A Hypothetical Question

[Gearclash]

I would have no interest in a reproduction 806 or 4020. Those transmissions are way outdated for what I do. Plus I would want something better than the 404 in the 4020. And a good cab.  

[B.B.]

Case IH 140A or a New Holland TS6-140 is about the equivalent of a modern day 1086.  
 

 

[B.B.]

5 minutes ago, B.B. said:

Case IH 140A or a New Holland TS6-140 is about the equivalent of a modern day 1086.  
 

 

I’ve looked at those models for myself.  They are about 100 bucks per hp maybe not quite that much but close. 
 

I can’t justify the cost for just a hobby tractor. 
 

 

    

[acem]

A new hydro 186 with better hydraulics would probably sell.

[Lars (midessa)]

On 6/26/2026 at 5:00 AM, New Englander said:

Are you still farming like the '70s and '80s?

What’s so wrong with that?

[Lars (midessa)]

Hypothetically, yes there are a number of tractors I would desire to have ‘brand spanking new’ in todays world, if I was back on a farm.

Farmall Super M

JI Case 830D Comfort King

JI Case 1030D Comfort King

IH 856 Row Crop

MM 1355 Row Crop

Lets not get into implements from days gone by, that would very well fit in today. 
The goal is efficiency, efficient use of dollars for return, not just speed. 
From my vantage point, alot of agriculture has been led astray by this mystical ‘planting window’ and at the other end, the ‘harvest window’. The copious amounts on monies spent on gmo seeds, cross breeding, equipment upgrades/redesign all with the purpose getting in the fields early, but as the years tick on by, all we hear is ‘shorter planting window’, ‘shorter harvest season’. How can that be? 

[Chester5732]

13 minutes ago, Lars (midessa) said:

Hypothetically, yes there are a number of tractors I would desire to have ‘brand spanking new’ in todays world, if I was back on a farm.

Farmall Super M

JI Case 830D Comfort King

JI Case 1030D Comfort King

IH 856 Row Crop

MM 1355 Row Crop

Lets not get into implements from days gone by, that would very well fit in today. 
The goal is efficiency, efficient use of dollars for return, not just speed. 
From my vantage point, alot of agriculture has been led astray by this mystical ‘planting window’ and at the other end, the ‘harvest window’. The copious amounts on monies spent on gmo seeds, cross breeding, equipment upgrades/redesign all with the purpose getting in the fields early, but as the years tick on by, all we hear is ‘shorter planting window’, ‘shorter harvest season’. How can that be? 

And Heaven forbid we plant without gps. 

[Lars (midessa)]

50 minutes ago, Chester5732 said:

And Heaven forbid we plant without gps. 

O my gosh, you are right. The calamity of actually using the ‘marker arms’ on a corn planter.

[1480x3]

On 6/25/2026 at 6:53 PM, BrunsFarms said:

What if Case IH or John Deere built their best selling tractors again. Like a brand new 4020, or 806, no new tech, just exactly how they were built x amount of years ago. Would any of you guys buy one?

25 years ago this was a lunch table topic at local farmers lunch cafe, 2 models were selected. The 4020 & 1066. If a fellow were to start a business of totally reconditioning, front axle/radiator to drawbar/3pt, what would the price be with a no hour limit, 3 year warranty & would there be a market ?   What about an 8420 JD & an 8940 in todays ag climate. Could you restore them to sell for $150,000 & profit. Would farmers buy them ?  3 year full warranty ?

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

40 minutes ago, Lars (midessa) said:

O my gosh, you are right. The calamity of actually using the ‘marker arms’ on a corn planter.

I know I sure miss constantly welding on and repairing marker arms. And the joys of fighting to see where I’m even at planting no till beans into the corn stalks in the dark. 

[MacAR]

1 hour ago, Lars (midessa) said:

Hypothetically, yes there are a number of tractors I would desire to have ‘brand spanking new’ in todays world, if I was back on a farm.

Farmall Super M

JI Case 830D Comfort King

JI Case 1030D Comfort King

IH 856 Row Crop

MM 1355 Row Crop

Lets not get into implements from days gone by, that would very well fit in today. 
The goal is efficiency, efficient use of dollars for return, not just speed. 
From my vantage point, alot of agriculture has been led astray by this mystical ‘planting window’ and at the other end, the ‘harvest window’. The copious amounts on monies spent on gmo seeds, cross breeding, equipment upgrades/redesign all with the purpose getting in the fields early, but as the years tick on by, all we hear is ‘shorter planting window’, ‘shorter harvest season’. How can that be? 

I'm with you, bud. Time was, planting took as long as it took, and that was just the way it was. Same with harvest. Until I joined this board, I'd no idea of the so-called "windows" others speak of, I just start when I start and get done when I get done. Now bear in mind also that I'm still pulling a two row planter with a 300 Farmall... not exactly cutting edge, but it's paid for and does the job on my little patch. 

