Price check on IH 404

[JSharp]

I looked at an IH 404 today and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me anything about that model along with what it might be worth.

It's a '62 showing 2900 hours but the meter "stopped a while back." Gas engine was gone through 2 wears ago at the local Case/IH dealer, $2000+ worth of work, and I confirmed that. It's been supposedly used minimally since then skidding small logs with the 3 point.

Looks like it's been shed kept it's whole life. All the tin is there and is in good shape. Little rust and everything is straight. Tires are about 75% rear, maybe 50% front. Nothing seems to be leaking much.

It comes with an old Ford 3 point sickle bar, maybe 6' or 8'? and a 6' Woods rear finish mower that needs a gearbox.

The guy wants $2500 for the lot. Out of line? I'm going to go look at it again tomorrow. Any thoughts or tips on what should I look for?

Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance!

[Jim_WV]

Don't know what a reasonable price would be, but here's the info. from tractor data.com.
http://www.tractordata.com/td/td328.html

[JSharp]

Tnx Jim. The size of the tractor is about perfect for my needs and the price is low enough it's hard for me to pass up. Plus I know the seller and he's known to be a straight up guy. At the same time having never purchased anything like this I don't feel like I have much of a clue about what I'm looking at here...

[bulletproof1510]

The 404 is a great tractor.. I am currently helping a buddy of mine with his... He received his free but the ol thang had not been run in 20 years. Had to replace all the push rods and internals due to most of the metal being rusted in half. Looked real bad.

[JSharp]

I bought the one I was looking at a few weeks back. It had some minor problems ( for a 45 year old tractor ) that I've been working on -

Lower 3PT links bent and the bushings shot.
Wrong drawbar with a mickey mouse mounting arraignment.
Oil pump gasket blown giving low oil pressure.
Oil pan leaking and a stripped pan bolt
All the instrument lights out.
Hour meter not working.
Assorted rusty and broken fasteners for the tin.
No remote hydraulic valve or circuit plumbing.

Working on rusty stuff is always such a joy. Even better is straightening out 45 years of "rigging" by former owners. Finding the correct hydraulic stuff was kind of a chore too though I have it all now.

So, I might just have all of these things fixed by this weekend... Finally! And overall it's not been too bad of a job on what appears to be a pretty solid old tractor.

I think this thing will be great for me. Simple, cheap and easy to fix. And just the right size for my intended use. Now if I could just find an IH 1501 or 1550 loader...

[sonny]

I have a IH 404 ---504----2444---560---plus 3 cubs all gas models and a 2504 diesel. they are handy size models!
the 404 is in my garden pics and I do have all the tin, just don't have it put back on yet!-- former owner was NOT a tractor person so you can imagine the mess it's in!!---but it runs!
$2,500 is a steal for one if it starts and runs/most every thing working, etc! thanks; sonny

[JSharp]

Hey Sonny, I just noticed you're in Downs. That's maybe 45 miles from me. I'm over east of you near Paxton.


My 404 is pretty much solid. All the tin is there and is pretty straight even if it is showing the midwest rust. The engine seems solid, tires are good etc. The only thing I wonder about long term is the clutch.

Getting rid of 45 years of "get it done fast" repairs has been sort of a pain but I'm almost though that. I'm sure it'll be just great once it's done.

[BillH]

Just bought an IH 404. I will post pics soon. She's beautiful and runs like a dream.

[JSharp]

Post some pics Bill. We'd like to see it!

[bontai Joe]

I couldn't help you on the price, but sounds like a good tractor if you can fix everything wrong with it yourself in a couple of weekends.

[JSharp]

I guess it's been a month now Joe. Time flies when you're having fun. The major stuff on the tractor is all solid, just a pile of smaller things that needed done and I figured I might as well do them now. Plus I'm not nearly as fast as I used to be.

A few hundred $ and a few weekends of work to take care of it all will seem like nothing down the road. Hopefully I'll get some good years service out of it.

