Well folks, I am at it again: I snuck into TractorDon territory without paying his regular toll…
I have had a TD9B on my “Bucket List” for some time, and during the course of purchasing one, I ended up with 2 of them. Go figure!
One is already going out on rental to pull a grain drill.
My diabolical plan is to hook up some #40 scrapers to some D4Ds as well as the TD9Bs. I’ll run them side by side with some discs as well.
There might be a couple of you that can appreciate the IH crawlers. Any commentary regarding the good, bad or ugly of then would be appreciated.
I look forward to shining up the pads. JM

Hi, juiceman.
GOOD ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LUVVVVITTTTT!!!!!!!!

The TD6s and TD9s were known for being a little 'gruntier' and for pulling better than the D2s and D4s of the time, at least up until the D4D. I don't how the TD9B compared to the D4D but would not be surprised if it performed a little better. A-Cs and IHs were known. at least around where I lived and worked, for outperforming but NOT outlasting their more or less equivalent Cat counterparts. The bigger IHs would also outperform their Cat counterparts but quickly developed a reputation for back end failures 'coz they were built as robust as the Cats and could not handle the shock loads of dozer work as well as the Cats.

The TD6s and TD9s didn't seem to have that problem or at least nearly as much.

After this little act of piracy, you had better keep a watch for 'border guards', maybe even equipped with M1 Abrams, when next you venture over thataway.

Just my 0.02.

If the 9B's are set up for the higher RPM they will outwork the D4D. Seems like that increased the HP by about 10 if memory is correct. Don't know about mechanical issues but I had an older 9 that never gave any problems but only had it a year. In the 9B days IH and AC along with Cat were tweaking all the ag tractors to get a bit more power out of them.

😉 Looking at picture 6, the drawbar looks almost unused😉😉 Must be a lemon they could not keep running.🤣

There where several of those around they seemed to run. The one I saw the most of was about a 1964 year. The original owner claimed he tested a D4 D along side it farming and it out pulled the D4. But he was a IH guy at heart, because all his machines were IH. At 10 or 15 years on the tractor the owner died, and another neighbor bought it and, in a year, or 2 he put lots of money into it. I know they started with engine trouble, which could of been operator ere. And once in a shop, things snowballed.

D4Jim: Glad you pointed that out. The original owners of the one with the rear Be-Ge unit, they demonstrated it and told the dealer to pick it up, as they said it was a dog compared to an early version of TD9B. They took it back and reset the fueling to operate at 2300 rpm, same as a power shift machine. The farmer was so happy at that point, they purchased a pair of them, one for the uncle and one for the son. The other one got snapped up by a family friend I was told.
Yes Ray, drawbar holes are round! Perhaps the previous owners knew enough to use the proper sized hitch pin? I have a D5 here with quite an elongated hole, it is in serious need of building back to specs. JM

Seeing that Farmers Mercantile Co. decal brings back memories, we bought some. A.C. Model L disks from them in the early eighties , they had a Cash lot on the outskirts of Salinas where they sold used equipment for cash and after which they gave you a receipt on the back of a business card and you were DONE, nice guys to deal with! This was back when things were still kinda simple and FUN not that way anymore. 17afarmer

your gunna need a bigger shed juiceman, if you keep adding to the collection like this.

but you know what they say the accumulation grows to suit the shed no matter how big it is.

Hi, trainzkid88.
Nope. For most of these fellas, the shed is ALWAYS outgrown even before it is built - - - - and that is ASSUMING that there IS a shed.

Just my 0.02.

I like the photos and the talk about the comparison between these farm crawlers. We have a D4D 20J 1968 and all I ever heard was how everyone loved the working 5th gear for lite jobs like seeding and harrowing, TD9B was very popular in our area, I think mostly due to dealer support. I picked up a 1968 B from a neighbor's estate a few years ago with a DAKOTAH dozer blade, and it had a decal on the fuel tank that said Agricultural Special, what makes it different, I assume transmission gearing and weight distribution? Wish I had photos to share but I made a quick flip out of it and its gone. Notice the change in the grill in the later B.

Deereskinner: Yes, different grills on the late machines. Heavy cast on top, instead of formed steel outer framework. Right again about Ag special; the late ones were called "Custom Application"; that makes me wonder when that came up, "Special Application" before or after? Copy cat? I like the flat deck and how there is no shift lever between my legs; It is too bad the IH does not have a Johnson bar for forward/reverse, but the way the lever is positioned, it is very easy to change directions.
It is drying out here, so we will test one of them out with a disc. It is too bad I do not own a 12' Unibeam disk to go behind one of these 9s.
Yes fellas, been out of indoor space here for quite some time. You know me, I keep saying NO MORE tractors, but it just so darn much fun! JM