Advice on Tractors for a City Girl

[flusher]

Alos, in response to "farmwithjunk" my property is 30 minutes outside of kansas city, missouri. And my price range is under $5000 and preferable cheaper. I want to get what I need with the implements necesary at the lowest price. That Massey seemed very strong. I justs don't know about it since it is the first tractor I have looked at. It's seat is a mess and the steeering sheel needs a cover (not very "clean" i.e., new paint etc.) but it works and took off Like a horse out of the gate in second gear. The seller said it had a low and high setting and that I would need to mow the tall grass in low second so it didn't get bogged down. And the live power would be high. At least that's what I think he said. I think there was a lever for live power under the left side of the seat but I don't know if the clutch engages it or not.

Is that MF-50 you looked at the one on craigslist in Belton for $3500? I know Belton pretty well. My DIL's family lives there on a 6-acre horse farm. Her father has a 1982 Ford 1700 diesel (2 cyl, 2WD, 25 hp pto). You can pick these up used for under $3K.

I noticed that craigslist in your area has quite a few Ford 8Ns listed. Also Ford 2Ns and 9Ns, which are late 1930s thru late 1940s tractor models.

Up here in the North Sacramento Valley there are a bunch of 10-20 acre horse farms. You see quite a few 8Ns working these places. One of my neighbors has an 8N that he used to mow and disc about 8 of his 10 acres. In May he used the 8N to cut the hay in his pasture with a 6-ft sicklebar mower ($100), raked it into windrows with a 10-ft side delivery rake ($300) and baled it with an IH 57 two-wire baler (small 50-60 lb square bales, $500). He got about 30 bales/acre. One of the neighbors had to help him out because in the lowest gear the 8N still moved too fast and the baler choked. They used a 70 hp JD 2640 that moved considerably slower in 1st-low gear.

 

[TractorChick]

If you never rode a motorcycle before would you buy a panhead from the 1950's?

Get a newer 4WD hydro. In the long run, you'll save yourself headaches, hauling, parts, labor, downtime, and sweat while the machine is down, nevermind the angst of not knowing what you have. A big old hulking pile of junk, like a 2WD gas job. ick.

Get some references and find a dealer you trust and like. Makes all the difference. As a reputable little old tractor sales lady, I like to say that I didn't get here by sticking it to people.

 

[rgood]

Tractor Chick - What does a machine like you describe cost?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Seems to me that when the budget is considered, new tractors are simply out of the question. $5000 for the tractor and a few implements narrows down the choices considerably.

Let's work backwards and see how much is available for the tractor itself. You'll no doubt want a mower. A decent used or low end new one will set you back $600 to $1000. So $4000 left. Maybe a rear blade? Knock off another $250 for a good use one. $3750 left. See where this is going?

Used tractors DON'T have to be money pits. Some are. Some NEW tractors are too. Don't just run out and buy the very first thing that comes along. Be careful. Hunt for a bargain on a GOOD used tractor. The idea that ALL old tractors are constant problems is just not so. I've got one that's going on 38 years old and I'd match it against anyones NEW tractors for reliability, and economy of operation. (I've got new ones also.)

For a beginner, I'd stay away from anything WITHOUT live power. Over-riding clutches are "ok", but live power is MUCH safer in the hands of an untrained operator.

Power steering is NOT mandatory on a lot of the older utility tractors. It's NICE, but these tractors were designed to operate without PS. Generally they'll do just fine without. Consider it as an extra if you find a GOOD tractor with PS.

3-point hitch is 110% a necessity.

I'd recommend trying to find a good, low houred DIESEL if you can.

As you move through the years, you'll find that tractors from the 60's and even into the 70's aren't much more expensive than ones from the 40's and 50's. With ANYTHING used, you're buying CONDITION. AGE isn't THAT important, but given a choice, newer is better, especially when it comes time to find parts. More modern tractors are USUALLY safer over-all too.

 

[EddieWalker]

With a $5,000 budget, you'll have to find a package deal to make it worthwhile, and even then, you'll need to be able to tell worn out from well used. Grease and dirty doesn't mean it's worn out, but slop and play will mean down time and expensive repairs.

The ideal situation would be to find the tractor with a mower that's lived its life mowing fields and well taken care of. Sometimes you will find this for sale at auction, but again, it goes back to knowing what to look for and what to avoid.

Before buying used, be sure that you know where to get parts for it and who will fix it. Relying on others to make repairs means more money and allot of time spent waiting on them to do those repairs.

