D-17 Gas or Diesel

Which one would you buy and the reason why? (if you don't mind me asking) friend of mine owns a gas and Diesel they're both the same year both around the same hours everything is pretty much the same on them the only difference is one's a gas and other is a diesel. both run good to. I plan on putting this one to work with a 6 row cultivator and maybe a couple of other things to. he offered to let me buy one of them off of him. I was curious which one you guys would choose. Thanks

Edited by 72AC200 - 13 Apr 2020 at 2:19pm

Agree For what you’ll be doing the gas tractor is plenty and a fraction of the price to rebuild if ever necessary

Gas definitely, the diesel is great for collecting and more valuable for that reason but there are certain things that have to be done each time you use it or it will give engine troubles and even then it can be a problem at some point. If you really are fussy with them they can be alright......When I worked at the Allis dealership the older mechanics there told me that they had lots of trouble with those engines and they had one particular farmer that had purchased two D17 diesels and he had constant problems with the cylinder heads..... I don't remember the specifics but he traded them both in. They got sold and one farmer had bought one of those D17's but he never had trouble with it like the previous owner. His trick was to never shut it off after working it. Instead he would let it idle until after he finished chores and in the winter he would cover the engine with a horse blanket after shutting it off. He did that religiously. IMO that engine, no matter how you treat it, will always have the problem of sinking sleeves. I'm not sure if anyone on this forum has the cure for that.... that's the biggest problem with those engines as far as I know. Saying that, I've never owned one or ever worked on one.

I bought a series 4 diesel back in the 1970's. It was the most reliable tractor I have owned. It was putting out 70 hp on the Dyno. With 15wx40 oil and a 1500 watt circulating block heater, I had no trouble starting it in the winter. I am no longer able to farm so I sold It back to the original owners son last fall. I grew up on a series 1 gas. It was also a very reliable unit. I always wished AC had built them with a differential lock. Wide front and a factory 3 point is a big +.

Best choice ?? a D-17 with the 433-T 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine !!

I've had a D-17 IV diesel for 25 years with no trouble. I treat it gently, warm it up, cool it down, etc. Yes diesel is cooler but for practical use, I'd advise you to buy the gas. 

I'm speaking from a Minnesota point of view, mind you, where winters can entail weeks of below zero weather in a single stretch and from the view point of growing up on a dairy farm where our D17 (gas) had to start and run every day no matter the temps and be reliable, which it was. The same doesn't apply to other areas and a D17 diesel may work out fine...... I guess.