I have been thinking lately ( yes I know this is dangerous) about buying a tractor. I can blame myself because I was promised one and probably would have gotten it if I would have kept visiting Uncle Edwin Striedel. No kids and it was the last of the farming equipment he kept.
Call it nostalgia. But I have been looking for one. What I would pay for that old one. I remember riding in a wagon behind it as a kid harvisting feild corn.
So if you happen to have an old Farmall Super A please remember me.
For many years, I had an old 1950 model Ford 8N which I sold last year. I got tired of having to almost rebuild the whole thing each spring to use it in my garden.
It didn't have a "live" PTO, which meant that if I was using my brush hog, I had to plan way ahead because, even with the engine off, the inertia of the spinning blade kept the tractor moving forward and brakes wouldn't even slow it down...and it was impossible to throw out of gear when moving. A PTO clutch aleviated that problem, but I still had no independent control of the PTO.
It had the old puddle and suck carburetor which meant that I had to stay on fairly level ground.
And no matter WHAT I did, the hydraulics wouldn't hold, so I had to travel from point A to point B with a spinning implement to keep it elevated.
It was good for skidding logs, some plowing and pulling wagons with kids.
The Farmall A is a pretty good choice, depending on what you're going to do with it. If you have the tools and enjoy that sort of thing, restoration of old junk tractors is a popular hobby these days.
I got my Farmall M from an uncle.... it looks bad, but has always run fine, except for junk in the fuel line. I haven't had to rebuil anything ... put the gas in and charge the battery and it goes ... sounds great.
As ugly as it seemed, I love it now ... and respect the power. It has a clutch on the PTO, but the thing still scares me. I just have a three botom plow for it. A three point hitch is really helpful, which might be a reason to buy something newer. If you want a blade on the back, or just about any implement, it is nice to be able to lift it.
Tractors might be a good investment also ... they seem to grow in value more than depreciate, especially with inflation and a falling dollar.
If you're just gonna putt around on it, you can get a Farmall or a Ford 8N or an old Case or somesuch,
But if you wanna actually do some work with it too, I'd recommend a Massey-Ferguson T.O. 35, or one of the later knockoffs of same.
Mine is a 1955. Near as I know it's still the original engine and running gear. It runs like a top and has hydraulic three-point hitch, overrunning clutch, 3 speeds with a hi-lo range, and it'll run all day and into the night with zero complaints.
The problem with earlier tractors is that they don't have the 3-point hitch, or, if they do, it's some sort of morphidite add-on thingy that doesn't have hydraulic control and adjustment capabilites. So you just end up dragging implements around without really getting some work out of 'em.
I think my machine is worth around $3,500 or so. Would be worth a bit more if it was a "Deluxe" model instead of a standard. The deluxe has a two-stage clutch that comes in handy, especially when you're mowing.
Of course after you get the tractor, you then become an implement junkie, buying up every one you see sitting around somebody's barn.
I think you'll find the category 1, 3 pt hitch on the Massey is identical to that of the Ford 2N, 9N and 8N. I don't know about the Case you mentioned, but I think the Farmall just had a drag along hitch...or belly implements...I don't remember offhand.
As I recall, Massey designed the 3 point hitch we all know and love, and ol' Henry Ford used it in his tractors...there was some sort of disagreement between them and since Massey separated from Ford and began his own company, the early Massey Fergusons were very similar to the Ford N series tractors. The main differences were in the clutch operated PTO, the hi/lo tranny and the overhead cam that made the Massey's far superior machines.
Ford used that 4 cylinder flathead engine (the same as was used in the model T and Model A) that only gave 35 horses in all their N series tractors. Massey used an engine with overhead cam and a REAL carburetor that could actually do some serious work.
Another problem with the N series...one reason I got rid of mine...is you couldn't use a front end loader on it as you couldn't steer it.
There was a famous "handshake" agreement between Henry Ford and Harris Ferguson whereby Henry could use Ferguson's designs in the U.S. as long as he let Ferguson alone in England, or something to that effect.
It went along fine till Henry Ford's death, whereupon Henry Ford II declared the handshake agreement null and void and started marketing tractors in England (made after Ferguson's designs still). Ferguson got hopping mad, filed suit against Ford, it got tied up in court for 10 or 12 years. Finally judgement was made on Ferguson's side. Some sort of monetary penalty was assessed, and then Ferguson came to the U.S. and built a factory right across the street from Ford's tractor plant. Subtle, no?
I may have some of the details wrong, but that's the basics of the Ford/Ferguson history.
