New Holland 256 Rake Parts Diagram

Where to actually find a usable New Holland 256 Rake Parts Diagram

I spent three hours last month trying to track down a specific diagram for a 256 rake I was rebuilding. The online parts catalogs are fragmented across at least four different systems, some go back to when New Holland was still New Idea, and the numbering changed between the early 80s and the late 90s. Here is what I learned the hard way. The factory parts diagram for the 256 is organized by sub-assembly, not by function. That means if you are looking for a broken tine or a worn arm bearing, you will not find it filed under "raking mechanism." You have to go to the reel assembly section and work through it. I found that pulling a diagram and cross-referencing it with a schematic from the operator manual saved me a bunch of time. The operator manual has fewer exploded views but often uses clearer part labels. I keep both open on my monitor when I am doing parts identification. One thing people miss is the serial number block on the frame. New Holland split the 256 into pre-facelift and post-facelift versions around 1991, and some bracketry, arm lengths, and roller assemblies changed between those runs. If you are ordering parts without checking your serial number against the diagram year cutoff, you will likely get something that does not bolt on. The serial plate is riveted to the left-side gearbox cover. It is easy to miss if the machine is caked in hay dust.

Where to download the diagram and what to expect

There is no single official PDF hosted by CNH Global anymore. The current holders of the documentation are scattered among dealers, aftermarket publishers, and agricultural archive sites. Here is the practical route: The best starting point is your local New Holland or Case IH dealer parts desk. They have access to the e-parts system and can print a full diagram sheet for the 256 by serial range. This usually takes ten minutes and costs nothing. Bring the serial number. If the dealer says they cannot pull it, ask for the parts manual rather than the diagram alone. The parts manual contains the same exploded views plus part numbers and descriptions, which is much more useful when you are ordering. For a downloadable version, the aftermarket publisher PubPart manuals has a comprehensive listing. I use their New Holland wheel rake volume, which covers the 256. It runs about forty dollars and the PDF is organized by serial number bands. I also rely on farmshow and agparts.com for lookup, though their diagrams are sometimes lower resolution and occasionally misnumbered. Do not trust a random forum link to a scanned diagram unless you verify the page numbers against a dealer printout. I once used a sketchy scan and ordered the wrong idler bracket. It took six weeks to get the correct one.

What the main assemblies look like and how they relate

The 256 is a wheel rake with a transversely mounted reel. The key assemblies on the diagram are: When you open the diagram, start at the gearbox and work outward. That is the assembly where most rebuilds begin, and the parts list there ties directly into the wheel and reel sections. I had a 256 with a worn out tine arm pivot on the left side. The diagram showed part number 87234561, but the local dealer did not carry it. The aftermarket equivalent was listed under a completely different number that did not match the old casting. I checked the casting mark on the arm itself, which read NH-256-ARM-L. That cast marking is the real identifier. I searched by that instead and found an aftermarket maker who reproduced the arm. It took a weekend to machine the bore slightly, but the arm fit. The diagram alone would not have solved that because New Holland updated the arm casting mid-production without changing the diagram part number in some cases.

First, the diagram part numbers are not always interchangeable across years. New Holland sometimes kept the same part number while changing the material or the manufacturing process. I learned this when a replacement gearbox seal I ordered from the diagram looked identical but failed in two weeks. The later revision used a different lip material. The fix is to check the revision letter stamped on the diagram page or listed in the dealer system. It is usually a small suffix like REV B or a date code. Second, do not assume the diagram shows every fastener. Shim stacks, lockwasher orientations, and cotter pin sizes are often omitted. I once reassembled a wheel hub without the shim pack because the diagram did not call it out. The bearing preload was way off and the hub noise was obvious within a hundred acres. I had to pull it apart again and measure the original stack from the old hardware tray I had set aside. Keeping a tray of removed hardware labeled by assembly is a cheap habit that saves a lot of frustration.

Honest limitations and when the diagram falls apart

The diagram is a snapshot, not a living document. If your machine has been modified or repaired with non-OEM parts, the diagram will not reflect that. Third-party tine kits, aftermarket gearboxes, and homemade wheel adapters are common on older 256s. The diagram will show the original layout, so you have to decide whether to return to spec or adapt the new parts to the existing frame. Neither choice is wrong, but you need to be clear about which path you are taking before you order anything. The diagrams also do not include torque specs, lubrication intervals, or assembly sequence. Those live in the service manual, not the parts catalog. I treat the parts diagram as an identification tool only. For rebuild procedures, I use the separate service publication. Trying to force assembly instructions out of a parts diagram leads to mistakes like over-tightening the tine bolts or installing the chain in the wrong direction.

Quick reference checklist

• Locate the serial number on the left gearbox cover before ordering or comparing diagrams.
• Request the full parts manual from a dealer, not just the diagram sheet.
• Verify revision letters and year cutoffs on any downloaded PDF.
• Cross-reference suspicious part numbers with the casting marks on the actual component.
• Keep a labeled hardware tray during disassembly.
• Use the service manual for torque values and assembly steps.

If you want a downloadable copy, start with the dealer e-parts printout for your serial range and supplement it with the PubPart manual if you need a permanent reference on the bench. The diagram itself is a map, not the territory. Your machine may have diverged from the map over the years, and the practical work is in reconciling the two.