Most reliable 50+ year old tractors
 

This might seem like a silly question, but I figured I'd ask it anyway.

What is the most reliable 50+ year old small farm tractor that you'd feel comfortable being able to plow or disk all day and then drive into town on, town being 20 miles away?

I say small because I'm not really looking at working more than maybe 15 or 20 acres at most and am also contemplating the thought that said tractor could end up being my sole transportation at some point and it would need to be reliable in that regard as well.

There is a lot that can be done with even just a little Farmall Cub. My dad owns one of those and loves it. It's a little small for anything more than a few acres but it will pull a one bottom plow and a decent sized disk behind and does a pretty nice job of cultivating. It's nice to sit offset to see what you're working just a little better.

But the Farmall Cub is a little small, not only in size and HP but it may be a little small in commanding a presence on the road on the way to town as well. Even something like a Ford 8N or 9N would be bigger than the ol' Cub.

Not wanting a behemoth. I'm not going to be doing 100 acres of hay and another 100 acres in corn and soybeans. No. About the only thing that tantalizes me a bit is something that would be just big enough to run a small baler but even that really wouldn't be a must.

I suspect there are tractors out there that are more show pieces that don't actually have to work anymore. And that's fine if their owners are in the shop tinkering with them all the time. But I don't need or want a project. Doesn't need to be pretty. Just needs to run when I need it to with basic maintenance kinds of things to keep it going.

If I were a horse person, it would be a no-brainer. I'd have horses. But I am not. Heck, could just about live like the Amish if I liked horses. Really do not want to go that direction, though. It's a great story. And I can think of a lot of reasons why it's a great thing. I just don't have it in me.

But a tractor... that might be more my speed.

Would be interested in what you might think.

:)

lugged tires do not like long runs on paved roads,,,they wear out quickly. but international h's had a road gear that let them go about 15 -20 mph,,if the steering gear was tight enough to allow stable steering. but 3point hitch has to be aftermarket.

basically all usa built tractors were quality 50 years ago, 2010 jd had a few problems, international hydro's have a little bad history

I have an IH 444 diesel tractor. It was built in 1968, according to the serial number. It is roughly a 40 HP tractor. I just changed the head gasket and had the injector pump rebuilt. It has a few little oil leaks, but the rear wheel seals leak real bad. I have new seals, just have not had the time to change them. The 3 pt hitch hydraulics bounce a little, but lift anything I have put on them. Probably a check valve or o-ring problem. You can still get parts for this tractor, even online. There are several places that will work on them in my area. I do not plow big fields, even though I think it would be able to. What I do want to put on it, is a front end loader. You will always have to tinker with an old tractor. Heck, I got friends who have to work on their new ones. I would like to tear it all down and paint it up, to be a show tractor, but I would need another one to do my work. I may use it one a week to once a month. I do my own work on them, usually, but if you got to bring it to the shop all the time to get worked on, it can get expensive. Just my thoughts.

Diesel, 3 pt and a utility tractor. Ford 000 series and newer, IHC 404/504 and newer and JD xx20 series and newer all had good tractors in that year range. The steering on some Massey tractors give problems and parts can be hard to get. The 55 and 550 Oliver are nice tractors....James

Ace, I hadn't really given much thought to lugged tires not liking pavement. Something to consider. Hadn't planned on anything even close to a regular commute, just the occasional trip to town, maybe once a week some of the year, maybe once a month in other times of the year, or somewhere in between. Heck, my little zero turn JD will do close to 10mph and handles pretty well. But I'm not sure I'd trust being on most roads with it considering the way people drive... I'd get run over. (Hmm... I wonder if a smoother tread would work better on the road, something more like what might be on a tractor used for mowing? Can't remember what they call them.)

I know it's a little unusual to think about a tractor as a sole source of transportation. I've wondered if the day would come when I would just not want to bother with the drivers licensing and the hassles of it all. I'm waiting for the day when they'll need a full set of body fluids, a credit report, a criminal background check, a complete physical exam, proof of Obamacare coverage and the signing away of the firstborn in order to renew the drivers license, at least for us typical citizens. (Illegal immigrants get the fast track and no requirements.) Maybe I'm being a little sarcastic, but it seems to get more ridiculous all the time. And at some point, I may just say, "Enough!" and walk away.

One of the things that rolled around in the back of my mind was the idea that an EMP of some kind wouldn't likely do much to an old tractor. I could be wrong about that, but it wouldn't have computer controlled anything. Don't know how a coil would react if it were a gasser. (?) Not high on the priority list, but just something that came to mind.

I'm also not gonna be able to spend a lot of cash on it. $20k or $30k just ain't gonna happen. A budget like that would open up some nice stuff but I ain't got it to spend. Can't get blood out of a turnip!

