Most Durable Allis Tractor?
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=35157
Printed Date: 29 Aug 2025 at 3:24pm
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Topic: Most Durable Allis Tractor?
Posted By: R.W
Subject: Most Durable Allis Tractor?
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 8:50am
| What do you think the most durable, long lasting tractor Allis Chalmers made? |
Replies:
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 8:57am
Do you guys asks these questions because you really want to know the answers or are you just bored?
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Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:04am
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Hee hee... that's a loaded question... everything is 'durable' and 'long lasting' if it's not 'beaten' and 'thrown away'. My opinion has long been that Ford N-series tractors got the 'durable and long lasting' reputation simply because they weren't strong enough to do any 'real' work... ;-) To complicate the situation even more, you won't know what is best suited for 'long lasting' until a substantial end-of-life is realized... and at that time, determination of why it was taken out-of-service. For older tractors, a large number weren't taken out-of-service because they had worn out or become incapable of duty, it's because they didn't have creature comforts or capacity to run newer implement types or sizes used in modern farming. The old ones have been retired more for sake of obsolescence, than wear-and-tear. With incredible simplicity, and parts still being readily available, they're all still well capable of working the fields. For the more recent tractors, they're still working, and will probably continue to do so. More than likely, you'll find that newer tractors, with more complex systems, become idled as a result of some complex component buried deep-inside becomes unavailable or very expensive to replace. This is the #1 why simpler pieces of equipment earn higher reliability statistics. |
Posted By: R.W
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:04am
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I want to know what you think, But it give's me something to read when I'm bored.
Do you not like me asking questions Jeff?
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Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:18am
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No, Ask all the questions you like.
I was just wondering if the authors of alot of questions asked really want to know the answer or are just bored. Had to put my earplugs on. 
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Posted By: steve(oh)
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:25am
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I vote either the WD's or the 175's. our 175 has 6500 hours on it and has never been touched. |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:26am
| I have wondered for years which AC tractor had the tallest exhaust pipe but I have always been afraid to ask. |
Posted By: darrel in ND
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:50am
| Jeff, that would be my D21, but its not factory and will get cut off some day! Darrel |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 9:54am
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LOL!!!
Glad someone on here get's it!!!! |
Posted By: Alberta Phil
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 10:31am
| Jeff, I had a customer,s JD 'D' in my shop a while ago and it had the tallest stack I had ever seen on one! It was an inch under 8 ft. to the top of the stack. Why?? I figured maybe they thought the echo in that long pipe would make it sound like more than two cylinders!!LOL |
Posted By: victoryallis
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 11:09am
| Alot of the topics post on here show boardom. Not all but a good chunk of them do. |
Posted By: Josh Day
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 11:16am
| All Allis tractors are. |
Posted By: mdtractormechanic
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 11:41am
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Looks to me like Jeff is the one that's bored. ------------- Joe's 1939 Model WC, 1940 Model RC, 1944 & 1950 Model C's, B-125 PU |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 12:30pm
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Never bored around here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aL38P8FZrk 
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Posted By: HagerAC
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 1:04pm
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My vote is for the D-17. Know of one that used to pull 4x16 since new and the crankshaft has never been ground in it, and it has 20,000+ hours on it, still used daily.
------------- 30+ A-Cs ranging from a 1928 20-35, to a 1984 8070FWA, Gleaner R52 |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 1:26pm
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Bored, I would say not.
Plenty to do. I have to get my place buttoned up before winter. 
