Learnt something new

[SamsFarm]

The other day I had a guy come to buy some spare parts I had for the A-144 cultivators.

He then told me the Ford 1710 offset (made 1985 / 1986) used the same IH cultivators!

I wonder how Ford worked out a deal to buy A-144 cultivators from International.

Since the IH 140 ceased production in 1979, I wonder how long they continued to make implements.

Kinda cool though, thought I would pass it along

https://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/006/6/2/6625-ford-1710-offset.html

Look closely at the cultivators!

[Super A]

The few pics I could find sure looked the same but I wonder if they were original 144s or if they were the 144-T used on the IH 274. I have never looked up the differences but an old school IH parts man told me years ago that the 144 and 144T were a little different.


My guess is a licensing agreement between ford and IH/caseIH.

Al

[Jim Becker]

You just about need to have them parked next to each other to see the difference between the 144 and the 144T. The 144T Operator's Manual reused a bunch of illustrations from the 144 manual. The 144T typically had a serial number plate attached to the upper arm of the right mounting frame. It looks like there may be such a tag showing in the upper picture. Someone with access to that machine might want to see if it is there and what is says.

I don't know if 144 cultivator production was shifted to Hol-Mac Corporation as was done with the 180/181 planters. If so, it may have depended on the details of the IH/Hol-Mac license. Manufacturing and marketing of the planters was turned over to Hol-Mac and dealers placed their orders directly there, as was done with other allied equipment. Perhaps there was nothing that prevented Ford dealers from ordering directly as well.

[staninlowerAL]

FWIW: This FORD tractor, like a lot of the smaller hp tractors of this era, was built by a contractor. In this case it was Shibaura, a Japanese company that contracted with FORD, much the same was as YANMAR did with DEERE. Probably about the only thing that was related to FORD was the blue and white paint. I have a FORD LGT 14D 3cyl diesel that was made by the same company during this same time period.

[Dmiller903]

Now I just need to find a yard full of 1710's. Good find.