Hello all from Maine. I didn't think I'd be so into owning a house, but now that I have my own 444, and I like it.
I grew up in Hampden and spent countless summer days mowing a couple acres in the back yard with my fathers mid 80's 224. I do recall the reliability of this machine and it never seemed to mind getting through the grass. During the winters, once I got old enough, I was taught how to blow snow. This was great, I have very fond memories of this and remember the power this tractor had.
Fast forward more than a decade, I lived in Colorado, skied much and learned some engineering, I moved back to Maine and got a great job as an Environmental Engineer, a desk job, and have nearly moved back to the west coast more than one time... Then I found my land in Brunswick and I'm happy doing the east coast thing for some more years.
I had a major dream last July that snow coming and I need a machine to deal with it. Knowing about uncle henrys, I found an early model (1971) 444 for sale in Bowdoinham. I am still in aw that I got the tractor with turf tires and chains, blower, mower, and blade for $250. Plus a spare motor, but all that is worth is the muffler.
So far I have put the following into it: ball joints, steering key, axle pin, rear main seal, spark plug, fuel pump, electric clutch (more on this), battery, belts, and couple cans of degreaser and WD40.
I thought the thing to have was an electric clutch, so I did went for it. This work okay for the first 3 large snow storms we had this past winter. Then the bushing I had machined got loose and whack, the clutch was broke, it worked, then it didn't, I threw it away last weekend. Then I used the tractor for what is just loves, twitch logs, and it is very good at it. I've been cutting pines and hewing for later use. I just couldn't bare burning them and couldn't get a sawyer out this spring so now I have some larger materials drying for some project down the line. Probably a log pole barn for my tractor.
I found a vintage shim adjust clutch on ebay and recently I have been collecting all the parts I need for a complete rebuild. I look forward to getting this working because my grass is growing!
Some future projects that I will be completing to get this machine working to it's potential for the next few years (though I hope for a decade or more) are replace the radiator, ignition switch, axle seals, and rebuild each of the implements. So I have some work ahead of me, but I just am still thrilled to have my own CASE tractor.
I grew up in Hampden and spent countless summer days mowing a couple acres in the back yard with my fathers mid 80's 224. I do recall the reliability of this machine and it never seemed to mind getting through the grass. During the winters, once I got old enough, I was taught how to blow snow. This was great, I have very fond memories of this and remember the power this tractor had.
Fast forward more than a decade, I lived in Colorado, skied much and learned some engineering, I moved back to Maine and got a great job as an Environmental Engineer, a desk job, and have nearly moved back to the west coast more than one time... Then I found my land in Brunswick and I'm happy doing the east coast thing for some more years.
I had a major dream last July that snow coming and I need a machine to deal with it. Knowing about uncle henrys, I found an early model (1971) 444 for sale in Bowdoinham. I am still in aw that I got the tractor with turf tires and chains, blower, mower, and blade for $250. Plus a spare motor, but all that is worth is the muffler.
So far I have put the following into it: ball joints, steering key, axle pin, rear main seal, spark plug, fuel pump, electric clutch (more on this), battery, belts, and couple cans of degreaser and WD40.
I thought the thing to have was an electric clutch, so I did went for it. This work okay for the first 3 large snow storms we had this past winter. Then the bushing I had machined got loose and whack, the clutch was broke, it worked, then it didn't, I threw it away last weekend. Then I used the tractor for what is just loves, twitch logs, and it is very good at it. I've been cutting pines and hewing for later use. I just couldn't bare burning them and couldn't get a sawyer out this spring so now I have some larger materials drying for some project down the line. Probably a log pole barn for my tractor.
I found a vintage shim adjust clutch on ebay and recently I have been collecting all the parts I need for a complete rebuild. I look forward to getting this working because my grass is growing!
Some future projects that I will be completing to get this machine working to it's potential for the next few years (though I hope for a decade or more) are replace the radiator, ignition switch, axle seals, and rebuild each of the implements. So I have some work ahead of me, but I just am still thrilled to have my own CASE tractor.
