Well, I have had several Case and Case Ingersolls, and Ingersolls. It all started when I moved to Southern Ohio and was looking for a mower for my yard. I stopped by the "Case Power" dealer and they showed me a "444 Demonstrator" that had been out as a Demo item a few times, equiped with a 48" deck, a 3 point hitch, and a center drive tiller. I loved that tractor! My father-in-law in NW Indiana came to visit soon after the 444 arrived at my place. When he got there I had just finished mowing my yard, and changed over to the tiller while he watched. At that time he had recently bought a new 400 JD with 60" deck and a heavy tiller (PTO driveshaft).
He watched me drop my deck and backed over to the tiller, dropped two pins in the 3 point hitch, plugged the hoses in and was ready to head for the garden. He commented something to the effect "I couldn't do that with my JD", and I asked him what he was talking about> He said "it would have taken me a half hour to take the driveshaft off the deck and get the mower deck out from under it". I had accomplished my task in about 15 minutes and hadn't hurried to accomplish that task. He did question my backing over the deck, rather than pulling it out from underneath. The JD deck was a pressed 60" deck.
My garden had been plowed by my neighbor with his 6 bottom plow and it wasn't totally even because it was very small to be doing with a 6 bottom plow. I went out to test the tiller out with FIL watching and almost as soon as I started he commented "I can't do that with my JD400 and tiller". What he couldn't do was with the clearance of the Demo 444 He couldn't straddle the plow furrows like I did. His comment was to the effect that the JD 400 didn't have the clearance that the 444 had and he would have been stuck on top of the furrow. To finish this part quickly: He did say since his Heavy JD tiller was better built than my center drive tiller, that his would probably outlast mine. He was right! I sold my tiller after 38 years and got a side drive tiller! His was around till we buried him 3 years ago! The guy who bought my old tiller is still using it today.
After I moved to Southern Michigan in 1989 I bought a 224 prior to bringing the 444 North. I loved that little thing! Man did it scoot across the yard! I had it around for a couple of years and finally sold it because with the tiller with 3 point the 444 was more versatile for what I was wanting to do. A few years later, I bought a 448 with the stylized hood that had been re-engined with a Linamar 770, switched the 3 point hitch over to it, and never looked back. Sold the 444. That Onan engine sure runs smooth compared to the Kohler! I have had a few other 448's, 446's, 3016, and a 4020. I have the original 448, and another one just like it that I currently use regularly. As some of you know I also have a 4118 "All Hydraulic" that is for sale, and my 4020 is torn apart currently redoing it just like I did with the 4118.
I have the 48" decks on most of the time, but have run the 60" decks at times. I really like the 60" decks and they do a real nice job. I run the 48" decks BC I have a "leafvac" for fall weather. When I am done putting the 4020 back together I will have the newer style 3 point, and hydraulics under the seat. That will give me the ability to mow and Mold Board plow, or till with either style 448, or 4020. I have 48", or 60" decks for both styles, I will have 3 points for either style, I have Snowblowers for either style. I am hooked on the high profile tractors!
The 4118 has hooked me on the Idea of a 4020 with power steering!
