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Is there and unbiased opinions out there?

B

Brutalfly

Member
I just have to ask that.
The reason being all the loyalty to the tractors that everybody has. I think it is great, don't get me wrong. I want to be loyal to a tractor just like you guys are.

I am having a couple problems though.
Every time I call a place looking for a tractor and tell them what I am looking for I get the "You don't want that. It is junk. What you need is this tractor." Well thank you I appreciate your input and I wonder if they just want the tractor off the lot. There are times where I have made my mind up on a tractor then I call somebody and ask if they have one and they ask what I want to do with it so I tell them. Then I hear "that is a great tractor for that" or I hear it is junk"

So if you guys could help me out it would be greatly appreciated.
Here is what I want to do with a tractor:
1. Plow a garden
2. Plow a pumpkin patch the size of a basketball court (maybe bigger)
3. Push snow in the winter
4. Plow a horse arena
5. Pull a little trailer/wagon
6. Maybe somethings I have not thought of but those are the top 5.

Tractors I have looked at include:
1. Farmall Cub
2. Farmall Super A
3. Ford 8N

Right now I have limited budget to work with and I am a novice when it comes to tractor mechanics

So any advice/help/info on any tractor would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your responses in advance!!!!
 
Forget all of those and seek out a gear drive compact with 4x4 and 3 pt hitch and use a roto tiller for the gardens. One pass and your done !
There are some good models getting older and the price can be reasonable.
Think JD 650,750,850,950,1050 Dad has a 750 GREAT TRACTOR !
Kubota had good ones too. I had a hydro B1750 and a loader it was a good usable small tractor. They made plenty of models.
Ford has some good ones too numbers like 1500,1700 series ?
 
altho i am a red fan, out of the three you have listed, the 8n ford would fit your needs the best. if it has a 3 point hitch and a pto, that little bugger will get a lot of different work done for you. its relatively easy to work on, and parts are readily available. there are many 3 point implements available that will work with that tractor.
 
I have some version of all three of those. I would drop the Cub off. They are really nice tractors but really small. The Super A is a great tractor and is probably going to be the most reliable in terms of starting but you won't have a 3 pt hitch unless you add one somehow. 8N is extremely popular, good power, 3 pt but I have more trouble keeping my 2N running than any other tractor and I hate working on it because the gas tank comes off with the hood. Not all people have trouble with Fords so if you get a good one there are more implements readily available for it than the other two. I guess I would have to vote for the 8N...and I am an IH guy.
 
Whatever you buy get one with factory 3 point hitch.
ALL the brands and colors are great old, reliable pieces of history and will work their heart out for you.
But a 3 point hitch allows you to do So many things other tractors will not do.
 
It"s "bias" of one sort or other that makes us what we are and what motivates us. Makes for more lively conversation over coffee, too.
Sillyosphy out of the way: when you call a "tractor place" (or some such), they"re gonna try to sell what they have and try to max your wallet - it"s their livelihood, after all.
Don"t sweat the "bias"(preference a better word?), just speak to the "old guys". While they have a bias most are honest when comparing merit and are good for pointing out good starting choices. You won"t get your own bias until you"ve worked a few different colors yourself.
 
The ford 8n will work fine it has a 3pt hitch and there are
parts readily availible they are also very easy to work on
 
The 8n is the best choice for that list of chores. Parts are easily attained. They are very easy to repair. I have one that we haven"t had any repairs at all in over 2 years. Gas and go. The biggest drawback of a 8n is the speed of reverse.
 
Consider a Case VAC, 1950 or newer, 3pt hitch, pto. Won't break the bank to purchase. Good power. Of course if money is no problem get one of the suburanite 4x4's with a loader and all. Bobcat, Kubota, J$h$ De$$re. Just a thought. gobble
 
Just to qualify my recommendations - I have two 8N's and a 63 4000 row crop.

I think you would be dissatisfied with the power of the Cub.

Super A is a very capable tractor and is great for cultivating. Make sure it already has the 3 point lift conversion.

The 8N will likely be cheaper to purchase, simple to repair, parts are easy to find. A couple of drawbacks are the hydraulic pump is driven by the PTO and it stops when you press the clutch. Not a big deal for most. The other is 1st and reverse are ridiculously high unless you find one with a Sherman aux transmission.

My recommendation.... Look for a Ford 651 or 661. About twice the tractor of an 8N for only slightly more money.
 
