Ford 860.....Powermaster?

JeffG in WI · Aug 30, 2017

I just acquired a Ford 860 in pretty decent shape and very original, except for the 12 volt conversion.

The paint all seems to be original. I've been removing it from the hood to prime and repaint, and I was surprised to find "POWERMASTER" faintly visible in rust on the side of the hood...kind of a ghost of the original decals.

The engine clearly says "860" and the serial number is 130***, indicating a 1957 tractor, but I didn't think the hundred series tractors had Powermaster decals.

Is this possible?

Thanks,
Jeff

Larry NCKS · Aug 30, 2017

You are correct. 800 series were not designated Powermaster.

You likely have components off at least two different tractors combined in that one,

Larry NCKS · Aug 30, 2017

(quoted from post at 23:50:50 08/30/17)
You are correct. 800 series were not designated Powermaster.

You likely have components off at least two different tractors combined in that one,

Or someone liked the Powermaster decal and retrofitted it.

Dean · Aug 31, 2017

IIRC, the Powermaster name was introduced late in the 57 model year, prior to the introduction of the 8/9*1 models.

Dean

Kirk-NJ · Aug 31, 2017

Late in '57 they started introducing the powermaster,as Dean said. The powermaster spinning gear decal was added to the ford script hood. In '58 they changed to a hood with
no raised script and made the 8/901 to include a decal with the model number like ford 861 powermaster. Sometime in 1960 they changed all the powermaster to include the
series number and not the model number like ford 801 powermaster. George Bradish used to carry the spinning gear decal, don't know if he still does.

kirk

JeffG in WI · Aug 31, 2017

Thanks for the info!

I should have mentioned in my first post that the tractor does have the raised script hood and raised script, 800 series fenders on it, so I believe everything is original.

I have a couple of questions about these 800 series "Powermasters:"

Was there anything else different about them, or did Ford just decided to change the decals on the 800's right before the end of the run, in anticipation of the *01 series being called Powermasters?

Also, any idea on about how many of these were produced?

Thanks again!

Jeff

Andy Wickiser · Aug 31, 2017

Below is a Ford advertisement showing the Powermaster decal on an 800
series tractor. My 1957 Ford 840 had one. Like your experience it
revealed itself when I scraped down to the original paint. Mine has a
very high serial number for an 800 series, 144875.

<img src = https://s19.postimg.org/8erb3lxmb/Ford860ad1024.jpg>

Dean · Aug 31, 2017

Power steering became available at about the same time for the 8*0 series.

WayneIA · Aug 31, 2017

If memory serves me right. The PTO shaft went to the standard 1 3/8 instead of the 1 1/8. The center housing mounted drawbar came instead of the three point eleven hole three point drawbar.. The piston hydraulic pump replaced the vane pump. Foot steeps returned to the 8N style rather than the flat ones. The clutch arm had a little crook at the end rather the straight arm

robilmichael · Aug 31, 2017

Attached is a pic of my 1957 850 Powermaster as I bought it, and then as I cleaned it up. All was original, even the
6 volt system and the gauges. It has the original PS, and the decals are new but the old original ones were there
exactly as depicted now.

robilmichael · Aug 31, 2017

Pic of the crooked clutch pedal - a big improvement!

Kirk-NJ · Aug 31, 2017

My thinking is they were toying with the idea of keeping the raise script thru the 801 series but I'm guessing it was cheaper to run a blank hoods then one with a raise
script and just add a decal instead. I guess they thought that adding a newer hood/grill/fenders/decal it would look like a brand new model. They also changed out the rear
housing in '58 to include the brake rod so that it no longer ran thru the transmission bellhousing like the earlier models. It possibly could have been in late '57. Does
yours left brake run thru the bellhousing or rear center casting?
Don't know how many were made. I have a late '57 with the power steering option serial number 137283, but it is a 640 and as far as I can tell they never had the workmaster
decal with the spinning gear on the late 600 series. My late '57 also has the brake rod running thru the bellhousing.

Kirk

JeffG in WI · Aug 31, 2017

I've only got pictures from before my cleanup began, but this one shows the brake rod position pretty well.

robilmichael · Aug 31, 2017

I should correct: the Powermaster and spinning gears are decals, the Ford on the fenders and hood are raised metal. That is the way it came with the tractor.

JeffG in WI · Aug 31, 2017

That's also how mine is.

I just sanded a little more paint off and found the spinning gear "ghosted" on the sides of the hood, too.

Wonder how many of these were made?

Jeff

showcrop · Aug 31, 2017

(quoted from post at 09:10:52 08/31/17) That's also how mine is.

I just sanded a little more paint off and found the spinning gear "ghosted" on the sides of the hood, too.

Wonder how many of these were made?

Jeff

Thats the way my 960 was. When I stripped it around 1990 I found the old decal ghosts. When I first came on here in '01 I asked about it and the response was that they started putting them on in the latter part of '57. I expect that there are thousands if not tens of thousands.

WayneIA · Aug 31, 2017

The brake shaft was that way on the Xo1 Series tractors also until SN 14256 . Since the diesel had a much thicker fly wheel and the SOSs were coming prompting the brake shaft move to under the center housing.

JeffG in WI · Sep 1, 2017

Thanks for the info, everyone. I really appreciate it! Jeff

Ford 860.....Powermaster?

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