Older Fiat Built tractors

[Hard Knocks IV]

Anyone else a fan of the older Fiat built tractors? I have 2 Allis Chalmers
5040,Oliver 1365,Long 460 and a Long 550 fixer upper.

 

[RonR]

I would be leary of any gray market Fiat or one of the first few imported years here. I had some knowledge of Fiat's in the late 70's when they first started coming over.

The original ones were weak. Drive trains, gears not hardened enough, clutches, steering, engine and A/C cooling, and hydraulics all were not compariable to US stuff of the same size. I couldn't understand why they were always breaking down until I happened onto a foreign farming documentary and I figured it out: The farm in the show was using a 75HP tractor pulling a 6ft implement to til with. When the tractors came over, farmers here were loading them up compariable to US sized tractors and the Fiat's just couldn't stand up to the load.

I know Fiat made them tougher based on testing here, but not sure if that carried over to their non-US markets.

At the time (late 70s), they had some cool features, like syncronized shifting. It was cool shifting the tractor like a sport's car!

Haven't been around them in 30 yrs, so no knowledge of how they are now.

Ron

 

[Soundguy]

The biggest issue with grey fiats is getting service around here. I had to pass on a good deal on a fiat unit.. beacuse i could not find a mechanic anywhere in the state that would even look at it if it did need service.

Soundguy

 

[Hard Knocks IV]

|Ron I've found the Fiats to be just the opposite of what you describe they run forever with minimum attention now I'm talking about the ones made in the 70s and 80s. Fuel efficient and very handy to operate of course they have their quirks as do all mechanical devices but overall a good farm tractor.
I know of several with 10,000+ hrs on them that the engines have not been worked on doubt many of the fancy tractors made today will come close to that even just being used as grass cutters.

 

[RonR]

Hard Knocks,

I'm happy to hear your experience was different than mine.

My experience came from the testing them for Hesston Corp and seeing them being serviced in the shops there. We had trouble keeping them running, but we did push them hard in the field.

Best wishes,
ron