# Case 1390



## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

I'm wondering if a case 1390 would be any good and what kind of money it should be worth. The in-laws are looking to sell the father-in-law last remaining tractor. It's a case 1390 with front end loader. Average condition at best. I have no idea of the hours. It was his loader tractor for his 40 cow dairy until he sold his cows in the late 1990s and he used it to plow the driveway since. The wife wants me to look at it and if I can buy it right buy it so she'd have her dad's last tractor. The only real uses for me would be to pick up bales of silage hay in the field and run a rotary cutter. It's too small for pretty much any other equipment around here. I'm just wondering if it would be ok for me with the silage hay or would it be too small, or junky? And a ballpark estimate for value would be helpful.
Thanks for any info you can provide.
Chris


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

How often does a wife urge her husband to buy another tractor? I think your answer is right there.

Sure it can't pull big, power-hungry equipment. But it would make a handy backup loader tractor. Lift a silage roll, pull a rake, more manoeuvrable than a big loader tractor.

Roger


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

That’s actually a David Brown, can’t recall the number. They don’t have the best reputation in Case forums as they are a little clunky but I always thought they’d be kind of a fun tractor to have. I saw one sell on auction couple years ago, I believe had about 6000 hours and sold for $4,100. Of course I had high bid to $4,000....


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Agree with bool. Extra loader is always handy (unless I guess maybe if you already have a handful) and it shouldn’t be something that costs much. Sentimental value combined with that, I’d say give it a home if you can work something out.


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

I figured if I could get it for less than 4k I'd get serious about it. I guess her siblings threw out a number of 6k. I don't know if that's reasonable or not.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Widairy said:


> I figured if I could get it for less than 4k I'd get serious about it. I guess her siblings threw out a number of 6k.


It might look better in the sibling's collection than your collection. Sometimes it is amazing how much someone who ISN'T paying thinks something is worth.

Maybe I wrong, but it isn't the first time I messed up, so, I'll apologize in advance. Didn't mean to be offensive.

Larry


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

No offense taken. None of her siblings want the tractor. They were salivating over the person buying the house and 5 acres saying that they might be interested. I really have to go look at it before I get excited about it. Knowing the wife she won't say anything to her brother who's been running point on the estate until it's sold and gone and then bitch about it for the next 5 years...


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

Offer what you and your wife are willing to pay. If the executor (siblings) reject it, so be it. At a minimum your offer will give you bitching rights should they opt to value greed over being nice to a sibling that wants something for sentimental reasons.

I have my grandpa's favorite tractor still, I have not used it for work since 2011. I get offers from his niece's husband all the time and I tell him it's not for sale. Funny how mad he gets about it.


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Neat little side story here. When my great-grandparents died, my grandpa and his siblings divided up the stuff. They held an auction just for the siblings. If you wanted it bad enough, you bid on it. $.25 or whatever was starting price and definitely affordable for everyone there. Then at the end of the sale, they tallyed up the money made, and divided it between the 10 of them. I don’t see how anything could be more fair. Of course now the kids of the siblings are mad because so and so wanted this furniture and mom didn’t buy it, but I want it now, blah blah blah.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

That tractor is a very dependable and extremely rugged unit! Well worth $4k with case loader. It could also be a hydra-shift trans. It is 60 pto hp. Its a great little unit compaired to a ford or mf of the same hp. Has more 3point hitch capacity too.
This was when Case really started laying down its power to modernize the david brown.


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

Just wanted to let you know that we decided to not buy the tractor. It was pretty neglected and trashed. Didn't even get to talking any money. Was just a "hard no" situation.


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

skyrydr2 said:


> That tractor is a very dependable and extremely rugged unit! Well worth $4k with case loader. It could also be a hydra-shift trans. It is 60 pto hp. Its a great little unit compaired to a ford or mf of the same hp. Has more 3point hitch capacity too.
> This was when Case really started laying down its power to modernize the david brown.


Not to get in a wissing contest, but a Ford 5610, same vintage, would prolly eat that 1390's lunch!


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

I don't know... both are good rigs but the simplicity and out right ruggedness and ground clearance of the DB/Case and fuel sipping would give it a good run. 
I've done too many clutches and power steering repairs to the Fords not put them at the top of my list. Also if the Case had the Hydra-shift its just a much nicer hay tractor.
My old man is like you, bout the same age even, and he just LOVES his Fords but every time he runs my 1594 he comments how smooth the engine is and how awesome it turns and how it sips fuel! 5.4L 6 cylinder in that rig too and it will use the same as his 2120 does tedding and raking with the 1594 mowing and baling.
Its hard to convert a Ford guy or a JD guy to any other brands but there are many other good tractors out there! 
I like the ones that are easy to fix and don't usually have issues my self lol.


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## Widairy (Jan 1, 2016)

Well I have an update. In the end the family decided we could have the tractor for the 2500 I figured it was worth. Just trailered it home today. It does have a hand full of issues. The power steering leaks (they don't know where), the seat is shot, the gauges are not readable, the gear shift is slopped out to the point of being dangerous, the tires are rough, and it starts hard and runs really rough til it warms up. Im thinking with some work it could become a nice tractor. At least the wife is happy, the tractor is a piece of her family farm.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Happy wife happy life $2500 is cheap for that


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