Ford 3000??

When you folks say ford 3000, are you referring to a single tractor or a series? Just ran across a 1974 3055 w/ 53HP with a soft cabin for a real tempting price 8000 hours but looks taken care of in the pics. Is there something special about the transmissions? Says it has a synchron and I can't figure out the translation. Pics don't look like an automatic. Thinking it may just be a sophistocated way of saying that you can shift the gears while driving???

Dave

There are some differences between US models and ones meant for other countires, especially in newer series. But I'm pretty sure it's newer than a '74 if it has a syncro. Maybe an '82 or newer. Yes, you can shift syncro's while theyre moving, but they are not a power-shift. 3055 sounds like a Fiat model. Any of the true Ford 3000 series (3000, 3600, 3610) were in the 38-42 h.p. range. (pto h.p.)

Gotta agree the 3000 of the 70's was not that powerful but they are a fantastic little tractor!! What you are talking about sure doesn't sound like on of those. 8000 hours would always concern me that is a lot of hours.

Being where you are you're probably in a position to find most if not all the weird Ford model variants. You have one now. I forget without digging out a book and looking... but I think the 3055 is a 3000 All Purpose (3100) that has been fitted with the 4000's double reduction (inboard planetary) rear axle. This was the forerunner to the 4100, 3910, etc.
It will be heavy and seem underpowered... but provided the engine is good the rest will be indestructable.
8K hours is a bunch, to the point that it could be plain worn out... or if the tractor wasn't worked too hard it may have a lot of life left. Just inspect it closely.
Transmissions could be a 6x4 manual reversing, 10 speed S-O-S (powershift) or the 8x2 crashbox. In all likelyhood it's the 8x2... which is a sliding collar transmission not unlike an Eaton RoadRanger. It can be shifted on the fly if you learn the gear splits. They almost always make a crash on some gears with odd ratio splits, hence the moniker... but the damn thing is indestructable.

Also... most people refer to these tractors by their series number which is 3000... but the all purpose model is correctly a '3100'. A utility is a 3400 and the industrial is a 3500. There are also probably a dozen other model variants of which you've found one.

Rod