Ford 9N

I am looking to buy a restored 9N. I have 20 acres and needing to clean up. Is there anything this tractor is known for not being able to do?

If you are set on getting one of the little bassets, to USE, look for an 8N instead.

Slightly more HP. 4-spd tranny instead of 3-spd.

The 8N's have position control on the 3-point, allowing an implement (rotary cutter, for example) to be held at a fixed height.

STILL no PS or live PTO or live hydraulics, though.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the N's as collectors items or toys, but they lack MUCH of what a tractor is expected to be nowadays.

There's lots of other choices... slightly newer Fords, small Allises, and so forth. I'm a Deere guy, but finding a little Deere utility in the 40HP range will set you back some SERIOUS bucks.

I have a little IH 424 Diesel I call my "8N on steroids".

<img src = "http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u125/27Grainfield/424IH/424FallCleanup.jpg">
My little 424... a WORKER, NOT a "LOOKER".

It has almost TWICE the HP of an "N", live hydraulics, live PTO, and power steering. All in a "footprint" almost the exact size of an "N".

So, keep an open mind and see what else is available in your area and it's features.

Thanks, Also they seem to range from 18 horse to 35 horse. What is the best for all around?

Are you asking specifically about the 9N-2N-8N series?

9N came out in 1939.
2N came out in 1942.
8N came out in 1948.

(Notice how the model numbering system worked?)

The 8N is rated at slightly more HP mainly due to higher compression.

The HP numbers DO vary widely by source and whether engine HP, PTO HP or drawbar HP.

You have to pick one rating, say engine HP, and compare "apples to apples".

For MUCH more information on the Fords, check out John Smiths most EXCELLENT site linked below.

Take a look at "Tractor ID/history".
Smiths

That is about the least capable tractor you could throw your money away on. It has been said that they are good for counting cows or going to the road to get the mail. I had one, I know.

First off that model is the least tractor for the money that your money can buy. Something like a Massey Ferguson 135 3-cyl diesel and power steering would be MUCH MUCH better and would let you get serious work done. Much more power, much less fuel, live PTO, live hydrol, more low end torque, etc, etc. There are other brands also that are a much better working tractor than the old Ford Ns. Tom

1.Define restored: it may only have fresh paint 2. What is your budget 3. what do mean 20 acres clean up? brush hog, plow, hows the terrain? if the price and proper use is right, they can work out just fine.

Like it's been said, go for an 8n. They are great little machines, and can do WAY more work then people think they can. I used to have an IH 454 (40+ HP) and it was good for a loader tractor but not much else. My 8n brush hogs, mows, rakes, plows, runs my grinder, hauls the hay rack, discs, harrows, plants, cultivates, runs a corn picker, plows snow, and dozens of other things around here. I also have a loader for it, but I took it off when I bought the other loader tractor.

A toy tractor.

The steering kicks like a mule, its bevel geared. If you liked the steering in a model T Ford you will like the 9N steering, but if you hit a gopher hill with one front wheel, you might break an arm.

Gerald J.

There have been discussions on here since the beginning of time on the usefullness of the N series Fords. Some years ago, one wag opined that "They're great for going down to get the mail. . . If you don't have too much mail."

My dad had a 40 cow dairy, from about 1952 to 1962- the only tractor he ever had was an 8N. It was great for going to herd in the cows, pick up calves in the little 3 point carrier he had, etc. Also fine for pulling the ground drive manure spreader. Slightly less so for scraping manure- if stopped, had to shift into neutral and let out the clutch to lift the 3 point blade. Almost unusable for 3 point PTO application, because of "dead" 3 point and hydrualics. They were a great tractor in 1938- but 1938 was a long, long time ago. There are just so many more modern tractors that can do better.

For little, if any, more money, you can get an Oliver Super 55 or 550- 35 to 40 HP, live hydraulics, independent PTO, and the same convenient size as an N (some of the steering parts even interchange). The Oivers are pretty much what you wished the N's were when you were operating them. I have a 550 diesel that I've owned since 1979, and its the only thing I'm sure will still be in my estate when I die.

Scott, A 9N is MUCH more capable than some folks here say (preconceptions from never having spent any time on one I believe), that having been said: if you are simply looking for a good smaller utiltiy tracor, there are many out there that are not as popular with collectors, and have more features for about the same or less money.
An 8N will be just a tad handier and probably negligably more in price. If you want a For N just because you want one, then more power to you!
We have a 2N and an 8N as well as several models and sizes of JD and IH tractors up to a JD 70 and a Farmall Super M. For most of the maintenance chores around his 4o some acres, Dad uses his 2N for most everything and it is handy, I prefer the Farmall Super C for all around versatility and handieness (pulling too!) and they would probably be the last 2 tractors to go if we ever got rid of them...but occasionally ya need some more "donkey power": Like when you get your 2500 HD stuck in 2 feet of snow this past Saturday with a trailer and 100+ bales of hay behind it...that BIG OLD 70 sure comes in handy!

Of course when we finish restoring the Allis Chalmers D10 series III with 3 pt and dual range tranny, we may both find a new favorite handy tractor!

what HP do I need to do all this?

