New "old tractor" suggestions?

I'm hoping to get some good suggestions from experienced people here. I have a small, hobby farm with a few horses, a few acres of pasture, and a few acres of hay ground. About 15 years ago, I bought a Ford 8n tractor, and it's been handy for mowing the pastures, blade work, and miscellaneous work around the place. I had neighbors who would cut and bale hay for me. However, it's become nearly impossible to find anyone nearby who can do small squares for me, so I've started to figure out how to do it myself. I bought an older haybine which is doing a good job of cutting. I've been borrowing a rake and an older baler from a relative. I've also been borrowing a tractor from a neighbor. So, I have the basic equipment for doing the hay, but obviously my Ford 8n doesn't have the guts to work most of the hay equipment, so I've decided maybe it's time to let the 8n go and move up to something a bit bigger.

I don't have any strong feelings about the "color" of the tractor, so I'm open to all brands. What I'm looking for is something that has live PTO, 3 point, and hydraulic hookups for the haybine and baler. I'd like to keep the tractor as small as possible, yet still be able to do the basic tasks of making hay as well as still being able to mow, blade, etc...

I'm looking for an older model, as my budget isn't very high (I'd love to stay under $3,000), and I just kind of like older equipmet. Someone suggested that I might find a Farmall Super M or a Farmall 400 in that price range, but I don't know much about the specs of the various models and if those would have the things I'm looking for.

Also, I'm no farmer by any stretch, and my mechanical abilities are pretty basic, so something that's reliable and pretty easy to operate are important to me.

I'd love to hear suggestions as to older tractors that might have the features and be able to do the jobs I've described, without breaking the bank. Any help would be much appreciated before I start my search. Thanks!

I think you are going to have a budget problem based on what you are saying. Sounds like you can do what you want to do with a 40-50 horse power tractor. A tractor like a Farmall 400 would have had a 2 pt hitch that can be converted to 3pt. A tractor like a Super M would have to be a Super M TA to get what you want and in any decent condition is expensive. You need something at least 1950's and newer and the older they are the more likely they need some or a lot of work. You can pay $3k for an older tractor and easily put another $3k in it to make it reliable. Since you say your mechanical abilities are pretty basic sounds like you want to stay away from that situation. I'm not really familiar with tractors newer than the 50's or something that isn't IH made so I can't recommend anything - just give you the advice I just mentioned about cost.

Massey Ferguson 50 or 65. ground and live pto, ample hp., reliable, easy to get parts.

I'd sure like to have a 3pt also on your list of features, there just is so much options out there with 3pt..... the two models you mention didn't
come with 3pt, there are aftermarket options.....

Another thing to consider is the number of gears. More is better, if you have 6 instead of 5, great. If the 400 has a working TA, it will have 10
forward, 2 reverse, even better. And so forth.

If you are in snow country you probably want a snow blower some day. More reverse gears are better, needed. If you are a small operation you
might want a tiller on a three point, having a very slow first beat is ever so good.....

You need 40hp for the haybine don't you, and be better to have 50?

Most of the features you mention started showing up mid to late 1950s, so would start there. Some of these features were options, so you have
to look at the individual tractor, not just the series.

Ford 860 to 5000 series would be good. That is a large number of models, but there were a lot of good ones in there that would do what you
want.

Oliver tends to be cheaper, and had some good models, I forget when 3pt showed up on them, 550? They tended to be one of the first to have
the other features you want.

Good luck on the hunt, it's fun to go through all the possibilities, and sort wants from needs and then remembering reality and a budget.....

Paul

Charlie, we were typing at the same time. I'm always glad to see someone have relatively similar advice, feel like maybe I'm on the right track in what I say.

Paul

If you liked your Ford 8N you will love a Ford 860 or 861, both of which can be bought within your budget, and both of which can do what you plan to do and more.

Another suggestion would be a MF 135. If you get a 135, look for a Perkins 3 cylinder, either gasoline or, preferably, diesel.

Any of these tractors can do what you want to do and can be bought within your budget. There are pros and cons to each.

Post back with questions.

Dean

A MF35, or a MF135 with the 3 cylinder Perkins diesel.

Same here - better defense when people think we don't know anything. LOL

My thinking is that a Super 90 MF would be a good choice. If you thought that was too large a 65 MF, gas or diesel would be an awfully good choice. gm

I use an IH 706 gas for the round baler, IH 350 gas utility for the small square baler.
That 350 utility is the handiest tractor I have ever bought, the 706 is no good for
the square baler as it will break a guy on fuel. I would suggest tractors that are easy
to find repairs for, these IH models are no problem that way for me, hadn't messed with
any others but I do have a friend with earlier Masseys and one has been broke down for years
now looking for a seal but its an early one. You will find the best deal on tractors that
were produced plenty and still in use today, parts manufacturers had to keep producing parts
for demand.