To complete my other overlong reply: Cubs are handy, the A will do much more, but the Ford is probably the better all-around - mostly because you'll find more, find 'em cheaper, and find implements quicker, easier, cheaper (still, none of this is really cheap, once you start handing over money).
I tend toward the Red side of the spectrum, but things like 3pt came later to them. Look into that "other" Ford - Fergies - too.
BTW - your "top 5" looks a bit short :)
 
I couldn't agree more. I have a John Deere 40, Ferguson 30, Ford 2n, and a Farmall Super C. All of them have three point. I personally if I had to chose one of my working tractor, it would be the 40. Good speeds, good power, and live hydros, however the 8n is a pretty bullet proof machine as well!

The Super A would be a good machine as well, but you would have to have trailed impliments for everything...

All in all from your list I would go for the 8n, good, easy (and fun) to use tractors! Bryce
 
I work in the repair business and have worked on
and used most of the midsize older tractors.

my first choice would be massey ferguson 35

secound would be either a 600 or 800 series ford
with a four or five speed trans

gas powered

either brand for their simplicity and both would
be good plow, disc or brush chopper tractors ,both
tractors could be equiped with powersteering from
the factory if one chooses to mount a frontend
loader.

I prefer the 35 because of the high / low
transmission , helpful for running a rear mount
rototiller
 
The Farmall cub is just about useless, 8.5 HP I think. The Cub lowboy is a decent grass mower.
If it has to be IH then get the Farmall A
I saw a restored, excellent condition IH - A 2 years ago, $3,500 was the asking price (seemed steep to me)
The 8N is a good size.
 
If I were looking to buy a tractor for what you want to do it would be either a Ferguson TO35 or MF 35. Color of tractor doesn"t matter to me at all. Maybe you could find someone local that would let you play around with theirs for awhile and see how it fits you. Cub and Super A are great tractors but are a pain to chance equipment. 8n has proved its self over the years but that reverse and first are just to fast and non live hydraulics are a pain. Where as the 35 is a 6 speed, 2 reverse most have live pto and hydraulics. Hard to beat for the 50"s and 60"s.
 
for what you want to do i would have to agree with the 8n it will do everything you want to do plenty of parts and implements and can be had for pretty cheap plus if you ever do have problems with it there are plenty of knowledgeable people on here to help you along the way good luck tires in good shape would be on my check list too as they are pricey
 
No matter what brand you buy,geat at least 40hp,
live pto and powersteering.That could be something made from the 1950's to the present whatever you can afford.Acub is only around 9 horsepower,the super A models were good tractors,but hard to get on and off,no 3pt hitch,very limited to what you can do.The 8n was a decent tractor that's easy to use,but most for sale are wore out.I see horse people all the time buy new trucks,trailers,horse arena's and try to get by on the cheap with a tractor.Not long before there wanting to trade up to smoothing they can actually use.
 
Tend to agree. That's why my first tractor was an IH 350 instead of an "H". It costed me about $600 more to have a tractor with live PTO (for baling and mowing), live hydraulics (for the loader and power steering) and 2 point for rear attachements like the post hole digger. Best $600 I spent. Still have it even though its now 3rd in line for use.
 
Bingo, DaninKansas- an "unbiased opinion" is kind of like Bullwinkle opined when Rocky mentioned military intelligence- "Isn't that a contradiction in terms?"

That said, of the three, the 8N is your rig- Cub is pretty much useless, and even if you could find all the implements for the Super A, you'd spend half your life changing them every time you wanted to do something different. 3 point hitch is the way to go.
 
Of the three you've looked at or are considering,
the 8N would be the best all round choice. More
power, good working 3 pt hitch set-up with draft
and position control on the later ones, easy to
work on and lots of parts easily available. They
can also be found quite inexpensively just about
anywhere.
 
I somewhat agree with EI6147, MF 35 or 135 or a Ford 600 or 800 series BUT I'd add MF 50,
150, 65, 165, Ford 3000 series Farmall 350,450,460,606 especially if you find a utility
model with power steering. Other candidates would be a Case 430 or an Oliver 55 or Super
55. Bottom line is you don't know this yet but you really want factory 3pt or 2 pt, live
PTO & Hydraulics and power steering and 35HP or better.

As far as bias if you're asking someone's opinion you are asking for their bias. Notice no
John Deeres or Allis Chalmers on my list, my bias is the Deeres are to darn expensive for
what you get (and a JD 2010 would fit your needs except it is the worse tractor Deere and
Company ever made) I'm not familiar enough with any of the ACs to recommend any, the few
I've been associated with were a little flaky.
 
