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smithjr31

New User
I live in central Missouri and have virtually no experience with tractors. I have 8 acres and would like to purchase a tractor to pull a finish mower. I would also like to use the tractor to blade my 1/4 mile driveway and disc my garden. I've been looking at and learning about tractors. It seems that I would be best off if I get something that has live PTO. It also seems that something in the mid 30's for HP should be sufficient. I've had some tell me that I should get gas and others tell me I should get diesel. I am looking to spend around 3,000 - 4,000 and am keeping my eye out for auctions and craigslist. I would like some more opinions on what tractor make/model/style/anything that I should get. I would like something that is easy to maintain that I'd be able to do repairs to if necessary. I plan on keeping it in my garage. Thanks.
 
Well since you live in Misery maybe we can talk and I can help you out. I live at the lake of the Ozarks and have a good number of tractors on hand. My e-mail is open by the way
 
Some guys wouldn't own a gasser. I own both and like them equally for the most part.
Whatever you do, buy a tractor with factory 3 point hitch.
I'm partial to the Fords myself. A 3000 would suit your needs to a tee. Easy to work on, good parts availability and good all round reliable tractors. I think live pto is rather over rated in a tractor under 40 hp but that's just me.
 
I would DEFINITELY get a Ford 8N. They're one of the most versatile and reliable garden tractors ever made. Parts are easily found and many attachments are available.

Some of these fellow gardeners here will recommend some chinese made junk. But I'm an AMERICAN and you can't get no better than a Ford, built in America by Americans.
 
There are an awful lot of variables to consider, and many depend on you and your area.

From what I've seen, the IH diesel tractors e.g. the B275 and B414 are often great bargains. Parts are cheap and easy to get. They have live PTOs, hi and low range transmissions, and live hydraulics. Around 32 horse and I often find them in the $1500 price ranges. They're MUCH more tractor than any older Ford like an 8N, 2N, 9N, etc. The gas versions are great tractors also, but those engines are odd-balls and parts not so cheap and easy to find (British carbs and ignition). With them you can run a rear PTO powerer snowblower or tiller, which you can't in many other tractors that lack a low ground speed and live PTO. IH also has more modern version of the same, like the 354.

Also, these older IH tractors were still basically made new until a few years ago my Mahindra, so there are lots of parts around.

But, if you want to maintain yourself, and fuel efficiency is not a big issue, you're probably better off with a gas tractor.

What is best can depend on what is common and cheapest in your area. I'm not a big Ford fan, but the later 2000 and 3000 Ford tractors made after 1965 have all the features you want (in most versions). The older ones can too, but not as common. All depends on the options they were ordered with. Great parts availability.

A Deere 1020 or 300, A Ford 600-800-900 series with the right options, Ford 2000 - 3000 with the right options, IH B275, B414, 424, 354, etc.

Much depends on what sells high and what sells low in your area. Watch out for odd-ball tractor makes and models that no longer have good parts support - and that list is growing pretty fast.
 
He's not going to find a live PTO in an 8N, nor will he find a creeper 1st gear unless it's got a Sherman aux. (or a few other makes). 8N goes over 3 MPH in 1st gear with the engine revved which is way too fast for many types of work.
 
For 3000-4000 you can get a good 50 or 65 Massey Ferguson diesel.These are great little tractors, there has been one or both onour farm for 30+ years, we still chore/rake with a 65. They will be independent PTO, but will be fine for mowing/blading. A diesel tractor is the only way to go in my opinion. Happy hunting
 

I grew up on an 8N ,was new then, what a pos.
the only thing they are good for is riding to
the mail box on a warm day.

Ford made many attempts at building a tractor,
and they did have one success it's the 5000
diesel. It pulls well,handles well,and very
durable ( stands up to my neighbor),he bought
it new and I overhauled it once 30 years ago
and it's due for another overhaul.Rest assured
it has earned the overhauls and it still runs.

george
 
Diesel was the first thing I thought because of relaiability and it"ll be stored inside so cold weather starting won"t be as much of a problem.


