I bought an F17D something like 15 years ago and it's been a good little tractor that I have heartily abused. Pretty sure the D is for Diesel. Had about 700 hours on it and I believe that was accurate. Either the steering gearbox (manual) was broken when I got it or I broke it, so I replaced it with one from an early Ford car, that took a little fabrication but I got it to fit and work like it should and it was a much stronger unit. Next I replaced the drag link with one from a Scout that had a power steering valve in it and mounted the assist cylinder. I found a compact pump and reservoir out of a car, probably one of the Korean ones and got that to fit as well so I then had power steering. Made a bucket from old skid steer parts that were caught in a fire. Later I picked up a 3 pt hitch snow blower so to make that work I pulled the Ford gearbox and mounted up a hydrostatic unit and plumbed it in, adding a shuttle valve to reverse the lines, and found a folding seat to mount on the hood. Made a greenhouse out of conduit and vinyl which I have just got done upgrading to 60 ga vinyl.
So here's how it works. I mount up the snow blower, complete with an old winch motor for directional control of the chute, mount the greenhouse to the loader attachment points and anchored to the fender grab handles in the back, slide the seat on the hood as close to the steering wheel as it will go and fold it open, and switch the shuttle valve for reversed steering. Then I board the tractor and sit in the hood seat facing rearward. The steering wheel is tall enough to let me do this. I can still use the clutch and brakes fine although they are on opposite sides. Shifter, hydraulics and chute controls are all within handy reach. as is PTO. So I drive it more or less like normal only with rear wheel steer.
Almost forgot, a long time ago I ran the exhaust up to a stack instead of down so I add an insulated extension when I put on the greenhouse so it won't burn the vinyl.
Summertime I pull the greenhouse, chains and snowblower and mount the bucket. I have a nice 7 ft New Holland sickle bar mower I use sometimes and 4 ft tiller that I'm trying to fit a driveway brush to and that's about it these days. I also have a 3pt concrete mixer that gets used every now and then.
I've had to replace the glow plugs, the wires on the alternator broke, the shutoff for the injector pump failed so I fitted a rod with a loop to pull as a shutoff. I fitted aux hydraulics which work very well. Just cobbled it together with Prince valves and 3/8" hard line.
Also early on I got rid of the rice paddy tires. On the rear I fitted a set of 15" Chevy 6 lug chrome reverse wheels and mounted up a pair of 35" mud tires (for yard work, I had a finish mower at the time)and for the front I just had to cobble something together as there wasn't anything that fit. Ended up making up a set of centers and bolting them to the wheel weight lugs of a set of rims so I could mount some tires that would work with the rears.
I did have a bearing go out in one of the front wheel uprights but I was able to just replace the bearing and the gears were OK.
Horn still works and so do the headlights. It's been a tough little tractor.
Jim
