Ford / NH 545D Industrial Tractor - looking for owner experiences

[TSO]

Hello... I'm considering adding another machine, and i think a 545D fits the bill. Basically looking for something with a strong loader (these are rated 5000 lbs @ max height), enough grunt to handle some grading tasks, and still light enough to tow around easy.

There aren't all that many left for sale, i think they stopped producing them in the early 90's. So, the pickings are fairly slim.

I'm looking for input from those of you that have experience with these machines. Were they reliable? Were they a good jobsite machine? Do they feel strong enough at 65'ish HP? What kinds of problems did you have with them, and at how many hours? Could you run the PTO for awhile pulling a big mower without overheating?

I'm looking at the power shuttle transmission (Power Reverser) with PTO and Cab.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TractorGuy]

I was following one for sale in FL for a while but didn't have the cash to make and offer. They look like a great mid size heavy duty tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

Having never saw one, I'm following.

 

[joecdeere]

the 545 is a nice big heavy mid-size tractor, it was the largest industrial tractor short of a full blown backhoe that Ford built. Great heavy loader, stout front end ,axle, and steering. I have it's smallest little brother the 345 but can offer two things to you.

First, you must have something on the back for a counterweight, they will pickup much more than is safe to drive with. You really need a full set of rear wheel weights, loaded tires, and something heavy on the back to keep the rear tires in safe contact with the ground. Mine has a 11' Bradco HD backhoe on it and with a very full bucket of heavy dirt I have felt the rear become a tad light.

second, it will have an independent drive PTO, if yours will have the 4x4 or 8x8 shuttle shift transmission it takes a bit more work and attention to run a mower or tiller.
You have to find a balance in engine speed and an appropriate gear to allow you to mow like you want, then to keep from overheating the transmission you need to engage the torque converter lockout which keeps the settings you have found, and then you can't stop the forward motion without dis-engaging it. Not a big deal, just not what your used to.

still for heavy forward/backward loader work, I think this is the best industrial series out there!

mine -

 

[ovrszd]

I google searched the 545. It appears to have the same front axle assembly as my 555 TLB.

Another first for me is seeing Joe's 345. Thanks for the pic.

 

[TSO]

the 545 is a nice big heavy mid-size tractor, it was the largest industrial tractor short of a full blown backhoe that Ford built. Great heavy loader, stout front end ,axle, and steering. I have it's smallest little brother the 345 but can offer two things to you.

First, you must have something on the back for a counterweight, they will pickup much more than is safe to drive with. You really need a full set of rear wheel weights, loaded tires, and something heavy on the back to keep the rear tires in safe contact with the ground. Mine has a 11' Bradco HD backhoe on it and with a very full bucket of heavy dirt I have felt the rear become a tad light.

second, it will have an independent drive PTO, if yours will have the 4x4 or 8x8 shuttle shift transmission it takes a bit more work and attention to run a mower or tiller.
You have to find a balance in engine speed and an appropriate gear to allow you to mow like you want, then to keep from overheating the transmission you need to engage the torque converter lockout which keeps the settings you have found, and then you can't stop the forward motion without dis-engaging it. Not a big deal, just not what your used to.

still for heavy forward/backward loader work, I think this is the best industrial series out there!

mine -

Interesting... I'm glad you're telling me this about the PTO. I'm wondering if running my 3pt stump grinder would be a problem then...? I mainly just run my flail and grinder on the 3pt anymore, not much else unless something unique is needed.

The ones I'm looking at all have inner and outer rear wheel weights. There's a nice one in Minnesota with a Bradco 611 backhoe (looks like a really nice unit) but it's priced higher than I'm wanting to spend. How do you like that backhoe?

I should add that I'm also considering the John Deere 210 C. It has a really heavy duty 3 point hitch setup. It also has a hydraulically operated PTO. I wonder if that would be any more convenient to run?

 

[joecdeere]

I like the backhoe, it's the 90's version of the 611 you're looking at, but has the cylinder swing instead of the chain style mine has. I bought this a a toy to play with, but find that it's handy to have around. Most all the industrials you look at with a independent PTO and a torque converter will be the same, the PTO was just there if needed.

 

[strum456]

We have a 345d 4x4 with the 8x8 electric shuttle and a 4 in 1 bucket. We use it primarily as a loader tractor, and it works very well for that. Even with 4x4, the tires loaded, wheel weights, and a cab, we STILL keep something on the back of it nearly all the time for ballast (usually a 7' box scraper with a 500# steel weight).

We have had very few problems with it. Mostly everything we've had to do were items that were let go by the previous owner. The tractor is very nice to operate.

These amazing tractors do have a few drawbacks.

1. Heavy and not as maneuverable as an ag tractor
2. Under powered for the weight of the tractor. These things should have had the 4 cyl engine!
3. You cannot "inch" the tractor at PTO speed. The only way to inch the tractor is with the brakes, which must be done at an idle. This is perfect for careful loader work or lifting. I've never used a 3 point stump grinder. I'm not sure if that could be a problem.

 

[TSO]

We have a 345d 4x4 with the 8x8 electric shuttle and a 4 in 1 bucket. We use it primarily as a loader tractor, and it works very well for that. Even with 4x4, the tires loaded, wheel weights, and a cab, we STILL keep something on the back of it nearly all the time for ballast (usually a 7' box scraper with a 500# steel weight).

