Bruce Fredrick is the second owner of a 1976 International Harvester model 464 gas tractor. After it came off the showroom floor from Hays Implement in Oconomowoc, Wis., with a 2250 Montomatic loader, it was owned by Jerry Necteshiein of Mapleton, Wis., and was mainly used to haul manure and pull wagons.

“When it left his farm, I paid $5,500 for the tractor in 2003. It had worked 3,800 hours but was in rough shape — lots of dents, scratches and rust on the tire rims. While driving home the fuel line plugged, and I barely got to my driveway,” Fredrick says. “I tore everything apart and began restoring the machine.”

Sprucing up

Fredrick rebuilt the motor and added a new seat, tires, clutch and parking brake. The most difficult and time-consuming tasks were removing the back end and replacing the rear axle bearing. After sandblasting, painting and fixing all the dents, Fredrick had invested $5,000 over the years.

This utility tractor was manufactured by International Harvester from 1973 to 1978 in the Doncaster, England, factory. Features included two-wheel drive, a wide front end, hydrostatic power steering, independent hydraulic wet disc brakes, dry disc clutch, 4-by-2 two-wheel-drive chassis, 10.1-foot turning radius, 18.5-gallon fuel tank, a wheelbase of 75.2 inches and a weight between 4,100 and 5,130 pounds.

It had an electric starter; four gears in two ranges (low/high) plus reverse; an open operator station; an optional rollover protective structure; and either an IH 2.9-liter, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled gasoline engine or an IH 2.9-liter, three-cylinder diesel engine with a rating of 39 hp on the gasoline engine and 38 hp on the diesel drawbar. The listed price was $8,500 in 1978.

The 464, always stored inside, is used primarily to move snow and goes to the Baraboo Tractor Show, local Christmas Day parade, Fourth of July festivities in Hartford, Wis., and St. Patrick’s Parade in Erin, Wis. In 2014, the tractor was driven to the annual Mackinac Island bridge ride in Michigan. It has operated 400 hours since being purchased 20 years ago.

“This is my favorite tractor because I always worked on the model 464 when employed as a mechanic,” Fredrick says. “It’s easy to drive, handles flawlessly, offers a smooth ride at 30 mph, a clear view both front and back, and certainly lives the life of luxury from those days of hauling manure.”

Persinger writes from Milwaukee. To have your favorite tractor featured, email or send in a photo of yourself with your tractor, along with a 300-word write-up about the tractor, to: [email protected] or Wisconsin Agriculturist, P.O. Box 236, Brandon, WI 53919.