Ford N's pulling down trees

Bill(Wis) · Apr 17, 2009

Anyone see the pics of guys pulling down peach trees with Ford N's over on the N board? Those guys are really proud. Let me tell you, I've had lambsquarters (weeds) on my farm that an N couldn't pull down. I visit the N forum strictly for entertainment.

Wesley Stephens · Apr 17, 2009

somebody must have developed rootless peach trees.

Nubian · Apr 17, 2009

Just another case of people maligning things they don't understand.....

Doug in Illinois · Apr 17, 2009

I haven't seen that post yet, but will check it out.

I am in the process of cleaning up a 17 acre field that has been neglected and has autumn olives in it. They are supposed to pull out easy. NOT!!

It has been way too wet and cold this spring, so traction not ideal, but thought maybe roots also waterlogged. My 1066 can only "pull" the trees up to about 2 to 3 inches. I can use the rear blade and "work" the roots by pushing / pulling back and forth with more success. DOUG

old · Apr 17, 2009

Shoot in my area depending on where they are you can almost pull them with a riding lawn mower. Just this winter we removed 3 or 4 of them form my moms place and they pulled out so easy 3 men and 2 strong boys could have pull them up

2x4 · Apr 17, 2009

I had a JD 350 dozer & those Autumn Olives could give it a fight. A lot of them I upset had root systems that were higher than the dozer. They made too big a hole in the field so I just uprooted them & let'em lay there for a year. Dirt would fall off into the hole during the winter & next summer I shoved'em off to the side.

GA Dave · Apr 17, 2009

Don't take much to make us happy. David.................

Anonymous-0 · Apr 17, 2009

Challenge Time!!!

I will put my 8n up against any similar weight
tractor, to do any equal job, on less gas.
,,,524,076 8ns can't be all wrong.

Doug in Illinois · Apr 17, 2009

I just kind of wondered about that. I can do more good with the blade than the log chain, but basically only getting the roots that are almost on top of the ground already.

My 1066 finally got here from Nebraska last fall, I bought a set of duals for her here when I moved here at a farm auction. That was like 5 years ago. I wish we had the duals back home in NE, but that is another story.

I don't have the traction to rip them by the roots with singles. Should I dual up, or just stress the trees I can't push or pull over enough that they will end up dying and farm around them next year? I plan to hay the field again this year, because of the tree problem. I only got access to this patch in August last year, so no real opportunity yet to fix all the problems.

I am trying to buy a cheap chisel plow. Will only need it to plow through the roots the first time. I could disk it with my IH 470 disk, but it can't go deep enough to sever the roots.

Other possibility is to pick up a 3, 4, or 5 bottom moldboard plow. I have a 2 bottom here for our garden behind the Ford 5000.

Won't even consider ripping roots with it. It isn't built heavy enough. DOUG

Anonymous-0 · Apr 17, 2009

Doug, a subsoiler (one shank that goes deep) might cut roots better.

sammydwm · Apr 17, 2009

524,076 8ns can't be all wrong

Yes they can.

thurlow · Apr 17, 2009

Hey Bill, I have no reason to visit the Phord board, but I'm sure those guys know what they're doing; how-some-ever, it always amuses me to hear anyone talk about pulling stumps or trees with a pharm tractor. When I've questioned someone a time or two, I've been told that they've had the tractor a couple of years, that they've put about 50 hours on it and they do-too know what they're doing. Have been operating pharm tractors and construction equipment since 1952 and I've never pulled up a tree with a pharm tractor; always used a track hoe, a large dozer or (a few times) a backhoe. More power to anyone who can get it done with an 8N.............(and yes, I had 17 acres of peaches 'til I pushed them up in 1986.)

buickanddeere · Apr 18, 2009

I can see it now.
An aftermarket drawbar in the three point hitch arms. The three point hitch at full height. And the driver getting a good run at the tree in 2nd or 3rd gear before yanking the chain tight.
The Ford N series sold even though it wasn't much of a tractor. Because it was better than going around and around the feild all day looking up a horse's backside.

2x4 · Apr 18, 2009

you can't stress those darn things, you can only kill'em. All the little broken-off root tips grow back into bushes, and fast!

Billy NY · Apr 18, 2009

You know I did a little of that 2 weeks ago with my 850, 100-125 feet of chain, was on a slope facing down and was able to set a choker way up high, so if she snapped off or fell I was well out of the way, but this is not something I would want to do regularly, even had some extra weight in the loader bucket, 60 foot black cherry came over roots and all, but you have to really know what you are doing, and have enough line, if she don't want to go, leave er be, I had to because they were leaners into someones back yard, have a photo or 2 of this, lot of chain to get safely away, still don't condone it cause it is dangerous work.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Apr 18, 2009

I have a cousin who did the same thing, except he used a '72 3/4 ton Chevy 4X4. I have a dead tree here I'd like to yank out, but I don't have enough chain and don't want to invest that much $ in chains that won't ever be used again.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 18, 2009

That's cause an 8N can outpull a 1066 anyday!

