Amount of horsepower

I was wondering what is a reasonable amount of horsepower for a tractor to have in order to perform small projects around my house including snow removal, hauling logs, carrying wood, running a blade or brush hog. I would also like to find a tractor with a front end loader at a reasonable price even if it had moderate amount of engine hours, however I don't want to fork out a tremendous amount of money because I can't justify the need to spend that amount of money. My father owns an old Ford 9N which I think only has around mid 20's in horsepower and he has not had any problems pulling or hauling. Any import would be much appreciated!!!!

Thanks,
Corey

Sounds like you answered your own question with the comment concerning the 9N. The "N" series Fords and the "TO" series Fergusons were good little work horses. The main drawback was the lack of live lift and PTO, which is a real PITA when bush hogging. I have a TO30, and if I could do it over I would spend a little more and buy one with the live systems. Other than that, the larger the machine and the more HP, the more work accomplished.

There's actually a lot more involved in that decision than just horsepower.
If you want a loader, you will want power steering.
If you want to run a mower, you may want live PTO and live hydraulics.
The old 9N you mentioned is a great tractor. I love my 9N, but when I hook a mower to it, since it doesn't have either, I have to have the clutch out, either moving or in nuetral, and the PTO running just to adjust the height of the mower.
A real PITA if you are trying to get around/out of a situation where you have run into something. May even have to get off and unhook the PTO shaft so you can raise the mower without it turning.
On the other hand, folks have been running mowers with them for decades, they do work. Make sure you use an over running coupler if you go with that type of setup. It was used on many tractors, not just Fords.

I had a compact utility diesel with about the same horsepower as an 8N. Live PTO, live hydraulics, plenty of power for everything. Great little tractor for mowing, but it was so light, and 2 wheel drive that it proved nearly useless for anything other than mowing.
I couldn't lift anything, like firewood, with the 3 point hitch. It would just do wheelies.
It wouldn't even turn in snow, let alone remove it.
Couldn't haul a box blade to grade my driveway without spinning.

Storage and repairs can be a problem too, if you plan on keeping them or working on them inside. Many row crop tractors won't fit in a normal garage door, where the utility tractors will.

Last one that comes to mind is availability of parts. Some models are very hard to get parts for, some are relatively easy.
If you have a local dealer you may want to go with their brand.

Sorry but no one tractor can do it all of fit the bill to do all. If you want a loader you need power steering and a good bit of HP for a brush hog say a 5 footer a 8N will work but then it is not a good loader machine. Hard to do it all with one machine sort of like with a car/truck if your driving a 100 miles a day you want small and good MPG if your hauling a big load that car will not do

I think I would look for a for a Massey Ferguson 35-135 with power steering or a MF 50-150. Ford "hundred" series with the 5 speed live power & power steering or look for a good deal on a Ford 2000. Next an IH/Farmall 300/340/350 utility with PS or maybe a 240 utility. John Deere 420/430 utility- look for one with the 5 speed (live power) or an Oliver 55, super 55 or 550 again shop for power steering. But this is just my opinion and you know everyone has an opinion.

420,430,435,440 had to have the optional 5 speed to order the optional live pto. At least they all had live hydraulics as standard.

Royce has some good advice, I'll mostly echo.

There are compact newer little diesl tractors, they can do a lot of what you want but they are built light. Very nimble, but not much 'power' or lifiting ability for the hp rating.

The utility class of tractors are built with more cast iron, more beef, and you can get more work out of them per hp. You can lift round bales with loader on one, you can run a baler, etc.

While a Ford 8N works, if you are looking for a tractor, I'd look for live pto, more trsansmission speeds (5 at least, 8 or 16 forward, 2-4 reverse makes many jobs much easier to do), power steering for a loader, live hydraulics. I'd want a rear set of hydralic ports to raise & lower equipment, run stuff.

Any hp from 25 to 60 would suit your needs, depending how beefy a tractor you need. Weight of the tractor is often more of an issue than just hp. My garden mower tractor is 20 hp, of course it can't pull a wagon of any size or run a baler.... A heavy old tractor of 30+ hp can do those things, as the dricveline is built stronger and it's heavier so you don't have the tail wagging the dog.

Our advice is all over the place of course, as many things 'work'. You have to sort out which tasks are important to you, the size tractor you will be comfortable with, and all that.

I'd look for good options as some of us mention, and decide if you want the smaller nimble but less beefy compact type, or the bigger badder utility class tractor.

Most of the features I mention started appearing on tractors as options in the mid 1950's.

Good luck in your search.

--->Paul

Depends on who you ask and if shopping via lowest up front cost or lowest cost per year average over the next 20 years. Do you have a shop and comfortable with changing rear tires, clutch replacement, engine rebuild, electrical repairs? Considering re-sale price in 20 years? I'll catch a scathing blast of wrath but.............It doesn't cost anything to walk through the local dealerships and pencil out the short and long term costs of something with 0 hrs and full warranty.Armed with such data you can now figure actual value of pre-owned equipment and what is good for you.

(quoted from post at 19:14:41 06/18/12) I was wondering what is a reasonable amount of horsepower for a tractor to have in order to perform small projects around my house including snow removal, hauling logs, carrying wood, running a blade or brush hog. I would also like to find a tractor with a front end loader at a reasonable price even if it had moderate amount of engine hours, however I don't want to fork out a tremendous amount of money because I can't justify the need to spend that amount of money. My father owns an old Ford 9N which I think only has around mid 20's in horsepower and he has not had any problems pulling or hauling. Any import would be much appreciated!!!!

Thanks,
Corey

Click to expand...

How much area are you working and what are you planning to do? Don't have to answer the questions, just think about it for yourself. How important is that FEL?

I don't know anything about the grey ford tractors as far as the PTO and hydraulics, but the size of them is about a perfect yard and weekend woodgetter tractor....

Maybe a 2 or 3000 ford or that MF that someone mentioned... I'd get a common one that has a good availability (and affordable) on parts and get it without the FEL... If you decide you can't live without a loader, then get one and be the first one to abuse (or not abuse) the tractor with it...