Thinking About a Tractor

[Ted]

Two tractors aren't enough, as I'm sure you all well know. Our 5 year anniversary is coming up. So last night, I come home and find my wife bought me a new tractor for an anniversary present:

It's a 1941ish Ford 9N. Everything on it works. The thing is a real blast to drive, too. Really more like a go-kart. Low to the ground and fun.

 

[Matthew]

Nice!

 

[Cooter]

Two tractors aren't enough, as I'm sure you all well know. Our 5 year anniversary is coming up. So last night, I come home and find my wife bought me a new tractor for an anniversary present:

It's a 1941ish Ford 9N. Everything on it works. The thing is a real blast to drive, too. Really more like a go-kart. Low to the ground and fun.

Those are fun tractors. They're not great for mowing, but handy otherwise. I recommend a PTO guard if it's not hooked up to something and if you have kids make sure the push button starter isn't bypassed.

 

[Ted]

Those are fun tractors. They're not great for mowing, but handy otherwise. I recommend a PTO guard if it's not hooked up to something and if you have kids make sure the push button starter isn't bypassed.

I was thinking that as well. This one's been modified with a key starter, but we tend to leave the keys in the tractors. Going to need to change that.

Eventually we might get a 6' PTO mower deck to use with it, but for now it'll be the gravel rack for our driveway.

 

[Cooter]

I was thinking that as well. This one's been modified with a key starter, but we tend to leave the keys in the tractors. Going to need to change that.

Eventually we might get a 6' PTO mower deck to use with it, but for now it'll be the gravel rack for our driveway.

I mow with one, but they're geared a little fast for some mowing. I cut along the edge of the pastures with mine but if it gets very tall, I have to knock it down with a bigger tractor. They're good for driveway maintenance with a blade or rake. Until getting the OEM starter hooked up, make sure you park it in neutral. It'll roll if it's started in gear. I had one for a while before I figured that out.

 

[Axtel4]

I was thinking that as well. This one's been modified with a key starter, but we tend to leave the keys in the tractors. Going to need to change that.

Eventually we might get a 6' PTO mower deck to use with it, but for now it'll be the gravel rack for our driveway.

You might have either one of the last 9Ns or one of the first 2Ns. Take a look at the emblem on the front of the hood and see if there is small 2N is stamped below the Ford script. The 2N was built during the the war years so Ford could get around the war time price restrictions. The 2N did not have a starter or battery, had steel rear tires, and it was missing the running boards / foot rests on each side. It was also originaly painted "Battleship Grey" and a lot of people repaint them with the 8N color scheme.

 

[Tom-D]

Two tractors aren't enough, as I'm sure you all well know. Our 5 year anniversary is coming up. So last night, I come home and find my wife bought me a new tractor for an anniversary present:

It's a 1941ish Ford 9N. Everything on it works. The thing is a real blast to drive, too. Really more like a go-kart. Low to the ground and fun.

When I was a kid on the farm, I'd rake hay day after day all summer with one of them. 2nd gear wide open.

 

[Ted]

You might have either one of the last 9Ns or one of the first 2Ns. Take a look at the emblem on the front of the hood and see if there is small 2N is stamped below the Ford script. The 2N was built during the the war years so Ford could get around the war time price restrictions. The 2N did not have a starter or battery, had steel rear tires, and it was missing the running boards / foot rests on each side. It was also originaly painted "Battleship Grey" and a lot of people repaint them with the 8N color scheme.

I'll take a look at it closer. It has the 3-point, rubber wheels, battery, and electric start. Of course, those things are all easy to change over 75 years and this is by no means an all-original tractor. Who knows if it even has the original sheetmetal on it.

Really, it's just a lot of fun to drive. It also feels very small compared to my Massey Ferguson 165 and Allis Chalmers D17.

 

[SoonerAviator]

The 8/2/9Ns are solid tractors, but I'd hate the live PTO/hyd power when compared to more modern choices. Nothing like going down the road with a brushhog running because the PTO has to be engaged to keep the 3-pt hydraulics up! Watch out for the old "being pushed by the implement" problem, too, so you might look at getting an overrun clutch if you don't have one. Finally, always be careful when trying to pull anything heavy (like stumps, etc) as the tractor will end up on it's back if you aren't quick on the clutch. The great thing about those models is that the aftermarket parts support is unreal for a tractor made in the 40's, and every town seems to have several people who work on them.