THANKS to everybody for the responses. To answer some of the questions, I am looking to pull dead limbs out of woods from ice storm, mow around 10 acres, plant food plots for deer on this and other property, grage driveway etc.

What about the IH 135? Is this that much more tractor than the 9N or 8N?

Thanks again for caring to share your info

...maybe you mean Massey Ferguson 135? Nice handy utility style tractor, 2 stage clutch (for live PTO) 3pt hitch, lotsa hydraulics, can't remeber the HP off the top of my head but enough more than an N to be noticeable.
I may be wrong, but not sure that IH mad a 135 uless it was an industrial version of something...they made a 140 which was the younger brother to the A and the Super A, offset, wide front cultivating tractor.

Look around for a Ferguson 35,alot more tractor for a little more money -- MIKE in INDIANA

Sorry, your right MF 135. Is the MF 35 a better tractor

I spec i know as much as anyone about a ford N,,, I have a 8N that i would not take a share in a gold mind for,,,, I spent to much money fix'n it up :lol: ,,, got the fever and fixed another one up,,,, I had so much money in it i just gave it away to my uncle with a lifetime warranty :wink: well I now have another fix'er upper that will not b for sale,,, its a nice one owner un farmerized with nice tin and such,,,, problem is finding a nice N for a beginner,,, they are far and few between,,, more junk floating around out their than good' N's,,, for my needs I would not waist money on a 9N/2N are a pre 50 8N,,, it would have to b a later 50 1/2 up with a side mount distributor,,, the front mount dist are a P.O.S,,, I had my hart set on a MF35 are 135 till I ran up on ford 3000 at a deal,,, if and when the economy gits back on track I still have the urge for a MF35/135,,, old tractors are old tractors,,, most folks that have one for sale probably don't know any more than you do about'em,,, do some tire kick'n and ask questions B-4 you git into one to deep,,, If you spend $1500 for a old N and spend $1500 on it (bout what most spend to git it in decent shape if they are lucky) its still a $1500 tractor

I have a Farmall 100 and 140,,, does not get any better for garden work if you can find one with all the cultivators,,, you can do alot of other work with them but they are top heavy,,, gotta b careful and know their limits,,, a flat ground tractor for sure, Good luck

Depends upon your perspective and the condition:
I am an antique guy, I would prefer the N, get the same work done, probably substantially more tome involved, and some inconveniences like braking, no live PTO and less choice of gears (unless your 9N has an auxillary tensmission like a Sherman).
If I were simply using the tractor as a tool, I would prefer the 135; much more modern, may have power steering, does have live hydraulics and live PTO vial the 2 stage clutch (not independant live PTO) the hydraulics are better and stronger and can easily be added to if you want to put a loder or something on, the 3pt hitch has position control...
...and are they in similar condition? The 135 is not as simple as the N and can get more expensive to fix/have serviced.
If you get the N you MUST have an over running clutch for operating PTO driven implements (I cannot stress how important this is from a saftey stand point!!!!!), check the inside of the rims at the bottom to see if any fluid is leaking from the rear axles, this is common on 9/2Ns as it is harder to R&R the axle seals than on an 8N, and if they are leaking, you will be needing new brake drums too as the oil ruins them, then you still won't be happy with the brakes when they are snuffed up.
The main thing to keep in mind when towing anything with an N is to NEVER hook anthing any higher then the drawbar (you probably do not have a belly mount draw bar so be sure to keep your 3pt hitch cross draw bar down lower when pulling), and remember, Ns are light, don't try to go down a hill with too much behind you or you'll take a Nantucket Sleighride (they'll pull a heckuva lt more up that hill than they will hold back coming down!
Purchasing a Zanething can help with the 3pth position control issue, and they sure are handy to plow with using either a 1 or 2 bottom 3pt hitch plow, especially for small food plots!
Hoe this helps. Pete

I owned an 8N for a few year. Its a toy. Not suitable for real work. The MF35 and 135 are a great deal more capable.

Gerald J.

The more I got to thinking about this you mite check around for a local tractor mechanic and C what he thinks (local tractor club mite B a start),,, its getting hard to find someone willing to mess with old tractors and take pride in their work at a fair price,,, dealer mechanic have to make a living and more than likely not willing to lose their arse mess'n with a lost cause

I have a MF35 here that I saw on cracklist (yes i am addicted :lol when i question why it was for sale the gal told me she had spent $800 on it at the local MF dealer and it would not run,,, she had the local auto garage look at it and they told her to git rid of it,,, she said if she could git it fixed she would keep it,,, she found her man,,, she has spent around 2K at this time on it,,, the trans had to b rebuilt that was the killer,,, its a damm nice tractor that can not b replaced for twice that much,,, not git this all I had to do to get it run'n like a top was rebuild the carb and replace the sediment bowl,,, some igjet had a leak at the bowl gasket and use RTV to stop the leak,,, it did not leak but stopped the hole fuel system up

