Ford 600

The seller says he has rebuilt the valves and replaced the head gasket, replaced hoses, rebuilt the clutch, installed new ignition including wires and painted it. It looks good with especially nice sheet metal. Started right up cold once we remembered to open the throttle. Ran strong and tight. No knocking, no smoke. Oil was reasonably clean with no water or foam. Oil pressure when warm was 50 psi. No noise from any gears. Brakes were tight and positive. PTO was smooth. 3 pt hitch was excellent with no bleed down while I stood on it. No smell or hint of overheating, altough the temp gauge doesn't work Tach is also out of order. It drove very well.

I do plan to return and do a compression check before I hand over any money. He's asking $3,000 (down from $3,500 and will take $2,500.)

My questions: Is this too good to be true? He says he's been selling tractors etc like this for years and the market is especially depressed right now in N. Alabama. Hence the willingness to deal.

Are loaders readily available for 600s? We will be making extensive use of a loader for "light" hauling of mulch, sand, some gravel and soil, small boulders and the like. I'll also be using a box scraper to maintain the driveway. No bushhogging or plowing. I know a tractor with power steering is better for loaders, but they're not really in my price range.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Ian

I paid $3800 for mine in Arkansas just a year ago and it was about like you describe this one. If he actually did all the things he said it is a very good buy.

I would check the lift with an actual load like a bush hog. See that it will stay right where you put it.

Mine lifts fine but won't hold position and I wasn't smart enough to find this out before I bought it. I will have to fix it to make it very useful, it is not rocket science but not a small job either.

All I use it for now is to pull a 6' finish mower so lift position is not important but I want to use a bush hog and a box blade so it has to be fixed.

They are great tractors but not too powerful.

My biggest complaint is that it will not work at a creeping speed, it is not geared low enough (4sp). My old JD 60 will creep with a big load and I sure miss this with the 641. It is especially useful when doing fine gravel smoothing with a box blade full of gravel.

thnx

Ian

To do this I may have to fabricate a loader to fit my tractor as modern loaders like Bush Hog appear too heavy and narrow (between the forks to clear the headlights) for my 861 tractor. Modern loaders also appear to hook up differently from the way I remember the 1950's and 1960's loaders bolting up to my tractor. New style loaders appear to hook up in the front to take advantage of the front 4X4 axle. The 861 loaders I remember appeared to bolt up in the center of the tractor with bottom braces bolting to the rear axle fender bolts. The center towers I think were braced and connected by a top and bottom "horseshoe" around the tractor

So how much loader weight and loader payload do you think my 861 can handle without damaging the axles, spindles and center pivot? Are the 800 series axles heavier than the 600 series axles?

Do the 800 second series tractors (I think the 1 of 861 or 801 indicates 1957-1964 model tractors) need a front mount hydraulic pump to operate a loader lifting < 800lbs?

My 861 has live power and a 2 stage clutch for the PTO. The hydraulic pump has a capacity of 2 gallons per minute @ 2000rpms.

I will have to put an aftermarket power steering kit on my 861 as my hands and back cannot steer the tractor with a loader payload.

Am I asking too much of my ol' tractor? Will I be better off getting a compact tractor with a loader and mower deck to do my lifting and replace my John Deere LX 176 yard tractor? Please be honest and frank, I've been called a nut or worse more than once.

My email is not working at this time so please respond in the discussion forum.

If you're primarily looking to pick up items 35 lbs and bigger, why not go with a boom pole? I have a cheapo King Kutter boom pole that retails new for $65. I got it at an auction for $30. It's a 3 point mount item. I've picked up items up to 400 lbs with it with no problem. It would be nicer if I had a hydraulic toplink, but I could put a hydraulic toplink on the tractor a lot cheaper than I could put a loader on.

Does anyone know of a loader company that made/makes loaders for 801/841/861 tractors. Apparently the Sauder Bros company that made the loader for the 601 in the original posting and pictures is no longer in business. I want to find a working loader that avoids removing the headlights. The Sauder loader pictured in the 601 posting did not require the headlights to be removed.

If you find one, please let me know what the going price is. I'm interested in a medium-duty loader that doesn't require removing the headlights and that can be removed/installed in less than half a day.

Hope you find yours!

Ian