WD the good the bad and the indifferent
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=129904
Printed Date: 24 Aug 2025 at 12:08pm
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Topic: WD the good the bad and the indifferent
Posted By: sod breaker
Subject: WD the good the bad and the indifferent
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2016 at 10:12pm
| I am going to look at a couple of WDs in the next week or so. One of them has an old straight arm loader converted to hyd dump with an 8foot blade forks and a dirt bucket. The other has a pipe style loader with just a dirt bucket with a slip on snow bucket but it already has the three point conversion. My question is i want to know everything about a wd. As the title says the good bad and indifferent. Im just looking for something to use on 20 acres. Work the garden, push snow move round bales drag logs etc. So what were their strengths weaknesses and what should i be looking for on a used wd. I should also note that the secound wd claims that its only got 300 hours on an overhaul. |
Replies:
Posted By: dawntreader74
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2016 at 10:28pm
| a wd is a good all around tractor for the jobs you want to do with it'' just fix what you need to an work them. i also farm with some wd's +wd45's |
Posted By: EPALLIS
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2016 at 10:41pm
| WD is very dependable and a great overall tractor for being built over 50 years. The "catapulting" seat was not the most comfortable in the world, however, it got the job done. Besides its really economical horsepower. |
Posted By: VAfarmboy
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2016 at 10:56pm
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Do these WDs have wide or narrow front ends? If you are going to do much loader work like moving round bales you WILL want a wide front end. A narrow front end with a loader is basically a rollover waiting to happen. The pipe style loaders are better than those old straight arm things. A farmer I did some work for as a teen had a pipe style loader on his old narrow front WD45 and I know that tractor had rolled over on its side twice. Fortunately nobody got hurt either time. Not sure how much you are looking to spend but if you could find a 175 or a 185 with a loader they are much better loader tractors than an old WD. |
Posted By: sod breaker
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2016 at 11:44pm
| Both are narrow fronts. But ive tracked down a guy parting out a wide front wd not far away. My dad had a 180 years ago nice tractor plenty of power but if memory serves me it was a gas and you had to own an oil refinery to keep it in the field. So not sure how a 185 relates (if it does). Looking for something cheap for now. Ill buy sonething better later down the road. The 50X0 Allis Chalmers have always interested me for some reason. But like i said thats down the road a ways |
Posted By: corbinstein
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 6:39am
| loaders are hard on the front ends. I love my WD/loader, but the front end is worn. If you can get a char/lynn Power Steering setup, do it. I wish I had one. |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 6:45am
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WDs are nice, but WD45s give you a little more power, which is nice, plus they're not as noisy in the back. They're good tractors overall, but if you're tall they're a little difficult to climb on and off, and the hand clutch bumps your right knee.
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Posted By: Lon(MN)
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 7:12am
| I have heard of an engine overhaul that had leather inserts for crankshaft bearings. If you can get more detail about what was done with the engine that would help. The value in a WD now is rims and tires. Matched tires are the best. The WD has so much more traction with matched tires. Rear rims are about $300.00 a copy. The rest of the tractor can be had from vendors at good prices. I have 7 WDs on the shelf if you need parts or want to look at different parts to see what wears out. Wds sell for about $800.00 for a running tractor. Many for a lot less. |
Posted By: Allis dave
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 7:47am
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I have a WD45, basically the same tractor with more HP. If you're doing much PTO work, just know they don't have a true "live" PTO. They a hand clutch that stops the tractor and keeps the PTO running. It's works good, but takes some getting used to. If you've ran the 180, it's a similar feel, only without the hi-low. For a loader, this era tractors (any color) weren't great for loader work. A wd only has one-oneway hydraulic output, meaning you only have up pressure, and gravity make it fall. You'll be looking at a trip buck, not one you can dig and scrape with. They don't have a 3-point so you'll either need to buy a conversion kit or purchase snap coupler equipment. Neither is hard to find. WOW, I made them sounds terrible... The good is, they are WAY cheaper than what you'll pay for a good modern loader tractor. They are reliable if maintained (what 70 year old tractor doesn't have some wear on it?). Parts are easily available and they are pretty simple to work on. at about 4000 lbs, you're almost 1000lbs heavier than a little Ford which is nice for loggeng ect. With a loader, you'll need to have fluid filled rear tires and maybe some weights too. A 180 is almost the same as a 185. All 185's were diesels, and had about 10-15 HP more than a 180. Other than that, there's not much different. |
Posted By: Gary Burnett
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 7:54am
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With all its faults WD is a whole lot better and more useful tractor than a N Ford,shovel and wheel barrow A or B Deere,SC and DC Case,H or M Farmall. |
Posted By: Sugarmaker
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 8:35pm
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The good: Usually way cheaper than a throw away lawn mower. Will run a 5 foot brush hog. Have the live power hand clutch feature. Handle pretty well with out power steering (No loader) Parts are available. The bad: Rear rims can be rotted out from calcium. rear tires can be junk New rear tires can be expensive. They are not the most ergonomically friendly tractor to operate. The things we don't talk about: Most old ones have leaks from several places your left leg really needs to be about 6 inches longer than the right. shifting around the steering wheel can be difficult. low pressure oil system that just seems to keep working. A awesome sounding engine! Electrical systems that typically need redone. Usually many worn or damaged parts that really don't seem to keep the WD tractor from functioning! A great old work horse! ITS orange how bad could it be??? Here are a couple of ours:   Regards, Chris ------------- D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet. |
Posted By: CrestonM
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 8:38pm
Hmmm..... I still think the Ford's 3pt is superior to anyone elses up through the 80s at least. That's their best quality, to me. The sway bars mostly. Super easy to use, no rusty turnbuckles or chains...just a bar on each side.
