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Whats a Good tractor for a first time buyer?

D

Dan4140

New User
I am new to older tractors and wondering if anyone has advice on a good first purchase. I am planning on buying a 8-10 acre home/hobby farm in the next 1-2 years and want something to work on in the mean time. I have been looking a lot at older fords and farmall tractors. They seem to be pretty abundant in my area. I am looking to basically finish mow/brushhog and plow my driveway with it. I work on vintage outboards and know that some brands/models can be easier to work on and buy parts for. Or if there are particular models to stay away from. Thanks
 
Well a number of them fit your bill. A Ford say 861 or a 350U farmal with power steering or an Oliver Super 55 me I would o with the Oliver but that is me. Lots of tractors that fit what you want so take your time and look at all the forums to see what is out there or even better see if your live close to one of the guys on here and maybe one of them will help you out
 
MF 135. All 135's are excellent tractors but the 135 diesel is the best of them. Everytime this question comes up, 135's are at or near the top of the list. MF 150's use the same power train but aren't as easy to find. Newer models like the MF 230 and 245 also use the same power train. 235's do too but have major steering issues on power steering equipped models. 165's and 175's are also very good tractors with more HP. Dave
 
Oliver Super 55, 550
Massey Ferguson 35 diesel, 135 gas or diesel
if you want a Ford then go with the thousand series 3000, 4000 with 3 cyl engine and make sure it has live PTO
good luck
Ron
 

Do not waste your time buying anything that does not have the following:

3 pt hitch
live or independent PTO
diff lock
power steering
decent brakes
multi range transmission

I know, some one will say "I farmed 10,000 acres with a Ford 8N and Farmall Cub" but don't bother with those or similar unless you want to be a die hard antique tractor owner.

Most of what are decent utility tractors were built in the 1960's and later for the most part.

MF 135/240/245 etc
IH 454/484, etc
 
4600 ford 3cyl diesel. has everything you need. ez on, live pto, dual hyd, good trans. I bought my first one 2yrs ago and wish i'd have bought one new. I'm a life long small farmer. I've been messing in this game since 1961.
Mine doesn't have power steering but will have by spring.
 
I agree with Dave. A Massey 165 would be my choice, though it requires a little higher budget than some older tractors.

Based on prices I've seen over the years, it takes about 5500 to get a decent one.
 
You don't mention how much you have to spend on a tractor. That's pretty important as it will dictate how new or well equipped a machine you can buy.
I don't think you need a 50 HP tractor to "farm" 8-10 acres. 35-40 hp would suit you just fine.
Being I'm a Ford man I will try to steer you towards one of those.
Some models to look for are the older Red Belly 600s. Lots of tractor for the money.
I personally like the Blue 3 cylinder Fords. Some models to search for are 2000,3000 or their slightly newer sisters the 2600,3600s.
Some folks say you gots to have live pto but I don't really think you need LPTO for most of the tasks a 40 hp tractor is suited for.
Power steering sure is nice as is differential lock. If I had to choose one or the other I would definately pick PS over LPTO. Though by the time the 3600s rolled off the line most of them came with both PS abd LPTO.
Some guys would only have a diesel. To me that is not a big deal. I must admit the diesels use a less fuel than a gasser but on a 40 hp tractor fuel usage isn't a real big factor.
The little Ford 9N 8N tractors are great, fun little machines and would suit your purposes too but for about 1/3 more $ you can buy a much better Ford that will have more features that you will come to appreciate. So I suggest you skip the Ns and buy a little newer. For the same reasons I'd say skip the Jubilees.
 
Dan:

You did not indicate how much you are willing to spend, which will affect my advice.

That said, the Ford 860/861/4 cylinder 4000 is a great tractor that can be bought for $3500 or so. Parts are available just about anywhere and modestly priced.

The MF 135 is also a great small utility tractor, especially the diesel versions. A good one will cost a bit more as will most parts.

If you care to spend a bit more, the Ford three cylinder 4000 and derivites and the MF 165 are good choices.

Dean
 
NOT an N series Ford.
You need something with a slow 1st gear, live pto, live high pressure/high volume hydraulics, three point hitch, a real drawbar,working brakes and powersteering for a loader.Hydrostaic transmissions don't have a clutch for amateurs to burn out. A rops and real parking brake are must haves too.
Everybody is looking for a bargain and trying to save money. You can "pay me now or pay me later". Over a few years the costs for parts and labour can add up to the price of a newer tractor.With you having an old high hour tractor for a similar price. It isn't going to cost you anything to walk through the dealership and at least look.
If you can afford a hobby farm you can afford decent equipment.
http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/servlet/com.deere.u90785.cce.productcatalog.view.servlets.ProdCatProduct?pNbr=1490LV&tM=HO&link=enav
 
Thanks for all the quick reply's. Sorry I forgot to mention my price range. That always helps. I am looking to spend around 1500-2000 on the initial purchase and then over time do needed work. The only way I can afford things in life is to buy things in poor condition and fix them:) I live in Rochester, NY. And I was definitely looking strictly at tractors with a 3 point hitch and PTO. It seems that most people think stepping up from the Ford 8n,9n... and the farmall cub type tractors is important. Those just seem to be the only ones I see in my price range. What would be the major drawbacks of these year and type of Tractors??
 
