International 1086 For Hay Setup

[savaytse66]

I recently took ownership of a 60+ acre property, about 40 acres of which is covered in alfalfa. I had a local farmer come in last year and clear it, bale everything up, and take it, but I'm pretty much on my own from here on out. At the very least, I am looking for an acceptable set up to cut it down every year, but I could use the hay as well, so I'd really like to accumulate the equipment to bale it.

A local is getting ready to sell off an International 1086. I have not looked at it yet, but it is supposedly in good running condition. All it needs it the AC charged. I am not sure of the year, but he thinks it is around an '85.

Would this be a good tractor to get started in my endeavor? While finances are always important, I have no aspirations of creating a farming empire. We are doing this for ourselves only. When it comes time to bale it, I would have more use for small square bales, but I'd be content with round bales as well, as we expect to be feeding livestock in the near future. I guess that if the tractor is a good one to get started with, I am open to advice on paths to take to get the most out of haying with it.

Thanks, and I look forward to hearing some thoughts!

 

[Todd727]

'81 was the last year for the tractor. Get the serial number, here are the ending numbers for each year:

1976: 8601
1977: 14725
1978: 25672
1979: 34731
1980: 42186
1981: 51671

TractorData.com International Harvester 186 tractor information

I love the 1086 and just sold one. You can still get parts and there are a lot of aftermarket companies producing parts too. You need to be fairly comfortable working on equipment when dealing with tractors that are approaching 40 years old. Stuff breaks. That being said, it's fairly easy to get to just about everything on the tractor and you don't have to deal with computers and much in the way of electronics. There are a couple of different electronic displays, depending on the age of the tractor. If they go out, they can be a bit expensive to replace, as they are no longer made.

That being said, the TA (Torque Amplifier), if it has one, is a known weak point on the tractor, especially if a prior operator abused it. The tractor has a TA if there is or was a lever to the left of the steering wheel.

Some people find the tractor hard to enter and exit because of the forward opening door. It never bothered me, but you will get muddy occasionally if the tires are muddy. You also have to work yourself around the shift levers. Again, some really hate that.

This is a big tractor, a slightly smaller 886 or 986 might also be an option. It is a geared tractor and doesn't have shuttle shift. You'll need to accept that shifting is pretty stiff too.

For much more information, I'd check out Boards - Red Power Magazine Community

Plenty of help there. You will find plenty of fans there as well as devil's advocates to help you make a decision.

Good luck, and don't fall in love at first sight. Make sure it's a solid tractor. Again, be very wary of the TA condition if the tractor has it. I ended up getting a tractor that didn't come from the factory with a TA.