Used Tractors...opinions?

Your friend is correct as long as what you want it for is limited to perhaps a 4' bushhog and light-duty usage. Locally reconditioned (not rebuilt - which is different) ones of this type go for around $2,500. Aftermarket parts are readily available.

Ken S. in WC TN

 

The 1953 Jubilee with the hydraulic pump with the round tubes is to be avoided. The 1953 tractor was the first of the overhead valve Ford's and are not in the same standing as the 600 series. Personally I would avoid a Jubilee as a work tractor.

 

Mike ,

I just talked to my DH ,
he says the jubilee over the 8N
and it would easily do what you want , even use a 7 foot haybine over a cutterbar...He did caution that if you want to attatch a front end loader , please then make sure you choose a tractor with a wide front end as opposed to tricycle, down side to that, around here those are running around 6500.he says if you found one in fair condition with a wide front at 2500 jump on it!you can afford to rebuild it if need be
a local dealer who corners the market on 8N,9N and jubilees ,by out bidding at all the local farm auctions , takes them back to the yard , cheap coat of paint , and resells them around 4500. trust me he loses no money ...teh yuppies crawl out of the walls to by them from him ....to mow their two acre yards .. and then pays him next season to rebuild them when they need new motors ....

now on another matter .. pesonally i wont auger another fence post hole ,ever Its worth every penny to hire someone to come and pound the posts for you .. sans that if you are going to put in hundreds of posts I would look into purchasaing a pounder( another source of income...we typically charge 2.50 a post if layed out , and 3 a post if we have to lay them out , our pounder payed for itself the first year ) .. DH says for that make sure that tractor you purchace has hydraulics .. not all of them do...

Paula
NE Ohio

 

That would be an ok tractor. Better than an N series. The N's do not have live hydraulics, which is a big deal for using the 3pt & pto & all. A 100 series tractor might have even more goodies.

Fords were sold with different options starting with the 600 / 800 / 900 series. If the middle number is a '6' - for example an 860 - it would have a 5-speed tranny and live pto. these are the good options. Lower middle numbers have less good options, and higher middle numbers are the complex SoS automatic tranny.

More speeds (5 vs 4 vs 3) & more live pto, hydraulics, power steering, hydraulic ports & valve, etc. make these tractors more valuble to you. Don't just look for a series number, but look for what options it has.

--->Paul

 

Mike,
For what you want to do I would suggest looking for a 3000 series Ford,this is a 40H.P. class utility tractor.It had both gas and diesel engines,and has the power to pull a 6ft. mower and a 7ft. scraper blade.We had one for a number of years........"gas engine". I wish I could have keep this one but in order to swing the deal on the new one I traded it in.This tractor was a "74"model and in 20 yrs
other than regular maintenance all that was done was repairing the steering cylinders...........
You might check this link in the classified sectionFarm&Dairy

 

I agree on the 3000 or even better the 4000 either one in diesel is a great tractor and the yard mowers don't want them. I have 2 4000 fords one gas and one diesel the diesel does twices as the work on half the fuel. My father in law has an 8 n and they used to farm a lot with it but he says it took a lot longer. If you can try to go with the diesel.

 

You might also consider a MF35. Great little tractors with live power and hydraulics. Mine has a 3 cylinder Perkins diesel, and is a wonderful little work horse.

 

We just bought a Ford 601 Workmaster completely restored with a new Howse 5 foot cutter for $4200. We also looked at MF135, MF165, Ford 2000, 3000, 4000, Kubota L260 and IH 340. We chose the 601 because it had everything we need for our place, plus I told my husband that tractor looked like it was made for him (and me.) Yes, I'm a girl who loves tractors.

 

Before anyone can help with a tractor selection we would need to know what your going to be doing with the tractor. The 8n or Jubilee are nice tractors but if one of your requirements is a front end loader then neither will work.
What do you need the tractor to do, List in order of importance. You also need to know who can support the tractor your buying. Older tractor brands tend to have regional trends. I see lots of older JD, ford, but few internationals in my area. Having someone locally to help with repairs is a great plus. Having a dealer for help is even better.

 

Mike,

I have a 1956 Ford 850

I bought a 5' bushog for it and it's a bit much. After it runs a while it tends to get a little hot and the hydraulics start sagging a little (might be the 48 year old seals? ) I don't think it would handle a loader too well but I would defer to someone who's tried it.

I've not used a sickle bar mower with it but I assume it would be capable

I think if I was shopping I'd look for a little more HP for the things you're doing.

I mostly do brushog work, Driveway scraping and some light stump pulling with mine. I wouldn't go out of my way to get another one if something were to go wrong with this one but it's not bad for me. As someone mentioned all parts are available.

For your use I think I'd want something a little bigger

 

Mike, Dont remember what part of ohio your in, but the consignment auctions are starting up and deals abound. There is one this weekend in Mount vernon, Morrow county had there a couple of weeks back. I think marion has there first part of next month.


The only issue with auctions is getting things home, but the prices are usually pretty good for the class of machine your looking at. On top of that attachments can be found pretty cheap.


Even if you have to rent a Uhaul trailer for transport it would be worth it. Check your local papers for farm auctions. Most have previews the day before so you can look around and decide what you want.

 

I would avoid a Massey Ferguson. We've had three--an MF35, MF85 and MF165. All three had weak hydraulics (also slow). Parts can be hard to find around here --spent over $350 on a new carburetor because they didn't make rebuild kits for our old one. Looked all over the country for a rebuild kit--no go. We use our tractors to cut hay (27 acres), maintain a 1/2 mile long driveway, haul round bales, bale etc. Not heavy use, but would definitely like a tractor easier to maintain and with faster, stonger hydraulics. Others may have had different experiences, but MF are well known for weak hydraulics. Give me my old Super M or a JD 4020 any day! Hobby farmer in WI