Then I got to thinking about a smoked up garage. Diesels do carry an odor that might be obnoxious to some people with tender noses. If the garage is attached to the house, will your wife like a whiff of diesel in the house once in a while? If it"s unattached, do you want diesel fumes in the family car? Some of the older diesels can leave a fair amount of smoke in the building they are stored in even if they"re run for a few seconds.

Maybe it won"t be a problem, just something to think about. Let us know what you get. Jim
 
Get a super 55 or 550 oliver reliable, dependable and everything is independent. Simply the best tractor for the money in this power range for older tractors and I have had just about all of them.
 
Maybe in the bad old days when diesel contained up to 1% sulphur.
With today's ultra low sulphur diesel, the exhaust is of little concern.
 
Trying to kill a new rural estate owner with a substandard tractor?
Get the man into a Massey 135, or a Ford 4000 for that price. Then he also has the option of mounting a front end loader someday which he will find very handy. And he will wonder how he did without a FEL.
The N series is for nostalgic rides in antique equipment parades if the brakes are repaired.
 
They sold so many #1 because Ford had a dealer network via automobiles other makes lacked. #2 Because depression weary folk would only purchase the absolute cheapest price out there. Quality or features meant nothing, just price.
I wouldn't send the new guy out there with an old JD either without live pto and live hydraulics.
 
I suggest, because this is what I have. Post '68 Ford 3000. Those are the three cylinder models. They have a 2 stage clutch, PTO acts like live PTO, power steering, position control and 8 forward speeds. I use a 6 foot Woods finish mower to mow 5+ acres. I have turf tires, to save the lawn. With 8 speeds, I can slow down enough to run a 5 foot tiller.
It's big enough to do all of the work on my property and small enough to be garaged and trailered.
 
Yup,

If it wasn't for harry's hydraulics , henry
probably could not have given them away.
I ran 9n's 2n's and we had the 8n from 48 till
59 , then traded on a 300 utility case, and that
was a real step up in the world.

george
 
What is it about buick and deere and now you that you can never pass up an opportunity to bad mouth the Ford Ns? Why don't you tell me what kind of tractor you run so I can study up on them, find their weak points and then bad mouth the things every time the topic comes up.
Didn't your mother ever tell you if you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all?
I just don't understand why everyone on this site trys to be considerate about another man's brand or color so as to not start any color wars but the Ford Ns are always fair game for whatever insults you happen to throw that day.

Sheesh.
 
You have Jdemarais's view. Wait for RodinNS. take their recommendations and weight them 3x others. then make your decision.
 
The main thing a N series had going for it. Was not having to look up a horse's butt while ploughing a field.
The N is an outdated hazard to old and particularly new users. With few features suited to modern farm equipment. The N's were built so cheap a drawbar wasn't even included until late in production.
Leave the N as a foot note in history where it belongs.As one of the first steps up from a horse.
 
I'm trying to save the new tractor user from wasting his money on something he will regret later. Either in the lack of features or the N's tendency to roll onto it's operator.
N's are for sale by the dozen because people purchase them and find their performance substandard. Then turn around and sell the N to yet another newbie.
If I was being biased, how can I recommend a Ford 3000/4000, Massey 135 or even a Binder such as a B414 etc. I never even said the green word.
So quit being whinny that your daddy's first and favorite tractor is now best suited for antique parades.
 
Massey Ferguson 135. No question.
Even though I own a TEA2085, it's the live PTO that makes all the difference.
The Perkins 3 cylinder diesel is so fuel miserly, you could mow and bushcut all day for maybe a gallon or two.
It's got draft control for pushing a back blade for plowing snow (to keep the blade an inch off the ground if you don't have a paved driveway), and a set of cat 1 3pt harrows are easy to pull. You'll never wear it out.

JMHO Ron (not Rod, LOL)
 
Odd how you can say that when I'm recommending a Ford 3000/4000, Massey 135, Binder B414 etc. And not even saying a green word.
 