I like my 860 Ford. About 40 horse, live power, 3pt. I mow with a 9 foot new holland 451 and rake with 5 bar rake, and then bale
with a new holland 68 or new holland 268. Still can find parts.

There are just as many choices as there are members here. The answers that you'll get will depend on who's on here today. You'd be better off to find a few specific choices that are available and ask everybody's opinion of them.

Look on craigslist for tractors in your price range, and post the makes, and model numbers. Some tractors maybe good, some maybe ones to stay away from.

I've got a 67 model 3000 Ford diesel and that thing is a hoss and just about bullet proof. Mine is only a 4 speed without hydro hook ups but if you could find one with a hi and low range you can put add on hydro's. I've got 11& 1/2 acres and it does what ever I want and probably some things it shouldn't do. I built a blade for the front of it and used a HF small $50 buck winch to raise and lower it. With weight on the back I'm amazed at how much it would push! That is until I hit a root and broke my blade!

Rrlund said it right. And my 2 cents is to
keep the tractor you have and use, and get
the other tractor too. Very handy to be
able to have two tractors on two different
jobs or implements, and there will always
be a time when you're working on or with
one and need the other for something.
Anybody really doing things needs 2+
tractors, and you're not going to get much
for the 8n anyway. After you have two,
then trade up on either of them as
opportunities arise.

You can pick up a Massey 65 in this area
for around 3k. A 165 or 175 for a little
more. Handy tough tractors.

What part of the country are you located in?

"[b:654c4848f0][i:654c4848f0]<font color="#6699ff">I've been borrowing a rake and an older baler from a relative.[/i:654c4848f0][/b:654c4848f0]</font>"

What is the minimum horsepower requirement to operate the older baler?

Case 730, 830, or 930 Comfort King tractors with real 3 point hitch might match your needs at close to your budget. Larger 1960's gas tractors tend to sell a bargain prices. Generally a 50 HP plus gas tractor will sell for $2000 less than a comparable model with a diesel engine.

How many hundreds of square bales or tons of hay do you put up a year?

Before you invest a lot of money in different equipment, this might be a very good time to look into switching to big round bales. If you can handle big round bales you can probably still find someone to put up big round bales for you. Years when hay is producing well you can often buy hay in late summer for less than the cost to produce them yourself. Hand feeding big bales to horses is possible.

Crunch the numbers and include your labor costs, fuel and equipment costs. If you are passing up $25/hour overtime or are burning vacation time for yourself and another person to put up small square hay bales, those small bales may be a lot more expensive than you realize.

Buddy of mine has a 9*1 Ford he
uses for hay. Loves it. Paid about
$2000.
His is the wide front.

(quoted from post at 08:18:25 06/20/18) I'd sure like to have a 3pt also on your list of features, there just is so much options out there with 3pt..... the two models you mention didn't
come with 3pt, there are aftermarket options.....

Another thing to consider is the number of gears. More is better, if you have 6 instead of 5, great. If the 400 has a working TA, it will have 10
forward, 2 reverse, even better. And so forth.

If you are in snow country you probably want a snow blower some day. More reverse gears are better, needed. If you are a small operation you
might want a tiller on a three point, having a very slow first beat is ever so good.....

You need 40hp for the haybine don't you, and be better to have 50?

Most of the features you mention started showing up mid to late 1950s, so would start there. Some of these features were options, so you have
to look at the individual tractor, not just the series.

Ford 860 to 5000 series would be good. That is a large number of models, but there were a lot of good ones in there that would do what you
want.

Oliver tends to be cheaper, and had some good models, I forget when 3pt showed up on them, 550? They tended to be one of the first to have
the other features you want.

Good luck on the hunt, it's fun to go through all the possibilities, and sort wants from needs and then remembering reality and a budget.....

Paul

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Thanks... yes, it's kind of fun to dig into the possibilities, but then local availability, budget, etc... get in the way. Part of me wants to just find something and get it done, while another part of me wants to sit back, watch and wait for something to pop up that seems like a good fit.

What are your dealer choices for parts? If you are round baling you don't want some real little tractor like the 8or9 -1 models to light for the baler. You will want a more substantial tractor for the weight if it is hilly.

