Farmall H prices

Howdy,
I am looking at buying a Farmall H for $600 tractor has new paint and the guy says everything is in good working order. I am not sure as to the year. do ya'll think its worth messing with I do plan to use it as a tractor and not a show piece. What would I need to look for when I go down to check it out? Anyhow as an aside, is there a square baler this thing can handel? ( I know nothing about tractors or impliments I will be looking to start hay production for personal use)Also what size cutter/conditioner could I run behind it. And any advice you have to someone as new as me would be awsome.

If it runs and is as described it is a steal.
It will handle a bailer fine. (you will need a solid instruction period on it with a experienced Non-live PTO driver, to be sure and safe)
Even if it needs some help, it is a great buy. JimN

If it runs and has good rear tires thats a dirt cheap price for it. An H is around 26HP so its a tad small for a baler but there have been 1000s of bale made using an H. One of the older JD or NH balers could be used behind it but it will be pushing it to its max. A 7 foot MOCO would work behind it also
Hobby farm

For $600, expect one or two major problems. People selling usable tractors for that price are far and few between. Most people these days are savvy to what they have, and what's wrong with it. Some will price their tractor "fairly" but most will want far more than it's worth.

$600 with all the parts and running, though, gives you a good base to build on. The tractor will run a small square baler on flat ground with a small wagon, and on hilly ground if you drop the wagon.

At $600 you could put brand new tires on it and still have a reasonably priced tractor.

It's a good buy, but walk away from it. I do alittle haying. I use a Super H to mow and rake, both alfalfa and grass. But not having live PTO is a real PITA. If your mower gets plugged, it's shift to neutral. If just a little residue atarts to hang on the head, it's shift to neutral.If you want to shift gears you better, stop, shift to neutral, becuse putting that clutch in to shift, stops the sickle and it jams. It's just a frustration. Now that's the good news!

I tried baling with it. WOrse problem. When you want to slow the forward speed of the tractor, because of a corner winrow bulge, or other reason , again you lose the pto if you use the clutch, and now your baler is jammed. I use my 966 ans sometimes I'm in low, ta back for really dense windrows. It's spitting out bales at one per 14 seconds.

I tried to use the SH in front of a JD 7000 4RW planter. Not enough hydrualics to really snap it up.

Of course it won't work with the Post hole digger, or the 7 foot Brushbull.

Get more hp,3PH, and a live PTO. You will cuss that H and be looking for something better.
JD3020D is nice unit for you, A IH686D, Ford 851 even.

Gordo

$600... That sounds like a real good price for an H. You should take it.

Ford Powermaster's (801, 841, 851) are about 44 hp, much more than an H. But, they too do not have true IPTO. You can partially depress the clutch to shift and not stop the PTO. I grew up on an 841 and I can think of many other choices of 60's era tractors higher on the food chain.

The JD 3020 will be the last tractor you ever need to buy (bout $6500-$9500). My father bought one in about the mid 70's used, and has NEVER been inside of the powertrain. My 1962 Farmall 504 diesel has baled hay for 30+ years with a New Holland Hayliner and a Vermeer 504C round baler (4x5) on flat and hilly ground. It also had moved mountians of dirt with a 4 YD Reynolds scrapper (though doesn't like it one bit ). It has TA, power steering, live hydraulics (now 17GPM), and IPTO.

Charles

I use my H to bale with. I run a MF #3 baler, JD #5 mower, NH 804 conditioner an unnamed tedder and an AC 12' PTO rake. I bale 800 to 900 bales each year, on side hills here in NH. Just spread the rear wheels as wide as possible. You will NOT bale Fast. But going slow has it advantages. Easier to see limbs and stuff in the wind row. Beats baling with an AC model CA its to small for the baler. Traded an 18 month old Jersey bull for my H so not sure about price range. Love my H so much that I found another two in a hedge row and gave $500 for both not running. Almost have an other up and running, needs a carb. Good luck and be careful out there.

JW in NH

Well I called the guy about 10 min before I posted this topic and called him when I got off work and some one had already beat me to it. Thanks for the information though I will be looking for a live PTO tractor. I will keep my eyes out there and talk to some buddies back home and see if they have or know of someone who would be selling a tractor in my price/hp range. Thanks again

I did find 3 more H's I may check them out this weekend. Oddly enough they are all listed for $750. I did look at the local dealer used stock and on websites of dealers within a 500mile or so and could not locate a live pto tractor in my price range so I may end up with an H. I found out on my dad's father's farm they had an old farmall tractor he cant remember the model though. I have looked at an IH 37 baler do ya'll think thats small enough for the H?

Dad made thousands and thousands of idiot cubes with his H back in the day. When cutting and raking, make an appropriate sized windrow for what the baler and tractor can handle. Common sense will prevail.

As for Gordo's comments on not working well for mowing - my H is the preferred tractor for mowing on our farm, definitaly better than the 544 (at least in mine and my brother's opinion). Of course, I have live hydraulics and power steering... Here's some video of my H's mowing (the narrow front is totally stock):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opMByfDDfzk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWLEffYTPBk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mmi7Yq1Al4&feature=related