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I think that when dealing with older and or used tractors & equipment, it can be tough for a person to assess any particular one and determine what condition it is actually in, there will be things good and bad to find, then one must make a decision as to the value of that particular unit, based on what it is and what needs to be done to make it field ready etc. One like this, you would hope to have bought low, and I think you did ok there. When I bought my 850 Ford, I violated a lot of rules, went to look at it at dusk, never looked at any others, it was very cold out, etc. etc. Now I paid about the same as you for it, included a SE-6 Rhino rotary cutter. This tractor was worn out, motor seemed to be running well, meaning no blow by or smoke etc., but the rest of the tractor was, hammered. Loader frame broken in 2 places, hard to start in the cold it's LPG (propane), starter drive was missing the flywheel, hard to engage, loader bucket well worn, rear tires nice 10 plies with lots of tread, both were sliced and or just look liked they were spun in the mud or in shale or something, they both failed, electrical wiring, was arcing out under the hood, muffler was bad, trans slips out of gear under heavy load and going down hill, front axle pivot pin was worn out, power steering not working, etc. etc. The list goes on, and had I really known, I would have not bought it. It had been for sale quite awhile too, but most were hesitant about the LPG set up, don't bother me at all, runs real clean actually. But I needed something, figuring I'd take a chance if it came back to bite me, so be it, I was making decent money and I'd recover, also though it a bit of a challenge too. That said, I felt like you did at first, gee, what a P.O.S. but I took an interest into the old worn out beast, and it had been many years since I had been on one of these, + we had a Ford tractor dealership many years ago, had a lot of exposure and experience at a young age, I remember our lot full of the 65 & up models, specifically late 60's and early 70's models, just like yours. I always liked the early thousand series, and or the hundred series, we had a 64 4000 for years. As time progressed, I fixed and repaired as much as I could, new tires, brakes, tune up, exhaust, rebuilt the vaporizor (lpg fuel system), repaired the loader frame, etc. etc. First time I took it to the field, fan belt broke, it overheated. I spent some time and a little money, not restored, just some of the things it needed, motor runs good, have a coolant leak still, can smell it when cutting high grass, still slips out of gear, hydraulics settle a bit, front pivot pin still worn out, might even need to split it at some point, clutch pedal binds on occasion. With the work I did to it, and the work it's done over the past 5 years, it does not owe me a dime. I did a landscaping job with it and it paid for itself, this year I used it on a jobsite, hoisted 3 vehicle lifts out of a building and sold same, it's actually made me some $$. I've done quite a bit of mowing and even some clearing that I'd have preferred to have done with a dozer, planted food plots etc. etc. That 3400 is a good model, learn about it, see what you can do as you can afford it and when down time will allow you to and after awhile, that tractor will be held in high regard. You could dump enough money into it to exceed it's current value, if you did a ground up restoration, but you could probably get away with a lot less, still have a field ready tractor, that has no payments, older, but well built, still has a good parts supply and following and so on. For the money you spent to get it + a few thousand more over time, in my opinion it's not the end of the world by any means, it is what you make of it, get the books for it, learn about it and take some time to learn how to repair it and or seek advice as you go along. After seeing what I consider a very worn out 850 can do and is still on the job today, these old tractors are certainly well worth repairing, even if over time, then you know what you have. If you have to run a tractor 8 hours a day and depend on it for a living, it's a different story, better to spend more up front for one in top condition or go for a new one, but for those part time chores during various seasons, weekend work etc., an older one needing some repairs can still perform, you just have to spend a little money and time to get it in the condition it needs to be in to stay reliable.
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