Ford vs. Cub or A

I have not used the other models spoken about here, but I certainly give a thumbs up to the TO35, and I assume that the similar MF35 which came right after it would be at least as good.

John

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The Ford 8n is a good tractor to brush hog with. It has the power to mow through light brush, it has a standard 3 point hitch, but no live hydraulics, meaning the pto has to turn to run the pump. The other Ns don't have as good gearing, and no position control without aftermarket parts. 8ns are in the $2000-$3000 range, depending on condition.

I'd also recommend the Ford Jubilee and NAA. These are the same tractor, just different years. It has the OHV engine, with a little more power, and is just a little bit bigger. This has live hydraulics, which is powered by the engine.

Another good tractor I'd recommend is the Ford 600 and 601 series. Basically the same as the NAA, but a little less pricey because of less collectibility value. Stay away from the Select-o-Speed unless you are good with transmission repair. The SOS will be on models x7x and x8x.

After that, machines get kinda pricey.

Other models you may want to consider in your search:
Ford NAA Jubilee
Ford 600 or 800 series (look for one with live PTO)
Ford 2000
Massey Ferguson 20 or 30 series
Massey Ferguson 35, or 135
Oliver Super 55, or 550
John Deere 420, or 430 utility
Farmall 300, or 330 utility (these tractors may have a 2 pt. hitch, but can easily be converted to 3 pt hitch.)
Farmall 340 utility

These tractors are all still very useful, with service parts readily available through dealerships and aftermarket sources.

Good luck with your search!

Dale

matt

I use it to mow my orchard, keep the driveway clear in winter and to pull cordwood out of the woods. Nice, tractor. I like it a lot.

Certainly live hydraulics and a live PTO are wonderfull features, but the older tractors are still capable of a lot of work if you are willing to work around their limitations.

There is no need to worry about a rotary cutter pushing you around if you have an ORC (over running clutch) installed on the PTO shaft.

The 3-point hitch on the Ford "N"'s makes it easy to connect to a variety of attachments.

The 8N has several advantages over the older 9N and 2N, notably position control on the three-point hitch, and a 4-speed transmission versus the 3-speed on the 9N and 2N.

I have an 8N, as well as another tractor I'd recommend, an IH 424 diesel. It has nearly 40 HP, live PTO and hydraulics, differential lock, and power steering. The width and wheelbase are close to a Ford "N"'s, but it has WAY MORE power plus the other features I just mentioned. They are a little tough to find, but you should be able to pick one up in the $3000.00 to $4000.00 price range. (They were built in gas versions as well. Power steering an live PTO were options, so not all units will have those features.)

As well, the older tractors had their gear selections designed to compete with draught horses. A tractor like a Ferguson TEA20 is too fast for safe bush-hogging in rough or unfamiliar territory: to keep enough power to the P.T.O. you must maintain a sometimes hair-raising ground speed. Remember, it's not uncommon to encounter 7' high orchard grass when mowing and you can't see upcoming obstructions. A collision with a stump sprained my casting wrist and I missed a month of bass fishing as a result. The flywheel effect once put my Fergie on top of a large boulder, necessitating several hours work with a hydraulic jack to rescue it. Apparently there is an add-on ratchet-device to eliminate the flywheel effect, but what newbie knows about things like that?

I may not be an expert, but I was injured and frightened enough over two summers with a Fergie to buy a slightly more modern tractor with low range and live P.T.O.: a Massey Ferguson 35. It works great, for only a little more money.

My .$02 on this issue is a Ford N or larger (like an NAA. They are simple, well-designed and parts are plentiful at any New Holland Dealer.

I've seen them sell for as little as $35.

It is an essential safety device.

812-495-6360
$650... if it were not a ford I would have called since its one of my neighbors..

I went out and bought an ORC, and installed it before using the rotary cutter again.

There's always that one time you're not quick enough, or perhaps someone else will hop on someday, with no experience, and have a wreck. There's no reason NOT to have an ORC. A guy can still be "macho" and have an ORC! (Lately, I have even begun to wear eye protection while mowing!)