How far are you from Cabool? Bar B Tractor usually has an Oliver 550 or 2 around. I don't think you'd be sorry with one of those. Indestructable little tractor,live PTO. Everything you could want.
 
Danged, makes me reminisce about the old days on the politics and tractor wars forum. Want to start a fight, just start talking "best" tractors!

I would go with a Massey 135 also. My uncle had one forever and it is the only piece of equipment he could not destroy! And I mean this. He could tear up a crowbar in a sandbox! But not that little 135.

Gene
 
I love the Perkins 152 three-bangers and also the common British format of hi-low range transmission. I often wonder why USA tractors did not adopt it sooner. I assume that's why Ford brought their British stuff over here to "redo" the 1000 series mid-1960s.

That being said, Deere's 152 three-banger is just as good of engine as the Perkins, but the USA versions have inferior injection pumps.

My only non-diesel sentiments are for someone who wants to do his/her own work and does not know anything about diesels. They can be a huge money pit if you can't fix yourself, or know somebody that can. There's a heck of a lot more people around that can keep a gas engine going, but are clueless with diesels. Many can change spark plugs and pull a carburetor apart, but don't dare try to repair an injector or pull a injector pump apart. With a diesel, what ought to be a $25 repair often winds up being a $1000 repair if you don't do the work yourself.
 
You folks certainly took a decent honest request for some information and turned it into a chicken crap wizzing contest.

Smithjr31, first consider how tall the doors in your garage are, it'll help when deciding what tractor will fit in the doors.

Ron/PA
 
ford 3000 for the price or even a 4000.. parts are cheap and made in every country in the world.Ford built these in england, belgium and the US.. sold them in every country. turks and indians make a shirt load of aftermarket parts for them.

massey 135 would be second most common on parts and usability.

international parts are too high and a more limited to dealers. however mahinda(india) makes a copy of the international. Internation out grew their transmissions and rearends thus put themselves out of business.

and green... well strickly dealers and not particularly famous in the small tractor area. Fairly good in the large tractors. but a bit clunky.
 
Well . . . regardless if you like the N series or don't like it, you're not going to find an 8N with a live PTO (like the poster is looking for).
Not going to find one with a low enough gearing that many jobs need unless you stick some sort of aux. trans. in it.
 
Well . . . regardless if you like the N series or don't like it, you're not going to find an 8N with a live PTO (like the poster is looking for).
Not going to find one with a low enough gearing that many jobs need unless you stick some sort of aux. trans. in it.
 
you live in the heart of tractor territory, the woods should be full of them there. Don't get in a hurry, look at a bunch, try a bunch out, see what feels best for you and will accomplish your chores best and when you decide what you want, patiently find a good deal on one. Take what guys say with a bit of caution...it is easy to get biased to what YOU own and talk it up more.
 
A minor point, but it's not just a case of Mahindra remaking IH tractors. Some of them they made right from the beginning over in India, and they never stopped. IH and Mahindra had a joint venture when the B-275 was first created.

Many of the dealer parts I buy now, across the counter at the International-Case dealer, come in Mahindra boxes.

Like the MF tractors, many of these older IH tractors have also been made all over the world until very recent times.

I like many of the tractors mentioned. It's all about purchase price and parts availability to me. If I could buy an IH for $1500 and had to pay over $4000 for the MF, I'd take the IH anytime.
 
go to ebay and type in the model of tractor your looking at and see what happens.

try massey furgeson 135
or ford 3000
or internation 404

and see what you get.

just type the brand name in and see what happens...
 
oh yeah.. go to ebay and type in a water pump for each model and see what happens.. and how much..

you will see what the world thinks about which model. Which are used everywhere and in every country, and have lots of parts availible from the whole world.. not just a dealer who guit making parts for it 40 years ago.

I buy and sell tractors and each area of the country seems to have favorite brands as well. these tractor will sell for more at the actions and the other tractors are almost given away.

lots of tractors go to the scrap yard for lack of parts.
 
