Fiat, Anyone?

[Iplayfarmer]

Who has had experience with Fiat Tractors? My usual route home is blocked due to construction, so on the "scenic" route I saw this tractor off the side of the road with a For Sale sign on it. If the price were right and it was a good tractor, I may be tempted.

Sorry about the picture quality. All I had was my cell phone. I tried to get a pic of the instrument panel to show that the tractor has almost 3,000 hours, but I guess I was shaking too much. The picture is pretty blurry. I do have a pic of the tractor and a pic of the I.D. tag down by the foot pedals.

I see it says Romania on it. I don't know if that means it's made in Romania or just the parent company is in Romania.

Does Fiat have a U.S. presence?
Are parts available for these tractors?
Do these have a reputation for being good tractors? Bad Tractors?

I just know that if I don't ask the questions, I'll end up buying the Yugo of tractors.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Oh, here are the pics...

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Who has had experience with Fiat Tractors? My usual route home is blocked due to construction, so on the "scenic" route I saw this tractor off the side of the road with a For Sale sign on it. If the price were right and it was a good tractor, I may be tempted.

Sorry about the picture quality. All I had was my cell phone. I tried to get a pic of the instrument panel to show that the tractor has almost 3,000 hours, but I guess I was shaking too much. The picture is pretty blurry. I do have a pic of the tractor and a pic of the I.D. tag down by the foot pedals.

I see it says Romania on it. I don't know if that means it's made in Romania or just the parent company is in Romania.

Does Fiat have a U.S. presence?
Are parts available for these tractors?
Do these have a reputation for being good tractors? Bad Tractors?

I just know that if I don't ask the questions, I'll end up buying the Yugo of tractors.

Fiat (before buying Case IH or NH) built their own tractors, and also built Hesston and a few of Oliver/White smaller models. The Hesston badged Fiats were EXTREMELY good tractors. Very popular with "hay farmers" in my area. They never really caught on with row crop farmers doing heavy tillage, but that's a tough market to break into.

Fiat now owns CNH (Case New Holland) I'd say you'll probably get a few odd stares when you walk in and ask for parts at the nearest CNH dealer, but they'll know who Fiat is.

 

[kthompson]

Do a little looking on the Internet for "LONG Tractor: 445. I think that is what you have found. There were two Long dealerships here but know neither sell them any longer. If not mistaken they are either no longer made or imported.

Now, if it is a Long tractor they were a basic tractor built as a farmer said this past week, put any operator on it and it will take the abuse. My brother has one and has had two problems with it, electrical part of dash burnt out and had to replace one of the rear hubs. The rear hub probably was his fault due to not replacing leaking seal. Not a good looking tractor and light HUD oil supply if memory is correct.

I would expect it to be cheap. If running and all operating would think a $1,000 to $2,000 would be the range.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Fiat (before buying Case IH or NH) built their own tractors, and also built Hesston and a few of Oliver/White smaller models. The Hesston badged Fiats were EXTREMELY good tractors. Very popular with "hay farmers" in my area. They never really caught on with row crop farmers doing heavy tillage, but that's a tough market to break into.

Fiat now owns CNH (Case New Holland) I'd say you'll probably get a few odd stares when you walk in and ask for parts at the nearest CNH dealer, but they'll know who Fiat is.

FWJ, I've learned over the years that I'm usually correct to just assume that you are right. I'm totally surprised, though, that Case and New Holland are the same company. I'm also surprised that they are foreign owned. I learn something new everytime I log onto TBN.

 

[art]

I will say that the local NH or Case-IH dealer will not be able to help you to much with the parts of that tractor through the normal channels. Although we are so to speak one happy family we don't have rights to the history of some of the older divisions of the family members.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Anyone out there own one of these?

I checked, and there's no Fiat section on TBN.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

Anyone out there own one of these?

I checked, and there's no Fiat section on TBN.

It's not really a Fiat anyway. It's a license-built Fiat design built by UTB in Romania, also known as a Universal 445. As Kthompson stated, Long also imported certain models and re-badged them. I believe the plant that built them is closed now. It's not the "Yugo" of tractors, it's the "Dacia" of tractors.
If you are considering buying it, check around your area first for anyone with experience servicing Long, UTB or Universal tractors. Windsor exports seem to be a possible on-line source for parts.
UTB 650,Tractor Parts,UTB Romania,Universal 650,UTB,Tractorul utb,UTB-650 parts
One of my friends has a 2wd Universal 340. Actually a cute little tractor, but the 2 cyl diesel sounds like a "Johnny Popper" That would really get to me after a while. The U-445 would have a 3 cyl 42 hp diesel, putting it in the same class as my IH 454.

 

[MFRED]

Also the same as the Allis Chalmers 5050, 5045, 5040. Had a 5050, not my cup of tea, but a good tractor. Some parts were scarce & expensive. I have since found some different aftermarket sources for most stuff. For the right price, go for it.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Also the same as the Allis Chalmers 5050, 5045, 5040. Had a 5050, not my cup of tea, but a good tractor. Some parts were scarce & expensive. I have since found some different aftermarket sources for most stuff. For the right price, go for it.

So, what's the right price??