We have had very few problems with it. Mostly everything we've had to do were items that were let go by the previous owner. The tractor is very nice to operate.

These amazing tractors do have a few drawbacks.

1. Heavy and not as maneuverable as an ag tractor
2. Under powered for the weight of the tractor. These things should have had the 4 cyl engine!
3. You cannot "inch" the tractor at PTO speed. The only way to inch the tractor is with the brakes, which must be done at an idle. This is perfect for careful loader work or lifting. I've never used a 3 point stump grinder. I'm not sure if that could be a problem.

Can you explain what you mean when you say you can only inch the machine with the brakes and at idle? I understand that these don't have a foot clutch... Are the brakes not strong enough to hold the machine at higher RPM's?

And can you please elaborate on under powered? Can it easily pull the 7 ft box blade when full?

 

[strum456]

Can you explain what you mean when you say you can only inch the machine with the brakes and at idle? I understand that these don't have a foot clutch... Are the brakes not strong enough to hold the machine at higher RPM's?

And can you please elaborate on under powered? Can it easily pull the 7 ft box blade when full?

Oh, yeah...no problem pulling a box blade as full as you want it to be. The under powered part would show if you want to drive fast on the road or run PTO equipment that requires a lot of power.

Inching can only be done through the torque converter - just like a car with an automatic transmission. So imagine a PTO on your car. If you wanted to have the pto up to speed, you'd have to have the engine cranked up. You wouldn't want to have the car in gear and an hold it back with the brakes if the engine is up to speed. 1st gear is slow enough for just about any task, but if you are looking to inch backward with a stump grinder running and cutting, you're not going to have a good time. If you could slow down the engine before inching back and then bring the engine back up to speed and continue grinding, then you'll be fine.

 

[TSO]

Ok that makes sense... You ever brush hog or mow with yours?

 

[strum456]

I haven't ever had a brush hog or mower on it. It would be okay for that, but we have other tractors that work better. We use it for our 7' snowblower a good bit. It could use a little more power in deep snow. Sometimes inching is a problem, like I explained.

 

[TSO]

Okay thanks for that. Based on your ownership experience, as I go out and look at these used machines, aside from normal issues found on any tractor, are there any areas of particular attention I should look for as I shop around? Any areas that you know to be weak or problematic that I can check for excessive wear?

 

[ovrszd]

Oh, yeah...no problem pulling a box blade as full as you want it to be. The under powered part would show if you want to drive fast on the road or run PTO equipment that requires a lot of power.

Inching can only be done through the torque converter - just like a car with an automatic transmission. So imagine a PTO on your car. If you wanted to have the pto up to speed, you'd have to have the engine cranked up. You wouldn't want to have the car in gear and an hold it back with the brakes if the engine is up to speed. 1st gear is slow enough for just about any task, but if you are looking to inch backward with a stump grinder running and cutting, you're not going to have a good time. If you could slow down the engine before inching back and then bring the engine back up to speed and continue grinding, then you'll be fine.

Beyond not having a good time, you'll instantly overheat the trans/torque convertor. Do that long enough and you'll get to replace the convertor......

Imagine going down the road in your auto trans car/truck at 2000rpm. Try to stop without letting off the throttle or putting it in neutral.......

 

[TSO]

Ok what you guys are saying makes sense.

Can you explain in which situations I would need to use the torque converter, and when I wouldn't? What is the value of using it versus not using it?

 

[ovrszd]

Do you have a choice?

If you haven't done so, study the trans/convertor setup and then explain how you can avoid using it.

 

[TSO]

I've still never driven one or looked in person... Research stage

Seems like these were in their Heyday back before the internet and forums, so there's not a lot of information out there explaining functionality ... from what I can see.

 

[ovrszd]

Check out tractordata, industrial tractors. They list all the 545s. The very early models didn't use the torque convertor. All later models did. For your expected uses you might want to avoid the torque convertor if at all possible.

 

[strum456]

We use ours as a loader tractor, which is what it was designed to be used for. The electric shuttle is THE BEST thing about the tractor. I'll try to help any way I can, but I guess I would need to know more about what you want to do with the tractor. "Pulling a big mower" means different things to different people. I'd be thinking about a 20' bat wing. You won't have a good time with that either. LOL

 

[strum456]

As for what to look for...

The first thing that comes to mind is evidence of being greased / maintained. That tractor has a lot of grease fittings. Many are under the tractor. You may find fittings that the previous owner never greased because he didn't even know about them. The first ones that come to mind are the front axle pivot and the carrier bearing for the drive shaft going up to the front end. Don't forget the lower ball joints! The main bucket pins need extra grease, and rarely get it (you have to lift and rotate the bucket to get to them). We had to replace the universal joint that runs between the crankshaft and the front hydraulic pump right after buying ours. It was never greased and so badly worn that the yokes needed to be replaced as well. It is a pain to grease because you have to rotate the engine into just the right position to get the gun onto the fittings. We are going to need new steering cylinders before long. The ball joints are loose - again due to lack of grease. Those will be about $300 each, as the ball joints are part of the cylinders.

You are probably picking up on the pattern here: When taken care of, these tractors are exceptionally durable. We got ours pretty cheap, and we knew what we were getting. It took some time just to get all of the joints to take grease. $$$ wise, we haven't invested much at all in repairs compared to the use we have gotten out of the tractor. Actually, I'd rate our 345d as the best value of any of our equipment. It gets more hours each year than any of the other tractors. It's a fine machine.