Travis, I'm a pretty handy guy. Have done a lot of my own work for years, at least on cars and the 1 ton diesel I drive now. I tend to get very familiar with what I own because I tend to distrust unseasoned mechanics that want to slap on the cheapest parts they can, triple the cost, drag out the labor and give me a $250 "special" when I know good and well the quality parts for the job would have cost me $350. I did a fair bit of motor work to my last VW diesel simply because I didn't know anyone that I felt qualified to actually work on the beast that really KNEW what they were doing.

I do suspect that many of the major names, IH, MF, JD... are not too bad getting parts for when I'd need 'em, especially in very popular models and more "recent" (if you can call a 1950's or 1960's tractor "recent") years.

Thanks for the input!

Thanks, James! I'll have a look at some of those numbers. Don't recognize them all by number... yet. :)

Turf tires. The "regular" ones are cleated tires.

I have about 20 Massey Harris tractor's from the little 11HP pony to the 55HP 55 and 555. I work the snot out of the 16HP pacer but don't think I would drive it 20 miles to town unless I had a garden to plow once there or some other type work.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ilerofwood.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...cerPlowing.jpg

If I had to chose one all around from my collection to keep and work it would be my 1953 Mustang which is like a model 22 except had Massey's version of the 3 pt hitch and mine also has a front loader.

Mustang is the top one.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...mustang333.jpg

I also have this 1961 Allis D17. It is a real nice tractor but ya have to have a aftermarket 3 pt to use 3 point equipment with it.
the snap coupler works OK but finding the equipment to use it is hard these days.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...ebeegarden.jpg

My brother has a 1969 Massey Ferguson 65 that is a great small tractor with lots of HP.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...pqscan0008.jpg

Most of these tractors are easy to find parts for. Several company's make new replacement parts, Steniers is a big outfit that deals in antique tractor parts.

:D Al

Thanks, Al. Great pics!

Yes, " turf tires". Couldn't say it last night. :)

Maybe I'm missing a better way to get to town on a regular basis? Horse, no. Bike, not practical (hills, plus likely cargo). Hiring a driver, expensive. So without a license, that left a tractor.

I had a friend from Greece years ago that told me that lots of country folks there used agricultural equipment for primary transportation.

Certainly open to ideas. And it's good to hear about tractors anyway! :)

What about a Farmall H or an Allis B or C?

Would a golf cart get you to town?

Coppers don't like you driving golf carts on the roads. And I wouldn't feel too safe in a golf cart with the general traffic on secondary roads.

Golf carts are great in The Villages in FL. Maybe not so much in rural TN.

IHC

404/504 make sure it has 3pt, many had 2 pt
424/434/444
454/574
484/584

JD

1020/2020
1530/2030
2040/2240/2440

Ford

2000/4000 and newer

Also IF you want smaller tractors there is the 750/850/950/1050 JDs. BUT they do not have as fast of road speeds.


Use the Nebraska tests. Type in a tractor (404 IH tractor)on google, find Tractor Data.com. On the page, upper right hand side, you see newer or older models. Keep checking newer, can also check larger or smaller. Goes all the way to modern tractors. Many also show gear speeds. Check under transmission....James

Where are you loacted Bellyman?
We are building in Wilson County>>>>

IH 300/350 or something along those lines. You get the simplicity of the old tractors with power steering, live PTO (a big plus) and maybe even a fast hitch drawbar.

Plus, they're just really cool old machines. :)

Driving any tractor 40 miles, especially a 50 year old model, does not sound all that practical, let alone enjoyable, IMO.

Probably not ideal for transportation like regular commuting. And right now, it's theoretical. I still have a standard driver's licence. But the question remains, if I come to the place where I cannot keep that license, what do I use for transportation, for instance, to take a few hundred pounds of produce to Thursday morning's farmers market for several months of the year?

I did make up the 20 mile figure out of thin air. But I think you get the idea. If not my car or truck, then what? If tractor is bad, what's better? Maybe there isn't a good answer in a rural setting. Maybe the tractor or an ATV or even a larger riding mower would work for shorter distances.?

Anyway, I do appreciate the thoughts on some good older tractors.

Thanks guys!

Right now, Campbellsville, KY. Doing the seasonal works per thing at Amazon.com to make some extra dollars to help with the bills. Have a church family we love dearly in Crossville, TN. looking for land between Crossville and Pall Mall, or somewhere in that general area. Love the countryside there. TN has some beautiful country in other areas too but that feels the most like "home" as anyplace we've been.

That's about 6 miles from us. out 289 right on 744 about 1 mile right on mardis rd. on your right.

