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What the tractor is worth depends on a lot of things. A tractor that is not running obviously isn't going to bring near as much. A non running 50 would probably go for less than $1000. If the tractor runs then there are some things to check. First off does it drive in all gears? Some transmission whine is normal for the 50 but clunking is not. Now is a good time to check the clutch. The clutch has a couple of adjustments that may need tending to. Clutch parts are still available and the clutch can be rebuilt by most people but you might need some help pulling the fixed drive disk. Does this 50 have live hydraulics? Probably. Does the 3 point lift okay? When you stand on the 3 point hitch arms, do they start to sink down? Does it have live PTO. They usually do. The PTO system is engaged by a little lever to the right of the gear shifter. This is done with the engine off although you might have to crank the engine over a bit to get the gears to mesh. Once engaged the PTO clutch is operated by a lever on the right hand side of the operators seat. Other things to consider are, are the gauges all there and working? Does the battery charge? Oil pressure okay at idle? Oil pressure may be adjusted somewhat on the 50. Any cooling problems? Lights work okay? About the 3 point hitch. The 50 did not come with a 3 point hitch standard. John Deere sold one as an accessory. This would be either the 800 or 801 model hitch. These John Deere hitches are somewhat rare and can sometimes go for a pretty good price, if they are in good condition. Lots of aftermarket hitches for the 50 exist. I've got one made by Saginaw that I'm very fond of. Its runs something like $450. A good running 50 with everything I mentioned above working will go for anywhere from $2500 to $4500 depending on the condition of the tires and the service history. If the service history is unknown then you'd probably be on the lower end. The location tends to influence the price too. East coast tends to be higher. As far as the model year, it will be between 1952 and 1956. All models were 12V Positive Ground from the factory, but many have been changed over to Negative Ground. The 50 replaced the long running model "B". It sported a bit more power and usually came with live hydraulics and live PTO. Both fairly new and desirable features in the early 1950's. Some later 50s came with power steering. Some were fitted with aftermarket PS. I have found the tricycle steering to be pretty easy even without power assist. Adding a loader to the front of the tractor would change that I think. So, are you selling this machine or looking to buy it? The 50 is great little tractor. Big enough to do solid work and small enough to be good on gas and manuervable. Best of luck,
John
1953 Model 50
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