Well, I did it...bought the 880

It is far from mint and is gonna need some work on some things, but it doesn't appear to be major stuff. Some hose replacements, a little cleaning up, etc. The rear tires are brand new (so that's like $350 right there saved). Hoses I have no idea yet what those will cost.

It starts right up, runs very well (no smoking, no sputtering, no knocking, etc). Oil pressure is good.

The only thing that bothers me is the power steering. It doesn't work when sitting still, but as soon as you start rolling, you can steer it with one finger. It acts more like a "power assist" than actually powering the steering. There don't appear to be any leaks on the hydraulic steering ram. Any ideas why it might be acting like this? Is the hydraulic steering on this model powered by the same pump as the hitch, or is there a separate pump/reservoir for the steering? I'd hate like heck to have to replace that pump right off the bat.

Brakes are another possible concern. There is plenty of pedal, but standing on the brakes hard doesn't seem to want to stop it too quick. Not too tremendous of a deal as my land is totally flat and I basically drive in a big circle.

Other than that, it's in the condition I'd expect for a tractor its age. As it sits, it runs and will shred my field. I can tinker with it later when I get the time and money.

Elmer, any ideas on the steering and/or brakes?

Also, this has a live PTO instead of a two-stage clutch. How do I spin the PTO up and down? DO I just engage and disengage the PTO?

The hydraulic hoses on the steering ram might need replaced as well. They definitely need to be propped up or something as one of them rubs and gets dragged across the alternator mount when turning. Looks like someone put some tape on it to help alleviate abrasion, but it needs to be fixed better.

Out of curiosity, should I have to go into the brakes, how major of an operation is this? Are they easy to get too, or will I have to disassemble half the tractor? What would new brakes cost?

Also, if the power steering pump is worn out, how much would one of those cost, and how major of an operation is it to replace one?

I have more tools than any one man alive should be allowed to have (some of them I'm not even sure what they are for )and I have quite a few years of "shade tree" mechanicing under my belt (lots of cars, hotrods, etc), but I am a complete newbie when it comes to tractors.

Anything that can be reached or unbolted externally would not be a problem for me, I'm just a tad bit shy about having to do something like split the tractor or pulling half the drive train apart.

I do intend to drop all fluids and replace with fresh, as well as filters. Perhaps even flush out the hydraulics with diesel to clean it out.

Either way, it will be a work in progress as I intend to fix a lot of stuff, but I just want to get my dang field mowed before I do anything else! LOL! After that, I have time and can spred expenditures out.