Which manual for Ford 2000 3-cyl gas?

The YT store has two manuals for my Ford 2000 3-cyl gas 4-speed tractor:

2000 G&D - 3-Cyl - Models Before 1975 I&T Aftermarket Shop Manual 144 Pages (Part# FO-31)

2000 G&D 3-Cyl (1965-1975) Service Manual 06901895 763 pages (Part# 65-FTSM)

I know that bigger doesn't mean better and since I cannot flip through the contents to see which one would be more complete and/or easy to follow, I would like to ask for your-all's advice. Sean in PA recommended the smaller FO-31 manual in a previous post, I just want to see if there is a reason to consider the other manual "instead" or "also".

Here are my questions:

1) Is there any worthwhile information covered in one of the manuals that is not covered in the other? In other words, is one more complete than the other, or should I consider buying both to get all the information?

2) Is one of the manuals easier to follow for someone with limited mechanical experience (that would be me)?

Thanks,
FiddlinFarmer
 
The second one you listed is the original Ford Service manual that Ford tractor dealer service technicians used. It does have some things that the I&T aftermarket manual does not have, but the Ford manual calls for special tools for certain procedures that you would only have if you were a Ford dealer mechanic, and the I&T manual has "alternate" procedures to follow if you do not have the special tools, so it is really best to have both. I have the I&T manual that I use for most things, plus I have a scanned PDF of the Ford manual that I got off of ebay for around $10.00.
 
It partly depends on your wrenching skills.
If you cut your teeth on old tractors, outboard motors, Briggs or Lawson engines, Volkswagons, 40s GMCs, Diamond Ts, Hercules and Budas, Yamahas, Triumphs, Ramblers, Datsuns, Falcons, Volvos, Fords, Chevys, Plymouths or whatever you'll do fine with the I&T manual.
If I had something like a 7700, 9600, 6640 or any of the big tractors I would probably spring for the original $200 Ford repair manual.
But for the little 2/3/4000 and their variants the I&T has been all I ever needed.
 
Get the I&T - I have the monster in 5 volumes (from New Holland) and it's underwhelming in its detail all too often, actually. And the "alternate tools methods" will certainly be what you want for anything that would be done with a "ford special factory service tool" in the monster. I rather doubt there's any more detail in the monster (I should buy an I&T myself, but have not yet) since it's assumed that you are a fully qualified tractor mechanic with a fully equipped shop. When I first got it, I was awaiting it with bated breath becasue I had to reconnect my backhoe swing chains. The FSM detailed information on how to do that? "reconnect swing chains." If you search the old archives from 2001 or so you'll find that I was here then (despite what it says on the left about when I joined) and that there is a BIT more to it than that - which I had to figure out on my own, even with a FSM in hand...
 
If you've got good basic skills... and dealing with that tractor.. I guess you could get by with the basic specs you get in the I&T booklet... but personally I wouldn't waste my time on it.
If you have any major hydraulic problems or moderately serious electrical problems on later model stuff the I&T book is useless. Even on what you have... you need the factory book to get the system basics down on hydraulics unless you already know the operational theory.
Get the Ford book. I doubt very much that you will regret it.

Rod
 

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