Just for fun: WD45 vs. D15 II, Who wins?

Hi all,

As a kid we had a WD45 with 14.9 x 28's(fluid) and wide front end and stock pistons and sleeves. In later years, a D15 II was brought to the farm to be second in line to a D17 IV and the WD45 got the trip bucket loader put on it. One Spring while the D17 was discing another field, I put the 3-16" 70 series plow on the D15 II and made an attempt to plow some sod. This was the SAME plow we used on the WD45 years earlier. It was a big disappointment. While many times over the years the WD45 had all it wanted in tough sod in second gear, the D15 II would have been better off with 2-16's that day. Nebraska test HP measurements are at a steady load and sometimes don't represent a plow hitting a tough spot and yanking the engine down to 12 or 1400 rpm. The D15 II has terrible lugging ability compared to the old W-226 running at 1700 rpm. In my books a D15 was a nice replacement for the WD, not a WD45.

My Dad would say a WD45 and I agree. Something almost magical about that tractor. Although my uncle showed up a 70 Deere when helping a friend of his to plow a field back in the 60's. My uncle had a D14 with 3x16 plow and the 70 also had a 3x16 plow but only the 14 coupld plow where it was wet. The 70 had to pull out. I guess my uncle was pretty proud of that 14.

norm[ind wrote: ]  you can talk on this oneput mounted equipment on both an see which is the lightest on the front???lke a 4-6 row cult  a 4row planters  the 15 will out preform the 45 then        due to the axle geometry been there done that

You're exactly right there. The 45 needs weight in the front but when weighted the answer is the 45. My uncle's 14 would handle a 4 row rear mounted cultivator better than Dad's 17. Weird that way.

Edited by Lonn - 09 Jan 2011 at 8:48pm

If you are doing any PTO work I would say the D15 would be more powerful.

But on a hard pull like plowing alfalfa the D15 wont keep up to a WD45.

I'd say the WD45 over the D-15 To Qute Mipankey "I live in the fantasy world where there is no replacement for displacement and the king who rules is named Compression"

Don(MO) wrote: I'd say the WD45 over the D-15 To Qute Mipankey "I live in the fantasy world where there is no replacement for displacement and the king who rules is named Compression" The 45 has the bigger engine in it. That being said it will be hard on say for sure tell you put them back to back. lol

  The 160 ci engine proves the king who rules is compression 160 ci at 8.1 compression hp  vs 226 at 6.5.1 compression .  Draft the d 15 hitch will squat the front tires when under a heavy pull .

At the end of the day when I crawl into bed after driving either of them I would certainly wish I had been driving the D15II with PS all day over the WD45 which usually didn't have PS. As for raw horsepower the 45 would win most of the time.

I would say that the WD45 would win on the "more cubes" argument....but I think a D15 SII with the extra gears would probably out plow a WD45. I think it would also use more fuel....and keep a guy busy with a hand on the pd. When I was a kid I got to haul silage wagons with our WD45D along with my uncle and his D15 Si Gasser....he would beat me with an empty wagon, but I would catch him with a full one....the good old days!

Edited by Eldon (WA) - 09 Jan 2011 at 9:26pm

AHA! A D17.....

Sorry Two Twenty, what was I thinking

no replacement for displacment

D15!

Hook a 4-14 plow behind the D15 and see how far you get with it.  Then hook it behind a WD45 and go plow.

RMD wrote: Really wasn't the D-17 the replacement for the WD-45 with the D-15 equivalent being more like the WD category?

Yes - agree the D17 was the evolution of the WD45...thought the D14 was the direct replacement for the CA then it evolved into the D15 & D15 Series II.  Mike