SALES # of 175 vs 185 Tractors
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
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=205494
Printed Date: 21 Feb 2025 at 8:41am
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Topic: SALES # of 175 vs 185 Tractors
Posted By: Tom59
Subject: SALES # of 175 vs 185 Tractors
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 10:37am
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Overs the years I been curious about the numbers of AC 175 and 185 tractors sold new. According to sources I looked at like “Tractordata “ the number of 175 tractors was like 5485 diesel and 1009 gasoline tractors and the number of 185 was 14961 tractors. I realize they were sold for about ten years and the 170 and 180 models overlap the 175 and 185 models roughly three years according to “Tractordata “ information. My curiosity and question is what was the reason the 185 outsold the 175 over the time it was in production ? One thing I consider it was the want of more horsepower during that time period. Also I not found numbers other brands of tractors of similar horsepower sizes that was manufactured during that time period for comparison what was wanted horsepower size during those years. Thought this be the place to reasons and thinking of buyers had for those two models back then. |
Replies:
Posted By: tbran
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 11:08am
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Everyone had D17's -an upgrade from the populous WD's. VERY few D19's. When the 100 series came there was a logical upgrade to the next HP step up the 180 and then 185. The 170/175 had very fuel efficient engines and still had the mechanical hand clutch - the biggest selling feature for some - especially in hay work. But when one went to the lot, saw them sitting side by side - the 6 cylinder smoothness, longer frame for a better ride - setting up out of the dust/debris a tad more - won most over. Plus the addition of an extra 16" plow bottom meant 25% more in a days work. Plus the increase in travel speed - all were factors in the rationalization for more power vs the $ it cost. ------------- When told "it's not the money,it's the principle", remember, it's always the money.. |
Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 12:27pm
| The One Eighty / 185 is so much better- 170-175 were just a 17 with new sheet metal , which were good at that time ; that 301 diesel ; hydraulics have better flow; great tractor! |
Posted By: sparky
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 1:19pm
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Yeah I like my 185 but I enjoy my 175 as well with the Perkins diesel. As Tbran said it’s a fuel sipper. ------------- It's the color tractor my grandpa had! |
Posted By: jiminnd
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 2:47pm
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I like the sitting up the biggest advantage, and the close to flat floor, looked at 175, didn't like straddling the transmission. ------------- 1945 C, 1949 WF and WD, 1981 185, 1982 8030, unknown D14(nonrunner) |
Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 4:07pm
| I think that was one of those growth spurt stages where a lot of people were buying bigger tractors. Even the 180/185 used around the farm at that time as manures spreaders were getting bigger, planters, haybines, chopper wagons, and so on. Silos were getting taller, gravity boxes bigger. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 5:16pm
| The Allis-Chalmers One-Seventy (and One-Eighty) came out in July of 1967. In late 1965, John Deere came out with their new 2510. Both tractors at 54 and 53 PTO HP. By 1968 the 2510 was no more and was replaced by the new 2520 at 60 HP. The 60-62 HP A-C 175 was out in 1970, and the 170 model was still retained. It was pretty clear to most manufacturers the 50 to 60 HP tractor class sales were drying up, in favor of 65 HP and up. I think in the end, A-C sold as many One-Seventy, 170 and 175 tractors as they did D-17 series 4's, but over a longer period of years. The Series IV was from the summer/fall of 64 to July of 67 for 3 years of production. The One-Seventy, 170 and 175 were mid 67 to 1980 for 12+ years. |
Posted By: ranger43
Date Posted: 17 Feb 2025 at 7:32pm
| We have both. 170 diesel we bought new in 74' and one owner 78' 185 I bought used 10 years ago. We love them both and I think it just depends on the task. Like was mentioned nothing like the sound of that 6 cylinder diesel, but that old 170 with that hand clutch sure is handy. |
Posted By: AC720Man
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 7:28am
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I like both tractors but the low seat was a drawback for me. I like the power director long handle on the 175 better than the column PD on the 185. Both would have been better with console control and a flat operators deck like my 190XT which was built before it and was a great design for its day. In my opinion they went backwards in operators comfort. Just my 2 cents
------------- 1968 B-208, 1976 720 (2 of them)Danco brush hog, single bottom plow,52" snow thrower, belly mower,rear tine tiller, rear blade, front blade, 57"sickle bar,1983 917 hydro, 1968 7hp sno-bee, 1968 190XTD |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 9:45am
| The PD on the 170-175s are handy for haying & such, allowing for a “live pto,” but an operator didn’t have enough hands to do a loader justice if it was attached. I’ve never owned either 180/185, so don’t know about them. Did they have a dedicated pto lever that could engage/disengage pto without transmission clutch action? If they did, then that might have been another reason for the 180/185s increased sales? |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 10:01am
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A question about the model 185 came up recently on the Red Power Forum, this was my reply. Have a 185, love it! Probably one of the best machines Allis built. Mine has hydraulic pto, not all do. It engages very smoothly. As mentioned, it does stop when you depress the clutch. Mine is a later model and has the 30" rubber which is nice. It also benefitted from two previous owners that took great care of it. Side note; Dad bought a 175 new in the early 70's, not sure what year exactly but remember it being delivered, there was snow on the ground. My Dad was working with the 2nd owner at the time. I can just hear the conversation. Russ, "Dave, buy the 185!" Dad, " the 175 is big enough and is $xxxx cheaper!" So the 175 it was, it was the big horse here for 10 or so years then got traded for the 6080. At some point he bought a 185 with a cab but no A/C. He about cooked trying to bale hay with it so it went away and he got a 4230. Later years he found this 185 at Grinnell imp. When he found out it was Russ's tractor he bought it. I should add that Howard Dunnick, (sp?) was the original owner of said 185. |
Posted By: Lynn Marshall
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 11:42am
| Boy,haven't heard that name for a long time. Is Howard still alive? |
Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 18 Feb 2025 at 12:27pm
| Sadly Lynn, he passed a number of years ago. I never got to meet him, just know he was a good Allis Man. I thought Russy bought the 185 new, found out later that Howard had. |
Posted By: ranger43
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 9:52pm
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AC720Man wrote:Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2025 at 10:50pm
| The most neglected part of any tractor, when it comes to comfort, is the seat suspension. I cannot stand to climb onto a D-17 or 170 (or any other Allis) and plop my tush down in a seat that almost immediately goes to the bottom. You can have the nicest seat cushions ever made and if the suspension has a flattened out seat shock spring AND worn out bushings and shafts, it just turns me completely OFF !! |
Posted By: sparky
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2025 at 9:39am
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Me too Doc. Because you’ll get beat to death especially in plowed ground. ------------- It's the color tractor my grandpa had! |