I would recomened considering buying new and financing it. Allot of them are offering zero percent financing over 3 years or more. With $5,000 as a down payment, you should be able to find a very nice tractor with attachements for a couple hundred dollars a month.

Eddie

 

[RobJ]

Tractor Chick - What does a machine like you describe cost?

I think she missed the point. Some people don't have an unlimited budget or want 5 years of payments for a tractor.

Of course tractorchick lives in a 100 year old house.

 

[twofoolsmet]

Hi to all my advisors! (and thanks for your help)
Okay I talked to a man about another Massey Fertuson Tractor, it's a 150 wiht Multi Power and Power Steering, Low, High 3 speed and Reverse with a BMB 6' bush hog. (He says the mower needs a brace welded) He thinks it is late 70's and has new battery, no smoke, no oil problems, gasoline continental engine and 40hp. He said the continental engine was great and everyone liked those as they were a real work horse. It had been owned and shedded by the original owner up til six years ago when this man bought it. A tractor salesman looked at it and said it was the cleanest one he had ever seen and the seller told me I could call the tractor salesman. Anyway, the asking price is $4500 for all and he seemed honest. The pictures look real clean. What do you all think of this tractor and the price?

 

[flusher]

Hi to all my advisors! (and thanks for your help)
Okay I talked to a man about another Massey Fertuson Tractor, it's a 150 wiht Multi Power and Power Steering, Low, High 3 speed and Reverse with a BMB 6' bush hog. (He says the mower needs a brace welded) He thinks it is late 70's and has new battery, no smoke, no oil problems, gasoline continental engine and 40hp. He said the continental engine was great and everyone liked those as they were a real work horse. It had been owned and shedded by the original owner up til six years ago when this man bought it. A tractor salesman looked at it and said it was the cleanest one he had ever seen and the seller told me I could call the tractor salesman. Anyway, the asking price is $4500 for all and he seemed honest. The pictures look real clean. What do you all think of this tractor and the price?

If you haven't done so already, you need to drive the tractor and operate it in each gear. With MultiPower you have 12 forward and 4 reverse gears. Make sure that the Multi-Power is working.

If you're planning to purchase this MF150, check out Big Dean Austin's website before you pull the trigger.

Big Dean's Massey Ferguson tips

Dean worked for more than 30 years in the service dept of various MF dealers and he knows these tractors thoroughly.

Read the paragraphs under "Things to check when buying a MF tractor".

Good luck

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Hi to all my advisors! (and thanks for your help)
Okay I talked to a man about another Massey Fertuson Tractor, it's a 150 wiht Multi Power and Power Steering, Low, High 3 speed and Reverse with a BMB 6' bush hog. (He says the mower needs a brace welded) He thinks it is late 70's and has new battery, no smoke, no oil problems, gasoline continental engine and 40hp. He said the continental engine was great and everyone liked those as they were a real work horse. It had been owned and shedded by the original owner up til six years ago when this man bought it. A tractor salesman looked at it and said it was the cleanest one he had ever seen and the seller told me I could call the tractor salesman. Anyway, the asking price is $4500 for all and he seemed honest. The pictures look real clean. What do you all think of this tractor and the price?

Whatta you wanna know about Massey Ferguson 150's?!?!?!? They're my choice as the best tractor ever built. They combine the best features of the classic MF135 with more heft, better steering, heavier front axle, better cooling system, slightly longer wheelbase, and were standard with most of the options available on the 135. The pictures are my 150. I've owned it since new, in 1971. I wouldn't trade it for 10 NEW tractors.

The 150 was built from 1964 until 1975. They sold ONLY in the North American market. (The balance of the 100 series sold in HUGE numbers worldwide) In "average" condition, they'll bring $4500 to $6000 here. $4500 for a very nice one would constitute a bargain in my eyes. Toss in a mower and it becomes a REAL bargain.

Post or PM me with a serial # and I'll tell you what year and approx what month it was built.

Diesels are worth a little more than gassers, but the gas version is a great tractor too. They were offered at various times with either the Continental Z145 4-cylinder gas, or a Perkins AG3-152 3-cylinder gasser, in addition to the Perkins diesel.

If you decide to pull the trigger and buy it, I'll walk you through every step of the way to learning your tractor front to rear. I've got several binders full of manuals, tech "updates" for the manuals, and even the entire set of MF sales literature from the days when the 150 was new.

 

[RobJ]

FWJ, Are you sure your not getting a commission off this deal?

With a post and offer like that...I'd be on the phone saying DEAL!!

Rob