 

[Ted]

The 8/2/9Ns are solid tractors, but I'd hate the live PTO/hyd power when compared to more modern choices. Nothing like going down the road with a brushhog running because the PTO has to be engaged to keep the 3-pt hydraulics up! Watch out for the old "being pushed by the implement" problem, too, so you might look at getting an overrun clutch if you don't have one. Finally, always be careful when trying to pull anything heavy (like stumps, etc) as the tractor will end up on it's back if you aren't quick on the clutch. The great thing about those models is that the aftermarket parts support is unreal for a tractor made in the 40's, and every town seems to have several people who work on them.

Given that we have two ~65 HP tractors with live PTOs, I doubt that we'll use the PTO on this for, well, anything. We might eventually get a finish mower for it when the kids get big enough to start helping mow. Our 3 year old (almost 4) is really good driving our riding mower right now, but of course not big enough to reach the pedals. The Massey we have an 86" or so PTO mower for. By the time he is big enough to reach the pedals, he'll be able to drive the riding mower just fine. Ideal would be for him, my wife, and I to all be mowing at once. We'd get the whole property done in no time. We'll also use the big tractors (probably the one with the front end loader) for pulling stumps due to the rollover concerns like you mentioned. This is definitely a much lighter duty tractor, but with a 2L engine producing 16 HP, it's still very overbuilt.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Given that we have two ~65 HP tractors with live PTOs, I doubt that we'll use the PTO on this for, well, anything. We might eventually get a finish mower for it when the kids get big enough to start helping mow. Our 3 year old (almost 4) is really good driving our riding mower right now, but of course not big enough to reach the pedals. The Massey we have an 86" or so PTO mower for. By the time he is big enough to reach the pedals, he'll be able to drive the riding mower just fine. Ideal would be for him, my wife, and I to all be mowing at once. We'd get the whole property done in no time. We'll also use the big tractors (probably the one with the front end loader) for pulling stumps due to the rollover concerns like you mentioned. This is definitely a much lighter duty tractor, but with a 2L engine producing 16 HP, it's still very overbuilt.

Sounds like you'll just about have the mowing covered in a few years! Once we got into the Kubota's with Hydro trans, 4WD, and mid/rear independent PTOs, we never looked back, lol. 16HP 7-series for the small stuff/5' belly mower, and the 34HP L-series for doing heavier lifting. Either way, having a tractor is almost a necessity once you find out how many projects you can do with one.

 

[denverpilot]

The 8/2/9Ns are solid tractors, but I'd hate the live PTO/hyd power when compared to more modern choices. Nothing like going down the road with a brushhog running because the PTO has to be engaged to keep the 3-pt hydraulics up! Watch out for the old "being pushed by the implement" problem, too, so you might look at getting an overrun clutch if you don't have one. Finally, always be careful when trying to pull anything heavy (like stumps, etc) as the tractor will end up on it's back if you aren't quick on the clutch. The great thing about those models is that the aftermarket parts support is unreal for a tractor made in the 40's, and every town seems to have several people who work on them.

I've played the "feather the clutch to try to lift that heavy chunk of concrete block" game before as the rear wheel on one side lifted off the ground. It's a tricky game, and you'd better be ready to jump... The amount of torque these things have is impressive.

Sounds like you'll just about have the mowing covered in a few years! Once we got into the Kubota's with Hydro trans, 4WD, and mid/rear independent PTOs, we never looked back, lol. 16HP 7-series for the small stuff/5' belly mower, and the 34HP L-series for doing heavier lifting. Either way, having a tractor is almost a necessity once you find out how many projects you can do with one.

I'm really jealous of any tractor that doesn't have a stick shift, but I'm still too cheap to upgrade, yet... Haha.

 

[timwinters]

Ted,

As I said way back on page one, make sure your first move is in reverse if you ever leave it parked outside in the winter.

 

[GeorgeC]

The great thing about those models is that the aftermarket parts support is unreal for a tractor made in the 40's, and every town seems to have several people who work on them.

Any favorite suppliers? My dad's 8N needs some new rear tires.

