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All brands have a spot to shine but it varies with regard to weight and speed. Example, an AC WD can be pretty competitive in light classes up to 4mph regardless of tire size or cut; An Oliver 88 can be competitive at a variety of weights and speeds.
The NATPA holds a general business meeting each spring in conjunction with their Championship pull. The membership reviews a different specific division each year except for Division 5+ and 2T which are board controlled classes. Rules are locked in for 3 years. Rules have been adjusted some over the 12 years I've been following the circuit but nothing dramatic; certain engine combinations have been added to divisions 3 and 4 and 5+ was added to bring in more of the USAP style pullers, which generally only limit tire weight hitch and speed. It's all expensive. You can run division 2 pretty reasonably and 2t is another jump in cost. Tire and hutch restrictions in those classes make them a setup and driving game versus a hp game. 5-10k is a pretty broad estimate but that can get you on a good tractor in those classes, that's already built. The faster you go the bigger the checkbook. It's cheaper to buy one than to build one, but figure 50k+ on a top flight 12mph/open 560 Farmall or a 6 8 10 12 mph 1000cid Deere... it really depends how much labor you invest personally. There are good division 3 and 4 tractors out there for 12-25k. Bryan Lively - 
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I build parts for antique pullers. I pull 2 cylinders, and will be the first to tell you that a 2 cylinder costs a lot more per HP than anything else. A 2 cylinder that runs at the top in 6-8mph classes can easily be in the $30,000s, and I know of a couple that I don't think $40,000 would build it. Depends on how much bling you want inside and out, and how much of it you can do yourself. A 2 cylinder can compete up to 8 MPH if there is an enforced RPM limit. If there is no RPM limit, the RD parade will run you over.
The hot ticket right now in faster classes is 460/560 sheet metal (not all of them start with a 460/560 chassis  ) with either a Red Diamond truck engine, or a 466 with spark plugs. Either of those engines at 3500-4000 RPM is hard to hang with if you don't also have one.
You can make a 6 cylinder MM 1200+ CI, and if RPM is controlled they will dominate. Unchecked RPM and a red one with a lot less CI will run with them. 10 years ago in NATPA division 4, M Farmalls dominated. Then a few 4 cylinder MM started showing up, and they could be built 150ci larger than the biggest M at the time, and got 60 more RPM to boot. Over the next few years, the class went from red to prairie gold. Division 3 and up, there is NOTHING antique about it anymore. The technology and advancements in the last 10-15 years is unreal. Stuff that was exotic and only a few guys had years ago is now standard issue that you have to have just to keep up. There are a few tractors that run newer sheet metal, where someone doesn't come unglued because "oh my God, it's not antique anymore!!!" I know of a few that change sheet metal for some pulls because it is an RPM advantage, then put older metal on where the newer "tractor" isn't allowed because it's too new. |
