Rebuild Restore a Case

Hi again Tom,
Though I suggested a 100 series for the sake of styling, if you're looking for a working tractor with a 3-point I think the most bang for the buck will be a 1971-up 444. They used the two-tone paint up until early 1976 and can be had at a reasonable price. All of the attachments from '71-'88 will work and the Kohler K321 is powerful enough to do some real work but inexpensive to rebuild. This model will give you the 16" back wheels, the snap-fast attachment system and the option of a category 0 3PH and hydraulic PTO needed to run any of the proprietary Case/Ingersoll hydraulic rear attachments including a tiller, finish mower, brush hog, chipper, or log splitter. All parts are readily available either new or used and they are simple to work on.
John

The bigger tractor is a 1974 model 446 that was repowered with a 16HP Kohler. The original engine was a 16 HP Onan twin, and while there is no better engine, they are getting a little pricey to rebuild. All of the 400 series have 16" rear wheels and can be fitted with 3PH and hydraulic PTO. The smaller tractor is a 108 which is a basic lawn tractor with 8" rear wheels. The 200 series are built like the 400 series, but have 12" rear wheels. They are very good machines also, though I prefer the ground clearance and traction of the 400 series. Most of the 200 and 400 series came standard with the hydraulic mid lift, and a sleeve hitch can be had that uses the belly cylinder. This is a less expensive route to go than a 3PH but the implement choices are not quite as vast. If you have a 3PH there is a sleeve hitch adaptor that will allow you to use either style implements. The tillers are set up for a sleeve hitch, so that adaptor is required if you plan to use a tiller on a 3PH.
John