Big Ole Hunk of Dead Iron

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

I wanted this for yard art but couldn't attend the sale. Friend bid it up to $600 where I told him to stop. Next bid bought it at $650, no great loss. Been looking for something on steel, and this one was not too terrible bad. Motor was complete but stuck. Wonder what actually using one of these was like back in the day? Can't say it looks like it would have been an enjoyable experience. Gerrit

paul · Apr 24, 2022

Compared to sitting on the plow staring at the back of 2 horses all day, I bet it was really something back in the day and a big step up.....

Paul

Richard G. · Apr 24, 2022

There were a lot of them used back in the day.
I know how difficult it can be cranking my 17 Model T on a cold winter day.
I would hate to have to crank one of those when it was cold.

big tee · Apr 24, 2022

Paul beat me to it--It is better than smelling horse farts all day!!

chcase · Apr 24, 2022

My dad told me that riding one of those
was interesting as the trasmission would
get very hot after 8 hours,just told me he
was very happy when my grandfather traded
for a cc case.

Mark-Ia · Apr 24, 2022

They were dangerous. In hard going they were known to flip over backwards. The later ones with fenders helped to eliminate that problem.

warbaby · Apr 24, 2022

Thats a really nice Pre- 1924 Fordson, if that separate gasoline starting tank is an original part. As with all of these machines, it has been modified a bit with
a home-made exhaust manifold/header, and an aftermarket magneto drive.

You can almost hear the rear axle whining!

Welding man · Apr 24, 2022

There used to be a lot of those in my area. I had a 1921. Step dad had one also. They were used to run thrash boxes to thrash wheat
mostly. They also kept a couple of teams of horses around to hook to the tractor and thrash box when moving from one farm to another.
The old Fordson would spin out on the rocky roads and need a little help from the team to get up the hills. Old friend said they used
to put a dozen eggs in the radiator before they started in the morning and they had great boiled eggs at noon.

WilBury · Apr 24, 2022

That's an incredible horsepower pic big tee! I can't imagine the skill & work involved to make that happen.

Sprint 6 · Apr 24, 2022

My great uncle loves to tell the story of
the tax man visiting my maternal great
grandfather's farm in about 1950 when
the only tractor they had was a Fordson.

Up through the 50's, Indinan tax assessors
would visit individuals homes to assess
personal property taxes on 'luxuries'. Two
things happened on this visit, one, the tax
man saw the Fordson and asked if that was
their only tractor. My great grandfather
replied 'Yes.' Tax man, 'And you're man
enough to run it?' (Great grandpa died
when I was 4, but I remember he wasn't a
big guy). Great grandpa replied, 'Guess
so.' The tax man felt sorry for him and
said he would just pretend he didn't see
it.

The second thing that happened was my great
grandparents had an upright piano, which I
guess was a big luxury and assessed at a
higher rate. My great grandfather had
disguised it as a cupboard and had steered
the tax man away from it the whole visit.
My grandmother, 15 at the time and as
oblivious to her surroundings then as when
I knew her, came down stairs, asked why the
piano was covered, and began playing (she
loved the piano, something her loss of
hearing took from her before her death).

So on that day, my grandfather beat the tax
man on the Fordson, but lost on the piano.

db4600 · Apr 24, 2022

Grandpa replaced the aging draft horses with a Fordson. Pa said outside of July and August if you need the tractor on Tuesday you had to start a corn cob fire under it on Sunday

Russ from MN · Apr 24, 2022

My dad talked about steel wheels, he didn't like them!

Goose · Apr 24, 2022

That was the first tractor I ever drove.

How was it? Noisy! Straight exhaust pipe, no muffler. The rear differential howled loud enough to almost drown out the engine. They were at their most efficient when the radiator was boiling, so occasionally steam would loosen the radiator cap enough to spit steam back at you.

They had only three speeds forward, so you did 98% of everything in 2nd gear. On a hard road with no load behind, you might get it to rolling in high gear. The clutch was immersed in gear oil, and wouldn't release fully until the gear oil was warmed up and thinned. To shift into gear while the gear oil was still cold you depressed the clutch and jammed it into gear without worrying about what you were doing to the gear teeth.

The couple that we had did have the 'teardrop' rear fenders that were designed to keep the tractor from flipping over backwards, although I don't recall that being a problem.

When we got a 1938 RC Case on rubber, I thought I was in heaven.

WilBury · Apr 24, 2022

Wonder what the Nebraska test number would be at the last drawbar behind that team of horses...

J.Wondergem · Apr 24, 2022

(quoted from post at 08:17:21 04/24/22) Paul beat me to it--It is better than smelling horse farts all day!!
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto123904.jpg>

Now that's a lot of hay and oats in a year.

grayrider · Apr 24, 2022

I gave $300 for this one to keep it from going to the
scrap yard, put a little bit of lipstick on it for preservation,
would love to find some steel wheels for it, motor is stuck
and dont plan on doing nothing with it.

Bob N.Y. · Apr 24, 2022

I grew up around a 1927 Fordson with the wing fenders. It was the only tractor my father had when I was born. They were tricky to start, hard to steer and the clutch didn't disengage very well. When I was about 4 and 5 years old, I remember standing on the triangular platform that was attached to the rear axle and left fender all afternoon while my father plowed. I'm sure that tractor was largely responsible for his loss of hearing. I hope to restore it some day.

