| Case 4wds 1964-1972 Posted by Case Traction King on 4/13/2007 Thirty Years of Traction King Part I Case 4wds 1964-1972 by Jason Hasert The year 1964 ushers in a myriad of traction and power. January 1964 began this new era of four-wheel drive technology in the farm industry with the introduction of J.I. Case's Traction King Series. These popular tractors set precedents and led the industry in 4wd sales with cutting edge rigid-frame four-wheel steering technology that was a main stay in the Case line for 30 years. In the mid 1960's, tractor makers like International Harvester and John Deere were breaking the 100 hp barrier with tractors like the Farmall Turbo 1206 and 5010. Case wanted to compete in the big tractor market, but also wanted to offer a bolder tractor for the big operator. Case's 102 hp 1030 row crop and wheatland tractor was a solid machine but farmers were looking for more power and capability. Case was ready to offer a new tractor in a larger scale to compete with the IH and John Deere. Row crop tractors of the 1960's broke 100 hp, but were unable to deliver all that horse power to the ground in the field. For example, the 121 hp John Deere 5010 faced wheel slippage that could only be counteracted with weight on the rear wheels. Extra rear weight helped put power to the ground but also compacted the soil after each pass by the tractor. The 1200 Traction King marked the entry of J.I. Case into the large horse tractor market. Case's 1200 all wheel steer 4wd offered a new option on the farm that the other big tractor makers did not. Case used components from its 30 series row crop tractors and wheel loaders to develop a powerful 120 hp tractor that could handle an 8 bottom plow at an affordable price under $15,000. The 1200 was powered by a turbocharged Lanova 451 cubic engine, supported by industrial strength axles and a large category III 3pt hitch. Production ran from 1964 to 1969. The most unique design feature of the 1200 Traction King was the special four wheel drive steering system. This system utilized all of the 1200's engine power and required no additional weight, giving it an edge over the John Deere 5010 and International 1206. The front wheels and rear wheels steered independently of each other while giving all around traction for heaving and wide tillage. The operator controlled the front wheels through a hydrostatic steering pump attached to the steering wheel whereas the rear steering was controlled by a hand lever on the dash next to the steering wheel or through a rocker foot pedal when the operator was busy steering the tractor. This feature allowed the operator to multitask chores such as staying straight on the plow furrow, raising and lowering the implement, engaging the PTO, and steering on wet and hilly fields. Steering the Traction King could be coordinated in many ways including, traditional steering of front tires only, rear tires only, front and rear tires in opposite directions (automatic coordinated steering), or crab steering with the front and rear wheels pointed in the same direction allowing the tractor to work the side of a hill without slipping down. Coordinated steering set the Case 1200 and future Traction King models apart from traditional front steering row crop tractors and rear steering articulated four wheel drives. The Case 1200 was the first four wheel drive in the industry to offer coordinated steering. When the rear steering lever was placed in the coordinated mode, the steering of the rear wheels was controlled by the steering wheel. Coordinated steering was used on short turns at the end of the row because the front and rear wheels turned in the opposite direction. For example, front wheels to the left and rear wheels to the right made a very tight left turn. This feature would be helpful when plowing point rows in a field or cultivation of row crops. Crab steering was another technique employed by the Case 1200 for working on hillsides. Farmers working a tillage implement across the side of a hill have to fight gravity that drags the implement downhill and pulls the rear of the tractor down with it. This slipping effect leads to unnecessary extra passes. Crab steering alleviated this problem. In the hillside situation the operator can put the Case 1200 in crab steer with all four wheels turned in the same direction uphill. The tractor and implement would then track straight ahead. Crab steer compensates for the side draft in hillside tillage operations. According to the Williams Brothers of Big Sandy Montana the owners of the world's biggest 4wd the 900 hp Big Bud 16V-747, the Case 1200 Traction King was the first real power house on their family farm that allowed them to grow and work more acres efficiently. Robert and Randy William's worked with traditional wheatland tractors and felt the big iron machines never worked to their full potential. The Case 1200 got the field work done for the Williams in record time and put less strain on the operator. The Willams were not alone in liking the Case 1200. Farmers purchased 2,041 1200's from Case in five years. The 1200 started its production life as a small project on Case's wheel loader production line in Racine, Wisconsin. The tractor's popularity caused it to be produced on the full production line along with the Case row crop tractors until it was replaced by the 1470 TK in 1969. The new 145 hp 1470 Traction King tractor took top honors as the largest tractor built by Case to the date of its 1969 introduction. The Case 1200 proved to be a good tractor, but there are always improvements that can be made. The new 1470 TK was powered by a 504 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine utilizing direct injection which was a totally new design adding more power and reliability. The 1470 TK not only had an improved engine over the 1200, but also introduced a new disc type brake for smother stopping action and the transmission speeds were improved from 6 to 8 speeds in the 1470. Also, the fuel tank increased from 50 gallons on the 1200 to 100 gallons on the 1470 TK. A Case designed and manufactured cab was not available from the factory on the 1200; very few Case 1200 tractors had after market cabs installed at dealerships. The new 1470 offered an after market cab as well and it was very well received because it was especially made to fit this tractor with factory installation. 1470 Traction Kings with cabs became a much more common site than open station models. Dual wheels were a new popular option on the 1470 adding more traction and flotation than the 1200. The Case TK 1470 was produced on the same line as the new 70 series row crop AGRI-King tractors. The 1470 was more of an upgraded 1200 from the 1960's rather than new power like the row crop AGRI-King tractors built for the 1970's. Case produced 1,323 1470 TK's from 1969-1972. The 1470 TK was replaced in 1973 with a new generation of Traction King 4wds that would offer modern comfort and power that would make J.I. Case a leading seller of 4wds. The early Case 1200 and 1470 Traction Kings proved to be very popular with farmers from the east coast to the west and in between. Dairy farms of Western New York used these tractors for plowing and cutting silage, while farms in the hill country of Palouse, Washington used Case Traction Kings to plow and seed wheat on the steep terrain. By 1976 the Traction King was the number one selling four wheel drive tractor on the market. In the next issue we will continue to follow the rise of the Traction Kings popularity through the 1970's and into the early 1980's. Did you enjoy this article? Read more like it on tractors from 1960-1990 in Tractor Shop Magazine. Related Link: www.tractorshop.com 
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