question TA delete tractors

[stronger800]

That’s about right for here in NY.  More than 9 out of 10, will have a TA here.  Even if they aren’t used anymore, if a guy is buying one to restore and look at, it’ll have one too.

[tommyw-5088]

On 9/30/2025 at 8:53 PM, MacAR said:

We were sorta on the line in my area; North of here (S. Missouri) most had TA's. South of here (Central AR) most were TA delete. I like a TA myself, but have seen many of the TA deletes around here. Matter of fact, Dad's SMTA was a factory TA delete tractor (believe it or not) and the only one I've ever seen in person though I've heard of others. Of course, we didn't know at the time it was "uncommon" and so the old man sold it when he wanted to upgrade. Sorta wish I had it back now... 

Anyhow, seems like most of the tractors I see for sale these days are TA delete, and I usually won't give them the time of day. For the work I do, I feel a TA is necessary; power steering, fast hitch, etc aren't but the TA is a must-have for me. But lots of folks around here don't agree with that, as evidenced by the dearth of TA tractors. 

I have actually owned a T/A delete SMTA , LP . I sold it to a retired engineer that had worked at shell i think . he lived in houston and had a family farm in illinois . He asked me if i knew of another SMTA /Lp . I told him i did , a friend has one . He came and paid for both of them . Its been years , but he said there is one varation of a M he does not have , i belive an LP . im sure someone here probally knows the fellow . He has a fellow named Devin fix them for him . I told him when he came to look - its not stuck , but i make no gaurentee it will run . He called a few days later said “ it runs perfect devin tuned it up . I dont know devin either , but seems well known in the IH community . Im just not very much intrested in anything before the 06 series .

[766 Man]

11 hours ago, Matt Kirsch said:

Everybody's needs, and farming conditions, are different. Flat ground, consistent soil... you can just stick it in a gear, sink the plow in the ground, and go until you catch up to your dog that you've been watching run away for three days. When you live in an area where the ground goes from gravel to clay to sandy loam to cobblestone in the same pass, and you lose sight of the other end of the field because the hill you're on is that steep, you find yourself shifting up and down multiple times in a pass. Sure you could run a gear slower, but you'd never get anything done putzing around that slow.

  Around here I would substitute blow sand for gravel although the clay is rocky in many spots.  Around here during the 1960's farmers pinched a penny and like I said previously in this thread there were new 06 series tractors sold w/o TA.  Given that the careers of these farmers started well before the 1960's many just got along doing what they did before which was put it in one gear and run.  By the 1970's most were more concerned with productivity with rising fuel prices.  This gave companies such as Case and Oliver a big boost as they offered a 3 speed power shift versus 2 such as with the TA, Ford's Dual Power, and AC's Power Director.

[MacAR]

3 minutes ago, 766 Man said:

  Around here I would substitute blow sand for gravel although the clay is rocky in many spots.  Around here during the 1960's farmers pinched a penny and like I said previously in this thread there were new 06 series tractors sold w/o TA.  Given that the careers of these farmers started well before the 1960's many just got along doing what they did before which was put it in one gear and run.  By the 1970's most were more concerned with productivity with rising fuel prices.  This gave companies such as Case and Oliver a big boost as they offered a 3 speed power shift versus 2 such as with the TA, Ford's Dual Power, and AC's Power Director.

Most of those old guys lived through the depression, so every penny counted. I think a lot of them would either drop a gear or drop a bottom plowing vs spending extra for the TA. 

Oliver really had something with the over/under. I'd love to figure out how to shoehorn one into a 706 for baling hay... couldn't get much better!

[Long Farms]

I dont think most people realize how high of a percentage of IH models made after '63 were actually TA deletes. I bet 25%-33% were ordered as deletes. Some models even higher than that in the 06 and 56 series. Plantation farms in the south wouldn't walk into dealerships and have then price just a tractor with TA delete. They would have them price 10 or so with TA deletes. They lived harder lives, were absolutely destroyed, died early and tragic deaths parted out and to never be seen again. Ive seen more 1206, 1256 and 1456 TA deletes locally than i have with TAs. Infact, I have more 1456s with TAs than ive seen else where in TX. But it was also common to see 06s and 56s ordered as fender deletes too. By the 66s TA deletes started to taper off and most of those were TA tractors. Rarely see a TA delete 86 series but i bet it still shifts fairly decent 

[7and8and1456]

"Plantation farms in the south wouldn't walk into dealerships and have then price just a tractor with TA delete. They would have them price 10 or so with TA deletes."

I can't see if tractor in picture below is TA delete, but I suspect that it may be a "Plantation farm tractor" being that it has number 14 on the side panel. 

[DT Fan]

Delete's are rare in this part of the world. Know of one 806 that is a delete local here. Uncle's 706 was, when he bought it, he put one in. 

If a smokin deal came along on one without a T/A I'd buy it then figure out if I wanted to put one in or not. Plowing with the 856 last fall, never pulled the T/A once but that might not always be the case. Pretty nice to have when starting to town with a big load of grain.

[acem]

TA delete continued on through the 66 and 86 series tractors here. I've seen a 3288 that was TA delete (electric TA). 86 series tractors with TA are rare here.