901 SOS diesel ... is it for me???

The SOS is an auto tranny just like in your car. It has a cluster gear with "bands" that squeeze the shaft of the gear you want and that is how power is transmitted. The bands are the wear item , just like in a car, and would be the best indicatior of useful life.

There are 3 bands on the Ford SOS and each is adjustable from outside the tractor. If you say it has a solid shift (thud, not swish when you put it in gear or change one) you can get an Idea of useful life by looking at the threads sticking out of the adjustors.

I haven't looked lately, but if you look at the side of the transmission housing somewhere around 1/2 way down you'll see 2 very large nut/screw threads, with a slot in the end of the screw part, on one side of the tractor and 1 on the other. You loosen the nut and screw the thread in to tighten. If you can see 1/2 " or so of thread sticking out of the nut you are in great shape; lots of adjusting room left so you don't have that much wear to worry about.

NOTE: I'm not telling you you have to tweak them just to be doing it; just supplying information. When the time comes that you may want to do it, come back and ask and someone will tell you how.

However, if the thread is half way thru the nut you are on your last leg and the bands will fail you before too long. If the bands are loose, the transmission will not pull, it slips and the engine revs up and the ground speed falls off.

Above all, keep your fluid clean. I think Larry NCKS (herein) can be called on to prescribe the correct fluid but I think I used HY/Transmission fluid in mine; same stuff I put in the hydraulics.

During winter, the fluid is thick and the PTO and tractor may want to creep on you. If this is a problem, don't buy it or just turn the engine off when trying to connect to something if it bothers you.

Now, you are prepared to make your own decision.

Good Luck,

Mark

If you want to _use_ the tractor, then you don't want something that is more valuable than normal. you want a normal tractor.

What would make this tractor special anyhow? Is it painted Gold? That's the only collectors model I would know about.

SoS is great until it breaks. If you are a good mechanic & can tear a tranny apart & put it back together again, buy it cheap & have fun. if you take your stuff to a mechanic & pay $90 an hour, RUN away. Because they are less trusted, they sell cheaper. It comes down to a dice roll - if the tranny holds together or only needs minor adjustment for years, you did good. if it carps out in 6 months you didn't waste too much money.

SoS tractors in the real world are worth less than a good 5 speed similar model, so if you are looking to pay more for it - they might be a seeing you coming.....

--->Paul