How many years you got with Case tractors?!

[Eugen]

I'm curious guys, how many years you've involved with Case garden tractors. I got my first 220 in late Fall 2019. I'm quite new to the madness ... ahm, I mean hobby.

[mendonsy]

I bought my 1978 446 new in the spring of '78 so it has been mowing my acre of grass for 43 years.

[myerslawnandgarden]

I'm thinking that it was 1973. Dad was a rural mail carrier and always had a part time job at various places to fill in after he finished his route. He was working for a guy that had a bulk fuel oil business, installed furnaces and had a small excavating business. The owner, Vernon saw an ad in the Prairie Farmer magazine that J I Case posted looking for garden tractor dealers. He says to my dad, "Ken, you need a new mower and I need one, what do you say, I'll take an order and we'll both get a new tractor at cost and should be able to get rid of the rest". ( I think you had to order 5 to become a dealer ). Dad agreed that it was a good idea and when they arrived, since I was mechanically inclined and a 16 year old high school kid I was given the task of assembling them at the rate of around $3 per hour. So the extra 3 tractors were parked out along a county road going past Vernon's house and they sold (at cost) in no time. So he orders another load and that's how it started. Within a few years Vernon became the top North American dealer for J I Case Outdoor Power Equipment.

Sometimes I'm asked about how i know certain things about the older models and I guess it is because I was around when they were new. Hard to believe that 50 years has gone by.

There's a whole lot more to the story, but that's how it began.

Bob

[JSinMO]

@myerslawnandgarden great story!

You got me beat @Eugen ive only been monkeying with these for a couple years. My 648 was so impressive I had to grab the 446!

[thebuildist]

2008 I was looking on Craigslist for a Cub cadet. I wanted a vintage American iron garden tractor.

I came across a case 1972 442 with deck and blade for 475. Never heard of them but it was clearly American iron. And a great price.

I drove an hour away at 9 pm to be the first one there.

What a blessing that turned out to be !

[propane1]

Bought my Case 466 from a neighbour in September 2020, then bought the Case 224 from a fella I know in August 2021.
But, I’ve been in the garden tractor hobby for 20 years and knew about the Case, high crop, I call them, tractors for a lot of years. Loved the look of them. Because of the big tire on the back, they looked like a small farm tractor. So I’ve wanted one for many years, but they are not to popular here. So I wanted one, and wanted to put 3 rib tires on the front an ag tires on the back. It took years to get one, but I got it and have it fixed up to the way I always wanted. Looks like a small farm tractor. And strangely it was right next door were I bought it. The neighbours were only there a few years. And I have no idea where they got it.

Noel.

[DavidBarkey]

@myerslawnandgarden Bob 50 years and still going strong .

[DavidBarkey]

I got what is now Frankie in a basket with few attachments back in 2013 the year after we bought our century home and 2 acre property . Up to that point never had anything or the need for anything bigger than a push mower . No I have a shop with a hoist just to work on them .

[Harry]

I'm thinking that it was 1973. Dad was a rural mail carrier and always had a part time job at various places to fill in after he finished his route. He was working for a guy that had a bulk fuel oil business, installed furnaces and had a small excavating business. The owner, Vernon saw an ad in the Prairie Farmer magazine that J I Case posted looking for garden tractor dealers. He says to my dad, "Ken, you need a new mower and I need one, what do you say, I'll take an order and we'll both get a new tractor at cost and should be able to get rid of the rest". ( I think you had to order 5 to become a dealer ). Dad agreed that it was a good idea and when they arrived, since I was mechanically inclined and a 16 year old high school kid I was given the task of assembling them at the rate of around $3 per hour. So the extra 3 tractors were parked out along a county road going past Vernon's house and they sold (at cost) in no time. So he orders another load and that's how it started. Within a few years Vernon became the top North American dealer for J I Case Outdoor Power Equipment.

Sometimes I'm asked about how i know certain things about the older models and I guess it is because I was around when they were new. Hard to believe that 50 years has gone by.

There's a whole lot more to the story, but that's how it began.

Bob

That’s a terrific story Bob, I enjoyed reading it very much. Harry

[Harry]

My Case story began in the early 80’s. I had an old lawn tractor that had a steering mechanism that when you turned the steering wheel the back axle would pivot. So the turning radius was very tight and great for mowing around all the trees I had. I kept fixing it until I got fed up working on it. I was telling a millwright I worked with and he had a GT that he had at his camp to cut the grass there. He suggested that he bring it over and try it out to see if I liked it. At that point I just needed a machine to replace the one that was broken down. So I said sure and he showed up with a Case 446 with a mowing deck. I was ignorant about Case hydraulic drive GT’s but he had manuals to educate myself. It worked great but didn’t cut around the trees as easy as my old lawn tractor. I told him I liked it and then brought over a snow caster and a set of ag tires for the rear. My son cut the lawn for years with the 446 because I was working six days a week. The story goes on how my hobby got started but that’s for a fire side chat with a few libations. Harry