# IH 656 questions



## .netDude (Nov 26, 2004)

Anyone have known issues with the IH Farmall 656? What's a collarshift? Is there anything specific I should know before looking at one? 
Thanks.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

A gas version would use lots of fuel. The collar shift is just a manual tranny. I do not think the 656 has a synchronized shift.


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## Dave S. (Jul 5, 2006)

We have several 656's here, all diesel. My former boss had a 656utility, gas, very hot machine, and burned plenty of gas. When the shifting linkage gets worn, you can sometimes get it into two gears at once. Simply remove the battery box cover under the steering whell and knock the shifting linkage down. You can prevent this by making sure you are out of one gear before going into the next, it really isn't a problem that often. Two of ours have close to 20,000 hours on them, one with original motor, (very tired) Check the Torque amplifier, the handle on the left. pull it back, it is like a two speed, see if it slips when you push it forward. If you have any more qestions, let me know, I have done a lot of maintenance on these over the years. Getting ready to rebuild another one soon.


Dave


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

As Dave says, the manual transmissions can stick in gear as they get worn unless you are very deliberate in your shifting. We have a gas rowcrop one that has been on the farm here for about 25 years. One tough beast.
If you are looking at one, clarify if it has full 3 Pt. hitch or IH Fasthitch system. Adding the two lower spears and the 3rd link to get 3 Pt. hitch can add to cost of tractor. Also, hook tractor PTO to an implement and run pto.
Determine two things : Does pto have strength to continue running when under load? Does pto stop when you shut it off? Both of these items are quite repairable if in defect, but purchase price should reflect this.
If a narrow front model and you will be operating in mud, expect to replace front wheel bearings often. The wide front models are preferable for most operations.


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## Old Vet (Oct 15, 2006)

I've had two. One is a 656 diesel with hydro static trainsmition. The other was a 656 diesel with a manuel transmition. Watch out for the slack in the manuel trainsmion shift link. Never had any problems with either one. The only reason that I sold them was the tractor did not have enough power to farm with six row equiepment.


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## Jim S. (Apr 22, 2004)

They make a shift kit to go in those older IHs to solve the lockup problem. A firm out of Wisconsin is advertising them in farm papers down here all the time.

I have the same lockup troubles with my MF, especially the 2-R shift. I learned to shift out of gear, pause just a sec in neutral, then shift into whatever I need.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Jim S.
On the Massey the end of the shift lever that is in the tranny the shaft is configured in a ball. If you will remover the lever and have a skilled welder to build up the ball end then take a grinder and convert the mass into a cube the problem with the lock up will cease. You will be coverting a "marble" into a square that resembles a "dice". You will want to put a small radius on the corners of the "dice". This modification will align the shifting mechanism to where the slots remain aligned with each other. With the current design, when shifting the "throw" is such that the momentum will let the slots in the shifting mechanism misalign and you have a lockup. If you will rob a panel light from a junked vehicle and have both a hot and a ground lead you can connect same to the battery and insert the bulb into the tranny through the filler hole and it will light the insides and you can visually see the lockup and how to move the linkage to realign same.


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## .netDude (Nov 26, 2004)

Thanks for the responses. Still shopping...

As for the amount of gas it uses, I did read somewhere else that it's a gas hog. So my question is in relation to other gas tractors, is it double? I'd be using it maybe 5-10 hrs per week, except in haying season. Is it unreasonable to think of using this tractor to cut, rake, and bale 50-60 acres, or would I be paying more for gas than they hay is worth?


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## Dave S. (Jul 5, 2006)

I wouldn't be surprised if it would burn 3-4 gallons an hour. A diesel656 would use about 2 or so.


Dave


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Since the fuel tank holds 33 gallons the manufacturer realized it was a fuel hog. Loaded I doubt that the tractor would run a 10 hour day on a full tank.
I just looked up the Nebraska test for the tractor. It uses 5.21 us gallons of gas per hour under load.

0909 1965 Farmall 656 Gas IH 6-263 3-9/16 x 4.390 1800 63.85 54.00 

 Fuel per hour 5.21 weight 6,935

The diesel specs
0912 1965 Farmall 656 Diesel Dsl IH 6-281 3-11/16 x 4.390 1800 61.52 54.00 

Fuel per hour 4.28 weight 7,230


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## .netDude (Nov 26, 2004)

is this the site : http://tractortestlab.unl.edu/testreports.htm ?
-seems pretty useful. I couldn't find the 656 or old deere's (4010, 4020). Did you just go to the 'test reports' page? Can you find this info for a ford 5000 diesel?
Even the diesel 656 is pretty high.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Take a look here. This is the best I can do for the Ford 5000
www.tractordata.com
The fuel consumption is not listed but the Ford 5000 diesel with the manual transmission has a great reputation


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

If fuel consumption is a deciding factor, you may want to look at the Massey Ferguson tractors running the Perkins Diesel engine. I believe the 165 and 175 models would be an example.


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## Dave S. (Jul 5, 2006)

4.28 seems very high for a 656D, IMO. We have a 756 that will do that, and more, and a 1256 that will do twice the work on less than that.


Dave


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