As to the original question, I'd also be very interested in a new Super M or SMTA; for that matter, I'd really be interested in anybody that would make a new 40 to 60 horsepower gas tractor. I know a lot of people don't like them, but for a part-timer like me they're perfect. 

[lotsaIHCs]

How many acres would get plowed per day with a 1066 and 5 bottom? 40 or so? Just asking because I don't know. My renter comes out and makes one pass over any of our 160 acre fields in a matter of a few hours. And then he's done until spraying. I think how many days it took grandpa to do those same fields with his M and 3 bottom plow. Maybe 20 acres a day or so? 

[Lars (midessa)]

32 minutes ago, lotsaIHCs said:

How many acres would get plowed per day with a 1066 and 5 bottom? 40 or so? Just asking because I don't know. My renter comes out and makes one pass over any of our 160 acre fields in a matter of a few hours. And then he's done until spraying. I think how many days it took grandpa to do those same fields with his M and 3 bottom plow. Maybe 20 acres a day or so? 

We always figured an 856 with 5-18’s would just under 5 acres per hour. Depending on the configuration of the field, the more rectangular the field, your ‘plowing efficiency’ would increase, the more odd shaped, pie shaped, etc., your plow efficiency would decrease.

One the flip side of that, a more rectangular field could decrease your ‘combine efficiency’ at harvest, whereas a ‘square’ field can be the most efficient for harvest. ‘Pie’ shaped and irregular fields are pain in the butt no matter the time of year🤣.

 

 

[New Englander]

9 hours ago, Lars (midessa) said:

What’s so wrong with that?

Nothing. Then the like of a 4020 or 1066 or similar is suitable.

[nepoweshiekfarmalls]

If i could have a new tractor from history, it would be the  5388 that IH had ready for production when Tenneco stepped in.   Just like the one Danny Anderson built.  The new transmission would have been legendary behind the proven 466 powerplant.  And the cab door opens the right way!!!!

[Mudfly]

On 6/27/2026 at 6:26 PM, B.B. said:

I’ve looked at those models for myself.  They are about 100 bucks per hp maybe not quite that much but close. 
 

I can’t justify the cost for just a hobby tractor. 
 

 

    

Might want to check that math.  $1000/HP is more like it.

75 hp tractor is close to $75,000 (not quite but close).  140 HP is north of $100k for sure, probably $125K to $140K.

 

[Big Bud guy]

19 hours ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

I know I sure miss constantly welding on and repairing marker arms. And the joys of fighting to see where I’m even at planting no till beans into the corn stalks in the dark. 

My quick math shows me if GPS saves me just one pass on a mile long field during seeding, thats over $350 in savings in just seed and fertilizer.  And that number would be higher for doubling shooting fertilizer and seeding canola 

 

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

57 minutes ago, Big Bud guy said:

My quick math shows me if GPS saves me just one pass on a mile long field during seeding, thats over $350 in savings in just seed and fertilizer.  And that number would be higher for doubling shooting fertilizer and seeding canola 

 

We have a lot of terraces and odd shaped fields here. Back before GPS was a thing, if you overlapped 10% while spraying that was considered about as good as was possible. I had fields where I never had less than 30% overlap no matter what I did. We used to have to put the corn reel on sometimes because all the corn would fall down where it was doubled up in terraces. You could only shut the planter off 6 rows at a time manually. And that was nearly impossible to do while also watching the mark on a curve. There were a lot of problems that GPS control has 100% eliminated. 

[acem]

4 hours ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

We have a lot of terraces and odd shaped fields here. Back before GPS was a thing, if you overlapped 10% while spraying that was considered about as good as was possible. I had fields where I never had less than 30% overlap no matter what I did. We used to have to put the corn reel on sometimes because all the corn would fall down where it was doubled up in terraces. You could only shut the planter off 6 rows at a time manually. And that was nearly impossible to do while also watching the mark on a curve. There were a lot of problems that GPS control has 100% eliminated. 

That's very true

But a neighbor lost a week of planning because his tractor got confused and the tractor/GPS/planter couldn't talk to each other and wouldn't plant. 

Some of this crap is so complicated it's difficult to diagnose. Even for the dealer.

It was all green equipment and dealer but I don't think it would matter what color it was.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

1 hour ago, acem said:

That's very true

But a neighbor lost a week of planning because his tractor got confused and the tractor/GPS/planter couldn't talk to each other and wouldn't plant. 

Some of this crap is so complicated it's difficult to diagnose. Even for the dealer.

It was all green equipment and dealer but I don't think it would matter what color it was.

