# Case 930 opinions



## Magard

I'm looking to fix up a older tractor to pull a 12 foot no till drill. Just looking for reliable cheap power. It will sit a lot but when I want it I don't want breakdowns. I was thinking of a old john deere 830 or 820 but I think the case is pretty tough to from what I have read. No experience with either tractor. Manly looking for gear drive power, seems to have to be that old to not have some sort of power shift. Any how the more input and ideas the better. I just like the old stuff.


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## hog987

The 930 comfort king was a good tractor in its day. I would rather drive an old 930 than any 4020 JD. Yes I have driven both. I have one but the motor went in it. Now its a part machine for dads case 930 which used to be grandpas tractor. Which he bought new.

Fuel efficient for its time. Lots of torque. The international 806 and JD 4020 were similar sized tractors. The case 930 was a smaller sized tractor than those other two but could do just as much work during the day and yet burn less fuel. With proper maintenance they are very realiable.

Weak points are the power steering belt needs to be kept tight and yes it squeaks a lot. Also the breaks are a bit weak. But the breaks can be rebuilt and the power steering belt can be replaced. If you get a 930 have an extra belt on hand. So if you ever have to take off the hood you can easily replace it.


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## Magard

Hey thanks Hog987 for the reply. From my reading I have heard about the power steering and brakes. If what I read is correct you can limp even if your power steering goes out because it has a gear box. Also the brakes can be gone through from outside. No spliting the tractor to get at them. Is my info correct. Also I have read that if it gets hot the heads will crack between the cylinders have you had any issues with that. I also wondered about cavitation or electrolysis because it has wet sleeves. Haven't read anything about that but seems like that might be something to watch for. Just trying to see what I might run into when I start fixen one up to work maybe three hundred hours a year.


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## hog987

Yes the power steering is more power assist. Tractor has gear box on it. Even with the belt slipping it has only been a problem on the loader tractor in tight areas. Breaks are easy to get at. Located on the side of the transmission. Never had a problem with heads cracking. It has 3 heads. One for 2 cylinders. That way if a head cracked you only have to work on the one section.


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## Magard

Good info Hog987 thanks. What do you think I should pay for a 930 ck fairly straight and running or maybe minor issues. I'm in CA. I think I might be able to find one close by.


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## hog987

I don't know anything about machinery prices in your area but can find ones around here for $4000-$6000 that will still run for awhile.


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## stack em up

Bought a Comfort King 930 open station couple years ago for $2,300. 3 point doesnt work and PTO clutch is bad so take it for what it's worth.

Engine is a 401 cid indirect injection, meaning it has power cells, which are notorious for cracking, which leads to hard starting. 
Early 930s are actually a chain drive rear end, but anything after 1964 will be bull pinion. If it says Comfort King, it'll be a bull pinion.

Loud and slow but that's why I just love that tractor.


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## Magard

I have heard of the chain drive and how tough it was, but it must have a differential somewhere or how would it turn. I've read we're it was the better setup but seems like more parts, differential and chains and bearings and all.


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## hog987

On the side of the transmission housing where the breaks are is where the differential is. That is what they are is differential breaks.


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## Magard

Is it like a crawler has with clutches and breaks or a actual differential.


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## Coondle

The Case 930 had 3 basic model runs.

The first with a straddle style out back station and fuel tank in front of the driver. Similar layout to the LA Case.

The second was the first of the Comfort Kings. A platform station with the fuel tank moved to under the seat. This model had round mudguards like the first run and also had chain drive. Look at the point the rear axles bolt up to the rear transmission, chain drive has slots too tension the chain. Chain drive did not give much problem, bluegrass broke more often than chains. There is a chain each side after the drive comes out from the differential, each chain driving one wheel. Do not knock chain drive, most big road graders have chain drive in the tandem cases on each side and lots of power poked through them!

The third model run , the second of Comfort King, was bull gear drive replacing the chains. This run had square mudguards.

Brakes not great on all model runs with multi-disc outboard brakes actuated by wedge shape and ball bearings. Need regular adjustment but not large discs so often not up to modern expectations.

Power steering was servo assist with a belt operated hydraulic pump. If you want to upgrade the hydraulic supply there are three options.