You like your 8N but just need a bit more tractor so I say stick with as close as you can be and get the extra features you want and need. So that means a Ford In a 860 or 861 model or the 4000 equivilent of those that are the same utility style you presently have and like but have a 5 speed transmission and a PTO that is live being that if you want to make a normal stop of tractor to keep implement running you can, If you have to make a panic stop just hit the clutch and push all the way down, that will stop both tractor and implement. You go newer you get independant PTO that I had and did not like becauseif you have to make that panic stop you not only have to remember the clutch but also will be hunting for a unhandy extra lever to grab to be able to stop the implement. I was used to doing everything without a live pto and never missed it driving a tractor all the time for 25 years before got that independant pto. Was just what dealer had when we needed a tractor and I was dumb on the live-independant PTO system. With one of those models you can use anything from your 8N that you should very heavily consider keeping as doing that you can rake the hay just ahead of the baler and when you get a load on wagon easy to unhook the rake unless a 3 point hitch model to hook the 8N to an empty wagon and pull in the loaded one before going back raking. And perhaps get hay up and in before the rains come. And all three tractor models can have the hydrolic hookup put on for the mower-conditioner. And you will have all the power you need for those jobs. A Massey Ferguson 65 or 165 is very close to the 3 Fords but some mounted implements you now have may not mount. The 35 or 135 is smaller the same as an Oliver S55 that is made in same style you are used to and like with minor differences in operation. You like and are used to operation of your 8N so I would recemond you stick with something very simular that would not realy confuse you in learning operation and have an acident because of it. Other tractors are good but you if you like the handling of your 8N would just confuse you and possibly make you have an acident and not have all the features you want or should have for safty. You go to something like the Farmall they are so much different in handling you would be likely to have an acident but they are good for what they were designed for and that was not a novice to operate.

You still haven't told us where you are located. A Case 430 or 530 would fill your needs pretty good if they are common in your area. I have a 530 and an older 300 that I really like using. If there are any in your area you should at least look at them.

I can agree that a Ford is a good solution. Our late 80’s/early 90’s 3930 is about 50 horse and does just about anything. Including 4x5 round bales. You have 3 pt., hydraulic hookups, foot throttle, posi-lock, and I’m probably forgetting something. And it’s old enough that you can still work on it without dealing with electronics. Grandfather uses a 4600 which is a brute of a tractor. Bales up and down hillsides like they were nothing.
They might not be in your price range, but defenitly worth considering.

Sorry... was going to reply to individual posts, but that didn't seem to work as I expected. Thanks to everyone who replied... a lot to think about here. I have used my father in law's Farmall M some over the last few years, and the tractor I have borrowed from a neighbor is a John Deere, so I have some hands on experience with tractors other than my 8n, but I'm definitely most used to my little Ford, so I do like the idea of something that is similar to that. Open to other possibilities also. I am in Southwest Wisconsin.

I think I will keep watching Craigslist / Facebook, and if something interesting in my price range pops up, I'll post here for opinions on that model.

Thanks again everyone!

Keep the 8N. There are plenty of choices for a slightly larger machine. All that really matters is whether it is running and sound. If it's check the gas and fill the oil, you might want to pass on it. Dealer support is another consideration. If parts are hard to come by, you could be in a bind at a critical time.
As Randy said, we all have a favorite, and some of us have a brand we LOVE to hate.

I'm going to go against the flow and say that I wouldn't want any little Ford. Around here they are more than 3000 and I hate straddling the tranny all day. They are hot nasty things to operate. I try to stay away from any utility type tractor no matter the brand.
For the money a Farmall 400 would be OK. Last one I had I picked up for 1500. A 656 would be a real nice one to have but hard to find one around here for under 4000...
A JD 60 can sometimes be found for around your price range as well as the occasional Massey 60.

I like my 3 cylinder Ford 4000, but like Leroy said you have to know your systems and not go into patterned behavior in an emergency. If you are prone to this you can put in an overrunning clutch. I especially like the mechanical wet brakes and extra power. The MF 165 4 cylinder has similar power and independent pto, but
I don't know if it operates the same as the F 4000.

Why did I get a 4000. I got tired of looking up at the weeds.
No matter which tractor you get the important issues are oil pressure after the engine is thoroughly warmed up and the tractor under load, coolant temperature and making sure the clutch and pto do not slip. Of course I am preaching to the choir.

Well the good part is since you own an 8N any tractor you get will be an improvement.

(quoted from post at 08:13:47 06/20/18)

Massey Ferguson 50 or 65. ground and live pto, ample hp., reliable, easy to get parts.

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I agree. My tractor is MF40, same as the 50. Very reliable, turn key and go. Outfitted with FEL from Ford, handles anything I've needed to move.

.Ouch!

(quoted from post at 07:39:20 06/21/18) Well the good part is since you own an 8N any tractor you get will be an improvement.

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Ouch!