Is a MF 285 Diesel a Good Tractor?

I am looking at buying one for a friend. I don't want him to have problems. Looking at discussions is seems they might have weak hydraulics and poor power steering. Is this so? He wants it for a loader tractor and hydraulics are important. I also see a ton of them at salvage yards being parted out. Anything to watch out for. Thanks.

my friends and neighbors have had several and still some here running in the neighborhood ... a tough as nails tractor , solid, most problems through the years has been head gaskets here from over heating .....but they where worked HARD ...however with there antique hydralic design (open center) and small GPM oil flow.. engine had to be running above idle to get anything to work with any speed ....none here has had a loader on it ..but i dont think it would make a good loader tractor....

Never had any problems with our 285. Never had a loader on it, but I don't see why it wouldn't work good. I honestly don't know what ih smoke is talking about the hydraulics being slow, they always worked good even at idle on ours.

Make sure the steering is in good shape. Make sure the axle isn't worn out, or maybe just needs a bushing, that the spindles are ok and not worn. If you can jack it up and shake a few things here & there, it'll give you a good idea. There were 2 different steering setups on them, one had a big cylinder behind the grill like the earlier models, and the other has 2 cylinders underneath. Those cylinders could very well be worn. The ball joint on the cylinder end is welded to the cylinder, so the whole thing would either need to be replaced ( $400/each last time I checked several years ago) or rebuilt and live with the slop in the one joint.

The differential lock pedal by your right heal, if not used often, could be frozen up. It takes some work from what I understand to get that loosened up again, and can be handy with a loader on the front. Any other questions I can try to help. I drove and fixed on dad's until it sold at auction just a few weeks ago, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I had a use for it.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Thank you very much for the helpful information.

Run it hot a little you will blow the head gasket, the bushing in the steering needs replacing a long with steering motor or you will wobble, over steer, under steer, go crooked, can't hold it straight. Other than that it is a good tractor pto brake will go too.