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Gary Burnett wrote:Posted By: Sugarmaker
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 8:47pm
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Creston has a point! I really like my 53 Jubilee! Just wish it had power steering and a few more horses. The std 3 point Ford system is very good! That's why it's what we have today! A good design is just that! A simple thing is that you can "see" all the three points of attachment. Sounds trivial but I bet it was one of the things that swayed the design. Also all the 3 point attachment features used all simple round pins on the Ford system. We are getting away from the WD topic ,Sorry! Put a after market 3 pt on the WD and go to work! Regards, Chris ------------- D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet. |
Posted By: BradH
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2016 at 10:30pm
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I can't really say anything that hasn't already been said. My WD 45 runs and works when it probably shouldn't considering it's age and previous care. They're cheap and easy to work on, as long as you aren't messing with brakes. My only complaint so far is the one way hydraulics and lack of three point. I don't have any snap coupler attachments yet so I kind of feel like my hands are tied as far as usefullness is concerned. Otherwise they're cheaper than anything with green or red paint so you can't go wrong. Good luck, Brad ------------- Warning! Blind man with a tractor! Head for the hills! |
Posted By: Gary Burnett
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2016 at 2:14am
Putting 3pt on a 8N is like putting lipstick on a pig.  |
Posted By: Orange Tractors
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2016 at 3:07am
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A WD will laugh at most anything you need to do on 20 acres, they were built to be the primary tractor on much larger farms. I used my WD to move a few big bales when my daughter had a horse. It worked, there was plenty of power, just not enough weight to counterbalance it so I spent a lot of time steering with the brakes. My loader wasn't setup to move big bales.
If you are buying all new to you equipment, the WD is very easy to convert to three point when needed. I do like the snap coupler and lift latches, they allow me to hook up most of my stuff without leaving the seat, (I heaved around on a lot of three point stuff as a kid on our 9N and my uncles Massey Ferguson 65). I am not so enamored of it when the snap coupler lets go of the plow, make sure your lift latches work smoothly so you don't get killed. And as mentioned, loaders are hard on narrow front ends. Robert
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Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2016 at 5:26am
| I would say take a quick look to see if there is a d14 d15 or d17 for similar money before you buy. The d serries is alot more operator friendly. That said alot of people have farmed with the wd and wd45 for years they will surely get the job done for you. |
Posted By: Lon(MN)
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2016 at 5:45am
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WD45, four bolt wide front matching good rear tires and rims with a back blade, running tractor sold for $925 last week at auction. Very nice WC with step down trans sold for $700. Would have gone cheaper but I ran it up. I didn't want to bring it home.
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Posted By: Dakota Dave
Date Posted: 13 Oct 2016 at 7:24am
| If you going to be using it with a loader make sure the tires are loaded. Any loader tractor can be tipped over easily if you drive with the loader raised. So always carry the load as low as possible . Adding fluid and increasing the tread width are the two best ways to increase the stability of a loader tractor. A narrow front tractor is more manauverable and will steer easier than a wide front one. A WD is about the cheapest power you can buy. They are so simple that there about as dependable as a stone. Lots of them were made so parts are readily available. The biggest expense in keeping one usable is rims and tires, so look them over lots of rust and deep weather cracking are bad. I have two WD 45s and they are my favorite tractors. They just look good and if you put the seat flip on the seat moves over and back a couple inches making it more comfortable for us large guys. I got mine from Tony's tractors. If you bolt a small piece of diamond plate in the hole forward of the hitch hole it's a lot easier to get on and off. |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2017 at 1:06pm
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Can anyone answer these questions: I have a 1956 WD45 Diesel and just purchased two front end loaders. One has an auxillary pump that fits on the PTO the other loader was attached to another WD45 (gas) that has the pump at the front of the engine. Would the factory hyrdraulic pump on the diesel be sufficient to run the loader or would I need the PTO pump or another auxillary pump?