What is "real work" to you? Scott's work seems real, and an N is perfectly capable of anything he's mentioned. Are you talking about baling, running cutditioners, 6 foot hogs, hauling kicker wagons full plowing with more than two bottoms...?
Like I said, I could do everthing that 35 or 135 could with more time: bale with a small baler and drop them on the ground, use my sickle bar mowere, then ted, crimp and rake, mow with a 5 foot hog, and plow with 1 or 2 bottoms.
The question is is like asking "what will drive me to California better...my 2008 Dodge mini van or my 1953 Jeep CJ2A? Well if I wanto hit the high way and make it quick, the van, but if I wann see the sights and enjoy rte 66, the Jeep would be fine, and I'd have alot more fun doing it...doesn't make it a toy!
I love BIG tractors as well as small...makes me wonder if some people feel the need to make up for lack of size somewhere else? ...kinda like those Great White Hunters that show up here in Upstate, NY each year luggin' their .458 Magnums around and taking the same shot's I am comfortably with my .7mm-08!

Go up to ,at least, the NAA in a Ford for the live hydraulics. The Oliver Super 55 is a great little tractor and the price can be reasonable. A MF35 or 135 for not much more $ and good options too.
I just bought a Ford 641 and a MF35 Deluxe from the same guy for $3,500 for the very nice pair.

Bottom line.....do your homework. Ignorance is ALways expensive, especially when it comes to tractors and related equipment. Don't get emotionally involved if you can avoid it.

Depends on who you ask. This topic has been beaten to death dozens of times in the achieves.
There are those who will tell you the Ford 9N,2N & 8N were/are the greatest tractors ever built. And they are up to any task, have enough power, modern features and cost pennies per day to operate.
You want something with live pto, live high flow/high pressure hydraulics, differential lock, a real drawbar, 3 pt hitch, power steering. 12V factory electrics, dealership parts support, roll over protection system (rops) and working brakes.
The Ford N series is also the single most popular tractor found laying on top of its maimed/killed operator.
Needless to say, the Ford N series doesn't qualify. The 800 and later series Fords may have some of those features for similar money.
Even if you insist on used, which I found doesn't save any money if you keep track of the cost of service parts. Hydraulic hoses, tires, tubes, rims, clutch, batteries, starter, alternator, gauges, tie rod ends, brakes etc. Will push the price of a used tractor within range of a new or low hours used tractor. After all the repairs all you still have is an old tractor that isn't worth beans more than when you started.
At least walk through the local dealerships and ask what the company has in stripped down plain utility tractors with factory incentives. You will at least get a feel for real value when looking at used equipment.
You can get a JD 2305 with all those previous features and M4WD and warranty for $11,000.They also take bolt on loaders, mowers, backhoes etc without fiddling and fighting.
The 2305 makes the same power as an 8N and can drag the 8N around like a toy on loose or wet ground.
A pet peeve here from myself and anybody that gives a care about wildlife. I'm a hunter b.t.w so don't get me wrong.
Birds, turkeys, quail, pheasants, rabbits, deer etc all thrive in over grown farms. Urban people see this, like the sights & sounds then purchase the rural property.
They immediately post no hunting signs on every fence post. Let dogs and cats loose to hunt and kill everything they find.
Then jump on their new tractor and bush hog. Then chop every inch of grass, trees, berry bushes, wildlife habitat, nests with eggs, nests with baby birds, small animals and young deer hiding in the grass. To little bits.
Later they p*ss and moan about "hunters" killing all the animals that used to be in their place.

As a person who owns And operates three Ns,they were made to do one thing well,PLOW the then average size farm better than anything else,since most farm men and hired hands were at war,women,young children,old old folks took them to their collective bosoms and made them a American icon.are they the best tractor available no,never were.are they easy to operate,yes-for some things.are they a good value today? depends for mowing,they NEVER WERE made to run a brush hog-and for the most part none of the tractors of that era were.do they use less gas ,no.are they easier to work on,no.are they a better tractor,no not necessarily.bottom line is if you want to plow,move a little dirt,disc,lift things around that aren't too heavy,in other words every thing that normally you would do around a suburban acreage they will work.they are really not too good at brush hogging but there's thousands of them mowing every day. bottom line if you are going to mow with a brushhog there's much better tractors.if you want to put in a good size garden they work excellent for everything except cultivating and will do a passable job at that if you know what your doing.their really not too good if you want a front end loader.overall the main reason for buying one I can see is you can keep one in a small space,and they have held their value over the years more than most others.

ONE of the things very good about these little fords ,and one that may be a make or break deal to a lot of people is they have a very good reputation in that their easy to get parts for.normally if you have a parts store around its likely they will have the parts for them.truthfully i would say they are good tractors for their day and horsepower.but for getting work done in the shortest amount of time a newer tractor would be a better bet in most cases.before buying ANY tractor think of this,,,ALL OF THEM will cost you EVERY DAY that you own one,storage,maintenance,repairs all have to be done regardless of whether new or old.the one and only advantage a old tractor has over a new tractor is it actually cost you less initially,upkeep will be the same,repairs will be higher most likely,but when its done working a 1500$ tractor that's paid for costs you way less than a 15000$ tractor that you are making payments on.if you can afford to take your time a small used tractor will do just as much work but will take longer. if you have to get your work done as quickly as possible a newer or new tractor may be better.

Thanks Jack