| Case 4wds 1972-1983 Posted by Case Traction King on 4/13/2007 Thirty Years of Traction King Part II Case 4wds 1972-1983 by Jason Hasert The 1970's was a time of change and growth for Case. The company changed its course from a full line agricultural equipment to a tractor specialist. 4wd tractors would become a key product a Case. In 1972 Case announced that it would be dropping the majority of its implement line and combine division. Case sold less than 7% of the combines in North America going into the seventies. Case seeders, planters, manure spreaders, mixer mills, hay and forage lines offered even lower sales numbers. With an aging equipment line and a modern powerful line of tractors it was a logical choice for Case to focus solely on tractor production. Case did continue supplying large tillage implements to its dealers. The company out sourced tillage implements to Glencoe and plows to White/Oliver. With big horse power tractors and select tillage implements Case became known as the "Big Tractor Specialist". A new generation of Traction King 4wds would fit into Case’s big tractor plan of the 1970's. In 1971 Case introduced a redesigned Traction King that offered the modern styling of the AGRI-King line. The model 2470 became the first 4wd Case to offer all major components from in house. Case relied on parts from the large horse power row crop 1270 and 1470 to build the 2470 Traction King. The 174 hp Case 2470 used the same 12 speed transmission, hydraulic system, planetaries and axles as the 1270/1370's AGRI-Kings. The pto power at 2,200 rpms ran 100 rpm faster than the 150 hp 1370. The biggest change from the TK 1470 to the 2470 Traction King was the POD cab. The new cab shared AGRI-King styling and incorporated the cab and operator platform as one unit. The instrument panel, fire wall, operator console, steering wheels, seat and control levers were all built as one unit in the cab. Past models had an outsourced cab fitted over the operators station. The new POD cab was designed to keep dirt and noise away from the operator. Case also introduced an innovative filtering system on the 2470. Located under the hood the self-cleaning air induction system draws in air from the grille. The air passes from the front of the tractor through aspirated strata tubes that break up the dirt particles. The larger particles are expelled through the exhaust system. The smaller particles were collected by the tractors two stage air cleaner. The Case 2470 was offered with two wheel steering and 4 wheel steering when it was released in 1972. The 2 wheel steering models were marketed to farmers in flat land regions such as the wheat belt that would not require 4 way steering for slopes and muddy situations. Four way steering on the 2470 was only an $850 option and proved to be so popular that soon after the tractors introduction it became standard. Not only was Case changing its product line up when the 2470 was introduced but is colors would also change. The 2470 was the last new tractor introduced by Case with the Desert Sunset tan paint scheme. Case’s focus on big tractor power paid off and by 1973 ag tractor sales increased by 46%. Farmers demand for big new tractors like the 2470 were so high that Case discontinued the small horse power tractor line at the Racine, WI factory to increase production capacity. Case acquired David Brown of England to fill the small horse power and utility tractor needs in its dealer network. By 1974 Case was had a global presence with its Case and David Brown tractor lines. David Browns were sold in the U.S. with the Case name plate and Case tractors were sold in England with the David Brown logo. With world wide sales Case decided to unite the Case and David Brown color schemes by keeping the Case power red on the tractors chassis and David Brown white on the sheet metal. By 1975 the new Power White/Power Red colors were offered on all Case tractors including the 2470 Traction King. The Case 2470 was a popular tractor and its sales proved with over 7,000 units sold. The 2470 offered modern comfort but many big operators were looking for more power. From 1964 to 1974 Case only increased the horse power of the Traction King 4wd by 54 hp. By the mid-1970's the 4wd market was the fastest growing segment of tractor sales. More power meant more customers. The 219 hp Case 2670 Traction King joined the 2470 in 1974 to give customers two choices in horse power. The Case 2670 had all the features of the 2470 and offered a new hydrostatic steering system. When case first developed the Traction King they used hydraulic assist on the rear steering. The 1200, TK 1470 and 2470 all used the hydraulic steering. Hydrostatic steering on the 2670 allowed the operator to move into any of the 4 steering modes of the Traction King by flicking a switch on the console. A light on the dash would indicate which type of steering was in use on the 2670. By 1976 Case Traction Kings were the number one selling 4wd on the market. The Case 2470 and 2670 out sold Steiger, Versatile, John Deere, International Harvester, Allis-Chalmers, Massey Ferguson and White. The nimble and yet Case 4wd were making their mark in the 4wd market. The 70 series was joined by the 300 hp Case 2870 in 1977. Case built the 2870 by redesigning the 2670's axles and transmission to handle the increased horse power. The big 4wd utilized a Saab-Scania six cylinder turbo charged engine capable of 252 pto hp and 200 hp at the draw bar. The POD cab was redesigned to meet new Roll Over Protection standards. The 2870 had new hood styling that was a preview of a new generation of 90 series row crop and 4wd tractors. In 1978 Case introduced the new 90 series row crop tractors. The new line of tractors ended the 9 year run of the AGRI-King series. Case enhanced the 90 series with a distinct new grille and hood. A new cab called the Silent Guardian was added to the 90 series tractors. Improved maintenance features were added with a tilt up hood. The Case Traction King series was upgraded in 1979 from the 2470, 2670 and 2870 to the 4490, 4690 and 4890. The 90 series 4wds dropped the Traction King name from their decals. Overall the new 4wds looked very much like the 2870. The new tractors continued to use 4 way selective steering. Steering control was improved on all models by using finger tip selection and electronic control. The Con/Trol hydraulic system incorporated in the 90 series made much better use of the 4wds hydraulics. The 175 hp 4490 and the 220 hp 4690 both used the Case 504 cubic inch engine. The 4690's engine was turbo charged and intercooled. The top model in the 90 series was the 4890. Like the 2870 the 4890 used a Saab-Scania six cylinder turbo charged engine. The 4890's engine rating grew one horse power to 253 hp. The Case Traction King line took the 1970's by storm. Farmers were short on equipment and big on gaining land. Grain farms to dairy farms found many uses for Case 4wds. Farmers bought the 70 and 90 series models in great numbers. Case was a leading seller of 4wd tractors into the early 1980's. I would like to note that the Case 2470 was the first tractor I ever rode in as a child. It was pulling a Case 7 bottom plow and I watched it for hours working in the field across from my house. The 2470 was and is still owned by Kholman Farms of Churchville, NY. The Case Traction King 4wds of the 1970's were built to work and many are still going strong 30 years later. In the next issue of Tractor Shop we will look at a time of transition for Case and its 4wd line through the mid-1980's and into the early 1990's. Model 2470 Produced from 1972 to 1979 with a total of 7,996 units Model 2670 Produced from 1974 to 1979 with a total of 6,387 units Model 2870 Produced from 1976 to 1979 with a total of 1,259 units Model 4490 Produced from 1979 to 1983 with a total of 3,453 units Model 4690 Produced from 1979 to 1983 with a total of 2,512 units Model 4890 Produced from 1979 to 1983 with a total of 2,706 units Did you enjoy this article? Read more like it on tractors from 1960-1990 in Tractor Shop Magazine. Related Link: www.tractorshop.com 
|
| Views: 2331 |
|
|