John Deere Model 50 Tractor

Bill VA

Well-known Member
Saw a CL ad for a JD model 50 tractor and have been giving that particular model a read/learn.

Kind of a neat tractor, on par hp wise with a Farmall H or maybe Super H. I gather live hydraulics, independent PTO and 3 pt hitch availability. One of the comments I read somewhere was - the Model 50 didn't have enough hp to hurt itself, which I read as self destruct under severe conditions. Kind of a hybrid IMHO - crossing the line between old design tractor, i.e 2 cylinder, yet modern with 3 pt hitch, hydraulics and some with power steering.

What is your opinion of the Model 50 for general small farm work, haying chores with an old New Holland 68 or 14T type baler?

Just curious.

Thanks!
Bill
 
50's are tough little tractors and will run a small square baler real well. They don't have a real good 3pt hitch but the 800 hitch is OK depending on what you want to do with it. They are a easy to get on and off.
 
The 50 could be had with independent pto, no pto, or trans driven pto, if its got the engaging lever mounted on the battery box, its independent. But to use it the pto has to be put in gear before starting the tractor. That lever is mounted next to the shifting quandrent. The live hyd can also be locked out when not in use.
 
I have one my Dad bought in 1955. Been overhauled once and still has original paint. It has done everything from 4 row planter and cultivator, 2 bottom plow, loader etc. Very dependable and very handy. Not overpowered, but a lot more power than the B that I have.
 
The 50 is / was & still are great little tractor. The 520 was greater & the 530 greatest in that line.
Deere made a bundle of them & parts are still around....
 
The Model 50 Was & Still is a Great Little Tractor, the 520 Was greater & the 530 Greatest.
Easy on Fuel & can do a lot with one, I don't think you can go wrong unless this one has had
years of abuse.
 
At the risk forum ridicule of daring to say something bad about JD: I would skip the the JD 50 and almost allof the other antique tractors you ask about (unless price is a bargain)and simply look at Farmall 300, Farmall 350, or Oliver 77 for what you wanna use it for.

Do not get me wrong The 50 is not a bad tractor in anyway at all(I have a 1950 JD A myself) and it is my favorite tractor to rake hay with by far but that is really all it gets used for anymore. My wife struggles to run it with the hand clutch so I am basically the only one that uses it. Likely gonna eventually sell it for that reason alone although I hate to part with it in a way.

I simply do not like the 2 cylinders on PTO loads at all and yes I have had my A on the Hesston 1120 moco quite a bit - always vibrates the moco's center carrier bearing out of its hanger (my Farmall h or Farmall m never do though). The 50, 520, 530 do spin more motor rpm's than most JD 2 cylinders which will help smooth the 2cylinder power pulses a slight bit but it is still a 2cylinder.
 
Not interested in buying a JD 50, but if there were a deal on one, I might consider. The most bang for the buck in a row crop 50's era tractor
IMHO is an Allis Chalmers WD45 - nothing else is even close around here.

For the price of a Farmall 300, 350 or Oliver 77 around here, you can buy a nice field ready Massey Ferguson with a factory 3 pt hitch vs some
goofy after market variant you'd need with the Oliver's and Farmalls. The MF's come with a very nice high/low range tranny; factory draft
control too - if you need it. I get it the WD45 can be an uncomfortable tractor - I've spent many hours on my MF50 and it is a most comfortable
tractor. I doubt what ever 50's era tractor I bought would see much more than a few hours of continuous use, so the ergonomics on such a
tractor isn't really a deciding factor at all.

My interest in a 50's era tractor is 80% just because and 20% for work, i.e. assisting in making some hay and doing some bush hogging. At
least with a JD 50, you can get some modern features like a factory 3 pt hitch and independent PTO. If a deal came along on one, I'd certainly
consider it.

YMMV
 
Farmall 300 sell real reasonable around me as do Oliver 77's. Farmall 350's bring more though due to only being made a year or two so their rarity does inflate the price.

Honestly I am surprised you have not gobbled up a MF 65 or 165 for a song yet. As much as you love that MF50 seems the one size bigger Massey would be an even better route to pursue in vintage iron for a tractor.

Massey 65's sell real cheap around me. Traditional farmer who posts on here out of VA seems to find all kinds of tractor and equipment bargains ....so the bargains can be had in your area too.

As for the WD45 well they are cheap around me too, but the horrible ergonomics and a quick look to realize where an errant PTO shaft that comes apart could possibly end up permanently injuring the driver leads me pass.

If only I could put that wonderful spunky AC WD45 motor and even the often frowned upon AC hand clutch for Pseudo live PTO in a lowly Farmall h chasis would I feel like I truly had something desirable and useful to me.
 
The MF50 diesel is a mighty fine tractor. If they made it new today, I'd buy one.

I've looked at the MF65 and like them too. IMHO the MF165 has to be one of the all time best haying tractors in the day. What I am boning up
on is the MF175 and 180. 63ish hp on the PTO and the 275 is 67 hp on the PTO. The MF 175/180 tractors don't fetch a high price, I guess the
deer plot farmers consider them to big.

As we continue to open up acreage, I'm very likely to add a discbine. With that, I need more hp and with some mild slopes, I want some
additional weight. Two tractors that interest me are the IH 756 and JD 4020. Rarely do I see an IH 756 for sale, or even an 856, but there are
a number of JD 4020's around - I think there were just so many of them made. I like the idea of a later model some console, power shift 4020.
My impression is they are easy enough to work on, parts everywhere, are reliable, and a very heavy, powerful, yet nimble tractor - ideal for
haying. I think a 4020 would toy with a 9ft discbine.
 
I strongly considered a MF180 at one time. Fine machine for haying but the rear ends were a little weak and known to fail if used for for heavy tillage back in the day. But one fuel efficient son of a gun that would be fine haying.

A farmall 756 is a dandy tractor. Make sure to consider a late 706 as well as it would also have the 310 diesel in it and basically the same tractor.

4020 is a dandy too and legendary. I too would only want the side console controls but they do bring a premium.

I like many of the 4 digit Olivers too (but not all).

These are all a different level of tractors entirely though compared to the inexpensive vintage low hp iron
 

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