Tractor Joyriding!

It's at my sisters, won't be getting it back until sometime next month, grrrrr. I overhauled it in 1970, then a valve job in '99. Not nearly as pretty paint wise as your 8N! We've used the heck out of that thing since we bought it in '62. We're only the second owners.

I DO like the overhead valves and valve rotators on the Ferguson.

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Rudeness is a small man's imitation of power.

My money is on the Minnie-Mo, i.e. the Minneapolis Moline Z. Fifth gear on the old Minnies rocked! Truth is it was hardly usable.

My little Ford is the opposite--I've had bicycle riders pass me when going between town and my farm. It goes 15 mph tops.

Some of the newer Fords or perhaps New Hollands will hit 30 mph. Seems the Amish favor them. lol

All that is, Ford8N, is a 3-pt platform, with a 30-gallon tub strapped on with rubber tarp straps. Extremely versatile. The tub isn't heavy, so it can be tossed aside if I need to haul a few bales of hay or whatever. Otherwise I can use the tub to haul rocks or stable rakings, etc.

There've been black bear sighted here as well. Would not want to run up on one while picking berries.

I found this old 8N in an old barn here in the Ozarks. Started right up, and I found I hadn't forgotten how to drive one. It only needed the transmission fluid changed out and the oil. Well. . . it needs headlights, too, but it never gets used at night.

My "special needs" tractor -

NeHi

Okay, Westwood, we'll look for a photo next month (I'm making a note of this!) Pretty paint job? Oh, my. I'd love to have the funds to have this little lady (yes, it's a lady tractor) restored and repainted. Wouldn't she be lovely???

I LOVE gawking at the old iron at the area farm fests, fairs, etc. Some of those restored oldies are just gorgeous.

NeHi

You must have a 2N or 9N then. Ford added a 4th gear with the introduction of the 8N in 1947. My 8N scoots along pretty well in 4th.

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-Paul

"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." -Red Green

Yeah! 4th gear scoots! I almost never use it; but I'll bet if I met a bear while out picking blackberries, I might use it.

NeHi

I've got one of those 3 point *racks* on my other tractor. Most allways I have a pallet on it.
Thats one handy carrying thing.

Yes the Continental(sp) engine in the TO 20 is one heck of an engine.

we sent my wife out with the minnie too rake a ten acre field of hay, she found high gear and was done in no time!
sadly no new fords just new hollands, never driven (or seen!!) a high speed. max i can get outa the big girl is 19 mph, and yep have had bikes pass me like i was standing still! put way too many hours in operating tractors but still find them fun too drive and work on ,don't have too be fords either all makes are a new adventure!

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àigeach carnaid
chaora dhubh
"Don't raise your voice, improve your argument."

cruachan

Sorry, for some reason I forgot to post the Ford model that I have.

I have a 1720 Ford from the last year before they took on the New Holland name. It is one of the compact tractors rather than a larger one.

I grew up running Minneapolis Molines and a Case. Over the years we had a gasoline GTB paired in the field with a gasoline LA Case, then a propane G-705, a propane M-5, and then a propane GVI. When I farmed on my own I had a diesel Case 1070. It was the most functional of all and the only one with a 3 point hitch. All of the others were wheatland models.

Up until I got the Case with 3 pt. we never grew row crops unless we had a failure of wheat or barley. Typically western Kansas just never had the moisture for them. With chemical tillage enough moisture was saved that row crops became practical.

As to a carrier box for a tractor--I find that it is better to build or buy a 3 pt. bale fork then build a box to fit the arms of the fork. That way the box can be rapidly dropped off and the fork used for a bale, a tree trunk, a pallet of the right size, or whatever you might imagine needs carried. Too bad that bale forks don't fit more pallets though. I find that only a few have the right wooden structural spacing.

Tractor vs. ATV, well I suppose they each have their place, but my money is on the tractor for most practicality.

my friend owns a 1949 minneapolis moline. 4 of us jumped on it and took it down the highway in the snow, we had it wide open in 4th gear going about 20 mph, we were all drunk, it was fun, I'm glad I lived to tell about it.