Absolutely true. The auto steer valve went out on one of our sprayers earlier this spring. It was down a few days because of it. I could have put foam in it and ran it, but it is so much better with it working properly. I decided to just stop and fix it. I have had occasional problems and lost a couple days here and there over “technology”. Broken GPS receivers, bad wiring, bad monitors, bad planter clutches, etc. Overall it is a very good system or I would not use it. I can plant corn rows that look like they were shot out of a cannon using only the markers. That is all there was when I started and I learned to do it that way. It is rapidly becoming a lost skill among operators. It is also very tiring over several months of work to be able to do that. You can get more done with GPS, mostly because you can work later and still be able to tell what you are doing. It is possible to have too many things on a planter in my opinion, but somewhere in the middle works good for me. My planter tractor is a 1982, but I don’t use markers on it. 

[B.B.]

14 hours ago, Mudfly said:

Might want to check that math.  $1000/HP is more like it.

75 hp tractor is close to $75,000 (not quite but close).  140 HP is north of $100k for sure, probably $125K to $140K.

 

Missed a zero lol.  Yes about 1k per hp 

 

[TroyDairy]

6 hours ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

Absolutely true. The auto steer valve went out on one of our sprayers earlier this spring. It was down a few days because of it. I could have put foam in it and ran it, but it is so much better with it working properly. I decided to just stop and fix it. I have had occasional problems and lost a couple days here and there over “technology”. Broken GPS receivers, bad wiring, bad monitors, bad planter clutches, etc. Overall it is a very good system or I would not use it. I can plant corn rows that look like they were shot out of a cannon using only the markers. That is all there was when I started and I learned to do it that way. It is rapidly becoming a lost skill among operators. It is also very tiring over several months of work to be able to do that. You can get more done with GPS, mostly because you can work later and still be able to tell what you are doing. It is possible to have too many things on a planter in my opinion, but somewhere in the middle works good for me. My planter tractor is a 1982, but I don’t use markers on it. 

Older fella who we know that farm a fair bit of pivot inland told me that  GPS has allowed his old butt to work longer.  GPS planting is relaxing nearly.  You do not realize the brain power to plant 2000 acres manually.  He said he could work all day now and take Ma out for supper no problem.  In the 90s no way he was bushed.

But yes we/manufactures are getting a little nuts imho.  We dont need this much nanny

[cjf711]

On 6/26/2026 at 8:00 AM, TroyDairy said:

No

1. L and I

2. Economy for fuel

3. 90% of the "old guys" are not here to like and want a open station machine 

4. Alot more acres on avg is cover by alot less people.  Having creature comforts etc is more impt then it was 60 years ago

 

This is the "why dont they make a plain manual everything truck!?"

B/c every dealer will tell you...They cant move them.

I work with GPS machine guidance in Construction,  Was doing a show with a CAT dealer in Texas one summer on the benefits of the technology and how to improve efficiency and so on.   Customer comes out and This ol' boy gets out of a brand new dually,  cowboy boots and hat are lookin really nice,   HUGE belt buckle...  Says after the presentation and talk,  man i need 4 brand new D8 dozers in 2 months,   I need all the bells and whistles as far as technology.   Wow thats great,  and  he and the sales guy go to talk price as the GPS is adding like 100k or so to each machine and Im just a tech peon so what do i need to be there for...   Hour later I see the sales guy and ask if he bought all 4.   He says,  Yep,  Special order with ROPS only no enclosed cab,  He doesnt want to be spoiling his operators or wasting that money on AC that will just break down.

 

 

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

36 minutes ago, cjf711 said:

I work with GPS machine guidance in Construction,  Was doing a show with a CAT dealer in Texas one summer on the benefits of the technology and how to improve efficiency and so on.   Customer comes out and This ol' boy gets out of a brand new dually,  cowboy boots and hat are lookin really nice,   HUGE belt buckle...  Says after the presentation and talk,  man i need 4 brand new D8 dozers in 2 months,   I need all the bells and whistles as far as technology.   Wow thats great,  and  he and the sales guy go to talk price as the GPS is adding like 100k or so to each machine and Im just a tech peon so what do i need to be there for...   Hour later I see the sales guy and ask if he bought all 4.   He says,  Yep,  Special order with ROPS only no enclosed cab,  He doesnt want to be spoiling his operators or wasting that money on AC that will just break down.

 

 

There must be at least four skilled operators who are desperate for work wherever he’s at. I’d never find anyone who knew anything to fill a position like that. 

[cjf711]

22 minutes ago, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

There must be at least four skilled operators who are desperate for work wherever he’s at. I’d never find anyone who knew anything to fill a position like that. 

Im from Illinois,  Around here it seems like when they get an operator out of the hall they get trained and pretty much treated like a full time employee,  In winter,  the contractors find that guy "SOMETHING" to do if he wants it to keep a paycheck coming to him,  Manpower resources are protected for sure.  Down there,  seems like the operators just are constantly in flux and rotation on the big jobs big contractors,   But there really is no downtime as they run all year long like maniacs...    I couldnt believe they would spend THAT much money and then try and save a little bit on the cab? But that dude making that call probably makes 10x what i do at least so what do I know?