International Harvester Tractors 1955-1985 by Ken

[Laapa]

International harvester tractors 1955-198 by Ken Updike
This is one of those books where the autor is given a chance to glorify his favorite color without restriction (a concept usually assosiated with John Deere).
128 p, color pictures. MBI publishing.
I like it, it covers the history of Internationall harvester to the very end at the Case takeover in 1985. Plenty of pictures from old sales litterature.
I like it beacuse of it's extensive coverage of the 2+2 models, but it it a great book for everyone who has any interest in machinery and red machinery in particular.
It is good to read a book entirely absent of JD influence once in a while.
Unfortunately US built IH's only.

[Bermuda_Ken]

As the author of the "IH Tractors 1955-1985" book I can say that it was a great pleasure to build a book covering the often times forgotten late model IH's.  I received numerous requests from readers who wanted a "non letter series" IH tractor book.  I hope that this book covers those needs.

 I need to point out an important fact about this book that sets it apart from so many other tractor "books".  That is the use of original IH photos throughout.  The photos in the book are from IH, showing these tractors the way IH made them (or alteast intended to) NOT as some owner "modified" them to fit thier operation.  THAT makes a huge difference as many readers use these books as guides to restore thier tractors by. Hopefully this book will help the IH collector.

[Woodbeef]

Hey Bermuda_Ken,

Welcome to Ag Machinery! You'll find it ran a tad different around these parts,but different in what I feel is a good way!

Never knew that was you that wrote the book!!

Great book,good read. Like you say it is not your average put together history!! A "Motors Book" it is not! Best info I've found yet on IH!!

[CaseIHTractors]

If you like IH, this book is a must have.
The best I have seen in ages.

Howard

[Iron Horse Man]

We have the book and have read it all.We cannot understand why John Deere even warrants a mention in this book.The 5 tractors that John Deere introduced in 1977 were lied about and slandered in this book.In the book is says that The New Iron Horses were really warmed over tractors and that they were really something old dressed up as something new.Now according to a guy named JR Hobbs John Deere begun work on these 5 tractors right around the same time that Generation 2 tractors were introduced in 1972.That was said in Green Magazine.Why would John Deere spend 5 years wasting time and money on a line of tractors that are supposedly warmed over and really old when introduced 30 years ago?This book never acknowledges that the 4040,4240,4440,4640 and the 4840 were really improved from front fuel to the rear drawbar.But there 5 tractors had a plethora of improvements of them for the farmer.Here are many of them straight from the September/October 1977 Furrow:New pulling power,greater hitch lift,heavier power trains,smoother ride,quieter,longer wheelbases,bigger engines,more usable hydraulic power,more weight,more cooling capacity,larger fuel tanks,longer warranty.All 5 tractors also got bigger engines.The 4040 got the same cid engine as in the 4230 but all the rest got the newer 466 cid diesel which John Deere had first put in the 8430.Also bigger torque reserve on all models,new bigger stronger heahier internal engine components,more built in weight,new 4 pinion differential,biger PTO shafts,new tire sizes,new Sound-Gard Body mounts, and new improved standard lighting.The 18-hp 4840 had the Sound-Gard Body and a 8 speed powershift as standard equipment.And a John Deere and Industry exclusive was the New HydraCushioned Seat.Now why were these facts about the New Iron Horses omitted from the 1955-85 IH book?