Case-IH 235

pcmem · Aug 28, 2001

Hello, new t the group and shopping around. Seen a lot of
stuff on the Kubotas but my local dealer has a Case-IH 235
for sale. Can't find too much info on them and it looks
like they're discontinued. Anyone have thoughts or info
on this little tractor? I'm concerned about buying old and
have parts and service problems. How well do they hold up
and will it be impossible to get a belly mower or FEL for it?

Thanks,
Michael

treeboone · Aug 28, 2001

Michael, I bought a 255 in 88. It was made for Case by Mitsubishi. Discontinued a year or so later. The Cub Cadet is the closest cousin to it, I am not sure what the Cub model #'s are.
Mine was very reliable and economical to run, good thing since repair parts are quite expensive. A good Cub dealer could probobly tell you if a later model mower would work on the older model. My advise would be to pass it by unless you get a VERY good price on it, resale is not high on these. I sold mine at 650 hours, the transmission (straight gear drive) was making noise that did not inspire confidence. Most others I have seen for sale are in the 600 to 700 hour range. If the one you are looking at is in that age group, you might want a good mechanic to look it over beforehand.

Anonymous Poster · Aug 28, 2001

I bought one in about 90 and have 600+ hours on it without any problems at all (Hydro & 4 wheel drive). All I have had to do is change fluids. I mow a little over 3 acres with a 60" belly mower, cleared 8 acres with a 4' brush hog - from a distance all you could see was the top of the stack, haul firewood with an old military 2 wheel trailer, and plow snow in the winter with a 6' back blade. I looked at both this one (it was a demo) and Kubota before buying and liked this tractor better. The name might have helped!
I agree with the previous post about costly parts. Although not having to go shopping, they didn't make these long before discontinuing and parts are eventually going to be a problem. I also got hit with the belly mower, which is a Habin - they went out of business and parts are a problem. The last time I looked Woods still made a belly mower that would fit the 235.
I have no complaints about mine, but looking back would probably buy a more popular brand.

pcmem · Aug 30, 2001

Thanks for the info guys. Parts availability is a big
issue with a discontinued tractor, then factor in cost.
This one has 250 on the clock but was used mainly for
clearing snow and has no mower deck so that would be the
first part to get. I'm also concerned about how well it
was warmed up before clearing snow. I don't think a lot
of cold starts can be good for a diesel w/o proper warmup.
Hard for me to tell but I will look into the cost of a
mower.

Thanks again,
Michael

Anonymous Poster · Aug 31, 2001

No problem with the warmup - just a couple of minutes does the job. Just a little added info, for what it's worth: I saw an add in the local farm paper this week listing a Model 245 (24 HP vs 18), 800 hours with a new 6' Woods belly mower for $8,000.