Start › Tractors › Bi Directional › Other models › Versatile 256 Bi-Directional

Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional

Built: 1984-1985 · Series: Other models

Successor: Versatile 276 Bi-Directional →

More machines from model year 1984

Not the right version? The data comes from vehicle registers holding many near-identical versions side by side. Photograph the data plate — we read make and type from it. Open the scanner e-mail address required

The Versatile 256 Bi-Directional comes from Bi Directional. Production: 1984-1985. The engine delivers 85 hp (63 kW), has 4 cylinders. The engine comes from Cummins. Lifting capacity is 1,996 kg. The engine is water-cooled. The model was built in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The fuel is diesel. The engine fitted is the 4BT 3,9. The linkage is category II. Its predecessor was the Versatile 160 Bi-Directional. The PTO runs at 540/1000 rpm. It was succeeded by the Versatile 276 Bi-Directional. Rated output across the Bi Directional range ranges from 85 to 100 hp; the Versatile 256 Bi-Directional sits at the bottom of that range with 85 hp. Its immediate neighbours are the Versatile 276 Bi-Directional above it with 100 hp. Rated output across the Bi Directional range ranges from 63 to 75 kW; here the Versatile 256 Bi-Directional sits at the bottom of that range with 63 kW. 4 Bi Directional models are on record.

Bi-Directional – a collective label for tractors with a rotating driver's seat: PowerTrac BI-DI-160 and Versatile 256/276, 63 to 75 kW, Cummins four-cylinder engines

This page is listed in the register under the collective label Bi-Directional: it does not hold tractors of one brand but tractors from various makers with a rotating driver's seat that can work equally well forwards and backwards. Listed are the PowerTrac BI-DI-160 and several Versatile models of the 256 and 276 Bi-Directional range, including an Industrial version of the 256.

Read on 3 more paragraphs

The register lists here 4 versions with 63 to 75 kW (85 to 100 hp) from four-cylinder diesel engines, mostly of the Cummins 4BT 3.9 type, and a lift capacity of around 1,996 kg.

The bi-directional principle, established chiefly by Canada's Versatile in the 1980s for the tractor world and later taken up by other makers such as PowerTrac, allows front and rear implements to be run without turning the whole vehicle around, and is used mainly for loader work, mowing with front and rear implements, and municipal tasks.

When buying used, on the Cummins 4BT engines check the turbocharger and injection pump, and on the PowerTrac models with the Deutz-AGCO unit additionally the cooling system and head gasket; particularly important is checking the function of the rotating driver's cab with its dual controls for forward and reverse operation, and also checking the hydraulics, PTO and the rotating-mount mechanism for play and wear.

Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: Bi-Directional (weitere Modelle)

Technical data

Engine

Engine make	Cumminscorrect
Engine model	4BT 3.9correct
Fuel	dieselcorrect
Power	85 hp (63 kW)correct
Cylinders	4correct
Displacement	239 cu incorrect
Cooling	water-cooledcorrect

Dimensions and weights

Width	86 in (2184.4 mm)correct
Unladen weight	8, 700 to 11, 650 lbscorrect

Drivetrain and chassis

Drive	four-wheel driveWDcorrect

Working data

Lifting capacity	1,996 kgcorrect
Lifting capacity	4400 lbs (1995.8 kg)correct
Fuel tank capacity	39 galcorrect

Origin and approval

Plant	Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canadacorrect

Other data

Front linkage	Cat IIcorrect
Linkage category	Cat IIcorrect
PTO speed	540/1000correct
Predecessor	Versatile 160 Bi-Directionalcorrect
Successor	Versatile 276 Bi-Directionalcorrect

Frequently asked questions

How much power does the Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional have?

The Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional delivers 85 hp.

What engine does the Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional have?

4 cylinders, Diesel.

How much does the rear linkage of the Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional lift?

The rear linkage lifts 1,996 kg.

When was the Bi Directional Versatile 256 Bi-Directional built?

Production years: 1984-1985.

What to check before buying

Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
Load the hydraulics and watch for sag.
Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.

A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.

Looking for this machine?
We do not sell machines. We ask the dealers who carry this model and come back with price and lead time.
Request a quote →

Need parts for this model?
We ask the suppliers and come back with price and lead time.
Request spare parts →

This page carries 22 individual figures for this model. They come from 1 recorded source; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.

Missing a figure you were looking for? Report it →

Know this machine better? Have a photo, a manual, or know that a figure is wrong? Add it to the register →