Quote"I work on vintage outboards and know that some brands/models can be easier to work on and buy parts for"
9N,2N 8N Fords would be the least expensive for parts and TO20,TO30 Ferguson would be the easiest to work on with parts being a little more expensive and a little harder to find.
 
I "bleed blue", so I'd try to get you on a Ford... I would skip the 9N and 2N though, as they are only 3-speeds and can't accept a belly-pull drawbar. 8N can have the real drawbar, (and despite what Buickanddeere says, their brakes do work) and have a 4-speed. For 10 acres, it will do anything you need, but I'd still go at least one model newer (NAA/Jubilee)to get live hydraulics. But for the same price as a NAA, you could get into the 600/601 series and also get better brakes and rear axles/hubs. The 4-speeds will do just about anything you can do with a tractor that size except run a tiller. The 5-speeds (available on the 600/601, but not the 8N or NAA) have a somewhat slower 1st gear. These can be found in your price range, but you may have to hunt some. The newer models, while nice, most likely won't be found in that price range.
 
Stay away from the N series fords. Anyone who thinks they are a great tractor sure doesnt know much.
 
in that price range, your in to the n series fords and farmall cubs, may find a decent A super A or B [ B is a trike style] as far as buying a working tractor that you can fix up over time, anything larger or newer in that price range will probably need some work to get it in useing shape first, as far as whats wrong with them, there is nothing wrong with them or they would not be as popular today as they were 60 years ago, now that being said they do have a few drawbacks, easily overcome by a sharp operator, if your going to mow with a N put a orc on it first this will save your life, which is worth the 60 bucks it will cost you and 10 minutes time to install,neither have live pto which means with the n if your brush hogging and you need to drive to the job and your lift leaks down you will need to disconect the mower pto shaft and lay it on the deck so you can let the n's pto turn to keep the mower up off the ground while you drive, as far as work goes compare the small n's and cubs this way if your graveling your driveway, a 6yd dump truck will get the job done, it may take numerous trips, a 14 yd dump truck will do the job much faster, and not need many trips, but if a 6yd dump is what you can afford to buy then that is what you will use, lol i personally have a cub as well as a naa ford, they are both working tractors on my farm and work every day i use the 2 of them much more than i do my much bigger, stronger john deere unless the job im doing needs a big strong tractor
 
Your price limitation changes my advice, Dan.

If you are firm on your $2000 limit, look for a good late model 8N Ford. Try to find a 51 or 52 model.

You might be able to find a TO-35 Ferguson/MF within your price range but more than likely any for $2000 will be in need of considerable work.

For your purposes, and considering your price limit, there are few drawbacks to a late 8N Ford relative to similarly priced competition.

An alternative to consider if your ground is not too steep might be an AC WD or WD45. These machines can be had within your price limit. Either has a separate traction (hand) clutch providing a form of live PTO and much more HP than the N series Ford at the expense of a higher center of gravity and more expensive and less readily available parts supply.

Dean
 
I agree with Dean below. For $2k you should be able to get a decent running 8N. On 8-10 acres it will do everything you need it to do. Skip the 9N/2Ns. If you don't know what the difference is check out John Smith's great site at the link below.
Just don't get into the restoration thing. Because after you have stuck another $1500-$2000 into you'll still have a tractor that is only worth $2500 and kick yourself for not spending your money on a better tractor to begin with.
I don't know why when the topic of the Ford Ns comes up the N haters come crawling out of the woodwork. I suppose it's because they once bought one thinking it would do the work of a JD 4020. Or maybe they are jealous because their beloved Hs, Bs and Cs are just drawbar tractors after all and wont do the simple task that this 1939 9N can easily do.

9nwithboompole.jpg

John Smiths
 
Great well most of those comments were very helpful. Luckily I don't need it immediately so I can take my time and look for a good deal. There are a few Ford 600 series around here in my current price range maybe Ill take a look at one. I will Definitely take into account the live PTO, power steering and the other features mentioned. Thanks
 
430-630 Case with draftomatic , built after 1964 Diesel prefered, Maseey 35-135 or 40-50, Ford 3000-5000, Allis 120, Oliver 55-550 ,,To each his OWN , IMHO, small Gas Deeres are OVERRATED and UNDER ENGINEERED, And the acceptable Dieselversions are terribly Overpriced
 
Power steering isn't needed unless you are going to be doing a lot of loader work. Live PTO is a much more important feature to have. Dave
 
Hydrostatics don't have a clutch. They're just ten times more money to fix than a clutch when they go bad from being over worked. Tractor clutches don't get burn't out very often and it's usually after thousands of hours. Dave
 
Save your money and up your budget. It will cost you far more to fix up a tractor than finding one that doesn't need much fixed on it. An 8N is much improved over the 9N and isn't a bad tractor like some people would have you believe but it doesn't have live PTO, which is a really good thing to have for PTO work like mowing. An MF35 or a newer Ford than the 8N would be something to look at though. Dave
 
Dan:

If you can find a 6xx series Ford for $2000 you will be very happy. These have 5 or 6 more HP than an 8N, live and more modern hydraulics and some of the 5 speed models (66x models) have live PTO.