[sonny]

I have been to Paxton a few times,--hauled hot rock from the Downs plant to Paxton when I drove for Melton's bout 7 years ago!
Bought a 3-point hitch from a used parts guy way back in the mid 80's, don't know if they still there or not, they were located out in the country, I think west of town, then south a ways! Englebrecht?? might have been the name!
My 404 has all the aux. hyd. outlets and 2 valves, left and right side plugs right under the gas tank and 1 out the back on the right side! --It had a loader on it when I got it and I couldn't crawl across it to get on/off the tractor, so I took it off,--a guy from MI. bought it.---It was a model 2001 loader.--I had 2 skidloaders,a case 580 backhoe/loader, If all else fails then it's "MOOSE-TIME"--(IH 250-C crawler!) thanks; sonny

[JSharp]

Originally Posted by sonny

I have been to Paxton a few times,--hauled hot rock from the Downs plant to Paxton when I drove for Melton's bout 7 years ago!
Bought a 3-point hitch from a used parts guy way back in the mid 80's, don't know if they still there or not, they were located out in the country, I think west of town, then south a ways! Englebrecht?? might have been the name!
My 404 has all the aux. hyd. outlets and 2 valves, left and right side plugs right under the gas tank and 1 out the back on the right side! --It had a loader on it when I got it and I couldn't crawl across it to get on/off the tractor, so I took it off,--a guy from MI. bought it.---It was a model 2001 loader.--I had 2 skidloaders,a case 580 backhoe/loader, If all else fails then it's "MOOSE-TIME"--(IH 250-C crawler!) thanks; sonny

You're lucky your 404 came with all of the hydraulics. Those have been the only expensive parts I've had to scrounge. I have one remote for now and I'll add another when I feel like spending another $300.

The 2001 loaders were really too big for that tractor IMO. A 1501/1550 would be nice to have though. Less crap to climb around and over and better engine accessability.

I don't know any Englebrechts. I've lived around here off and on for most of my life but don't know everyone. Nice to see someone here that's almost local though.

[KJKeiser]

I had a very similar question. I stoped and looked at a 1965 IH 404 w/ loader yesterday and wondered what it was worth.

It has 2852 hours on it and sets in a used implement dealers lot. Looks to be well kept and fenders and sheetmetal are straight and pretty much rust free. Rubber is checked and pretty worn but holding may be needed in short future.

They have a tag on it for $5,500.00

I want to use it for snow, garden, & general work on my 7 acres in the country. As far as size it is perfect for moving wood, stones, snow and other projects I'm sure to come up with.

[JSharp]

I'd say $5500 is too much but... What's a good price and what's not on old tractors is sort of a hard call isn't it. Lots of factors and it depends so much on location. After looking at a ton of adds before I found my 404, I decided around here the prices seem to somewhere in the middle. Not cheap, not too high.

I paid $2500 for mine and everyone in the area said it was a very good price. But, it had manual steering, no remote hydraulics at all and no loader. Those things add at least another $1500 of value to what you're looking at. Maybe more if you need the loader and it's not too worn. But the marginal rubber will sure bring down the price.

I got a couple of mowers with mine. A 5' 3 pt mounted Howse that's a bit rusty and needed a gearbox. I fixed it for $175. And a Ford 501 that to me isn't worth much over scrap price.

The condition of mine is probably average. The paint is crap but the metal's all there and is pretty straight and not too rusty. And mine has very few hours on a recent engine rebuild.

So.... Best thing to do IMO is look around your area and talk to every farmer you know. Find out what similar equipment is going for. That'll give you some idea of local value. And being as it's at a used equipment dealer you know the guy has plenty of room to move from his starting price.

You're right about it being a very nice sized tractor for all around use as a non-farmer. And much less $$ than a new CUT. After working on mine I can say too that overall they're pretty simple and the long term maintenance should be cheap and easy with no more hours than I'm going to put on it.

Now if I could just get all of the air out of the hydraulic system on mine...