Re: What small tractor to get?

Posted by Leonard Rahilly on October 05, 2006 at 17:58:50 from (24.50.99.60):

In Reply to: What small tractor to get? posted by dpski on October 02, 2006 at 10:32:23:

Tractors like the Ford 9N/2N/8N/NAA, etc., are easy to get on and off of, are pretty agile, AND have the 3-point hitch.
I had never used a 3-point until I bought an old Ford 2N a few years ago to cut a good-sized field near my house. If you can say it is a joy to hitch up something to a tractor, the 3-point is a joy. I have used more than a dozen tractors going back to a 1927 Farmall, a 1929 McCormick 10-20, 3 F-12s, 2 F-20s, 2 Farmall Hs, an M, a Super M, a B, an A, a 1930 Oliver Row-Crop, and the Ford. Of all these, I especially liked (LOVED) driving the Farmall A--it is smooth running, easy to steer, has a very comfortable platform and convenient controls, and the visibility is wonderful. Its drawbacks are the lack of a 3-point hitch, and some difficulty in climbing up onto the seat (today, now that I am automatically offered senior-citizen admission prices, I expect I'd find the A a bit of a challenge to get on). The pneumatic lift that was an option with the A was a very strange system--it diverted exhaust gases to move a piston. I'm told that the gases eventually corroded the system so that it didn't work. When the lift system wasn't on the tractor, you had to lift the implements by hand.
I do believe that a belly-mounted sickle-bar
mower was available for the A, but it would probably have to be lifted by hand (5-foot mower, not so heavy; 7-foot bar, very heavy).
I have no way to check this out now, but I think the Super A had "live" hydraulics. Early mechanical and hydraulic lifts were operated off the transmission. If the clutch was disengaged, there was no lift. Very inconvenient if you try to go straight up to a fence before lifting the implement. Putting the hydraulic pump on the engine meant that the hydraulics could be operated whether the clutch was engaged or not.
The one thing I found inconvenient on the Ford was the left brake pedal, which was on the left OUTSIDE the clutch pedal. Impossible to feather the clutch and operate the brake at the same time, as you sometimes need to do in tight quarters. The Ford 8N put both pedals on the right.
"Ford" was often thrown around to mean "junk" when I was a kid (reference mostly to the Model T, I think). The 2N was definitely not junky--it appeared well-built to me.

Replies:

Add a Reply Name: E-Mail: Subject: Comments: Optional Link URL: Link Title: Optional Image URL: Email Notification: If you check this box, email will be sent to you whenever someone replies to this message. Your email address must be entered above to receive notification. This notification will be cancelled automatically after 2 weeks.

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]