ford compact tractor

I am looking to purchase possibly an older Ford tractor and have the following question. What is the most practical ford tractor to purchase to be used as a utility tractor under 40 hp that can handle a front end loader?? I am trying to stay between $5,000- 7,000. Thanks for any input you can provide.

I have a 1969 Ford 3000 gasser that had a front end loader. It worked fine. The only thing was it made the back end light so I usually had to have my box blade attached to help with weight distribution. I also have a 1969 Ford 4000 gasser that I like better for the front end loader. The 4000 is heavy duty and in my opinion an all around more practical fit as a small farm tractor.

Be aware that they changed the tractor w/out changing the number at one point. My (4-cylinder) Ford 4000 is more like a 961 than a later, 3-cylinder, 4000.

Any of the Ford X000 or X600 probably fill that need. I own a 3600 with a loader and am awfully happy with it. Cost me ~$8000 from a dealer 5-6 years ago. Many here will advise you to look at 4WD and/or beefier front ends for loader work. They are probably correct, but much of my loader work is probably classified as motorized wheel barrow so the light front end on my 3600 seems OK to me. Power steering is a must have with a loader though unless you are built like a gorilla.

Good Luck in your search,

Kirk

Where are you located?
I have a sweetheart 3000 that I plan to have ready for sale here in just a few days.
Gotta get the lights on it yet and a couple other small things.
Minneapolis MN

I like the old Fords. They are pretty easy to work on and hold together very well. N's and hundred series and 2000-4000 tractors will still be in use when most of today's tractors will be in the scrap heap because you can't get the many plastic and electronic parts any more. The old Fords are made of stee!l

But you do have to tinker with them a bit, adjusting this or that, and lubricating here and there quite often. If you don't want to do that, buy something a lot newer and a lot more costly.

For loader work, power steering is sure nice to have, although it adds complexity and price (PS is probably WORTH $500 more on one of those old tractors). A loader is hard on the front end, and may require fixing various parts of the front end including the center pivot mount. All loaders are not created equal--a trip loader operated by the hydraulic system that runs the 3 point will be slow to operate and unhandy to unload at times. A trip loader is worth lots less than a loader with a hydraulic bucket, 2 way cylinders and powered by a front pump. Loaders are often worked very hard and cracks and breaks are common. Those problems are usually repaired, but those repairs vary in how well they have been done. But any working loader is a very useful tool.

Some of the old Fords come in gas or diesel versions. Gas engines are much less expensive to rebuild than diesels, especially if you consider the diesel fuel injection pump compared to a simple gasoline carburetor. Gas engines start easier in cold weather. On the other hand a diesel will use much less fuel than a gas tractor doing a similar job.

Only a few of the old Fords had 4 wheel drive. For snow plowing, you need good chains and weight really helps. Lots of the modern tractors have 4WD. It is possible to really get a tractor stuck in mud or snow and it can be a real adventure getting them unstuck. Maybe a 4WD tractor could pull itself out better than a 2WD machine, or maybe it might just get stuck farther in the mud hole. I would love to have 4WD, but can't really see spending the money to get one.

Some of the Fords have different transmissions. I would be cautious about buying a Select-O-Speed equipped tractor. Though some people are very pleased with them, I have heard some real horror stories about them not working right and being difficult to fix or get fixed. And parts availability is not good, at least on some models. The conventional transmissions are quite straight forward and tough, parts are pretty easy to find, and most mechanics familiar with stick shift transmissions have no trouble fixing them. I have read that a tractor with the SOS transmission is worth about half as much as a similar tractor with a stick shift.

A few old Fords have live PTO. Live PTO makes a tractor more valuable and versatile for doing things with PTO operated machinery, like a baler, in that the PTO shaft doesn't stop turning when you push in the clutch pedal like it does with non-live PTO. The live PTO tractors have a dual stage clutch that is very expensive if you have to replace the clutch. I would like to have a tractor with live PTO, but have got along fine with standard non-live PTO for most things I have tried to do. It would be really nice to have live PTO if you plan to use that tractor with a PTO hay baler.

The old Fords I am writing about are all over 40 years old. Over those many years, they probably have experienced lots of hours of use. If they have not been well maintained or rebuilt, most will probably need to be worked on in various areas sooner or later. If you don't plan to tinker with your tractor, it might be better to spend the money and buy something a lot newer and covered by local service and maybe a guarantee.

Good luck with your decision. HTH!

I like it. Looks good!

That's a nice post Hal. And good advice too.
I agree that a tractor under 40 hp doesn't need live pto. I think power steering is a must with or without a loader.
One thing about a lot of the old tractors in general is they were gassers. And gassers are a lot more pleasant to be around than a diesel.
I wouldn't want a loader if I only had one tractor. Unless I had the dough to buy something modern with a quick attach loader. For most things I use my tractor for I wouldn't want a cumbersome loader on it.