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O/T: Best tractor for small farm?

J. Elliott

Hot Rolled
Joined
May 18, 2002
Location
Boonville, NC 27011
Fellas,

Hope this isn't so off-topic that it get's killed. I figure a few folks have an interest in the subject.

I'm on Gramp's farm and the '52 Redbelly is barely cuttin' it - literally. It won't keep the bushhog at an even level, as I have to continually fool around with a little lever under the seat to adjust the wildly varying hitch lift. It bogs down on thick grass, and it drinks gas. Plus it's hard as hell to start under 60 degrees.

I'm starting to think about getting something else. I'm told the Ford 4000 series are good tractors that don't cost a fortune.

My needs aren't lavish. Basically cutting a 10 acre field. Don't want to spend more than $4500 or so.

Whadda y'all think?
 
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The Ford 3000 was a good tractor for our farm. I say was because my brother got a more modern tractor because he is 79 years young and doesn't fight the summer heat like he use to. It pulled everything from a bush hog to hay bailer - 3 plow flat bottom plow--any
piece of equipment we had for the 200 acre cattle farm. If you have two tractors that you cannot decide between--go with the one with most options and horsepower.
 
I'm not really a john deere guy, I hate the way the new ones are made. but I have a 70's 401B that I love waay better than the 4000 ford. I'm not saying I don't like the ford, but this JD is just my thing. I bought it in 2 halves for 200 bucks, been thru the whole thing and still love the engineers that designed it, and that says a LOT. Can't exactly say that about the fords! plus I like running that big 60 HP diesel! The 401B is hard to find, but don't turn down any older JD diesel if you find one.
 
Check the fluid level for your hydraulics, low fluid or dirty lines can keep implements from leveling and staying there. Hard starting and gas consumption, like a car or truck needs tuning up at the least. I used to drive tractors that were over 65 years old and ran well .See if you can get a manual for your tractor, most older tractors are easy to fix.
At worst ,even if you had someone work on it for you,you probably wouldn't pay anywhere near $4500.00 , Maybe closer to $1000.00 if it needed a lot of new parts.
As far as the 4000 series, we only used the ford to pull wagons and misc. stuff. The fords we had were not in the best of shape. They were bought cheap and only used once in awhile as emergency tractors.
mike
 
I'm on Gramp's farm and the '52 Redbelly is barely cuttin' it

The 8n just aint as good as it's reputation.

Underpowered and nnon-live PTO hinder it. However the low C/G is great for ditch banks and the like...

I really don't know much aboo the modern era (70's) low hp tractors. I'm a 4020 guy personally. :D


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
An older 245 Massy Ferguson or a 3600 Ford are really good older tractors. We still have the 245 on the farm at Dad's that he bought new in '79, been used a _lot_ and still runs like a top. My uncles still have 3600 Fords they bought in the mid 70's, used on the farms every day to this day. Tough old birds...and easy to maintain.
 
I'm not really a john deere guy, I hate the way the new ones are made. but I have a 70's 401B that I love waay better than the 4000 ford. I'm not saying I don't like the ford, but this JD is just my thing. I bought it in 2 halves for 200 bucks, been thru the whole thing and still love the engineers that designed it, and that says a LOT. Can't exactly say that about the fords! plus I like running that big 60 HP diesel! The 401B is hard to find, but don't turn down any older JD diesel if you find one.

I have a 302A which is the 401's 50hp little brother, bought it new in '77. Those yellow 3 cylinder Deeres are tough and nice to run, if you find one that hasn't been run to death you won't go wrong with one. I think the AG equivalent is a 2240. We mow with a 7' Ford bush hog and it will run faster than you want to drive it. Excellent loader too.

I think what most people want when they say Ford 8N is really delivered by a Massey Ferguson 135, Tony's 245 is similar but bigger. That's a VERY good line of tractors, I grew up on Ferguson but I find Deere better for parts availablity, If you ever need any.
 
