 transmission top would probably bolt right up on a 560 but we never tried it. It would have required some piping and other fabrication for the lower lift arms, but I think it would have worked, as the rear end housing, shift forks and gears are basicly the same.

Harold H

Generally speaking the wisdom here on YT would have you believe 560 rear end troubles were the beginning of the end of IH. I ask you how many farmers were affected by 560 rear ends, probably 50,000 at most. Buyers of 30-60 hp tractors were leaving IH in droves over fast hitch. They wanted 3 point hitch as it gave them options when buying equipment. Most of them never returned. I've always been of the belief, lack of 3 point hitch was a far greater cause of the IH down fall. Harry Ferguson had clearly won the hitch war before IH sold their first fast hitch.

And to think IH had a 3 point hitch in production is living proof, management were truly a bunch of duds. Usually one would only expect this boneheaded type of customer service from a govt agency.

Thanks, georgeky.