Case 644 for sale

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ssmewing United States of America
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Case 644 for sale

Post by ssmewing »

So, This tractor is well vetted as I never really felt there was not something that I could/should fix. I am asking $3,500. I know I have more than that into it. But, you have to give up some of that because you get to use it.

In the pictures, there will be a rear weight box and that is not included. It is only still on there because I still use it. It had a 3-point at one time. I had 29-12.50x15 tires and spacers on it. And the pile of parts that were all hand loaded and turned into a tractor.

These pictures are all the pictures I have of the 644 from 2015 when I picked it up to the present.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hu2bzMx6aMbwhKye6

If you have sharp eyes you will see the bucket has a bolt-on option. I made a cut-toothed bar to bolt to the bucket for when I need to scratch the ground or have a sharp edge to cut with. That is included.

So, I have a 644 and I have quite literally touched every part of it. When I got it, it was already disassembled and ready to be completely overhauled. And then it sat in that state for years. Changed hands a couple of times. And then I got it.

This was before I was known as the Hemlock Case Guy. I was still green. I had never even seen a 600 series Case in person before. So, I downloaded a copy of the parts manual and that was my only way to know what goes where and what else goes in places that I could not find in my various piles of parts.

I got it back together. I got it running and operating. I got to find a whole bunch of other things that needed to be fixed. Lucky for me, casecoltingersoll.com was still filled with all the OG members and I had someplace to go to ask questions. I sure needed them when I found most of my cylinders were leaking. Those things are not easy to do when you do not know enough to know how much you do not know. But, at least I knew that much. It is a lot worse when you do not know how much you do not know.

The 644 came from one of the Carolinas and I suspect near the ocean. The whole thing was surface rusted. But no rust on things like the cylinder shafts. It took a lot of metal preparation and a good primer paint. I thought I picked a good top coat. But, it has faded and flaked off over the years. The primer is still good and not really any rust.

After the painting came the time to assemble the many pieces and check for the operational status of the various operations. Some I was able to find and fix the first time through and many came after it was all operational. The Kohler 321 it came with ran fine and smoked a little. It had a starter generator. I was able to source an overhauled stator 321 from a golf course maintenance shop. It was like this as I went. The engine was now zero hours with a fresh overhaul.

I did discover after many years that the Kohler vibrations caused a chain of events that had me scratching my head. I had a bad oil leak at the suction hose area of the oil tank. When I removed the oil tank I found that the area of the tank all around the nipple was cracked. I looked at it and thought that it has to be something moving to do that. But, I did not see how that was even possible. So, I had the tank brazed and soldered since a used one was nowhere to be found. Soon after that, I was losing power on the hydraulics. I looked in the oil tank and saw very foamed oil. It is sucking air. The pump inlet was just sitting in the hole of the pump. It was no longer press fitted. I needed at least a new pump piece that included that exact same nipple because I had no room for even a 1/4" longer pump to fit. I eventually sourced that. But, why did that happen and the tank cracking was never given a why? I am a why person to my core. What I figured out was that a single banger creates so much vibration that the tank support being up from like a lone stand was vibrating. That vibration was moving the oil tank enough to crack the tank and pull out the pump nipple. I installed a very basic brace to the tractor frame from the tank support and that whole ordeal is now behind me and I finally got my why.

In between all this was the banana plate thing that takes way more parts than just that plate to get it right. O-rings on the bucket control that only did not leak for about a year. a small leak in the oil tank, again. I just leave those now at this point. It is a 1974 with a gazillion hours on it. I even got to swap out the rear-end.

The last things I had to fix are now solved. This engine just did not want to start when it was winter. It just would not crank fast enough. And then it would get hot in the summer and shut down. But, then it would run fine when cooled down. I found that the timing was way of. Every time I tried to tighten the screw on the points it was changing the points gap. Fixed that and so far I have run it for hours without it getting too hot. Then I replaced the battery with an AGM high-cranking amps battery and it spins much faster when it is cold outside now. Lead acid batteries have gone way up in price and the AGM batteries have stayed about the same price. So, I picked the better battery. It was not made by optima but it uses the same advanced design for a superior battery.
Last edited by ssmewing on Tue Jan 24, 2023 8:59 am, edited 2 times in total.
ssmewing United States of America
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by ssmewing »

You guys are getting the first look at this listing.

Right now I have this 644, a 4016/18PS, and a 444 for sale.

Normally, at least the last few years I have nothing for sale. The 644 is for sale because I upgraded to a 648 and finally did my full inspection of the Onan before I let my trusty 644 go.

The 4016/18PS is badged as a 4016-1. But it got lent out and came back with a bad engine and got an 18-hp Onan before I got it. This tractor has had every enhancement I know of and was supposed to be my forever tractor. Well, a sweet 4020PS came along and it is the later model that the rear PTO is under the seat. So, I have the new-to-me 4020PS all decked out and that means the other has to go. $3,750. Listed on Saginaw, MI craigslist.

The 444 was a salvage yard save. It had so many brand-new parts on it that I had to grab it and fix it right. I corrected the engine overhaul and then did the tractor and deck overhaul. $1,500 on Saginaw, MI craigslist.

I do not have a usable trailer. So, I cannot help with transportation.

The steal of the bunch is the 4016PS. It is very fresh and as close to getting a new tractor as possible today. And then it has my enhancements on it making it better than what was offered by Ingersoll. Once you have a 3-point and the selector valve, that is the only way you will go after that.
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Timj United States of America
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by Timj »

That loader was quite a project Steve, looks good. :thumbsup: I don't think you'll have any trouble selling it, seems like there is always someone looking for one.
Good luck. :highfive:
:446cart: let's go, it's finally time to blow. :peace:
Jancoe United States of America
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by Jancoe »

Just curious with the 4016ps-1. What is your serial number? I have a 4016ps-1 also.

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ssmewing United States of America
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by ssmewing »

Timj wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 7:56 pm That loader was quite a project Steve, looks good. :thumbsup: I don't think you'll have any trouble selling it, seems like there is always someone looking for one.
Good luck. :highfive:
It is the one that everyone wants. My price is high for what the old forum guys would have priced it at. But, Facebook has sent the prices way up. I could go higher, on Facebook. The one that is way high but also not totally justified is the 4016PS.

When you look at the photos you have to play that Johnny Case song where he built a car one piece at a time working at a GM plant.
ssmewing United States of America
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by ssmewing »

Jancoe wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 11:21 pm Just curious with the 4016ps-1. What is your serial number? I have a 4016ps-1 also.

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I know of 2 others. Caseman2 from the old forum has one, as a collector. He lives in Davisburg MI. and knows the other guy. I will get it for you later.
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Eugen Canada
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Re: Case 644 for sale

Post by Eugen »

If I didn't have two 644s and you were here I would buy your 644 on the spot. Thanks for giving members here a shot at it first.
Case 224, 444, 644, 680E
Kubota B26 :blush:
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