I agree with Glennster. I'm a red tractor guy, but of the tractors listed, the 8N would be the better choice. If you wanted to stay red, I'd look for a 240 Utility...or a 340 Utility with TA if you decided to do a bit more with it.

But for the choices listed, the 8N is more versatile, with the 3-point hitch.
 
For the things you listed an 8N hands down, and for a good one I suggest you go to the N series tractor board, and they will help you a bunch..
 
I don,t owen any Allis Chalmers but for what you say you are going to use it for a AC D14 or D15 with loader would be about the size tractor you want. They have plenty of power but are not an overly large tractor.
 
Most of those tractors mentioned are all older,
cheaper tractors, and all would fit the bill. I
would rule out the VAC Case and most of the older
Farmalls rather quickly. I'd rather see you look
for something with a three point hitch, and
strongly recommend shying away from the N series
Fords. Though capable little tractors, they can
be quirky because of their hydraulic system,
especially in novice hands. The Vac's are getting
hard to find good parts for, like wheels that were
odd to any machine but Case. Best look at a
Massey Ferguson or a newer Ford 600 series with
live hydraulics- better yet, a small Kubota or
Japanese manufactured American name. Or, my
personal choice, about an 820, 1520, 830, 1050,
2040, or 2240 John Deere; for any reason, most of
the smaller JD's, primarily for dealer and parts
support. I also prefer diesel, but a small gas
job would probably serve you very well.
 
The 8N will be your best choice of those you listed. Not only are there a number of used CAT1 3 point implements out there but you can buy about anything you want new too.

Rick
 
I am not at all biased, I think that all Masseys are good not just any
particular one! LOL......Joking aside, you will not find a better chore
tractor than a Perkins 3 cylinder diesel MF35 or 135, but they may
be too expensive.....Look at TO or TE 20s or even the Ford N series.
These tractor all come from the same pedigree and most
importantly have 3 point lift.............Sam
 
Salesmen will always tell you that what they have to sell is the best and everything else is junk, which is of course BS. I would look for the best one you can find in your price range with a three point hitch, that is not an oddball off brand tractor. Of the three you have listed I would pick the 8n. If you can afford a Massey 35 or 135 or a Ford 2000 or 3000 or International 250,275,or 414 GAS (the diesels are hard to start) or JD 40,420,430,1010 gas, 820,920 etc. you will like it better, but you have to be able to afford it. Just remember all of them will break, even new ones. A name brand tractor will be easier to find parts for.
 
Everybody has a brand bias, period. It largely comes from their
experiences. If you get a deal when you are cash poor, that's all
that matters.
 
I own all three of those tractors.
Of the three, for your listed chores I'd choose the 8N.
As others have said, because of the 3pt hitch.

You also mentioned you are fairly new to mechanics.
For that reason I would recommend if you are going to get an
8N, get a later model (1950 1/2 thru 1952) with a side mount
distributor. It is more like other tractors when it comes to working
on it then the earlier front mount distributors.

If you can find one, I'd prefer to have a 600/800 series also.
They have live hydraulics so the clutch doesn't have to be out
to work the 3pt hitch. They may have live PTO, x6x series.
They also may have power steering.

The Jubilee/NAA is in between the 8N and 600 series.
I love mine, but they were only built for two years so finding
used parts can be tough. New parts are available for most things.

Other brands, I like the Fergies, they sell for twice what the
Fords do in my neck of the woods. TO-20 isn't twice an 8N.
Good tractors, but not double the price.

If you can find a little Allis Chalmers with 3pt they are great
machines. Mine doesn't have 3pt so it sits in the barn.

Maybe the most important part is, what dealers do you have?
If you can't get to a dealer for parts, advice, etc you may
want to look at other brands entirely.
 
Everyone has a bias... Opinions are like ar**holes. Everyone has one.
When you call a dealer their opinion will gravitate towards what they have to sell you. On here it will gravitate towards either what one has and like or has had and hates...

I think of the three you list, given equal condition, the N is the better choice simply because it has a three point hitch. At the same time you could probably just as easily move into a 6/800 series Ford and for a touch more money again move into a 2/3/4000 series Ford and have a LOT more tractor than the 8N.
Live hydraulics and live PTO count for quite a lot, particularly if you intend to run a snow blower. In that case you want both...
Likewise, the little MF 35 or 135 would work pretty good. Keep in mind that the old IH's with nothing more than a drawbar are cheap for a reason... they can't work with hardly any modern implements. Not that they were bad tractors... they just lack the features that even the 8N had.