There are some of us that cannot stand the smell of diesel. Had a neighbors small IHC borrowed once and after working with it for an hour before going to work they said I was green when I got to work. Now I have to stay away from the pump island at the fuel station that has both the deisel and gas hoses on the same pump, I have to go to the other side of the station that only has gas hoses.
 
Maybe a Ford 2000 3 cylinder gas job? Im not sure if they have live pto, but they have power steering, 3pt hitch and a, 8x2 tranny "if memeory serves me right" A pretty handy little tractor. They are more modern than a 8n but about the same size tractor, more hp thought at 30. J
 
I will weigh in on this with a few facts that a lot of others are not thinking about. You want a low built first to get it in the garage and not a high tractor as the 900 series Ford, the 4000 series Ford or the Massey 65 series tractors are. The 4000 Ford and 65 & 165 MF tractors will hane 38" rear wheels, You want something with 28" rear wheels. This leaves you with in tractors that have a live pto and 3 point and were sold in any great amount only the Massey 35 or 135 tractors, in lesser amounts were the 660 & 661 Ford with even less of the 3000(see only 2000 & 4000 Fords) series Fords and then slightly less were the Oliver S55 & 550. The IHC mentioned were never sold in our area and try to go to a dealer they would ask as once when I was looking for something for a Case 300 series is that a garden tractor? Never owned one but for your use the only one I wiuld be looking for is a MF 35 or 135 and with the limited use you have only consider a gas tractor for ease of repair.
 
Should have added the 4000 Ford and 65 & 165 MF are way more horse power than you need and would take up as much garage room as a large pickup truck. Also would need a 9' high garage door.
 
There must have been different chassis versions of the Massey 65/165/265 in different parts of the country.
I'm positive the Father-inlaw's 65 is a utility version with 28 or 30" rear rims and 14.9 or 16.9 tires.
 
pay NO ATTENTION to the brand recommendations. It is a BUYERS market economy the way it is. You may find a well maintained Long or any other odd brand that will fit your needs for 1/2 of what you have to spend and use the rest to buy other implements/tools or gold for when the US dollar collapses. Don't get pulled into brand manipulation because these guys own what they are hawking. (PS I have not ever owned a Long, just used that as example) I drove one once...
 
B&D, I have a 1970 Massey Ferguson 165 that has 26" rear rims. I recently bought some combine tires for the rears.
Back to the type of tractor for smithjr31, A TO- 20 or 30 Ferguson would work out excellent for what he wants to do. It could do everything that he wants and the cost would be no where near $3000. That would leave a lot of coins for the handy 3 point implements. Of course this tractor does not have live hydraulics or PTO but for what he is doing he wouldn't need it.
 
Those tractors aren't really that high profile, a guy could easily park them in a garage. I put my 1085 with a cab under an 11ft door.
 
Should have been to the thursday auction. A Farmtrac 35 with a 6 ft. finish mower went for $4700. It had 94 HOURS on it. Indian made 35hp. With what you plan on using it for, it would last a life time.
 
8N's didn't have a drawbar because they were designed and built to use the improved Ferguson System of implemement control. Dearborn made a whole line of implements for them as well as Ferguson who also sold over half a million similar tractors. The greatest innovation ever put on a tractor, even to this day, is the Ferguson system(3 pt. hitch). Every single manufacturer of tractors have 3 pt. hitches on their lower HP models. Ford got off way too easy losing only $10,000,000 in the lawsuit with Ferguson. I don't care if there was a Ford dealer on every corner, you don't sell over half a million tractors if they're a pos. 99% of the time if a tractor rolls, it is because of operator error or carelessness and not the tractor. Draft control isn't used for a rear blade. Draft control is only used for ground engaging implements like plows or cultivators. Getting back to the original question though, I wouldn't be too afraid of a good diesel tractor. As others have stated, almost everytime the question of what 35-40 HP tractor to look for, a Massey 135/150 is at the top of the list. A good diesel, like the Perkins in the 135, doesn't need a lot of maintenance other than the usual oil changes and filter and fuel/air filters every year or so(depending on use). There's no spark plugs, coils, points, ignition system etc. to worry about. The perkins is a very good starter in the cold. When we got our 135 diesel, we were skeptical about a diesel in the winter. That dissappeared quickly though. You need to run winter diesel so it doesn't gel and make sure you don't run out of fuel. The service stations change the fuel for the season so that's not a problem. If you run a diesel out of fuel or change the fuel filters, you have to bleed air from the system. After you learn how to do it, it is quite easy to do. 135 gas are very good tractors too but don't rule out a good diesel tractor. If you're considering a diesel tractor, post on here about what you're looking at. Some diesels are best to avoid like the Standard motors diesel in the MF35. It's best to have a qualified mechanic check out any tractor you're considering. Dave
 
