8Nmuppet
New member
Advice, anyone? I've got a Ford 8N that I've been using for the past decade for mowing the dry hillside around my house, and occasionally for clearing a foot of snow from the driveway and road, plus miscellaneous other tasks. Thanks to a wobbly vertical muffler I now have a cracked exhaust manifold. Parts are on order and I can probably fix it myself, but this is the wake-up call that it's time to upgrade to something a bit more reliable.
We're in a semi-arid area, so I only mow twice a year (about 2 acres), and the snow is never very deep. The hillside is very bumpy, though, thanks to ground squirrels -- a riding lawnmower won't handle it.
Another consideration: I have rather limited mechanical aptitude, and only hand tools. I've been able to do minor repairs on the 8N, but that's because the 8N was made to be maintained by a farmer with a set of hand tools. I'd like the capabilities of a much newer tractor, but I'm not sure about my ability to fix it when it breaks.
And I can't justify spending more than about $10,000.
I'd love to hear any suggestions of what model of tractor I should be looking for. Thanks in advance!
We're in a semi-arid area, so I only mow twice a year (about 2 acres), and the snow is never very deep. The hillside is very bumpy, though, thanks to ground squirrels -- a riding lawnmower won't handle it.
Another consideration: I have rather limited mechanical aptitude, and only hand tools. I've been able to do minor repairs on the 8N, but that's because the 8N was made to be maintained by a farmer with a set of hand tools. I'd like the capabilities of a much newer tractor, but I'm not sure about my ability to fix it when it breaks.
And I can't justify spending more than about $10,000.
I'd love to hear any suggestions of what model of tractor I should be looking for. Thanks in advance!