Parts - JD vs MF

I think what most people want when they say Ford 8N is really delivered by a Massey Ferguson 135, Tony's 245 is similar but bigger. That's a VERY good line of tractors, I grew up on Ferguson but I find Deere better for parts availablity, If you ever need any.

Yes. The old Masseys were nice light handy tractors that people liked but because of that there are not many bargains out there and Agco who owns MF charge a lot for parts. Often about double what a similar JD part would be.

Doug
 
I would look for a good used Kubota or John Deere. Parts availability are better than most. Also user friendly. I would make sure anything you buy has live hydraulics and PTO. Ox's 4020 are nice tractors but around here they still bring above 10000 dollars if in good condition.

Jerry
 
well i have run some jd. i now have a d14 and a d15 allis. they set out in the rain and start every time. pull everything i ever hook to them.

around here people that have a 8n or 9n think they have bar of gold when they try to sell them. i don't see why.
 
A couple more candidates are the JD 1020 and a IH 574. The 3,4,5ooo Fords are lible to be a better bargain, at least around here. And are good machines for the job. The Diesels can be somewhat cold blooded and like to be plugged in on chilly days.

I traded my 9N a couple summers ago for an IH 574. Soooooo much more tractor.:D
 
I dont like fords, dont like JD, I will be red till I am dead. but your ford should handle 10 a/c of mowing in about 4 hours, put a over running clutch on the pto so you dont kill yourself and give it some tlc.
 
Have had most every make of tractors over the years except Massey.My friend always seems to be working on his Masseys but he is dead loyal to them.John Deeres of the two cylinder type are hard to kill and the newer ones(2 cyl) are good.(Run my 620 for a while every year if I need it or not just to hear it run.Some of the newer Deeres seem to throw a lot of heat back in the summer unless you have a Cab.Still have a 4000 Ford which may sit for a year or two and still starts well on old gas in the tank and never gives me trouble and if there should be problems they are cheaper to fix and buy than Deeres-Just my observations of an over the hill guy.
 
Good tractor

A couple more candidates are the JD 1020 and a IH 574. The 3,4,5ooo Fords are lible to be a better bargain, at least around here. And are good machines for the job. The Diesels can be somewhat cold blooded and like to be plugged in on chilly days.

I traded my 9N a couple summers ago for an IH 574. Soooooo much more tractor.:D

Well as long as the IH 574 has been mentioned, how about the David Brown series?

I was told the IH 574 and similar series were made by DB anyway. I have a 1200A diesel, 60 horse power. Does the mowing and light farm work well. Would I rather have an IH 674, you bet! But for the money I'll drive the David Brown. Not hard to fix, just a few quarks like don't forget to change the oil in the injector pump when you do the engine oil.

Like I was told once, you know why some tractors are red and some are green? So the green ones can hide in the grass while the red ones do all the work.

Go green if you have the checkbook for it.

Thanks,
Paul
 
How big is the mower you have now? For ten acres I'd be tempted to look for something 60-80 horsepower and a +7' wide mower.

We use Kubota's and have been happy with them, we also have an Allis Chalmers 180 that has been an excellent machine.
 
I believe David Brown was a Case product - for whatever reason. ???

I hafta admit tho that my G-pa's Case 930 "Comfort King" has been a very reliable tractor - and undoubtedly cheap. Real fuel miser! @85hp that is still bigger than what your looking for of course. I don't know the orange tractros very well at all, but I assume there is something out there like it - only smaller? Parts are available from your local Binder dealer.


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Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
I just started running this International 460 utility this year.

221cid x 50hp gas burner. Live hyd & live pto, 3pt, and the Wagner 260 loader purported to be good for 2600 lbs.

It did need some work...a new battery and a carb soak.

Like my typical, I tried for something that wasn't new, it is good and rusty. I figure to buy-new the basic same capacity (although likely diesel) would be well above $10k and might be closer to $15k. I'm below $3k on this...although I'm not a daily or "pro" user that always needs to turn the key and go. I figure if I rebuild it once more...it will likely outlast me.

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