Technical register for agricultural, construction and commercial machinery · sourced data

International Harvester 1256

Built: 1967–1969 · Series: Other models

More machines from model year 1967

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The International Harvester 1256 is a machine built by International Harvester. Production: 1967–1969. The engine delivers 118 hp (86.8 kW), has 6 cylinders, with a displacement of 6,668 cm³. Rated speed is 2,400 rpm. The machine is 4,166 mm long, 2,337 mm wide and 2,184 mm high. The unladen weight is 4,720 kg. The wheelbase measures 2,337 mm. Ground clearance is 597 mm. Top speed is 30 km/h. Transmission: 8 V/4 R or 16 V/8 R. The engine is water-cooled. Tyres: front 11.00-16 (F: 10.00-16), rear 24.5-32 (F: 18.4-38). The fuel is diesel. The bore measures 109.75 mm. The stroke is 117.48 mm. The compression ratio is 16:1. Construction: semi-frame construction. Around 1.220 (F: 7.100) units were built. Rated output across the International Harvester range ranges from 13.4 to 335 hp; the 1256 sits in the lower part of that range with 118 hp. Its immediate neighbours are the 4100 below it with 117 hp and the 1246 above it with 120 hp. Rated output across the International Harvester range ranges from 9.9 to 246.4 kW; here the 1256 sits in the lower part of that range with 86.8 kW. 391 International Harvester models across 45 series are on record.

International Harvester – other models: the collective page of tractors outside the named ranges, from the 10-20 and 15-30 of the 1920s through the 404, 606 and 706 to the 1066 Hydro, 1456, 4186 and 7488, 11 to 235 kW

This page gathers the International Harvester tractors the register could not assign to a named range – the Chicago brand that emerged in 1902 from McCormick and Deering, invented the row-crop tractor with the Farmall in 1924 and was the world's largest tractor maker into the 1960s before being absorbed into Case IH in 1985. The type logic changed over six decades: the early 10-20 and 15-30 types give drawbar and belt power in hp; the 04 series of the 1960s (404, 504, 606, 706, 806, 1206) orders the size in the first digit and carries with the 1206 the brand's first turbodiesel; the 56 (656, 856, 1056, 1256, 1456), 66 (1066, 1466) and 86 series of the 1970s follow the same logic with Hydro as stepless hydrostatic transmission; the articulated 4100 to 4186 and 7288 to 7488 (2+2) are the big tractors; the industrial versions carry the suffix Industrial. The engines come from IH's own plants in Chicago (Melrose Park), Neuss and Doncaster, as petrol, LPG and diesel versions; Nissan and Mitsubishi engines sit in the Japanese compact tractors of the 1980s.

Read on 3 more paragraphs

The register lists here 179 versions with 11 to 235 kW from one- to eight-cylinders of 2,209 to 13,387 cm³, PTO outputs from 15 to 95 hp on the recorded models, unladen weights from 1,308 to 27,600 kg, lengths from 2,388 to 6,528 mm, widths from 1,310 to 2,832 mm and heights from 1,397 to 3,550 mm.

IH tractors are North America's most-collected after John Deere; the 06, 56 and 66 series are regarded as the tractors that motorised American arable farming of the 1960s and 1970s.

On used tractors, originality, engine condition (petrol with carburettor, diesel with injection pump), Torque Amplifier and transmission, the hydrostatic drive on the Hydro, hydraulics and cab count; parts run through Case IH and specialists in North America.

Sources: SpecCodex register, model data: International Harvester (weitere Modelle), International Harvester (Wikipedia)

Technical data

Engine

Fueldieselcorrect
Power118 hp (86.8 kW)correct
Rated speed2,400 rpmcorrect
Cylinders6correct
Displacement6,668 cm³correct
Bore109.75 mmcorrect
Stroke117.48 mmcorrect
Compression ratio16correct
Coolingwater-cooledcorrect

Dimensions and weights

Length4,166 mmcorrect
Width2,337 mmcorrect
Height2,184 mmcorrect
Wheelbase2,337 mmcorrect
Ground clearance597 mmcorrect
Unladen weight4,720 kgcorrect

Drivetrain and chassis

Driverear- and four-wheel drivecorrect
Gearbox8 V/4 R or 16 V/8 Rcorrect
Front tyres11.00-16 (F: 10.00-16)correct
Rear tyres24.5-32 (F: 18.4-38)correct
Top speed30 km/hcorrect

Origin and approval

Constructionsemi-frame constructioncorrect
Units built1.220 (F: 7.100)correct

Where this model stands

Power-to-weight ratio: 18.4 kW/t (87 kW / 4.7 t)

Power class: Large (100–180 hp)

Stronger than 74% of the tractors in the register — out of 15,663 models with a stated power figure.

Calculated from the documented figures above — not a rating.

Frequently asked questions

How much power does the International Harvester 1256 have?

The International Harvester 1256 delivers 118 hp.

How much does the International Harvester 1256 weigh?

The unladen weight is 4,720 kg.

What engine does the International Harvester 1256 have?

6 cylinders, 6,668 cm³ displacement, Diesel.

How fast does the International Harvester 1256 go?

Top speed is 30 km/h.

What are the dimensions of the International Harvester 1256?

4,166 mm × 2,337 mm × 2,184 mm.

When was the International Harvester 1256 built?

Production years: 1967–1969.

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.
  • Check the weights in the papers against the figures here — attachments change them.
  • Check front and rear tyre sizes: mismatched pairs strain the drivetrain.
  • Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
  • 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.

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This page carries 23 individual figures for this model. They come from 2 recorded sources; every figure can be traced there. What we cannot document is not here — we leave gaps open rather than estimate them.

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Other models in this series

Sources: Wikibooks Traktorenlexikon (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) (retrieved August 2026) · Values adopted and presented in our own form; changes from the source are possible. · How we check the data

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