Ford 600 opinions

wdkempf · #1 10/28/14, 04:35 PM

I have an opportunity to buy a 1957 Ford 600 tractor with backhoe and loader. Have any of you owned such a rig and if so, can you provide your experience with it? I have owned a Ford 9N, which only had a gravity dump front loader and was not a useful rig for me. I have small acreage, where I plan to put the unit to work cleaning up brush, drainage upkeep, rural driveway maintenance, etc. on my time schedule. I appreciate any thoughts. Thanks

bigjon · #2 10/28/14, 05:02 PM

depending on how well it was kept up?it should be a good unit for u.does it have power steering?

wdkempf · #3 10/28/14, 05:41 PM

Unfortunately I haven't been able to see it in person. An agriculture/implement dealer has it about 300 miles away. The pictures show it as looking good. I have the opportunity of minimal delivery cost as he has another unit to deliver East of me and can drop it off enroute.

andyd2023 · #4 10/28/14, 10:20 PM

Be very careful with a Ford 600 series and a loader.
The front axle and steering is not very robust on those tractors, the front axle set should look very familiar if you own a older N series tractor.
Before I would buy a 600 with a loader I would look very closely at the front axle pivot pin and the front spindes. They take a lot of abuse from a loader.
Also power steering is a must, or I hope you have arms like popeye as you will need them.

Andrew

rambler · #5 10/28/14, 11:39 PM

What is the middle number? There really is no 600 tractor, it likely is a 640, a 4 speed without live pto.

If it would be a 660 meaning a 5 speed with live pto, I'd be all over that in a heartbeat.....

Anyhow, 9n, 2N, 8N, jubilee, and 600 were the same tractor each a little newer with gradual improvements, depending on condition it is a nice little tractor with many improvements over the 9N.

Paul

manfred · #6 10/29/14, 08:46 AM

I have a 600 series with a backhoe attachment.m No power steering. The only thing I use the front bucket for is to carry a huge rock to balance out the tractor.

wdkempf · #7 10/29/14, 10:47 AM

Thanks for the responses. I'm being told that is what the actual model number is-600. The pictures show it very similar to the 9n, except more updated. I have not personally seen the tractor and cannot verify the front end per Andyd2023. Manfred-not sure how long you've owned yours, but have you experienced any recurring maintenance issues. I'm assuming it is like a lot of the old Ford, in that you can fix just about anything minor and if it has been maintained regularly, not a lot of major stuff can happen, unless by accident. I wish I could see it in person as I know it will be a leap of faith buying by long distance from a seemingly reputable Ag dealer. Thanks again for the advise, all.

rambler · #8 10/29/14, 01:20 PM

I know, people sell 600 or 800 or 900 or the rarer 700 tractors all the time.

600 and 800 are the lower, wide front.

700 and 900 are taller row crop originally narrow front, many had aftermarket wide front added.

600 and 700 are the smaller engine.

800 and 900 are the bigger engine.

All based on the same basic frame and setup.

Stamped into the cast iron on the right side just in front of the clutch pedal, below the air cleaner, is the model and serial number. This can be very light or painted over, hard to see.

There it will say 620, 630, 640, 650, or 660 for the actual model. Perhaps not every one of those was actually available in the 600 series.

620 would be bare back, no pto or three point - basically a tug for an airport or the like. With a 4 speed tranny.

I forget what the 3 means exactly.

640 is a transmission pto, 4 speed.

650 is a transmission pto, 5 speed.

660 is a live pto, 5 speed.

Whatever you get, you get - too many different parts to realistically ever change it.

To me it would matter which it is. The 5 speed offers more options for pulling stuff a at different reds, like mowing. The live pto is a valuable thing making a tractor safer/easier to run things like a brush hog. On the other hand the live 5 speed is more complex and costs more to rebuild the clutch so have to consider that too.....

And I would be dang disappointed to bring home a 620 and find out it has no pto or three point!

A 640 is not at all abad tractor, but a 660 would be several 100 bucks more valuable to me.

So I would like to know what I am getting.

But I understand, they are selling a Ford 600 and that is often all anyone ever knows on these tractors. I know.

Hope that explains it better.

I have a 960, been running it since around 1970, at one time it was the main/ most dependable tractor dad used on this real farm. I'm very partial to those 100 series like ours, I think well of them.

Paul

wy_white_wolf · #9 10/30/14, 08:00 AM

630 is no PTO but does have a 3pt.

WWW

wdkempf · #10 10/30/14, 11:30 AM

Thanks for the great info. Unfortunately the unit was sold before I could make my decision. Appreciate all of the advice.

Callieslamb · #11 10/30/14, 03:53 PM

Dh rebuilt a Ford 660 a few years ago. If you come over on the right day, he'll let you haul it off. For some reason, the starter comes on after the engine has been started. He can't hear it while he's running the tractor. It ends up draining the battery so if he stops, he can't restart. He rearranged the starter so it's turned sideways from the original position hoping that it was the vibration that was making the starter re-connect. It's the bane of his existance. We sold the sheep since it's so painful to try to do anything with the tractor (like bale hay). They, the hydrolics stopped working. DH promptly proclaimed that he's not a farmer and that's the last we've seen of the tractor. None of the tractor shops around here have any idea of what to do about it. Otherwise, it's a great tractor. I'll let you know if he gets it out anytime in the next year. It's not this model tractor's fault. If we had it to do over again, we'd just put our money towards an $8,000 tractor in the first place. We paid $3400 and the rebuild cost us another $2000.

Ford 600 opinions - Homesteading Questions

rambler · #12 10/31/14, 12:44 AM

660 would likely have the vane style hyd pump. Might have given up the ghost, it has a few years on it. However it might just have lost its prime, ran low of oil or leaked back after sitting a long time - or a chronic leaker but can test it with the oil in the priming hole. A shot of oil in the priming hole would get it fired up again.

The 661 should have the better hyd pump on it, less costly to rebuild. Actually any more if the vane pump from the 600 series go bad, they are replaced with the newer pump style from the 601 series.

A starter doesn't last long if it try's running while the engine is running, more would go wrong than just draining the battery. I am sure something is going on, but must be a bit more or different to it than just running while the tractor is on? Wouldn't be too hard to put a battery disconnect switch in line on the starter cable to be able to isolate the starter after getting it running, if nothing else to help troubleshoot it.

As you say, gremlins after 60 years or so, not really a bad tractor just the gremlins show up now and then.

Paul

FarmboyBill · #13 10/31/14, 09:05 AM

The trouble with the starter may be that the bendix gears aren't meshing perfectly with the ring gear and the bendix gears are binding in the ring gear, it not letting the bendix gears go resulting in a sound that makes you think that it is still trying to start. not a good thing.

nate77 · #14 10/31/14, 09:44 AM

I had an 850 for several years.

Pretty capable tractor, but the front end loader was a pain in the rear with no power steering.

Finally I just got sick of fixing something every time I went to use it, so I sold it, and bought a much smaller early 80's Japanese diesel.

Love the diesel, so reliable, and fuel efficient, I'll never go back to gas for a tractor.

jwal10 · #15 10/31/14, 11:06 AM

IF you were buying a 600 or 800 series backhoe, you want a frame mount machine. It would not have 3 pt. Also you would want a auxiliary pump, either front engine mount or PTO mount (IF live PTO). Front engine best because you have live hyds and a lot more capacity. Many of these tractors were the low end (no live pto, no 3pt). Saved money for the aftermarket company that put the loader and backhoe on....James