135's were the best selling tractor in the world in their day. An MF35 is the most copied tractor in the world and a 135 is a much improved 35. You can't buy a tractor today that has a better 3 pt. hitch set up than the Advanced Ferguson System that appeared on the 64/65 MF 100 series. Parts are plentiful for 135's and Agco even has Heritage line parts. Ford made some good tractors too but they never out numbered or were more usable the Massey's. Dave
 
If they're for sale by the dozen, people are buying them and obviously there must be dozens of them still being used. For a small acreage 8N's are a very usable tractor. You really need to get over that a neighbor rolled one. It is tragic but I seriously doubt the tractor rolled by itself without any operator input. Gremlins maybe? Dave
 
We should keep in mind however what "george md" said. If it wasn't for Henry Ford's "handshake deal" for Harry Ferguson's hydraulic three point hitch. The N series would have died long before the 8N was ever built.
We should also remember how Henry Ford abused Harry Ferguson's trust and honesty.
 
The only advantage the 8N Ford had when it was brand new, was Harry Ferguson's three point hitch. Despite their popularity as acreage tractors, there are other tractors, of all colors, that are way better tractors than an 8N Ford, for no other reason than they're newer. I'm not, but if I was in the market for a tractor of your description, I'd look for a IH 454. I ran one for a couple of years in the early '70's, and it was a great little tractor. Live hydraulics and three point, live dual PTO, power steering and brakes, gas or diesel engine. We pulled a Kosch double bar mower, two NH bar rakes, did Bush Hog mower, and five foot roto-tiller work with it in the spring and summer, then put a loader on, and loaded and ran a feed wagon with it all fall and winter. Ours was a gas engine model, and always started and ran dependably, and efficiently, and was used pretty much every day, year round. This may be a tractor that will be at the upper end of your price range, perhaps even over it, but is absolutely way more tractor than an 8N Ford. And again, it, along with many others, are way better tractors, and a way better value, for the dollars spent, than an 8N Ford. Good luck!! :wink:
 
I don't think its the tractor as much as the guy that using it. I mow and maintain over a mile of roadside ditches, 4 clear vision corners and 2 miles of wildlife trails with a ford 9n with a 5 foot John Deere brushog. Not to mention plowing all of our michigan snow, disc everybodies food plots for them, haul bucket loads of rocks. Never even had one wheel off the ground in 25 years of using it. This buick and deere guy plays around with JD putt putt tractors that DO ROLLOVER and kill people and he badmouths a ford 9n? Mine goes 17 mph with a sherman transmission down the road and handles like a go cart. I can go around my corner on my road doing about 15 mph without batting an eye. These tractors are light years ahead of anything that was built in 1939 and can easily maintain 8 acres of property. What a joke. I think all a guy has to do is not be a p@ssy and he can do a lot of work no matter what tractor you put him on. Some guys are unbelievable how arrogant they are on here. Whenever the guy makes a post its a rude A-hole remark to somebody about a ford 8n or how they don't know anything about generators or electricity. Then the bragging about his buick. The biggest pos ever to come down the flint assembly line. N's are for sale by the dozens because they made 10 times as many of them as they did anything else and they're almost all still being used everyday. The parade tractors are the POS John Deeres that you advocate on this site all the time.
 
This thread is just about as funny as it gets. Where else could you get some good info, a lot of bad info, and a good ol' belly laugh all at one time and for free at that?