I'd consider something like a gator, mule, etc. Most can carry a couple hundred pounds and still do 35 mph +. No license needed (most places). They can be enclosed from the weather too.

Hey SpaceCadet,

We are pretty close! And that's a nice area out through there. Mardis road looks to be a dead end, too, which is nice not having much traffic "passing through".

Ever hear of "Granny's House"? My wife rented it for a weekend for her daughter to make a trip up to see us soon. Probably expensive but hoping it'll be a nice experience and a place they can relax for a few days where we can all get together, eat, play games, play with the grandkids, that kind of thing. It's not too far from you, probably a mile or two, I didn't look it up on the map.

That last post was supposed to be "seasonal workamper thing" or something like that. I like the smartphone but it seems to like to correct me on words it doesn't recognize. Thought I corrected it once but sometimes, things slip past. It's easier to see on the computer, where I'm typing now, a little harder on a tiny screen covered mostly by a touch keyboard.

Amazon seems to be the big thing around here. It's kinda sad in a way. It doesn't pay all that well and there is really no place to go as far as moving up in the company. Morale is the pits and keeps getting lower. We were here last season and it's even lower than last year. It's pretty much a lousy job doing very boring and tedious work. But it could be made better by better management and some incentives and personal appreciation for good efforts. Hoping this is the last year of this stuff for us. Helping to pay a few bills, though...

There is some rumor that Amazon's lease is up early in 2014 and that Fruit of the Loom may want their building back. Don't know how much truth there is to that rumor or whether that would be good news or bad news for Campbellsville.

We work nights and live in the parking lot across from Amazon along with about 115 other rvs. Not ideal but Amazon pays for it.

Stay warm! They're calling for temps in the teens tonight. Fun, fun! Even talk of some flurries! :)

Can you drive a mule or gator on the roads without being hassled by LEOs? Not sure if they would consider that a "farm vehicle"?

I have a brother in law with a mule and it's pretty nice.

50 years is 1963. About any tractor built then would work fine for what you want to do.
Of course the ford thousand series command some stiff prices as do the John Deers of any age.
Ag tire do wear quicker running on hiways but if you run on the shoulder and rotate them they would last much longer.

D seares Allis from then are some nice stuff and prices are not inflated like the fords and deeres. Parts are easy to find and they do about 15 to 18 MPH on the roads. Trailer equipment works well with them.

Massey Ferguson also is a good tractor with 3 PT hitch and they also do not have the inflated prices of the ford and JD's.


Case also have a 3 PT and do not require the amount of money a Ford or JD requires.

The IH fast hitch is easy to convert to a 3 pt also.

Here in this area of Michigan being on the road with an ATV or UTV will get the LEO's hasseling you big time, better off using a horse and buggy like the amish.

:D Al

Mardis rd. is a dead end. Amazon has too many managers that should still be pee-on's. Most of the people out here work in Lebanon ky. Worked at amazon ounce. If you can drive truck drive for ups hauling heavy freight or tandem pays better so are the hours. Highlands (coo's) like the cold. Stay warm. Campbellsville Ran fruit out they got tired of people in charge.

I see them on the roads all the time, on country roads around here, but I don't know if they get hassled, since they have SMV signs on them.

You are right, it might depend on what type of road goes into town and what local laws are.

UTV's and ATV's have been made illegal on Arkansas highways. As far as tractors Oliver and Minniapolis Moline have some of the fastest road gears. Case i swear has about the slowest....lol

The mennonite's and the Dunkards drive tractors for their everyday transport around here so it is doable,

Some places also, if you are of the age for a drivers license you still need one for farm equipment, if your license is revoked even a lawn tractor will get you a driving with a revoked or suspended ticket.

The regular one are farm tread. I've got commercial tread on mine. I choses it for a balance of floatation and gripping.

If you can't get a DL, you need to be in town off the farm.

I'm not so sure I agree with that. It depends on WHY I can't get the license. If it's because I can't physically drive a vehicle safely, that's one thing. But if it's a matter of some kind of rule or regulation I just will NOT submit to and am still in excellent health, I can't see how moving to town would solve any more problems than it would create.

I am a licensed driver. I have no issue with driving even large vehicles at this point in time. I don't see any imminent danger in losing my license in the near future. Heck, I have another 13 years before I can even think about Social Security, even if it is still there then (questionable). This is not really about health or physical limitations.

My thoughts were more in line with other forum threads that talk about moving to a lifestyle where we are less subjected to the govt. rules and regs, a bit like the Amish, just not participating. And driving was one of the things talked about. Telling an Amish person they shouldn't be on the farm anymore if they can't drive would get you the kind of look like you've snapped your cap.

