International Harvester 1466 Turbo

David Jones is no stranger to the International Harvester (IH) brand. The six-time British super stock tractor-pulling champion, whose pulling tractor is a Case-IH Magnum 340 named Just Smoky, runs an all-red tractor fleet on his Midlands-based tillage farm, including this 1976 IH 1466 Turbo, which he purchased in 2009.

“My attraction to the 1466 was based purely on the fact that it uses the same engine block that we use in our pulling tractor,” explains David. “This particular tractor came from a farm near Detroit in Michigan, where it had been since it was brand new.

“It was largely used for cultivation work and planting. However, in recent years it had been used to power a huge grain auger. Believe it or not, it’s never been restored. The previous owner kept it in great order, constantly maintaining and painting the tractor to keep its original appearance. It’s clocked more than 12,000 hours, yet it looks almost brand new.”

The IH 1466 was produced from 1971 until 1976. Designed as a replacement for the IH 1456, a tractor famously billed as the biggest International row-crop tractor ever made at its 1969 launch, the 1466 was powered by a DT-436 (7.1-litre) turbocharged six-cylinder International diesel engine, rated at 133 PTO horsepower.

The 1466 introduced larger final drive gears, bigger brakes and a heavier front-end casting. Other improvements included re-designed front axle spindles, which had been a failure point on the previous 56-Series tractors.

On the steering console, the dash panel now featured gauges, replacing the warning lights used by its predecessor. Improved night lighting was also introduced. However, the independent PTO on the new model remained available in 1,000 RPM specification only.

“The only thing that isn’t standard equipment on this tractor is the exhaust pipe,” admits David. “In the US, these chrome stacks are a popular add-on for these older tractors. Not only do they sound better, but they are also far more attractive than the bulky black silencer pipe the tractor came from the factory with. I do still have the original exhaust though!”

Driving the International 1466 is not dissimilar from any other American row-crop tractor of this era. A comfortable seat perches the operator on top of the vehicle, with all of the main controls, including the gear levers, sprouting upwards from the dash console.

The steering is super-light, but very direct, and the working view is unimpeded. But it’s the sound of the engine at work that is the most impressive feature of this tractor.

With the turbo on-song, the exhaust note of the 1466 is knee-trembling, the big Yank making surprisingly rapid progress for a two-wheel drive tractor, even with 8m of steel turning in the soil behind it.

“When I bought it, we had the tractor dyno-tested by our local dealer to see how healthy the engine was,” reveals David. “The dynamometer indicated the tractor was actually producing 178hp at the PTO shaft.

“I can’t remember driving another two-wheel drive tractor like this,” he adds. “It has so much power. It feels like a pulling tractor when you open the throttle. If it had a set of dual wheels and some front weights, you could drop the Vaderstad Carrier in all the way and it would keep going.”

There is no doubt that David Jones is a man whose dedication to the Case IH brand is insatiable. Yet even a man like David, with Case IH paint surging through his veins, is still amazed by the 1466 tractor’s abundant power, as he candidly reveals.

“The performance of the 1466 never ceases to impress me,” concludes David. “I really only use the tractor occasionally for fun. We sometimes use it as a pit tractor, for towing Just Smoky at tractor-pulling events. Honestly, it’s the best two-wheel drive tractor I’ve ever owned.”