Rod
 
I'm going to answer it a little different since you didn't state an actual price range. Under $2000 Ford "N" or Ferguson TO 20 (I just sold a nice one(TO 20) for $1600). $2000-$3000 Ferguson 30. $3000-$3500,Ferguson 35,Oliver Super 55, Naa/Jubilee,600 series/2000 Ford. Over $3500, Fergy 135 , Ford 3000, Oliver 550 or go with any of the small 4wd suburbanite tractors you can find with low hours AND a solid history of use and ownership. If i had the chores you described, the best bang for your buck is a TO 20/30 Ferguson. An old neighbor of mine has a nice TO 30 right now for sale for $2000 OBO. 30 hp and better than any "N" Ford. He doesn't own any junk. It's here in central MI
 
I think you said it yourself. If you have a horse arena, you must have horses. Just use those hay burners. Be careful, there are more horses a$$es than horses.
 
The cub is a neat little under powered lawn mower. No IPTO
The Super A is a good choice and will do you well. but has no IPTO
The 8N is Ok but is pretty hard to steer. No IPTO
The best might be a Massy Ferguson 135. (I am an IH guy but they really impress me.) Jim
 
(quoted from post at 15:12:23 03/13/14) I somewhat agree with EI6147, MF 35 or 135 or a Ford 600 or 800 series BUT I'd add MF 50,
150, 65, 165, Ford 3000 series Farmall 350,450,460,606 especially if you find a utility
model with power steering. Other candidates would be a Case 430 or an Oliver 55 or Super
55. Bottom line is you don't know this yet but you really want factory 3pt or 2 pt, live
PTO & Hydraulics and power steering and 35HP or better.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with most of that and add in JD 40 and 50, maybe even 60 and their alter counterparts, AC D14/15/17 and later. You want a 3 pt just for the simplicity of being able to hitch something to it. Live PTO is nice too. If this was going to be my only tractor, it certainly wouldn't be any of the ones on your initial list. All are good tractors, but you won't be happy with any in the end.
 
As much as it pains me to say this, of your three choices the
8n is the best choice(and I consider a 8n a glorified lawn
tractor with a cult following with some strange necessity of
every horse hobbiest the need to own one). There are far
better and not any more money choices out there if you
wanted to expand your search criteria.
 
This comes from EXPERIENCE, if you ONLY have those 3 choices, the 8n ford. After being forced to run one of the dam no starting useless pieces of junk, you couldn't give me another 1. Please look around and find something else, do you have a local tractor dealer where you can get parts? I would prefer a 300IHC utility, D14 AC with 3 point, one of the 800 series fords, or a later model in the thousand series line. A 135 MF would also on my list. We had a 420 utility JD when I was young, had factory 3 point. Would out pull, out work any 2-8-9n ford ever made and always started, something a N ford almost never does without help.
 
I like the feeling of an 8n - nice smooth steering.

Common problem on super a's is sloppy steering - ok if you fix it, but it's a chore to fix.

Another problem with the super a is the 1st gear is still a bit fast for things like plowing if you've got rocks.

I've never plowed with an 8n - and I just looked it up. It's first gear speed is a lot faster than the super a!

but I have no idea how much you can throttle it down. Maybe others here can chime in. I see that 1st&2nd on the ford is about the same as 2nd&3rd on the farmall. That's pretty fast - I'd ask around on that topic.

Both tractors are about as simple as you can get, and very reliable.

(I'm crossing the cub off like others have - handy little things, but they'll always leave you wishing for more).

Somebody else mentioned super a's are hard to get on and off - depends on how tall you are. I'm tall and my leg fits just right so I can step on the platform and step up. I do feel bad for people trying with shorter legs trying to do it. Somebody does sell an add on step that I'm sure works well.
 
Of the 3 mentioned, the 8n is by far the best choice. It is the only one engineered to operate with a 3 point hitch. It a good small tractor, of course it depends on how worn out and cobbled up it is. It is over 50 yrs old.
 
I don't have any experience with the three you mentioned. But I did notice the 420/430 JD's mentioned. I have owned a 420 for quite a few years. I do have a loader on it also. It has been a pretty good tractor. It handles a 2 bottom plow easily and a 2 section 3 pt spring tooth harrow quite well. The hydraulics work quite well and the motor is fairly economical to repair and the hydraulic system is easy to work on. If you come across a 420/430 JD, for a price you can afford, it should serve you well. The 550/S-55 Oliver and the 35/135 Massy's should do quite well also. With any of these tractors mentioned you will need a set of tire chains for winter work.
 
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