Ford 600s

I'm looking at a couple of those ragged-out deep south tractors now and trying to decide which, if either, I want.

Both are 600s. One is a '57 red Workmaster that probably was not used a lot in its lifetime, but neither was it taken care of. It spent most of its life outside in the Louisiana weather, but rust is confined to the fenders. Hood tin is fair to good, minor dings. Looks like it had a brush paint job in the past. Runs well, no obvious leaks. Lift seems ok, pto runs quiet. Motor has probably never been opened. Has a governor problem present owner (a buyer/reseller) says he'll fix. Rear tires are shot, fronts are fair.

The other is a a grey 600, 4-speed, Pto, present owner (also a buyer/reseller) has covered up with paint for cosmetic purposes. Engine sounds very good; he says it has 140 compression. It appears that a some point a rod came through the left rear corner of the engine just above the oil pan. It has been heavily brazed in that area, but it appears to have sealed the side. I found no waterjacket leaks in either tractor. This 600 (which has a 620 serial prefix, erroneously indicating it has no pto or 3-point, per John Smith), has pretty good hood tin, one 600 fender and one 8N fender. Rubber is very good all around. Lift leaks down within 15 seconds of killing engine.

Both come with comparable rotary cutters (that I don't need.)

I'm thinking that either one will suit my purposes, which means it will be used around my place to clip grass, haul firewood, lift heavy stuff, etc. Prices are about the same (probably a bit on the high side with the 600 being the higher of the two--$3200. I would like to hear opinions and impressions of both these tractors, particularly if there are any differences between the 600 and the Workmaster that make one a better choice than the other. I'm probably going to get one of these machines within the next few days. I'm leaning toward the 600, mainly because of the rubber.

We have a 1959 601 workmaster, its red. We use it for teddering and raking hay, and bushogging. I would recommend this tractor.

We work in heavy machinery and would never choose good rubber over a drifting lift, or a bandaged up engine. We ween very often over the years that a quick coat of paint can hide a multitude of sins.
The rusted fenders can be replaced or fixed yourself if they"re not too gone.
3,200 does seem on the high end of the range. But for me its not much of a choice, I"d go with the workmaster.
Best of luck

Workmaster is a 601 - same tractor as a 600 only a bit newer.
I don't mess with the 4 cylinder Fords so much but think that some governor parts are NLA.
Other Ford men here will correct me on that.
Prices are a bit high I'd say. For the one with the cracked/fixed block which though it may run well is still a serious flaw.
And new tires are a Grand for the other one.
Leakdown on the lift is a $25 piston seal and gasket from this site so no big deal.
I don't buy from resellers as they need to make a living too and their prices will show that.
Have you tried searchtempest dot com?
Plug in your zip code and how far you want to travel and see what's on craigslist in many cities.

I wouldn't pay over $1500 for either one of those tractor/mower combinations. Used mowers are readily available for $150-$300. New rear tires/tubes for the 601 will cost you $1000. The busted block on the 600 is a huge price discount. I'm across the border in Texas and I know 600/601 tractors won't sell for anywhere near those asking prices unless they are the hard to find 660/661 with Live PTO. And in the condition you describe even those desirable models aren't worth much.
As Ultradog said- get on Searchtempest or go directly to Craigslist and do some searching.