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Posted By: AllisFreak MN
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 2:20pm
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Your place looks very well kept. Where's the Subaru? ------------- '49 A-C WD, '51 A-C WD, '63 A-C D17 Series III, 1968 A-C One-Seventy, '82 A-C 6060, '75 A-C 7040, A-C #3 sickle mower, 2 A-C 701 wagons, '78 Gleaner M2 |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 2:40pm
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Confucious say: Man with tall-stack, drives cautiously into shed! |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 2:44pm
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Confucious also say: Remove rain cap before entering garage! ------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: DougG
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 3:20pm
| 180 !!!! I kno of one that has 18000 hrs on it going stong , has duals on it when used for tillage work ; runs all the hay equipment , excellent tractor , used but not abused !! |
Posted By: Tedin NE-OH
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 3:34pm
| AC B so many still going and restored. |
Posted By: acwdwcman
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 3:42pm
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just like josh said all allis chalmers tractors are!!! ------------- wd with a freeman model 90 trip loader, wd45, 38 unstylled wc, b 10 garden tractor and 2-14 ac trip plow. grandpa has a 56 wd45. wd. allis chalmers snap coupler blade and 3 bottom snap coupler plow |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 4:14pm
| Allisfreak, I park it out back. |
Posted By: Jeff Z. NY
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 4:17pm
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It's in really bad shape.
A real eye sore. Would bring the property value down.
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Posted By: captaindana
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 5:58pm
| RW I ditto what Dave says, man he really hit the nail on the noggin. All old AC's that have been cared for will continue to last a long long time. No matter how much use they have had it's the care that keeps them and anything else going. Other than tune ups my 47C has never had a wrench on it. It's carb has never been apart. Geez...incredible! |
Posted By: Dave in il
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 10:28pm
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Dave Kamp has a good point. I can't tell you if my 36 WC is going to be more durable or longer lasting than say my 76 7060 or my 84 8050. The WC pretty well outlived it's useful life as a farm tractor almost 50 years ago. It was replaced by tractors with electric start, hydraulics, more power and that were more comfortable and easier to use. It still was used and abused and has survived to become a recreational vehicle, or at least a hobby. My 7060 is about to the end of it's tillage / planting career and now mows roads ditches and waterways with the batwing and I'm toying with the idea putting a loader on it. She gets shedded at night and is well maintained, she should last a long, long time, and the AC still works so it's comfortable to use. The 8050 is still working for it's keep, how long? Well I hope another 17 years or so till I retire at least. But I guess some FWA and powershift parts are NLA and its not like there were 175,000 made so used parts won't be as available as WC parts are. My biased opinion is the series IV D17 will be pretty close to the top of the list. Most still are in use today and can compete well against modern tractors their size.
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Posted By: TedBuiskerN.IL.
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 10:28pm
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Can you imagine the number of hours some of the old WC's must have on them. It gets my vote, not much to go wrong except the shifter tower. ------------- Most problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives. |
Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 10:47pm
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The Orange Ones!!! ------------- You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF. |
Posted By: AllisChalmers37
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2011 at 10:51pm
I agree, my 37 WC is almost 75 years old and can run a PTO driven rake or tedder better than our 1976 John Deere 4030. ------------- 1937 WC, 1950 CA, 1959 D14, 1967 190XT, 2006 Ram 3500 |
TedBuiskerN.IL. wrote:Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 12:24am
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Another point-of-note: There's many who boast that a modern 'big' tractor can do anything a 'smaller' tractor cannot do... And there's many 'smaller' tractors nowdays that have the features, power output, etc., to do the kinds of things that used to take BIGGER older tractors. The difference, however, is that the opportunity cost to GET and MAINTAIN an older tractor, is frequently a mere FRACTION of a newer machine. My uncle still uses a D17-I as his haymaker. Being open-station, it can mow, bale, and rake under overhanging timber. With WF, worn tires, 2wd, no weight up front, and fluid on back, it will make brake-applied turns without tearing up the sod, and mow, rake, and bale for days on very little fuel. Of course, it doesn't have a radio, or air-conditioning... or live hydraulics with 4 circuits, or a turbocharger, or intercooler, or even