Ford 4610 questions

[fatchance]

I'm looking at 1985 4610 mfwd syncromesh.

I'd much prefer the constant mesh tranny as thats what I've already got with my 5000 and 5600. What are folks experiences with that transmission?

Everything seems good, it has the H pattern column shifter and not the "Rubik's" shifter.

Are there any other things I should be aware of or look out for with this tractor?

Thanks.

 

[TractorTech]

Other than the synchro shifters were kind of strange when it was introduced, the tractor is solid like all of the old Fords.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

Other than the synchro shifters were kind of strange when it was introduced, the tractor is solid like all of the old Fords.

I don't have any experience with a 4610 specifically. I have an uncle who has a really nice 2810 MFWD tractor. When I was younger I had other family members with a 2WD 2810, and a 3910. Like TractorTech said, pretty much all old Ford tractors were good machines generally speaking, even though like all brands they do have their issues that seem more prevalent to them as opposed to others. I used to think the worst thing about them was sometimes the 3PH would quit lifting up high. If Google was around back then I'd probably had looked up as to why that was, because it used to be aggravating. I also thought that their fuel systems were more prone to having issues than the other brands I dealt with, but at the same time the majority of tractors I grew up around were Fords.

Ford always seemed to offer several transmission options. I used to hate that Select-O-Speed.

 

[sd455dan]

I don't have any experience with a 4610 specifically. I have an uncle who has a really nice 2810 MFWD tractor. When I was younger I had other family members with a 2WD 2810, and a 3910. Like TractorTech said, pretty much all old Ford are good machines general speaking, even though like all brands they do have their issues that seem more prevalent to them as opposed to others. I used to think the worst thing about them was sometimes the 3PH would quit lifting up high. If Google was around back then I'd probably had looked up as to why that was, because it used to be aggravating. I also thought that their fuel systems were more prone to having issues than the other brands I dealt with, but at the same time the majority of tractors I grew up around were Fords.

Ford always seemed to offer several transmission options. I used to hate that Select-O-Speed.

My 3000's SOS worked great for mowing, plowing It was rebuilt about 10 years before I bought it by a Ford tractor dealer.

 

[TractorTech]

The SOS was a good transmission that needed to be kept up, but considering what it did vs what was available at the time, it was a small price to pay for the feature.

 

[LightningCamaroGuy]

My 3000's SOS worked great for mowing, plowing It was rebuilt about 10 years before I bought it by a Ford tractor dealer.

I know some people liked them. I just always found them to be a PITA compared to the 5 speed on the 861D I spent most of my childhood on. My grandpa had a Ford Balmar with the SOS, and 2 or 3 other people I knew with older Fords had them as well. They did the job I guess, but if I remember correctly the gearing on the dial was kind of all over the place, and you would always be going up and down and jerking on the lever to try and get it into the gear you wanted. Been probably 25+ years since I've driven a tractor with one. Can't remember the last time I drove that Balmar was, but if I'm not mistaken my uncle might still own it. (same uncle with the Ford 2810 MFWD tractor actually) I can't even remember how many F/R gears they had, but I agree it had a lot of gears to select from. Weren't they labeled L1/L2/L3, and H1/H2/H3, and R1/R2/R3, etc, or something like that? Was the SOS a gearbox with multiple ranges, and not just a bunch of gears?

 

[TractorTech]

The SOS had 10 forward, 2 reverse with slight overlap from gear to gear. Not a power shift or automatic, but you could shift it without clutching. Most people that don’t like them is due to lack of or incorrect adjustments of the bands.
In the Salinas Valley, older units kept going as irrigation pipe tractors and didn’t see much TLC, but kep going.
Parts are becoming obsolete and expensive.

 

[sd455dan]

The SOS had 10 forward, 2 reverse with slight overlap from gear to gear. Not a power shift or automatic, but you could shift it without clutching. Most people that don’t like them is due to lack of or incorrect adjustments of the bands.
In the Salinas Valley, older units kept going as irrigation pipe tractors and didn’t see much TLC, but kep going.
Parts are becoming obsolete and expensive.

I believe they are a power shift actually, although fully mechanical using bands, hydraulic clutches and planetary gear sets. The only time the inching pedal really needs to be used is starting out. Guess it comes down to the definition of Powershift, but Ford was more that willing to use it in some of their advertisements at the time.

Early vid for SOS
Shift on the Go.

 

[TractorTech]

I believe they are a power shift actually, although fully mechanical using bands, hydraulic clutches and planetary gear sets. The only time the inching pedal really needs to be used is starting out. Guess it comes down to the definition of Powershift, but Ford was more that willing to use it in some of their advertisements at the time.

Early vid for SOS
Shift on the Go.

You're right. I was thinking of not an automatic and not a hydro. That's a great video.

The lower gears were great for what now you need a creeper box in addition to the main box.