"N" Fords sold in mass because of ONE reason. They were cheap. They targeted a market where cheap was the ONLY way in. Their success was predicated upon price, dealer availability, and the 3-point hitch. They had minimal brakes, just barely enough power, and NO modern conveniences outside of that hitch. They fit a market in the 40's and early 50's. They STILL fit in where "cheap" is concerned. Early Fergusons were SLIGHTLY better tractors, but only by the slimmest of margins. Much of the "old wives tales" about the N is pure nonsense. They aren't going to start doing barrel rolls sitting in your driveway. They will roll if mis-used. Unfortunately, they lend themselves to mis-use by being so handy. All in all, a good collector tractor, but dollar for dollar, there's dozens of brands/models that will work circles around one, and do so iin a much safer manner.

Best bang for MY buck is the 100 series Massey Fergusons. (ie 135, 150, 165....) MUCH better power, live power, better hydraulics, better balance, availablity of power steering, ect... Parts are easy to get if you need them. The Perkins diesel is one of the best engines ever to grace a tractor. VERY fuel efficient too. Even the gas versions are fantastic tractor. Most MF100 series owners hang on to their tractors for life. (I have) I keep my MF150 in a garage that my pick-up won't fit in. (It's the same chassis as a 165) The story about them needing an airplane hanger to park is absolutely ridiculous, as is much of the "info" in this thread so far.

Other tractors I'd highly recommend are; MF 200 series, Ford 1000/1600 series, IH454, Deere 1530/2040/2240,

Especially so with a novice operator, but even with experienced operators, live power, power steering, GOOD brakes, comfortable seat, multiple gear options, and adaquate engine power are far more than just a convienience. They're saftey items too. Don't sell youself short. Just a few extra bucks initially can mean the difference between a marginally safe, barely adaquate, unreliable antique, and something that's safe, reliable, efficient, and able to get the job done.
 
(quoted from post at 23:56:38 12/07/09)Not to mention plowing all of our michigan snow,
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Must live downstate if your clearing "all of our michigan snow" with an N. UP here it would take you days to dig out with an N.
 
i have a 1950 8n and i have a 1973 ford model 2000 3 cyd gas if the 2000 is without a doubt the much better tractor to work with wait and save a little more money and buy a newer tractor the size of the 2000 you will never be sorry as a young man i have ran 8ns alot also my dad had a 3000 ford diesel and a massey 135 gas they were and still are great tractors my brother still has them and uses them alot i bought the 8n at an auction and my brother helped me restore it then i found the 2000 and my bother helped me fix it i never use the 8n because the 2000 is so much better
 
I just gotta jump in on this. Back when I was looking for a
tractor, I would have jumped on an 8n if I'd found one for the
right price. I had looked at many of them and just did not like
the 9n or 2n due to the layout of the brakes, the three speed
and lack of a live PTO. Not really the right tractor for a novice.
That being said, if I'd found one for $500 I would have bought it.
I love the MF 135 Diesel w/power steering and also have always
loved anything built by Oliver. The 55/550 were great machines.
I ended up with a David Brown 880e Diesel for $800. I now have
about $3,000 into it with the addition of a loader and home-
made power steering. An old diesel is not for the faint of heart,
but it sure has a ton of power and is great on fuel.
 
It was Henry Ford Jr. that abused Harry Ferguson' trust, not Henry Ford who made the handshake agreement. Henry 1 handed over control of Ford to Jr. just before the 8N. The 8N was the better of the N series but the 3 pt. hitch was light years ahead of anything else on the market. That's why the 8N's sold and still continue to be sold and used. Other than tires and a steering wheel, what other tractor innovation has gained and continues to gain international acceptance for over 70 years? Dave
 
saw an 8n with bush hog sell the other day. last thing on the sale, i think i saw 3 kids bid it up to $825.
 