Anyway, the Ferguson is a far superior machine to any of the early Fords - the high/low range being the most important advantage IMHO.
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cheranne
Go for it.
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Ron G.
For a good time, go here http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/
For many years, I had an old 1950 model Ford 8N which I sold last year. I got tired of having to almost rebuild the whole thing each spring to use it in my garden.
It didn't have a "live" PTO, which meant that if I was using my brush hog, I had to plan way ahead because, even with the engine off, the inertia of the spinning blade kept the tractor moving forward and brakes wouldn't even slow it down...and it was impossible to throw out of gear when moving. A PTO clutch aleviated that problem, but I still had no independent control of the PTO.
It had the old puddle and suck carburetor which meant that I had to stay on fairly level ground.
And no matter WHAT I did, the hydraulics wouldn't hold, so I had to travel from point A to point B with a spinning implement to keep it elevated.
It was good for skidding logs, some plowing and pulling wagons with kids.
The Farmall A is a pretty good choice, depending on what you're going to do with it. If you have the tools and enjoy that sort of thing, restoration of old junk tractors is a popular hobby these days.
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rhino
I got my Farmall M from an uncle.... it looks bad, but has always run fine, except for junk in the fuel line. I haven't had to rebuil anything ... put the gas in and charge the battery and it goes ... sounds great.
As ugly as it seemed, I love it now ... and respect the power. It has a clutch on the PTO, but the thing still scares me. I just have a three botom plow for it. A three point hitch is really helpful, which might be a reason to buy something newer. If you want a blade on the back, or just about any implement, it is nice to be able to lift it.
Tractors might be a good investment also ... they seem to grow in value more than depreciate, especially with inflation and a falling dollar.
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George Aar
If you're just gonna putt around on it, you can get a Farmall or a Ford 8N or an old Case or somesuch,
But if you wanna actually do some work with it too, I'd recommend a Massey-Ferguson T.O. 35, or one of the later knockoffs of same.
Mine is a 1955. Near as I know it's still the original engine and running gear. It runs like a top and has hydraulic three-point hitch, overrunning clutch, 3 speeds with a hi-lo range, and it'll run all day and into the night with zero complaints.
The problem with earlier tractors is that they don't have the 3-point hitch, or, if they do, it's some sort of morphidite add-on thingy that doesn't have hydraulic control and adjustment capabilites. So you just end up dragging implements around without really getting some work out of 'em.
I think my machine is worth around $3,500 or so. Would be worth a bit more if it was a "Deluxe" model instead of a standard. The deluxe has a two-stage clutch that comes in handy, especially when you're mowing.
Of course after you get the tractor, you then become an implement junkie, buying up every one you see sitting around somebody's barn.
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Ron G.
George,
I think you'll find the category 1, 3 pt hitch on the Massey is identical to that of the Ford 2N, 9N and 8N. I don't know about the Case you mentioned, but I think the Farmall just had a drag along hitch...or belly implements...I don't remember offhand.
As I recall, Massey designed the 3 point hitch we all know and love, and ol' Henry Ford used it in his tractors...there was some sort of disagreement between them and since Massey separated from Ford and began his own company, the early Massey Fergusons were very similar to the Ford N series tractors. The main differences were in the clutch operated PTO, the hi/lo tranny and the overhead cam that made the Massey's far superior machines.
Ford used that 4 cylinder flathead engine (the same as was used in the model T and Model A) that only gave 35 horses in all their N series tractors. Massey used an engine with overhead cam and a REAL carburetor that could actually do some serious work.
Another problem with the N series...one reason I got rid of mine...is you couldn't use a front end loader on it as you couldn't steer it.
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George Aar
There was a famous "handshake" agreement between Henry Ford and Harris Ferguson whereby Henry could use Ferguson's designs in the U.S. as long as he let Ferguson alone in England, or something to that effect.
It went along fine till Henry Ford's death, whereupon Henry Ford II declared the handshake agreement null and void and started marketing tractors in England (made after Ferguson's designs still). Ferguson got hopping mad, filed suit against Ford, it got tied up in court for 10 or 12 years. Finally judgement was made on Ferguson's side. Some sort of monetary penalty was assessed, and then Ferguson came to the U.S. and built a factory right across the street from Ford's tractor plant. Subtle, no?
I may have some of the details wrong, but that's the basics of the Ford/Ferguson history.
Anyway, the Ferguson is a far superior machine to any of the early Fords - the high/low range being the most important advantage IMHO.
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lindyhopper
Are you crazy?
Well, do you live on a farm?
Cause if you are living in the middle of Houston, then I would say yes.
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