First:

Go to the junkyard and get a belt-operated power steering pump off a motor vehicle. I got the power steering pump off a Saab car and mounted it where the Case version had been after fabricating some brackets. It ran a little slower than it had in its donor car but was a huge improvement on the worn out Case hydraulic pump and fraction of the cost of overhauling the Case pump.

The second:

Obtain a hydraulic priority valve and plumb the tractor's hydraulic system to the priority valve with the first priority call going to the power steering cylinder and the second call to the standard hydraulics.

Third:

Remove the 930 hydraulic lump and replace it with the dual supply hydraulic pump from a Case 1070 tractor.

This pump was designed for the 1070 which had a small pump to service the hydraulic power steering (not servo assist but full power steering) and a larger pump servicing the other hydraulic needs. Need to be careful in the pump selection, The 930 pump mounts on the rear of the tractor and has a flat face that mates up to an O ring connection on the suction side drawing oil supply from down in the transmission. The 1070 pump however has several versions that although mounted on the rear of the tractor has a pipe connection with internal O rings to give the seal on the suction. You may need to transfer the 930 flat face section of the pump body to the 1070 pump.

One further vagary of the 930 series is that the hydraulics are low pressure by today's standard, about 1200 or 1400 psi compared to todays hydraulics of around 2500 psi

Now I have raised the 1070 power steering transplant, if you are very keen the 1070 front wheel assembly with its inbuilt double ended, double acting hydraulic power steering can be bolted up to the 930 engine, thus replacing the 930 front end with a better setup and improved turning circle.

HOWEVER there is much fabrication to match up the radiator cowling and radiator mounts and extend the engine bonnet.

I am part way through this very modification but upgraded to a Case 2290 so the project went into hibernation part way through but with some further variations; a front mounted hydraulic pump driven off the crankshaft with shaft through the 1070 front casting. The plan is to remove the 1070 steering wheel and power steering control and supply it from the front mounted pump.


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## Coondle

Magard said:


> Is it like a crawler has with clutches and breaks or a actual differential.


In regard to crawler tractors there are three basic systems.

A controlled differential as we know it and steering is achieved by braking one track thus directing some/all power to the other, This system was used on Track Marshall crawlers.

Then there is the more common crawler system with no differential drive and steering clutches to disconnect drive it one track and optional braking to that track

And selective planetary drives to drive one track at a different speed, neutral or reverse in relation to the other track. Case 350 for example

The Case 930 was none of these, but a conventional differential


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## Magard

Thanks for the info Coondle. Did the chain drive tractors have a pto?


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## Coondle

Yes all 930 model runs had a 6-spline 540 pto. Some were said to also have 1000 rpm pto but never found that on the two I have.

The hand clutch with single range gear change was interesting.

Did not mention the power, the 6 cylinder diesel model pulled like a train. My pre-Comfort King version had a gull-wing front axle with 9.00-20 tyres on front and 23.1-26 inboard tyres with 18.4-34 outboard duals on back. I removed the outboard 18.4's and reverted to the 23.1-26's as singles. In my heavy loam they had plenty of grip, indeed in third gear with a 24 tyne scarifier pulling up a 12% to 14% slope the front wheels barely touched the ground.

My round mudguard model only came with 23.1-26's at back and 7.50-18 inch tyres up front. These are hard to come by down under at reasonable cost. I obtained some secondhand snow tyres from Japan to do the job. Only snow tyres I have come across, they are rare here.

So far as a tractor to pull a 12 foot no-till drill, a 930 would have plenty of power, plenty of weight to do the job. But there is limited speed selection and these days the term "Comfort King" would possibly cause a false advertising suit. However in its day it was a quantum leap in operator well being over the earlier LA Case style tractors.

Lights were more for decoration than clear sight, so some LED's would be a good investment.

For the horsepower they were very economical. My 930's ( 401 cu inch 90 HP) each used less fuel per hour than a 236 cu inch 64 hp Deere engined Chamberlian I had, they would pull right through the rev range.

There are plenty of Case 930's on Youtube (don't know how to give links) There are early sitout back ones and both types of CKing.

Oh the model ranges were :
Outback 1960 to 1965,;

Round mudguard CK 1965 to 1967; and

Square mudguard CK 1967 to 1969.


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## Magard

Hey Coondle, thanks for all the info. This forum is awsome with all the people with actual experience. Thanks


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