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

These are great comments, glad I posted this! I'm especially interested in hearing about how it was to operate one and I guess you get used to anything but it sounded like hard work to get it going then more work to keep it going.

And the story about the tax man and the piano was great--I can just picture it!

I've been to a lot of tractor shows but don't think I've ever seen anyone run a Fordson. Thanks for the comments and stories about running the old Fordsons. Gerrit

jm. · Apr 24, 2022

Found this one in a barn 3 years ao motor is stuck , looks to be about the same tractor $500.00

Sprint 6 · Apr 24, 2022

Another story passed down about my great
grandfather's Fordson was he hated the
fenders. They had rocky fields, and the
fenders were so strong, if the cleats
pulled up a field stone, the tractor wedge
it between the fender and wheel, stopping
the tractor. Sometimes so tight the fender
would have to be loosened to allow the
stone to be backed out. So, my great
grandpa thought he was quick enough on the
clutch he could stop it if it started to
rare up. Fenders off, back to plowing in
his bottom land, the cleats pulled up a
large black snake and deposited it on his
lap and top of the transmission. The
fenders went back on as he decided he liked
wedged rocks more than snakes.

My grandmother and grandfather were married
in 1952, shortly after, my great grandpa
was able to afford a well used early
Farmall M. The Fordson sat for sale for a
couple years, unable to find a buyer.
Grandpa told me he and great grandpa
finally cut it up for scrap about 1956-57.
He said the recyclers gave them $1.25 for
it and he and great grandpa thought they
made out like bandits!

Geo-TH,In · Apr 24, 2022

jm
Is that the very first Kubota??
How are you feeling??

Timmycornpicker · Apr 24, 2022

Their tendency to flip over while plowing is what inspired Harry Ferguson to develop the 3-point hitch.

560Dennis · Apr 24, 2022

650 was a gift
Triple that in parts on front end.
Clutch type pto no less ,wow !

Willow Lane · Apr 24, 2022

My grandfather had one, the only thing I ever heard about it was how miserable it was to start. He finally traded it for an F-20, but told the dealer not to bring the new
tractor until the afternoon because he was going to be busy in the morning. Said he never told the dealer the reason he was going to be busy all morning was that he was
going to be trying to get the Fordson started.

VicS · Apr 24, 2022

You are right. You all forget the farmers like my Grandpa, had no knowledge of how a engine worked. Also most oils were just oil. It got thick as molasses when cold. My Dad was another story he loved all kinds of vehicles and understood them. He said Fordsons got a bad rap. Most problems were their owners and inferior lubricants. Yes they built.fires under them to warm them up. And they hadn't heard of antifreeze except alcohol. Dad said they had 1 Fordson between 3 brothers. And 8 of them drove it 24/6 if they could see.

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

Nice job dressing it up. Gonna take a wild guess and say that machine just visible in the distant shed is a F-20 Farmall. No shame if I'm wrong. Gerrit

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

(quoted from post at 10:05:06 04/24/22) Another story passed down about my great
grandfather's Fordson was he hated the
fenders. They had rocky fields, and the
fenders were so strong, if the cleats
pulled up a field stone, the tractor wedge
it between the fender and wheel, stopping
the tractor. Sometimes so tight the fender
would have to be loosened to allow the
stone to be backed out. So, my great
grandpa thought he was quick enough on the
clutch he could stop it if it started to
rare up. Fenders off, back to plowing in
his bottom land, the cleats pulled up a
large black snake and deposited it on his
lap and top of the transmission. The
fenders went back on as he decided he liked
wedged rocks more than snakes.

Great story about the snake, probably the fastest he ever got off the tractor! Hope the snake got away ok. Yep, a buck twenty five for a whole scrapped Fordson, those were the days I guess. These days a buck twenty five usually means $125.00. Good stories, Gerrit

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

(quoted from post at 12:03:23 04/24/22) My grandfather had one, the only thing I ever heard about it was how miserable it was to start. He finally traded it for an F-20, but told the dealer not to bring the new
tractor until the afternoon because he was going to be busy in the morning. Said he never told the dealer the reason he was going to be busy all morning was that he was
going to be trying to get the Fordson started.

Hahahaha that's great!

RedMF40 · Apr 24, 2022

(quoted from post at 09:57:59 04/24/22) Found this one in a barn 3 years ao motor is stuck , looks to be about the same tractor $500.00
<img src=https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/cvphotos/cvphoto123985.jpg>

I like yours a lot better, finished in natural rust. Nice even coat. If you're ever selling give a shout. TN is a bit of a drive but I have a trailer that likes to follow my truck around. Gerrit

Naylorbros · Apr 24, 2022

I was reading the instructions on an Eisemann magneto drive earlier today and trying to remember if I had seen one alive. Well now I have.

Donald Lehman · Apr 25, 2022

The first tractor on our farm. Pop said it was a piece of crap, but still a million times better than horses. My maternal grandfather had a 10-20. Pop said it was a better tractor.

Big Ole Hunk of Dead Iron

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