a place to put his cellphone... but he doesn't NEED it, nor the complexity or hinderance of 4wd, doesn't need lights, or even a 3-point- just good manners underhood, power steering, a functioning PTO and the power-director. What this means, is that, in his application, the greatest competitor to a MODERN machine... is a 55-year old tractor. What's the cost impact? Well... if you figure a Deere 5065 is in a similar size... at about $30,000... You could get a decent D17 Series IV for about $5,000... or a Series 1 for about $3,000... For the cost of the LOAN INTEREST on the 5065, you could both FUEL and MAINTAIN the D17... and leave the balance in the bank-book for some other agrarian economic purpose. Doesn't it suck when a manufacturer has to look at his competitors' current models in order to determine his standing in the marketplace? It must really, really suck to realize that he's also competing with tractors that his competitors... and his OWN ENGINEERS... developed, produced, and sold TEN YEARS PRIOR TO HIS BIRTH! Don't think they ain't happy to see good tractors get bought and parted on Ebay, with the rest being sent to scrap. One of the best things that ever happened to new tractor manufacturers... are high scrap prices and low-IQ opportunists. |
Posted By: Roddo
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 9:40am
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Well put Dave. I think you nailed it there. One other point to mention is that for some stupid reason, many people anymore are of the bigger is better mentality. They might look at a D17 or even a WD45 and think that its too small. "How will you ever get anything done with that?". Not taking into consideration that in its day, it was many farm's "big" tractor. If people could farm hundreds of acres yesteryear with one of these old workhorses, then why couldn't someone use them on a 50 acre farm today? Equipment just keeps getting bigger and more expensive and for some reason there is a bigger is better mentality anymore. I am perfectly happy taking a little longer on my old stuff than making payments on new stuff that, in the end, does the exact same job.
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Posted By: Dipstick In
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 10:04am
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I could probably enter my uncles 49 WD in the contest. I take it to the fair about every other year, put the loader back on, don't even wash the grease off or the bird bi-products, and show it.Rust and all! Many is the time I've been asked if it runs. One half twist of the crank at full choke, one more half, maybe the second if its stubborn, and that beautiful AC sound begins. I use it now for lite work, and is presently hooked to the sprayer. Got to take the booms off to get under the trees and spray my yard for grasshoppers, crickets and late skeeters. I put a Char-Lynn pwr steering unit on it and absolutely love it. My "other brother Darrell" borrows it to spray his hay fields. It has the original main clutch and hand clutch in it. We did an in frame in it with M&W's when I got out of the army in the spring of '65 and its been running since. I snuck a white dot govenor spring in it and lengthened the throttle rod a wee bit and with my original no. 2 AC 2-14 plow(steel wheeled to boot) on it I can run with the big boys. Hee Hee! ------------- You don't really have to be smart if you know who is! |
Posted By: D-allis Iowa
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 2:57pm
| I like the WC's. Not much to go wrong and they just keep going. |
Posted By: allisrutledge
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 3:29pm
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The 7000 I sold last year had 9000 trouble free Tennessee hours and had a stack long enough to get the smoke out of the holler and over the hills. Scott ------------- Allis Chalmers still exist in my mind and barns |
Posted By: AC WD45
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 4:01pm
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Not so much allis, but Gleaner. The Gleaner "G", you couldn't wear a G out. No allis, I'd have to say W series, as they are about the only tractor I've seen molested to the point where they shouldn't run, but refuse to die. ------------- German Shepherd dad 1957 Allis Chalmers WD45 #WD234847 1951 Allis Chalmers WD #WD88193 |
Posted By: 427435
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 5:48pm
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Many of the tractors produced in the 40's and 50's needed engine overhauls at less than 3000 hours, IF used as the primary tillage tractor. When they get used for pulling wagons, haying etc. instead, they will last a very long time. Same with the drivetrains. The target for time to overhaul or rebuild started climbing in the 70's and has continued to climb since then. In my opinion, the 8050 was probably the longest design life tractor AC ever built. ------------- Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not. |
Posted By: LionelinKY
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 6:03pm
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Dad and I have discussed many times the hours on the old WD and WD45. Sometimes we wish they had hour meters just out of curiousity and other times we are glad they don't because guess who put those hours on there. ------------- "My name is Lionel and I'm an Allisoholic" |
Posted By: Steve-Ohio
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2011 at 8:14pm
| I would say AC WD-45. |