Since I am NOT a horse person, I was looking at alternatives to getting around. No, I'm not wanting to become Amish. I could potentially do as they do and hire a driver to take me places when needed. I'm sure that would get expensive. Many vehicles such as ATVs are frowned upon even riding on the shoulders of the roads. And so, the main topic... traveling by tractor. I don't know. It might be a bad idea. But it's a hypothetical right now. May not ever happen. Then again, it could...

Fellow her took a 6 cylinder Chevy motor and put it on an old Oliver tractor ,that thing will move . He has ran it for years with ad tires on it . Another guy put a tractor rear on a one ton ford truck . They call those tructors :shrug:

There are lots of ways to do things :icecream:

I used to drive an old Massy Ferg. 35 on my grandmothers ranch.. that thing would move pretty good down the highway between the alfalfa fields.. We used it to turn the windrows.. I think it would run something like about 25mph or so on the road.. Great old small tractor..

Many places you can remove the doors and cut off the top of the cab on an old pickup or truck and run it on the road without plates. Old water wagons were made this way for orchards....James

We have owned an old 1949 Ford 8N since 1980. It's not all 1949, there are some old 9N parts in it. Originally the tractor was rated at 24 Horsepower, but by the time we got it the horses had mostly died or were sick so we rebuilt it, which was very easily done, BTW. Parts are readily available online for the 8N.

It's an easy tractor to work on, will run for a couple of hours on little gas, pull more than its weight, plow and disc fields, tow full oak tree trunks weighing tons, grade the road, dig ditches, and do just about everything we need.

I recommend the Ford 8N.

I have a 1942 9N. I use it for brush hogging and back blading on 10 acres. A worker rather than a looker - but it still looks good. Simple to work on and parts readily available. If you love old iron that works, they are a bargain.

I have a Farmall H with a loader and aftermarket 3 point,I love the tractor and it's super reliable but if I have to go to town I am taking the truck....period :)

I have a 8N, not sure the year as of yet.
It has been in the family for over 53 years & I used it for the corn, tomatoes in raised beds.
You can get the old Fords for $1,500.00 to $10,000.00, but a used one running should not be more then $2000.00 with out attachments.Like new will be $5,000.00 to $10,000.00, that more then I would pay for one, nor would I sale mine for that & it look 60 year old.

i'm veg farmin 2acres with a te20 ferguson-3pt hitch,2btmplow,7ft 4gang disc.could plow and disc allll day.gas tractor-uses 1gl of gas per acre to plow.made in 1948

I have a late 40's fordson major with a 351 Ford in it!! was the forklift at a friends shop till work place safety canned it for being homemade! the late 50'searly sixties diesel majors are still a decent tractor and the thousand series Fords. just don't get the selecto speed, before their time technology. might have replaced a Hoyt Clagwell back in the day and a neat tractor but more of a tinkering tractor!

I have had a few older tractors. I agree that the fordson major is great tractor. We have one with the pto lift box. Basically it allows a you to operate the pto without turning off the hydraulics. Great little tractor, easy on fuel. We use it for all our hay cutting and raking, about 150 acres this year. We also plow our market garden and about 10-15 acres of grain field each year. We work the hell out of this tractor. It is easy to work on, and replacement parts are readily available. The only issue I have with it is the single stage clutch.
Another tractor we had that was older was our David Brown 880. Great tractor with lots of conveniences. Some people will say the casings are made of soft metal and strip easy, but I never had that issue. The pto was two speed which was a great fuel saver. I would put it in 1000 rpm and gear down the tractor to cut and rake hay at almost an idle. The speedometer had a conversion on it to tell you how many engine rpms to run at to get 540 pto speed when in the 1000rpm range. I would buy another any day.
You don't have to go with a tractor 50 years old to get a good tractor. Often tractors in the 1970s are cheap, have most modern conveniences, and parts are available.

I use old and newer equipment, and there's not a tractor in the lot that I'd drive 20 miles on public roads. In a pinch, I'd run my 1980s JD 1250 with loader and backhoe because it can run fairly fast, has a seat belt, hazard flashers, and enough metal around me so motorists would see me.

I'd be terrified, even in 4th gear, running my 50+ year-old Ford 8N or JD M on the roads here. Someone would run me down, fast. I'd become a rural projectile after a few miles.

Good luck with finding a way to get around. What about paying a neighbor to run you in for errands? Lots of folks love to share a ride for some gas money.

This is what remained near our home in 1949 when a 1937 Plymouth hit the Farmall H and hay wagon crossing the road. Mom had wrote on the back of the picture the tractor driver died.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y/scan0008.jpg


:D Al