Best tractor engine ever made? 3.. 2.. 1.. go !

[Aircooled]

These are my two choices also. The Powerstar was such a massive improvement on the old engines that it was almost unbelievable. They moved CNH larger tractor engine of Ford design into the very top tier and they run for ever almost with very few issues. The electronically controlled injector pumps on a couple of models played up though.

The Cummins was a simple design built of fewer parts than most and just worked very well indeed. A cheaply built engine in construction efficiency terms that just worked well by any measure you care to use. Torquey, fuel efficient, long lived, simple to service and repair/overhaul and reliable. A better engine than all rivals apart from the Powestar.

Perkins generally had good engines and almost defined the ‘average’ by which others were compared to. With that in mind they are good engines with few exceptions but lost their way and then lost the majority of their customers under Cat ownership for various geopolitical reasons.

Disappointed you didn't rate Same engines. Powerstar engine is good but nothing more. Hard on fuel, prone to drop a valve and fuel issues, prone to blow by. I think you're being sentimental.

 

[wdah/him]

These are my two choices also. The Powerstar was such a massive improvement on the old engines that it was almost unbelievable. They moved CNH larger tractor engine of Ford design into the very top tier and they run for ever almost with very few issues. The electronically controlled injector pumps on a couple of models played up though.

The Cummins was a simple design built of fewer parts than most and just worked very well indeed. A cheaply built engine in construction efficiency terms that just worked well by any measure you care to use. Torquey, fuel efficient, long lived, simple to service and repair/overhaul and reliable. A better engine than all rivals apart from the Powestar.

Perkins generally had good engines and almost defined the ‘average’ by which others were compared to. With that in mind they are good engines with few exceptions but lost their way and then lost the majority of their customers under Cat ownership for various geopolitical reasons.

I can understand they were a big improvement but not what I would call a good engine. Loves a drink, not fussy oil or diesel, will do. 8-10000hrs get the head checked as a precaution and to be honest neither our ts115 or mxm 140 would set the world alight for grunt in respect of the hp they are.

 

[Henery]

Merc engine’s in MB tracks and Unimogs are pretty bomb proof with a bit of maintenance. Brilliant starters too ….
had an OM366 in a 208 combine, that was a great engine…
Other than the above JD466 will run to huge hours….
wonder what the economic life of modern whizz bang electronic managed engines is ?

 

[Spear]

Too much farting about when brand new is to blame for the majority of engines that consume oil.

Had a Deutz 6.05 back in 89. Arrived on farm and went straight onto mower then the forager for a solid week. Engine still glazed.

 

[Cowabunga]

Disappointed you didn't rate Same engines. Powerstar engine is good but nothing more. Hard on fuel, prone to drop a valve and fuel issues, prone to blow by. I think you're being sentimental.

Same air cooled engines are good on fuel but they are not the most robust or long lasting engines out there when worked hard. They can run very hot and their combustion is hot. Far too hot to have a hope of meeting emission regs. It may be as a result of running so hot that they just don’t last as long as some engines doing the same work.

I’m not being sentimental. I own Perkins, used to own Deeres, own and run Same and Powerstar. Also worked in the tractor trade for a good decade.

 

[Cowabunga]

Had a Deutz 6.05 back in 89. Arrived on farm and went straight onto mower then the forager for a solid week. Engine still glazed.

That was unfortunate. Air cooled engines were certainly more prone to glazing when new. A neighbour had an Antares 100 Same four cylinder that also glazed when new. Had to hone the bores and new rings fitted before it was sorted.

 

[Timbo]

That was unfortunate. Air cooled engines were certainly more prone to glazing when new. A neighbour had an Antares 100 Same four cylinder that also glazed when new. Had to hone the bores and new rings fitted before it was sorted.

Had one that did the same - a 7807. Addicted to oil , smoke screen everywhere it went, and was rebuilt with less than 200hrs on clock. Dealer blamed moving it around the yard abit before sale. Didn't question it so obviously not the first they'd done.

Was given death on the dyno immediately after rebuild and was fine after. Ran it to 9000 something hrs.