Bill(Wis) · Apr 18, 2009

Henry Ford always considered his competion to be the horse and he must have been successful because I don't see very many horses around. That little tractor always amused/amazed me. I remember when they first came out. We joked about them being "nice little garden tractors". That was a time when people would never consider buying a tractor just for gardening. Can you imagine trying to move a wagon with 7200 lbs of hay on it on even modest slopes, or worse yet, barn hills? Anyway, just watching them amuses me. I never saw a tractor have so many carburetor problems that are eventually fixed by working on the ignition system. I've told those guys about four times how to keep the tar from melting in their square can ignition coils but they won't listen because I'm an "outsider" (never had one and never intend to). "You can observe a lot by watching". Yogi Berra.

Crem · Apr 18, 2009

What did the other manufacturers have out there in 1940 that was so good? I did a lot of field work with a 1940 9N Ford. We plowing, worked up the fields, cultivated etc and we had hilly country. We would run that tractor from dawn to dusk when it was busy. Of course we always had a larger tractor where it was required but they were really pretty darn clumsy. Ford and Ferguson had many nice 3 point hitch implements available and they worked well. It is funny that all of the modern tractors copied the three point hitch if it wasn't worth a dam.

SDE · Apr 18, 2009

I pulled on a large dead pine with my 400. Spun the tires and killed it in it tracks. The cable was hooked about 10 feet off the ground. I then hooked my c to the cable and pulled at a 90 degree angle. Tipped it over with ease.
The C does not even have weights on it, but the new 36" tires make it a bit more useful than the N series.
Steve

Bill(Wis) · Apr 18, 2009

Harry Ferguson's three point hitch enabled that little tractor to pull as much as it did in the 3 point mode. There were attachments galore for it. But, it still would not pull two plows (3 point plow) through heavy alfalfa sod in red clay. We have plenty of both. Red clay thanks to Mr Glacier and alfalfa because of the holsteins. Interesting, after all these years and all the trial and error, dairy farmers are now realizing that holsteins find alfalfa more agreeable and give more milk on it than just about anything else. As I previously stated: "a nice little garden tractor". Only difference is that nowadays people can afford to spend money on garden tractors. Something that was unthinkable in the 1940's. As far as what was available then, the John Deere A or B, Oliver 70/77 or 80/88, MH 44, Allis WC/WD, MM, Case SC/DC, and CO-OP. All fabulously good tractors capable of doing a good day's work at reasonable cost, with proper weight distribution to pull heavy loads and yet good fuel economy for lighter work as well. For our needs, the Ford/Ferguson *(as it was called then) was amusing at best, deadly at worst.

Crem · Apr 18, 2009

We had some fields with that red clay with the small rocks in it and it plowed hard. For that type of plowing with a N you needed to have fluid in all four tires and most importantly have the plow adjusted right. It would do the job though as that is all that we plowed with for many years until we got a DC Case. Other Case tractors that we had were a C, CC and SC. I still have that 1943 SC and a TO-20 Ferguson which is about like the 8N. The neighbors would get together to thresh oats and usually an Allis WC would run the thresher. But do you know what the neighbors brought to load and haul the large loads of bundles. Mostly Ford N"s and Ferguson"s as they were nimble and easy to use I sure enjoyed driving tractors for the older fellows out in the field. I do a bunch of finish mowing, bush hogging, and landscaping using the box blade, scoop, and landscape rake. Now which one do you think I use? The garden tractor Ferguson or the heavier good farm tractor, SC.

Bret4207 · Apr 18, 2009

I can see an 8N for nimble and as a light weight sort of overgrown garden tractor. But if it hadn"t been for Ford factory backing (financing)and that 3 pt hitch I think it would have flopped. Without the 3pt the 8/9/2N are no more than barely capable tractors. I think it was the Ford name, the cheap cost and the 3 pt that sold them.

Today I think they sell because they aren"t intimidating to the first time tractor owner. They"re friendly looking little tractors- they don"t have that scary, obviously unstable (??!!) tricycle setup, no confusing gear shift patterns or complicated to start diesel engine. In other words, your average city boy can get on it, start it and shift it without embarrassing himself.

Confidence sells.

Don-Wi · Apr 18, 2009

The 3 pt. is their redeeming factor. Grandpa had a Ford 600 with a loader on the farm, but he never liked it (therefore never used it) and Dad traded it off for our Massey 165 almost 20 years ago. Much more of a loader tractor than the ford ever was.

Oliver had some good models out then, and pretty much all of them can pull pretty strong. One of the more popular models was the 70. It'll out pull the N models any day.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Bill(Wis) · Apr 19, 2009

The finish mowing and box blading (assuming a small box blade) would be fine for a fergie or an N but serious bush hogging? The SC would be on the smallish side. I have a Land Pride RCR 2572 (6') and it is a shade too much for My WD. The thing weighs 1100 lbs. Way too much for an N and I go out and cut back swamp grass mixed with brush that's 5' tall. My Kubota M6800 plays with it.

Fixer · Apr 20, 2009

WEnt to plow day last fall. Friend had Ferguson with two bottom plow. Mounted of course. I followed him acrosed the field. When he came to a tough spot, tractor would lift plow till he was plowing aabout 4 inches. I told him hook on my number 8. Bet you cant even get all the way in the ground. My opinion of that type. Bernie Steffen

Ford N's pulling down trees

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