Considering a Ford 3000

[HarleyHetz]

Looking at a 1975 Ford 3000 Diesel with a Bush Hog attachment. She has the 8 speed tranny, and is purported to be in "Excellent Shape" with everything, including the lights in working order.

I know virtually NOTHING about tractors, but have spent 30 years in Industrial Maintenance. Point being, I know my way around a gear box, can troubleshoot/repair hydraulics, electrical, and mechanical systems of all sorts.

I have searched the forums, and have found LOTS of tractor buying threads, but MOST seem to be about price. I've done my research, and the price of this tractor is in line with others selling around the country. So, this is not a post about how much I should pay...rather this is a post about what I should look for, and where it is located.

For instance, I know from reading on the forums that I should look for diesel in the oil in the inline pump, what I don't know, is HOW do I do that?? Is there a dip stick? Do I need to pull a plug? Shine a flashlight in a hole?? Where is the inline pump located, I mean I'm sure I can probably figure it out since it is "inline" I should be able to follow the line from the fuel tank up to the injectors and it would be somewhere in there...but I don't really want to go out there and look like I haven't a clue...a knowledgable buyer pays less than a newb usually...

I know enough to check the oil and antifreeze, I know enough to check the U-joints on the bush hog drive shaft to ensure that they are not sloppy or look like they've never been greased, I know enough to check the front end for slop, to start the engine cold and look for excess smoke, listen for knocks, ask for maintenance records...I know to crawl around under it and look for leaks, I have seen several posts where "SoundGuy" has said to put it in high gear, rev it up a bit, and ease the clutch out, she should stall out if the clutch is good...

So, to anyone who owns one of these babies, or works on them regularly, any advice/tips you can offer will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[bucktaker]

best advice take someone knowledgable with you or negioate a mechanic inspection.. Lots a tractor jockeys pedaling like new tractors

Ford 3000 Diesel awesome light utility tractor and very desirable

 

[HarleyHetz]

Well, I wound up buying it. It appears that it is MUCH more tractor than I need to take care of my driveway and 4 acre little plot, but I can also use the bush hog attachment that came with it to help the wife out in her landscaping business. She is currently paying someone else to bush hog...she bought the tractor on the condition that I do the bush hogging for her...pretty sweet deal if you ask me!!

The tractor cranks right up, even when I showed up the second day with money in hand unannounced it fired right up and purred like a kitten. He connected the bush hog attachment and ran it, you could barely hear it running, so no loose u-joints or wobbly stuff on it. It all appears to be in real good shape for a 39 year old machine...and I've seen quite a few 39 year old machines!! Although to be perfectly fair, there is almost no way you could operate a tractor as long and hard as the machines I work with every day. They run mostly 24 hours/day 7 days/week...I imagine that if you ran a tractor that long, it would require nearly the same frequency of maintenance that our machines do...and it'd probably look as raggedy!!!

Next question...where can I find a maintenance manual on her??

 

[Opti-Mist]

Google is your friend: https://www.google.com/search?q=ford+3000+tractor+manual&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

All you really need is an operator's manual as it includes pretty much all of the maintenance information needed along with adequate pictures.

That tractor had great reliability and should serve you well for as long as you need a tractor.

 

[stingray1]

Congrats on the 3000,they are good old tractors.

 

[Ultradog MN]

A 3000 is one of the best small tractors ever built by any brand or color of that era.
They are absolutely bulletproof. Good parts availability - both new and used, not hard to work on. They are nimble - especially with power steering, have an excellent power to weight ratio and shucky- darn, are just fun to drive.
I've had one for about 12 years now and though I've bought and parted out or rebuilt and resold a bunch of 2000/3000/4000 tractors since then my own little sweetheart 3000 diesel will stay with me till they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
Why don't you post the 3 lines of code that are stamped into the top of the transmission - just above and behind the starter and we can id exactly what you have for you - first photo.
Second photo is of my own 3000. I built it out of a dozen or more different tractors. She wears the old style tin (pre 1968) which I just like better than the post 68 tin.
As for a manual, if you are familiar with a wrench you will do just fine with the I&T FO-31 manual. Google it.
About $25 and will cover all the basics you need.
You might also like to have an owners manual for it. Originals and reprints are readily available on Ebay.

 

[yanmars]

They were solid tractors. You might be happy it is the size it is, most people never say I wish my tractor had less horsepower.