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This month we will look at IH 86 series literature from the 1970’s in honor of the newly released Toy Tractor Times International 1086 anniversary tractor. The T.T.T. 1086 is one of those tractors that looked great in the pictures and is even more impressive in person. When I add a tractor like this to my collection, I often like to collect sales literature that tells me more about the real thing.
The most impressive feature of the 1086 tractor beyond the Precision parts and paint detail by ERTL is the collector’s edition box. The box features historical pictures and information on the 1086 tractor. I asked Jay Hasert where the interesting pictures came from and Jay responded by saying they came from IH literature, of course. So let’s look at the literature for what it is.
International Harvester introduced the 1086 and other 86 series tractors in September 1976. The initial information released on these tractors was through magazine ads and popular farming publications. The ad featured the all-new Pro-Ag 86 series IH tractors parading down a road. Leading the way was the 161 HP model 1586, next the 145 HP model 1486, followed by the 130 HP model 1086, 105 HP model 986, 104 HP model Hydro 186, and the 85 HP model 886. The 86 series tractors featured an all-new heavily sound insulated operator’s cab with mid-mounted design. The operator was now located 1.5 feet ahead of the rear axel for better visibility and a smoother ride. The 86 series was the first IH tractor to incorporate electronics in the cab. Unofficially, this ad was proclaiming that IH had a modern tractor that would go toe to toe with the John Deere Sound-Gard tractors.
IH released the first full piece of literature on the IH 86 series tractors in December 1976. This brochure is 24 pages long and details the entire line and its modern features in full photograph. This brochure is a great piece for IH enthusiasts to collect. It is fairly common to find on EBAY and at toy shows. You can expect to pay around 10-15 dollars for it.
In Canada, IH released a similar piece on the 86 series tractors with a different cover. The cover shows a fish-eyed photo of the interior of the cab from the driver’s perspective. The title on the cover of the Canadian version is “Quite Plus Tractorr.” You may remember that Jay Hasert used that title as one of the hints for the 2004 Toy Tractor Times Tractor and it threw some people off because they thought it might be a John Deere. Jay knows his literature well and that’s why it pays to research his hints. The Canadian IH 86 series brochure is a common find on EBAY and will often bring 15 dollars at auction.
The big piece on the 86 series is the 1977 International Harvester Buyer’s Guide. Jay used the 1977 Buyer’s Guide on the front of the 1086 box. This piece is part of a long line of IH literature that ran from the early 1960’s through 1984, and was continued on by Case IH from 1985-1996. The Buyer’s Guide showed every product made by the company for that year and gave a brief overview of product features. Often the latest advancements in new offerings were put on the cover. For the 1977 IH Buyer’s Guide, the 86 series was the big news and a silhouetted x-ray of the new tractor boldly proclaimed the new 86 line. This brochure is one of the hardest IH Buyer’s Guides to find and often brings upward of 70 dollars.
The last 86 series brochure of the 1970’s was released in 1979, and the cover of this brochure featured an IH 1486 parked in the barnyard of the IH photographic farm in Illinois. The last brochure to feature the white paneled IH 86 series tractors was issued in 1979. In 1981, IH re-released the same brochure with airbrushed pictures depicting the black and red tri-striped decals that closed out the IH 86 series. This brochure is similar to the original 1976 brochure with its information, but it does offer different pictures. I noticed that several of the pictures on the Toy Tractor Times box came from the 1979 brochure. The value of the 1979 brochure is often affirmed at 25 dollars because it is much less common that the 1976 version and the later 1981 revision.
Along with this article, I am including a video of IH promotional footage showing the IH Pro-Ag 86 series tractors hard at work. Sit back and relax as you watch the golden age of International Harvester. The 86 series was the best selling tractors for IH in the 1970’s decade. Did you know that nearly 50,000 1086’s were made between 1976 and 1981? The tractors debuted during America’s 200th birthday in 1976 and concluded their proud run as part of International Harvester’s 150th anniversary in 1981. These tractors set a sales pace unmatched by previous models, and because of their popularity, the IH 1086 was the 2 millionth International Tractor produced at the Rock Island, Illinois Farmall plant.
Hopefully you will enjoy looking at the literature pictures viewing the video. If you haven’t already purchased a Toy Tractor Times 1086, maybe the video will make you want to get behind the wheel of a 1/16 replica.
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