I have had both N's and hundred series tractors, and very definitely the hundreds are a whole lot more tractor than any of the N's. On the other hand, parts availability for the N's is very good, the hundreds not as good, but not that bad. An 8x1 is way more powerful than an 8N.
What the others wrote about the ultimate tractor is correct. It would be great to find a nice 861 with live PTO and power steering, a perfect loader powered by a front pump, new tires on perfect rims and nice original paint and very low hours. But in reality, what I have found is that most tractors I have looked at had flaws, compromises and problems, or were very expensive.
If you want a loader tractor, I would find one that has a loader already installed and working well. It is possible to put a loader on a tractor, but unless it is coming off a very similar tractor, I would worry about not getting everything necessary and having to build parts to mount it up. It is possible to do that, but the factories/loader manufacturers engineered the mounting systems to work right. Doing the mounting myself, all I could do is make it way stronger than I thought it needed to be and hope that was good enough. Perfecting it might take some time and lots of rework. BTDT!
There are also other tractors to consider. I happen to like old Fords, but would also consider the other brands, including some of the Asian tractors. I really would like to have a Kubota, but have not ever come into the right deal to get one. Just in general, I would not be all that interested in tractors that do not have a factory 3 point system and would probably avoid any tractor with an "automatic" type transmission. Having working power steering would be a plus, as would many other options, like live PTO. In my experience, a diesel tractor will do a given job using a lot less fuel than a gas tractor. On the other hand, gas tractors are easier to start in cold weather and gas engines cost much less to rebuild than a similar diesel, especially if your have to have the injector pump worked on.
I would look at some tractors, and see what might be available in your area. Of course, I think it is fun to look at tractors and I am willing to tinker with them. Good luck, and happy hunting!
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