2N or not 2N??

I have 13.5 acres here is Colorado. When I first bought the property in 1994, I bought an 18HP Sears Lawn tractor with a 44" mower deck and spent around $2000. I have about 5 acres I keep mowed. With the Sears tractor, it would take many hours to mow the 5 acres. It is not really big enough to use for snow removal. You can buy blades and snow blowers for it, but it would not handle a deep snow.

2 years ago, I decided I needed something bigger. I looked at all kinds of older tractors. For several reasons I decided an N was what I wanted. I bought a 48 8N with post hole digger, box blade, back blade, 6' mower deck, front end loader, and tires chains. All of the implements were new except for the FEL. I gave $3500 for all of it. It now take about 2.5 hours to mow the 5 acres, plus I can remove snow, grade, dig post holes, ...

I still use the Sears for trimming around trees, but the N is MUCH more tractor for the money. As others have said, you will have more maintenance, but it's not hard to maintain.

My $.02 worth,
Danny

Well take a look at the picture of what you can do to one. This is a 1942-9N tractor. Now this is a 60 year old tractor!! Compare it to a Cadet Mower. Which would you prefur to use mowing your place and say 5 or 6 years later which would be worth more? They are about the same cost if not cheaper. Mark H.

Here is a Nice 1980 Cub Cadet restored and he did a good job on it. The newer Cadets are not built as good now. Hope this help in your desion. Mark H.

They will be beer cans!

That N will probably still be cutting grass and pushing snow if we are still taking the oil away from the arabs to run them on. Other wise they will still be better for making gun implacements than the little bitty yuppy yard tractors. Hunks of cast iron turn bullets good! They go right through beer cans!

Besides now you can modify the N tractors to have almost the same options as the later model tractors. Position control of the lift. Live hydraulics. Lights and mud flaps! Radio? Cup holders! Seat cushions with backs on them. Talk about luxury!

Do about four times the work as that yuppy thing and for about a forth the price and if you happen to run over a beer can it won't turn you over.

Zane

• ZANE THANG / LIVE THANG ETC. FOR THE N

• Vintage Ford tractor page

The down side (you knew that was coming), 60 yo 2N will not be as reliable as this years garden tractor, but in 5 yrs will your gardentoy be reliable? Great thing about 2N's, parts are readily available and reasonablely priced. BUT you really want to be able to turn the wrenches yourself, otherwize, GO with the $500/mo payments.

Remember, N-tractors were designed for horse farmer and bailing wire repair. Today we have ducttape and superglue (grin) and I&T FO-4 manual ($29 cheap). If you can read, you can do all the necessary N-Repairs..... .....Dell

• The Smiths 8n ford page