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Posted By: DougS
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2017 at 1:29pm
| It depends on the size of your cylinders. The '45 hydraulic system is designed for high pressure, low volume. The PTO pump wouldn't be a good choice because the pump would stop every time you pushed the clutch in. |
Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2017 at 2:00pm
| I would suggest the front mounted hydraulic pump. Add a set of remotes on the back at the same time. Most loaders are setup to use the frame to store the oil. You will be much happier with the added hydraulics the built in hydraulics can be made to work but it will really be too slow. I haven't been happy with loaders setup in the hydraulics built into these tractors thw few times I have seen them. |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2017 at 8:56pm
| Thank you both for the feed back. Can you put an auxiliary pump on the Diesel? |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 2:09pm
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Can the WD45 Diesel be mounted with a hydraulic pump on the front. I heard there may not be enough room. Thank you |
Posted By: Dakota Dave
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 2:50pm
| You can always find a way to mount a Hyd Pump. A Hyd pump adaquite for loader operation isn't much bigger than a soup can. you only need enough room to run a bicycle size chain out to a sprocket. you wont have the room to run it directly off the front of the crank like the gas tractors do. your going to have to engineer it your self it wont be a bolt on job. I hope your diesel has power steering or you wont be able to dirve it . |
Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 3:03pm
| I think if there isn't room to run the drive shaft off the front of the crank like a gas I would spend some time looking at the d15 somone just added a hydraulic pump to on here that is belt driven. Their solution was to make mounts and drive it off the alternator or genorator belt. They did a nice job on that conversation with lots of photos. |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 3:51pm
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I really appreciate the responses. I am pretty new to this but am excited about learning. Is the D15 a pump? I am guessing it is a tractor. Thank you |
Posted By: Dan73
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 4:18pm
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Kevin read through this thread the d15 is the tractor he is restoring newer then the 45 but smaller and gas. All that said what he is doing is a good design to copy. http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133380&title=coggonobriens-d15-series-iii" rel="nofollow - http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=133380&title=coggonobriens-d15-series-iii |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 5:24pm
| Thank you very much. |
Posted By: alleyyooper
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 5:59pm
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The WD & WD 45 were built when men were men and not a bunch of whiny sissies wanting a cab heat and air along with power steering. A stock standard WD with a front loader will do a lot on a 20 acre parcel of land, I wouldn't use it to lift round bales but would work to push them around just fine. A 3 point conversation bought or home made would probably work to lift round bales so what. As a skinny 14 year old I didn't have any trouble steering our WF WD with the front loader and a big load of manure. http://smg.photobucket.com/user/oldgrumpy/media/my%20tractors/scan0006.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">  I think a WD is ideal with a front loader to life logs to cut in fire wood chunks and skid wood. Skidded a lot of wood with ours when I was a kid and it ran the buzz saw really well front mounted. Even with out tire chains the WD will plow a lot of snow with or with out a blade too. http://smg.photobucket.com/user/oldgrumpy/media/my%20tractors/CroppedAllisinsnow.jpg.html" rel="nofollow">  You can't expect a 1000.00 tractor to do the same job as the new 30,000.00 tractors.  Al
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Posted By: acd21man
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 8:12pm
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i didnt read many of the post but if you wanna learn something about a wd /wd45 then watch this https://youtu.be/cYH3q9nJ-fc but my link probably wont work so maybe someone will make it work ------------- 2 wd 45,2 D-17 diesel/gas 3 pt, 220,d21, 4020,2 4430s used daily http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCudh8Xz9_rZHhUC3YNozupw |
Posted By: KevinB
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2017 at 8:29pm
| Great pictures. My Father in law but the wd45 I want to add the loader to in 1956 new. Funny you mentioned it. He work 20 acres of alfalfa with it for many years. I am trying to figure out how it works, ad a loader to it and restore it to good working condition. Your story makes me feel its worth it. Thanks, |
Posted By: captaindana
Date Posted: 29 Mar 2017 at 7:41pm
| A descent WD is an amazing machine. You can profit from using her. She can pretty much do everything and do it economically, 24/7/365. I love mine! |