A thought to consider: The 671 and 681 models with the Select-O-Speed transmission have independent PTO and usually sell for less than the live PTO 66x models because many are afraid of the S-O-S transmission.

I recently helped a friend buy a very good and low time 671 with power steering for $1500 because several gears were nonfunctional. Though the local CNH dealer had no idea what was wrong with it and would not work on it, I repaired it for him in a about 90 minutes for about $20 worth of gaskets and a 50 cent pin. That and a transmission oil and filter change and it became a $3500-$4000 tractor.

Dean
 
Yep and if you learned at a young age to keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut you can learn a thing or 2. That for the most part is why I know what I know today that and hanging around places like the IH dealer in the one town I lived in way back when loved sitting on those brand new tractors
 
depends what you need it for the 8N and the older fords are good tractors. easy to get parts for. If I like the allis D14 and tne farmall H's or a oliver 77. The JD's Cost Big $$ and parts are a lot of money. But they are good tractors. All depends what you want it for
 
You can get a good, running, operable WD Allis Chalmers for the price you're talking about and add an after market three point hitch if it doesn't already have one. It will last forever if properly maintained and it is a simple, easy to understand design. A WD45 (a real one, not a WD with WD45 decals on it), can be had for the upper range of your budget.
 
Phil, I have a Massey 165 diesel with multi-power and independent PTO. I also have a 1951 TO-20 Ferguson. For a small acreage I would take the smaller Ferguson any day at 1/3rd the price. I don't care if it doesn't have live PTO or hydraulics. It is just so much handier for mowing, rotary mower, plowing, landscape work etc. You just can't beat it unless you want to drag around car bodies without the wheels or other heavy stuff. It takes less garage room and can use all of those handy 3pt implements.
 
Oh did I offend you? Like I care. Take a brand new 8n and work it hard for two years it will be wore out. My Grandpa bought a brand new one, took perfect care of it and in 2-3 years it need an engine rebuild. Rebuilt the engine and in 3 years it was wore out again. Dealer said he was not abusing the tractor in any way shape or form. Then engines dont last because they run high rpms to get power. Now an 800 series tractor is a great tractor, we had one with 50hp and it was a great tractor. An 8n is a glorified lawn tractor.
 
Yeah old your always bragging about how you have been there and done that on everything from farming to trucking to flying to the moon. Your healthy enough to hobby farm, work on tractors and sit at a computer but not healthy enough to get a job. So you live off the government. I have seen pics of your place and I may be young and not know a whole lot. But all of farm equipment sits in a machine shed, not the fence row. Do you know why I dont have alot of experience getting a motor unstuck? Because my stuff sits in a shed. I am a real farmer. 90 cows 500 acres of land most equipment isnt over 12 years old. I fix all of my stuff to, engine and tranny overhauls. My Dad has been a mechanic for 50 years, Worked on it all. Semis, tractors, farm equipment. If I need to listen to someone it will be him. Not someone who thinks a Diamond T truck is the greatest riding thing ever or a New Holland chain baler makes the tightest bale.
 
If clutches were so great. They would be still used in the military, light-medium and heavy construction equipment, car, light and medium trucks.
 
You missed the point - he isn't looking for a tractor to work -hard- ... he wants one for using on 10 acres. And as far as RPM's... the 8N makes its rated power at 2000 rpms. The 800 makes its rated power at the SAME SPEED - 2000 rpms. The 801 was rated at 2200 rpms.
 
Walk in my shoes and you would understand things BOY as I said your just a kid and a brat to boot and does not know how to respect his elders or for that matter a D.A.V. Navy 1974-1980
 
Still I do not live off the government. Were you drafted in the navy or did you enlist. If you did enlist, then you have no one but yourself to blame for your choices. You think your better than me because you were in the military? If you made a choice to be in the military and were injured or wounded, then it is no different then me making a choice to be a farmer and getting hurt or killed on the farm for one reason or another. Real heros were drafted and fought on the front lines. Not on the saftey of a ship
I do respect my elders. Just because your older than my, you think you should get my respect. What did you do with your life????? I respect people who made something out of their lives. If you knew half the mechanical knowledge I know you would have all that crap sitting around your place that doesnt run.
 
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