International 674

[RebelHomesteads]

Buy something else sounds like junk to me.

Junk is just neglected good stuff.

 

[Farmer495]

Buy something else sounds like junk to me.

Think he bought it already, $2400, decent for a 62 PTO HP tractor if it runs and is usable.

It's also a 45-50 year old tractor at this point. Likely going to need some work. At $2400 it's worth some work.

 

[RebelHomesteads]

Think he bought it already, $2400, decent for a 62 PTO HP tractor if it runs and is usable.

It's also a 45-50 year old tractor at this point. Likely going to need some work. At $2400 it's worth some work.

That’s what I’m thinking. I can put a lot of money into a $2400 tractor for the price of a mint condition used tractor now a days. It’s also something I can work and learn on. If I mess something up learning on a $2400 tractor it’s not the end of the world. Where as if I messed something up on the 23k Massey Ferguson 471 I was looking I’d die.

 

[LouNY]

I gave a bit over $4000 15 years ago for my 574, that was a fair price back then.
I did have a bunch of work done to it 5-8 years ago, had a small shop replace the pto shaft,
install new service brakes and master cylinders, replace the parking brake band and add a second remote.
While it was apart for the pto output shaft that cost me a bit more then I paid for the tractor $5000.
But I didn't have the time to work on her that year.
Other then that all I've replaced on her has been the starter and batteries. And done a bunch of welding and grinding on one rim
to repair calcium damage.

 

[RebelHomesteads]

I gave a bit over $4000 15 years ago for my 574, that was a fair price back then.
I did have a bunch of work done to it 5-8 years ago, had a small shop replace the pto shaft,
install new service brakes and master cylinders, replace the parking brake band and add a second remote.
While it was apart for the pto output shaft that cost me a bit more then I paid for the tractor $5000.
But I didn't have the time to work on her that year.
Other then that all I've replaced on her has been the starter and batteries. And done a bunch of welding and grinding on one rim
to repair calcium damage.

But see you got around 10k total into it and might have another 10 years before another 5k investment. Solid value IMO depending on what you do with it.

 

[LouNY]

But see you got around 10k total into it and might have another 10 years before another 5k investment. Solid value IMO depending on what you do with it.

Actually seeing as how I knew it needed a parking brake band when I bought it. And it had a minor brake issue in that one wheel was applying the brake by its self at times. The previous owner had neglected to mention that issue when we talked about the tractor. It was working and quite usable until my operation broke the 540 pto stub shaft off flush with the housing, which made the 540 pto unusable. One of the primary tasks for this tractor is to run the pto generator so it needed to be repaired. That was only going to be a few hundred untill I said while it's in the shop fix all the "minor" issues it has. Mine was an early serial number and the shop doing the work went at it a different way then I would have. They couldn't get the old style brake disc so they had the housings bored out for the newer larger brake disc and pistons. There was a definite lack of communication at that point because I would have had the brake disc recovered for less, but they did what they thought was the best way. It drove the repair cost up significantly. Then they failed to find and cure the self applying issue with the brake on one side. I finally got that figured out myself, when the balance valve had been deleted from the system brake pedal eccentrics (not mentioned in the service manual) were keeping the master cylinders from completely returning and relieving pressure an issue that was apparently unheard of with these tractors.
Then I also had them upgrade the hydraulics by adding the second rear remote.
So yes I have close to $10,000 in the tractor. I have also put several hundred hours on the tractor, with snow removal, driveway grading and maintenance, mowing and generating power during outages.
At this time it will still only be a $4000 to maybe $5000 used tractor to sell.
If I didn't still need it as a second and spare yard tractor.
I have absolutely no issue with someone getting older used tractors and repairing and using them.
When I was younger that was all I could afford and I was also content to realize that I was going to have to do work on them, as you seem to be.
Older iron can be good for some people and some people will actually enjoy getting it into shape.

So if you get that tractor good luck with her and may see give you good service for many years.

My biggest issue with that series tractors and many utility models is that you are sitting straddling the transmissions when worked in hot weather that tunnel will get hot increasing the heat felt by your body.
Also as you get older and maybe larger it gets more difficult to get up and down around that tunnel and getting your feet turned around when wearing heavy winter boots and cold weather gear.
A flat decked tractor becomes much easier to get around in, of course also being taller you will notice sidehills more.