 

[SoonerAviator]

You know, I haven't had to buy too much for the older tractors. Usually eBay or CL has a good selection of parts on the older stuff. Our smaller Kubota has a really odd tire size for the fronts which we've only been able to find at one tire shop in all of Tulsa. There are a few parts dealers online just for Ford 8/9/2Ns, but I doubt they do much for rear tires simply due to shipping cost. I'd think the 11.2x28 rears would be common enough that you could get them from any tractor dealer near you.

 

[Ted]

Any favorite suppliers? My dad's 8N needs some new rear tires.

I've found eBay is usually pretty good for old tractors.

 

[Ted]

I'm really jealous of any tractor that doesn't have a stick shift, but I'm still too cheap to upgrade, yet... Haha.

While a hydrostatic would be nice in some ways, I actually enjoy the stick-shift on these old tractors. On the Massey Ferguson 165 (which we use for mowing), the gears are about the right speeds for what we do. On the Allis Chalmers (front end loader) the gears don't really matter, but does fine still. And the 9N I also like just fine.

Part of what I like about my tractors isn't just the utility, it's the old, classic feel of them. And part of that is the big, heavy shifting and clutches that go with them. It's just fun for me. Having this 9N is making me think I should build up a flathead V8 for a roadster of some sort.

 

[Cooter]

Any favorite suppliers? My dad's 8N needs some new rear tires.

For tractor parts, Just8Ns or Yesterdaystractors are good places. Some parts on the 8N change around 1950 and they are good to specify what you are buying and what it fits. As for tires, I would just shop around at the local tire shops, their prices should be similar. Tires are one of the biggest expenses on an 8N short of a re-build. You can go with a lower grade tire and save some money since you're probably not putting that much wear on an old tractor like that.

Also this guy can be useful for expensive or hard to find parts:http://www.oldfordtractors.com/partsfs.htm

 

[Cooter]

Having this 9N is making me think I should build up a flathead V8 for a roadster of some sort.

Checkout Youtube, there some good videos along those lines.

 

[denverpilot]

While a hydrostatic would be nice in some ways, I actually enjoy the stick-shift on these old tractors. On the Massey Ferguson 165 (which we use for mowing), the gears are about the right speeds for what we do. On the Allis Chalmers (front end loader) the gears don't really matter, but does fine still. And the 9N I also like just fine.

Part of what I like about my tractors isn't just the utility, it's the old, classic feel of them. And part of that is the big, heavy shifting and clutches that go with them. It's just fun for me. Having this 9N is making me think I should build up a flathead V8 for a roadster of some sort.

I'd be cool with my stick shift if my PTO wasn't attached to the regular clutch and had an electric clutch of its own.

 

[Ted]

I'd be cool with my stick shift if my PTO wasn't attached to the regular clutch and had an electric clutch of its own.

On the Massey and Allis, the first half of upward clutch travel engages the PTO and the second half is for shifting. It takes a bit of practice, but on my tractors you can get used to only pushing down halfway, which lets you shift gears.

On the 9N, there's a single on/off lever for PTO and hydraulics for the 3-point, also through the clutch. But I don't anticipate doing much with that.

 

[bnt83]

On the Massey and Allis, the first half of upward clutch travel engages the PTO and the second half is for shifting. It takes a bit of practice, but on my tractors you can get used to only pushing down halfway, which lets you shift gears.

On the 9N, there's a single on/off lever for PTO and hydraulics for the 3-point, also through the clutch. But I don't anticipate doing much with that.

Got an old 160 Allis that has a similar clutch, throw-out or something is so worn out the only way to get the PTO in gear is by shutting the engine off, engaging the PTO then staring the engine.

 

[denverpilot]

On the Massey and Allis, the first half of upward clutch travel engages the PTO and the second half is for shifting. It takes a bit of practice, but on my tractors you can get used to only pushing down halfway, which lets you shift gears.

On the 9N, there's a single on/off lever for PTO and hydraulics for the 3-point, also through the clutch. But I don't anticipate doing much with that.

I'd like that half clutch thing. I have a disconnect lever for the PTO, the hydros are always active, and the clutch disconnects the engine from both the drivetrain and the PTO simultaneously. Annoying in deep grass. You have to shift fast before the drag on the mower slows the whole tractor down, in really deep grass. Usually easier but more time consuming just to stay in the lower gear and wait.