 

[Flatlander]

Forgot to add a lombardini to my list. Have a two cylinder one driving an air seeder fan. runs all day at full chat and not a minutes bother in the ten years I ran it. Could plant 400 acres on ten gallons of diesel. Turning the hydraulic fan on my cart now add another 2 gallons an hour usage on the tractor. More than double

 

[Runs Like a Deere]

Most engines that use oil from near new have not been run in hard enough. Too much light running and/or idling during the first 50 to 100 hours resulting in glazed bores. Most engines these days have cylinders that are plateaux honed and should be run medium hard from the get-go after warming up.
Very few Powerstars use any oil worth noting and mine, for example, needs no additional oil between 300 hour services at just on 10,000 hours. This is not exceptional for many brands of engines and I ran a Deere 2140 for 9800 hours and it’s still working today under different ownership, and it never needed its oil topped up between services despite having a much smaller than average sump oil capacity and being worked very hard. Not unusual for many, even most engines until high hours.

Here’s my old 2140 bought new in Sept 1984. Picture taken at local vintage and classic show in Sept 2021, making it 37 years old. Clock apparently stopped some five years ago at 11,000 hours approx.

View attachment 1027794

We put a 2140 round the clock too, was the tractor I learned to drive in. Was traded in for a 6210 that we still have today.

The 2140 went to Cyprus to work in an orchard or a vineyard after us, I wish we still had it. Compared to the tractors we have today it had a lot less power but it I don't remember it really struggling ever.

The only thing I remember it requiring was a clutch master cylinder and a radiator hose other than that it was bomb proof!

 

[fermerboy]

I've had 2 powerstar engines, and both use/ used tremendous amounts of oil.
One I had from new ( TS 115 ), and it used a lot from day one. Dealer wanted me to chart the oil used against diesel consumption. Great.

Surprised to hear that.
I have 5 powerstars here varying from 9000- 18000hrs and none of them use oil.
They get well hammered here, lot of hills, and not a lot of mercy, but they get regular oil changes with good oil.

Best engine ever? probably not, but a serious gamechanger for Ford tractors, and tractors of all brands in terms of performance and reliability.

 

[celtis man]

Basically any of the John Deere 50 series engine's, they are still working away in their 000's and still ruddy good

 

[Cowabunga]

We put a 2140 round the clock too, was the tractor I learned to drive in. Was traded in for a 6210 that we still have today.

The 2140 went to Cyprus to work in an orchard or a vineyard after us, I wish we still had it. Compared to the tractors we have today it had a lot less power but it I don't remember it really struggling ever.

The only thing I remember it requiring was a clutch master cylinder and a radiator hose other than that it was bomb proof!

Mine needed three clutches [my father always started off a gear too high with eight ton silage trailers behind], at least one slave cylinder, rebuilt HiLo unit and PTO clutch and a replacement auto hitch, all before 6000 hours. Then at about 9000 it needed a rebuilt main hydraulic pump. That’s about it really. It was worked very hard and did thousands of acres with Kidd Klipper drum mowcons and eight ton silage trailers behind. On mixer wagon all winters.

 

[sjt01]

Too much farting about when brand new is to blame for the majority of engines that consume oil.

My MAN 12 litre biogas CHP engine is rated to use 0.5 grams of oil per kW hour. That is a design oil use. If it were in a tractor it would certainly be in the running here
How many other engines have clocked up over 95,000 hours?

 

[daveydiesel1]

Disappointed you didn't rate Same engines. Powerstar engine is good but nothing more. Hard on fuel, prone to drop a valve and fuel issues, prone to blow by. I think you're being sentimental.

Why did u move away from same when u could of bought a deutz from the same dealer thatd been easier on the juice

 

[Aircooled]

Why did u move away from same when u could of bought a deutz from the same dealer thatd been easier on the juice

No bargains there and no cheap parts either. My mechanic semi retired. So went blue and still struggling for a mechanic.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Aww danny oconnell would sort a deutz for ye, he loves them

 

[Aircooled]

Aww danny oconnell would sort a deutz for ye, he loves them

Aye he does my merlo.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Aye he does my merlo.

Hed be 1 of the big reasons id consider another zetor

 

[Spear]

My MAN 12 litre biogas CHP engine is rated to use 0.5 grams of oil per kW hour. That is a design oil use. If it were in a tractor it would certainly be in the running here
How many other engines have clocked up over 95,000 hours?
View attachment 1027856

11 years running 24/7 that’s impressive

 

[sjt01]

11 years running 24/7 that’s impressive

On its fourth set of pistons, liners and heads though! Turbo service exchange every 14000 hours