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

International Harvester 656

Built: 1965–1972 · Series: Other models

More machines from model year 1965

The International Harvester 656 is a machine built by International Harvester. Production: 1965–1972. The engine delivers 65 hp (47.8 kW), has 6 cylinders, with a displacement of 4,303 cm³. The machine is 3,861 mm long, 2,210 mm wide and 1,956 mm high. The unladen weight is 2,630 kg. The wheelbase measures 2,032 mm. Ground clearance is 483 mm. Top speed is 25 km/h. Transmission: 5 V/1 R, 10 V/2 R, 5 V/5 R, continuously variable. The engine is water-cooled. Tyres: front 7.50-16 (F: 6.00-16), rear 16.9-38 (F: 15.5-38). The fuel is Benzin/LPG/Diesel. The bore measures 90.49 mm. The stroke is 111.52 mm. The compression ratio is 7.6:1. Construction: semi-frame construction. Around 15.700 (F: 49.400) units were built. Rated output across the International Harvester range ranges from 13.4 to 335 hp; the 656 sits in the lower part of that range with 65 hp. Its immediate neighbours are the 600 below it with 63 hp and the 574 above it with 66 hp. Rated output across the International Harvester range ranges from 9.9 to 246.4 kW; here the 656 sits in the lower part of that range with 47.8 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

FuelBenzin/LPG/Dieselcorrect
Power65 hp (47.8 kW)correct
Rated speed1.800/2.300 rpmcorrect
Cylinders6correct
Displacement4,303 cm³correct
Bore90.49 mmcorrect
Stroke111.52 mmcorrect
Compression ratio7.6correct
Coolingwater-cooledcorrect

Dimensions and weights

Length3,861 mmcorrect
Width2,210 mmcorrect
Height1,956 mmcorrect
Wheelbase2,032 mmcorrect
Ground clearance483 mmcorrect
Unladen weight2,630 kgcorrect

Drivetrain and chassis

Driverear-wheel drivecorrect
Gearbox5 V/1 R, 10 V/2 R, 5 V/5 R, continuously variablecorrect
Front tyres7.50-16 (F: 6.00-16)correct
Rear tyres16.9-38 (F: 15.5-38)correct
Top speed25 km/hcorrect

Origin and approval

Constructionsemi-frame constructioncorrect
Units built15.700 (F: 49.400)correct

Where this model stands

Power-to-weight ratio: 18.2 kW/t (48 kW / 2.6 t)

Power class: Universal (40–100 hp)

Stronger than 44% 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 656 have?

The International Harvester 656 delivers 65 hp.

How much does the International Harvester 656 weigh?

The unladen weight is 2,630 kg.

What engine does the International Harvester 656 have?

6 cylinders, 4,303 cm³ displacement, Benzin/LPG/Diesel.

How fast does the International Harvester 656 go?

Top speed is 25 km/h.

What are the dimensions of the International Harvester 656?

3,861 mm × 2,210 mm × 1,956 mm.

When was the International Harvester 656 built?

Production years: 1965–1972.

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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