A Success Despite the Rumors

Brooks McCormick had great expectations for International Harvester but realized he was facing an uphill battle. The direct descendant of Cyrus McCormick sat at the top of the company in 1971 and yearned for IH to introduce new tractors, painfully aware that their chief rival, John Deere, had claimed the number one spot in ag equipment sales the previous decade.

Despite being saddled by debt and an overly diversified book of manufacturing entities (some of which were drawing down the company), McCormick invested in ag R&D. IH had a history of innovative advances, having introduced the revolutionary Axial Flow combine and hydrostatic transmissions in tractors.

Out of the swirl of concepts IH engineers considered emerged a one-of-a-kind tractor aimed at farmers wanting an articulated 4-wheel-drive (4WD) machine that could readily run down rows.

Four-wheel-drive sales were growing at this time and the market appeared ripe to take a different approach to 4-wheel power. So in 1979, the unique IH 2+2 tractor was born with the introduction of models 3388 and 3488.

IH promotions said they offered “the versatility and maneuverability of a 2-wheel drive… plus the traction, stability, and flotation of two more drive wheels.”

Stark Differences in Design

Unlike conventional 4WD tractors, the 2+2 cabs were located behind their articulation joint. This provided the operator a great view of equipment at work behind the tractors.

Furthermore, the power plants on the 2+2s were mounted ahead of the front axle. This increased the weight on the front-drive axle and improved traction.

Another advantage of the 2+2 design was when these tractors were pulling an implement. The draft load produced by the implement operating on the rear half of the tractor tended to stay straight ahead, even when the front half of the tractor moved to steer. This action was similar to a standard 2-wheel-drive tractor and increased the 2+2’s tractive efficiency.

A True Crossover Tractor

Here was a crossover tractor that offered row-crop farmers the best of both worlds — a 4WD tractor that could readily negotiate rows thanks to a 15.8-foot turning radius. And the 2+2s were feature-rich, to boot.

For example, the engine compartment ofthe tractor was completely enclosed, keeping the engine cleaner and reducing engine noise. However, the tractor’s hood easily rolled forward to completely expose the engine for maintenance and repair.

The 2+2’s cabs were quiet, featuring IH’s Control Cab. When tested, 78.5 decibels seeped in the cab and farmers’ ears, compared to 81 decibels in the IH 4WD Model 4788.

Another advance was a Category III 3-point hitch that provided draft control utilizing IH’s exclusive torsion-bar low-link sensing system.

This feature automatically adjusted three-point height when a mounted implement hit a tough spot in the field. Hydraulic power for the 3-point and hydraulic outlets was supplied by an industry-exclusive pressure and flow compensation system. This design sensed the amount of hydraulic power needed during operation and automati- cally delivered only that power, thereby not sapping energy from the engine.

Later 2+2 models 6388 and 6588 would be the first tractors to offer radial belt tires (which boosted tractive efficiency) as standard equipment. The fact the tractor had a 15.8-foot turning radius thanks to the 39° articulation steering was surprising to most buyers.

Use of Existing Major Components

Despite the 2+2s’ unique design features, these tractors employed a large number of tried-and-true components already in use on other IH tractors.

The first 2+2 tractors employed the rear half of Model 1086 2-wheel-drive tractors. This unit was equipped with an 8-gear transmission with two ranges and partial power-shift on-the-go and under load within gears in a range. This transmission was first introduced by IH in 1972 and employed an improved version of its Torque-Amplifier feature.

The design also used IH’s existing 3-point hitch and PTO used on 86 Series tractors. IH made use of existing power plants as well. The Model 3388 ran with the Model DT-436 turbo-charged unit, while the Model 3588 was propelled by the Model DT-466 turbocharged engine.

Only the front ends of the tractors were new, and they were outsourced from a company in Japan. Employing existing components allowed the first 2+2 models to be introduced and put on the market in a relatively short time compared to other model advances.

Rapid Succession of New 2+2 Models

The first two 2+2 models, the 3388 and 3588 (produced from 1979 to 1981) were joined by a third model in 1980, the 3788. Just two years later, a new series of tractors was introduced in the Model 6388. In 1983, the Model 6788 replaced the 3788. Then in 1984, the Super 70 Series 2+2 was introduced in the form of the models 7288 and 7488. A Model 7788 was in development to replace the 6788, but never saw production. Replacements for the 7288 and 7488 were on the drawing board in the never-built models 7688 and 7888.

This rapid replacement of models was not, as some tractor historians have contended, a way for IH to compensate for design flaws in the 2+2s. Rather, the tactic was a means to capitalize on the tractor’s popularity.

Once maligned, misunderstood, and often made light of, the 2+2 was in fact a huge success story for IH. In its first year of production, nearly 3,000 model 3388 and 3588s sold. This represented over a quarter of 4WD sales in 1980, an accomplishment unheard of before or after this time.

And the 2+2s popularity continued: Over 10,000 30 Series tractors were sold both in North America and Europe.

Victim of the Times

IH had plans for the 2+2 in the mid-1980s. Two additional Snoopy’s (the endearing nickname it had earned) were in development, one of which, the Model 7888, boasted having 300 hp.

But IH’s economic problems continued. Burdened by an abundance of aging factories, mounting employee benefit costs, and management missteps, IH was suffering from a financial meltdown while the 2+2 was enjoying success.

A devastating labor union strike in 1979 cost the company $579 million. This was exacerbated by the fact that IH had an enormous inventory of machinery on hand prior to the strike that had to be sold in an economy that was less than rosy.

For example, 4WD sales plummeted 55% from 1979 to 1983. Management seemed oblivious to this fact. Instead, they increased production, turning out more machinery and growing inventory.

On Nov. 26, 1984, Tenneco bought out IH’s ag division merging it with their machinery firm, Case. In the ensuing months, management of the new company, tabbed Case IH, opted to kill all IH tractor models above 80 hp. This eliminated the 2+2 line, whose design was shelved forever.

In its place, Case IH would develop the Magnum line, which featured front-wheel-drive. This advance, first introduced by Minneapolis-Moline in 1962, was coming to its own with farmers still yearning for a 4-wheel powered tractor with the agility to run down rows.