The Advance of 1/64 Tires 

Part IV

by Jason Hasert


        Part four of The toy Tractor Times wheels and tires will conclude the series reviewing the history of 4wd tires.   4wds in 1/64 scale first debuted from Ertl in late 1982 and early 1983. 4wd toys unlike the early 2wds in 1973 started out with fairly high detail .

The Originals.
MF 4880 4wd.

      Steiger 4wds were the first 1/64 models offered by Ertl in the early 80's.  The Steiger Cougar,  Steiger Industrial and Ford FW-60 offered nice detail with windowed cabs and articulating frames.  These  early 4wds came on large single flotation tires made from hard plastic.  These large tires became the standard 4wd tire for Ertl.  In 1983 Massey-Ferguson entered the 1/64 market with an MF 4880 4wd by Ertl.  This model like the Steigers and Ford used the large singles. 

       1983 was a good year for 4wds. John Deere's 1983 Ertl Toy Guide previewed a new "Mini Four-Wheel Drive Diesel Tractor.  This model like the Steigers had windows and fat single tires.  Below you can see a picture of the 4wd.  The Ertl Replica #7 Fall 1983 previewed a second picture of the John Deere 4wd. It still had windows but it was shown with dual tires.  Of course we all know this 1/64 John Deere as the big V-8 8850.  The final model did not feature windows but it was the first Ertl 4wd in 1/64 with duals. 


John Deere 8850 prototypes from 1983 JD Toy Guide 
John Deere 8850 introduced in Issue #7 of the Replica Fall 1983.

       The single plastic tire remained on Ertl 4wds through the late 1980's. The last new models to use the singles was a series of Big Buds by Ertl. Below is a 1988 Industrial 525/584 Big Bud. 

1988 Industrial Big Bud 525/84

      1989 brought a big change in Ertl 4wds.  Issue #41 October/November of the Ertl Replica announced a new  1/64 John Deere 4wd.   The new 8560 toy debuted in December 1989.   It was the first Ertl 4wd to offer rubber cast dual tires and it bad a cast cab of black plastic.  Issue #52  August/September 1991 of the Ertl Replica introduced the second rubber dual 4wd.  The Case International 9260 was Ertl's first ridged frame 4wd and offered a black plastic cast cab. forward because it had larger tires with lug details.  

          The John Deere 8560 was replaced by an 8870 in 1994 and the Case International 9260 was re-decaled  as a 9250 even though the real 9250 articulates.  

     Ertl really beefed up its 4wd selection in December 1996 with a 1/64 John Deere 9400 with triple tires.  For a number of years customizer had been modifying the 8560 and 8870 4wds with triple tires.  The new 9400 offered thee tires standard. These rubber tires also offered row cop spaces on a hub extension.  Past rubber tires were molded together on models like the 8560 and 9260.

    In 2000 CaseIH made a big splash with its new STX Steigers.  The first tire STX out was an STX 375.  This model was released with extra wide row crop triples on hubs.  The STX also set the new trend in cast cabs. The CaseIH Surveyor Cab was cast in clear plastic to create windows and a see through interior.   


John Deere 8560 released December 1989.
 Case International 9260 released September 1991


The 1996  John Deere 9400 replaces the 8870.
2002 CaseIH STX 425 with duals and 200 STX 375 with triples.

   Classic 4wds from Ertl first appeared in 1997 with the Case TK 1470.  This model was the second ridged frame replica from Ertl.  This model was much more advanced with detailed ag tires.  The tires were also moveable like the real TK 1470 with crab steering.  Three version of the TK 1470 have been offered. The desert sun set tan 1970 version on singles, Black Knight version on duals and the 1969 graphics model with duals.

    In December 2002 Ertl released the most popular classic 4wd of all time. The 1/64 John Deere 7520 was the first 64th 4wd to offer individual wheel and tire duals.  

Classic 4wds have be come popular among 1/64 collectors

   

    Scale Models has also offered a great series of 4wds in the past 20 years.  In 1983 Scale Models entered the 1/64 market with a Steiger CP-1400.  This model maybe the first 1/64 4wd with duals. Scale Models used the same tires on all of its 4wds through the mid-1990's.  Scale Models tires are made of hard plastic with color wheel inserts.  Scale Models has offered Steiger, Versatile, White, Ford/Versatile, New Holland and CaseIH/Steiger 4wds in 1/64.

     Scale Models first big change in tires came in 1997 with the release of the CaseIH-Steiger 9390.   The 9390 was CaseIH's big new 425 hp 4wd. Scale Models in order to make the big 4wd stand out added rubber floatation size tires to the model.  This model is a great looking 4wd.


Selection of 1980's 4wds by Scale Models.
  1997 CaseIH 9390 Steiger by Scale Models

2001 Fall Farm Show Edition TJ 375.
2001 New Holland TJ 450

 Another first for Scale Models came in September 2001.  Scale Models introduced a 1/64 toy of New Holland's new TJ 4wd series as a collectors item for the Farm Progress Show.  The collectors TJ 375 offered row crop narrow triple tires.  The the TJ 375's tires are Scale Models traditional 4wd tire but are extended out on a row crop spaced axle.   In November 2001 Scale Models offered a second variation of the TJ.  The 1/64 TJ 450 was offered at the New Holland Dealer meeting in St. Louis.  The TJ 450 used the row crop axle on Scale Models large rubber floatation tire.  The TJ 450 is a nice looking 4wd with its large duals.

      Hopefully you have enjoyed the article series on 1/64 tractor tires and wheels.  My goal was to show just how far the toy companies have come in the past 30 years with their attention toward 1/64 tractor detail.  Next month "Keeping Up with 64th" will begin a new series on common platform tractors.

Editors Note:  Last month I stated that the 1999 John Deere Fall Farm Show Edition 8410 was the first 1/64 tractor with triple tires.  I had a few e-mails correcting me right away.  It turns out the first model with triples was a CaseIH 8950 Magnum.  Ertl offered this 8950 as a Farm Show Edition collectors piece.  Farm Show does not mean Fall Farm Show.  This model was offered in Louisville, KY at the National Farm Machinery Show in February 1998.  In the fall of 1998 the MX Magnum line was introduced an Ertl offered a Fall Farm Show MX 240. 
1998  Farm Show CIH 8950

 

TTT September 2003 Page 9

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