Price expected to pay for a Ford 8N/9N ?

[soberley]

I've been lurking around this site for awhile and have decided to ask for opinions/Advice about buying an old 8/9N Tractor. I eventually will buy a new Subcompact for my land, but untill I move out to it I need an older tractor to Brush hog it. I needed something that I could leave out there and have the neighbors watch it for me. I would cover it while not in use, but it would stay on a corner of the property until I used it.

My property is 3 acres and is very flat. To keep it mowed I rented a tractor and brush hog several times this last summer at 200 bucks a pop. I then began thinking that I could get an older Ford Tractor for a decent price and then sell it when I get my new tractor, but in the mean time I will have a brush hog available to me. I don't need a pretty looking machine, but it should run good and be mechanicaly sound. I can do a lot of mechanical work, but am limited with the elements.

OK now that that is all said and done my question now is what kind of price am I looking at for a machine like this? I have seen e-bay and individuals selling from 500 dollars to 4000 dollars, but what are they really worth?

Also any other advice on older, solid less expensive tractors would be great. My price range is about 1500.00 Give or take.

Thanks for your help and opinions in advance.

 

[jinman]

I'd think you could find a not-pretty 8N for about what you are wanting to spend. It will not be anywhere near perfect and the tires may be pretty poor, but I believe you can find one that will start and run and pull a cutter. I'd stay away from a 9N. That's a very old tractor (1939 model). Even a 2N is newer (1942 model). The 8N was introduced in 1948 and produced until 1952. That's the tractor you want.

Remember though, you can rent a tractor 8 times at $200 per day for $1600, and that's a lot of mowing. When you rent one, you normally don't have to spend half a day chasing down electrical problems, leaking carburetors, non-working hydraulics or the other things that are common on an older "so-so" tractor. The beauty of renting is you don't have to do your own maintenance and if the tractor is broke, you don't have to pay. It's just the opposite when you own it. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[ruglad03835]

Around here (New Hampshire) they run from $1000.00 to $4000.00 depending on condition.

Rick

 

[soberley]

Renting a tractor, to me, is a lot like leasing it. I have nothing to show at the end. If I can find a used one and do the upkeep on it and turn around to sell if for no or little loss then I will have had the use of the machine for a substantialy lower cost then 200 for 4 hours. I can see your point though about not wanting the headache of the repairs.

I was targeting the Ford 8N/9N/2N in specific because my father in law had one for 20 years and loved it He (upgraded/downgraded depending on who you ask) to the MF135 recently, but he has already sold his tractor. I have also asked many other people about the dependability of the old tractors and have gotten, for the most part, a pretty good review. I also wanted something that I wouldn't mind keeping out in the limited elements with minimal protection....and I have seen plenty of these sitting outside and are still being used.

Thank you for your feedback I'll have to think about the rental deal some more.

If I buy it I may also be able to use it elswhere at my leisure....hmmmm

 

[soberley]

Also I found one for sale 8N tractor and brush hog for 2300.00. He specifically said it was an 8N 1954 model? I didn't think they were made at that time. Can anyone "enlighten" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif me about this?

 

[Soundguy]

I'm always wary of sellers that don't know what year their tractor is... My biggest concern is "How did the fellow maintain this tractor without knowing what year it was.. many parts are year/model specific.

Ford 8n was model/year 1948.. actually a few of them were produced late 1947. They were produced until 1952.

Ford NAA was model/year for 1953 ( 53 models were called a Golden Jubilee.. but are otherwise an NAA. And I believe a few models were late 52 production.

Therefore if you walked into a parts house and said i need a XXX for a 54 ford.. you'd get a part for a NAA. If it was a part in common with an 8n.. you'd be ok.. otherwise it wouldn't fit.

SN on the 8n is lightly hand stamped on a 1x4 flat boss on the left side of the engine, just under the (flat) head, kinda rear of the oil canister... up from the starter. All 8n sn's start with 8n
8N Year Starting Serial Number
1947 1
1948 37908
1949 141370
1950 245637
1951 343593
1952 442035

Ford Model NAA
Year Starting Serial Number
1952 1
1953 2380
1954 77475

While the unit still may be a good unit.. the seller is just incorrect about year of manufacturer. Price is good for a decent unit.

soundguy

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Also I found one for sale 8N tractor and brush hog for 2300.00. He specifically said it was an 8N 1954 model? I didn't think they were made at that time. Can anyone "enlighten" /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif me about this? )</font>

Soundguy is "right on" with his advice. The only thing I would add is that everyone is not as familiar with these tractors as we are here on TBN. Some guys just buy a tractor and use it. If it breaks they take it to the dealer to be fixed and never really take the time to learn about the tractor. If your guy is a tractor dealer then you should be suspicious. If he's just an average "joe" with a tractor for sale, he may not know for sure what he has. In my opinion a decent 8N is worth $2300. You can easily put $1500 into a new set of tires and wheels so if it has decent rubber and starts and runs without a lot of smoke or oil leaks, then the $2300 might be money well spent. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[hunterridgefarm]

These guys have given you some good information.

In my area an 8N goes for around $2000.00 +/- a couple hundred.

I have been around 8N's all my life and they are fairly easy to work on. One thing you may want to check for is brakes. I don't know if this is real common but many of the 8N's I have seen have leaking seals which causes brake problems. Alot of people replace the outer seal but I believe there is an inner seal also that needs replaced.

When running the hog if you have to stop, lets say going towards a fence, give yourself a few extra feet because sometime the the 8N will not stop on a dime when the PTO is engaged.
Now this is just my experience with 8N's, this may not hold true with all.

The 8N has been around a long time and has stood the test of time.

 

[JD3520]

In reference to the tracor not stopping with a brush hog attached, TSC has a great item (cost is around $70.00) that fits between the hog's driveshaft and the tractor's PTO. Dad always called it an "over running clutch".

It allows you to trottle down the tractor without the momentum of the blades pushing you. It works on a principle kinda like a rachet wrench. Maybe someone else can explain it better thna I can.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( In reference to the tracor not stopping with a brush hog attached, TSC has a great item (cost is around $70.00) that fits between the hog's driveshaft and the tractor's PTO. Dad always called it an "over running clutch".

It allows you to trottle down the tractor without the momentum of the blades pushing you. It works on a principle kinda like a rachet wrench. Maybe someone else can explain it better thna I can. )</font>

I think it would be hard to explain an over-running clutch any better than you did. The only thing I would add is that I believe they are closer to $50 rather than $70.

It's also very important to get installation instructions. The O-R clutch has a grease zerk you have to remove and drive a rollpin thru your existing PTO shaft so the O-R clutch will stay on. After installing the rollpin, you reinstall the zerk and grease the clutch. Greasing often will ensure the clutch/ratched will work for the life of the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Oh yes...
There is no substitute for good brakes. You need them whether you have an O-R clutch or not. The brakes on an 8N are easy to fix, but if you have seal leaks, the brakes are rendered useless. That's something I would check on any old Ford I intended to buy.