Good 8N's can go for $2500 or more with no attachments and people are buying them. They're a lot better than a garden tractor that can cost more than double that. Dave
 
I bought a farmtrac (Long) 535 a couple years ago. Other than a few internal changes to the motor for emissions controls, it is just a Frod. When Frod quit building whatever model that was rebadged for Long, Long bought the tooling and moved it to India. 35 HP, diesel Two-stage clutch, live hyd, power steering, not a bad tractor. The mechanical drum brakes leave a little to be desired when used individually. I run a 7 ft finish mower with it, and occasionally a 3 pt fertilizer spreader, move round bales (4x4s), rake hay (must be the drawbar height, it's the only tractor that I can use to put together a good windrow with a POS New Holland-clone Deere hayrake), and it is a fun buzz-around tractor. But you can hear the 3 cylinder coming from five miles.

Long may have shut down North American operations, which were bought up by Montana (J.B.Hunt), but any of their dealers that are still in business can order parts from India.

If I knew I could have got the financing and found a good one, I probably would have went with a 300 RC or 350 ute with quick-hitch.

I don't see many N series Frods around home, but the few stories I have heard, they weren't the greatest. And they may not use much fuel, but tractors like the Farmall H and M, JD A and B, would do more work for the amount of fuel used.
 
And as far as gas vs diesel, a diesel could fill your garage with smoke in a hurry. For 8 acres, I can't see one coming out ahead of the other. On my Long, diesel was the only option, but I probably wouldn't have went with a gas because we can use the fuel for a tax write-off.
 

Thank you to everyone that has given me information and advice on what they think I should and shouldn't get. I test drove a gas Ford 2000 3 cylender the other day, it didn't have live PTO but had what I think he called a slip clutch that would keep the mower from pushing you when you pushed in on the clutch. I like the tractor except the front left tire seemed a little wobbly when I drove over uneven ground, so the ball joint may be a little suspect. The asking price was around 3600 but has since been dropped to 3200. I found a gas MF135 this morning that is listed at 3500 and I'm planning on test driving it in the next day or so.

When I test drive these tractors, do you have a recommendation of a checklist that I should go through? The ford 2000 I shifted through all of the gears to make sure they all worked but I didn't really know what else to do or look at. Also do the front tires normally "wobble" a little bit?

In response to some of your comments/questions: I only have a 7 foot garage door opening where I want to store the tractor, but if needed I can store it in my other garage that has a 9 foot opening. I think I would feel more comfortable with a gas engine, but if I do come across a good deal on a diesel I'll definitely check it out. Cabool is over 4 hours away but thanks for the recommendation in that area.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice.
 
(quoted from post at 23:56:38 12/07/09) I don't think its the tractor as much as the guy that using it. I mow and maintain over a mile of roadside ditches, 4 clear vision corners and 2 miles of wildlife trails with a ford 9n with a 5 foot John Deere brushog. Not to mention plowing all of our michigan snow, disc everybodies food plots for them, haul bucket loads of rocks. Never even had one wheel off the ground in 25 years of using it. This buick and deere guy plays around with JD putt putt tractors that DO ROLLOVER and kill people and he badmouths a ford 9n? Mine goes 17 mph with a sherman transmission down the road and handles like a go cart. I can go around my corner on my road doing about 15 mph without batting an eye. These tractors are light years ahead of anything that was built in 1939 and can easily maintain 8 acres of property. What a joke. I think all a guy has to do is not be a p@ssy and he can do a lot of work no matter what tractor you put him on. Some guys are unbelievable how arrogant they are on here. Whenever the guy makes a post its a rude A-hole remark to somebody about a ford 8n or how they don't know anything about generators or electricity. Then the bragging about his buick. The biggest pos ever to come down the flint assembly line. N's are for sale by the dozens because they made 10 times as many of them as they did anything else and they're almost all still being used everyday. The parade tractors are the POS John Deeres that you advocate on this site all the time.
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Hey man, don't hold back. let us know how you really feel.
 
I decided to go with a gas MF 135, got it for 3,250. Going in to complete the purchase this coming Monday and I'm sure over time I'll be posting questions on how to do some repairs.
 
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