eBay/Craigslist Bought a Ford 3000 Diesel Today off Craigslist

[motownbrowne]

I bought my personal "fuel hog" Ford 3400 TLB (same as 3000) 31 years ago with 1350 hours.
Now, 31 years later it has 1850 hours.
Using your fuel cost figures for comparison:

500 hours @ 15.59 hours of diesel per gal., I would have used 32.07 gal.
500 hours @ 11.97 hours of gas per gal., I did use 41.77 gal.

Over the 31 years, and the 500 hours, I have had the 3400 TLB, I could have saved 9.7 gal. of fuel, if my machine had been diesel instead of gas.
I understood my future needs, and bought accordingly. Gas or diesel did not matter.
I would have actually bought a diesel if I could have, but the gas (TLB) machine was a used cemetery machine, and in near perfect condition. Too good to pass up!

I think you're missing a piece of the math here. You don't get 11.97 hours from a gallon of gas (which would get you 500 hours out of 41.77 gallons), you get 11.97 HP hours per gallon of gas. That means you need more than one gallon per hour to reach the approximately 40 PTO HP. Say it had an even 40, with gas (at the 11.97 number for this motor) it'd take 3.34 gallons of gasoline to create the full 40 HP. So in 500 hours, you'd have used 1670 gallons of gas versus 1280 gallons of diesel using the same 40 HP and 500 hours, but at 15.59 horse power hours per gallon. Now, the difference is probably less than that in actuality since you probably weren't using the tractor at the full PTO HP rating for those 500 hours, but the difference is much greater than the 9.7 gallons you mentioned.

 

[fried1765]

I think you're missing a piece of the math here. You don't get 11.97 hours from a gallon of gas (which would get you 500 hours out of 41.77 gallons), you get 11.97 HP hours per gallon of gas. That means you need more than one gallon per hour to reach the approximately 40 PTO HP. Say it had an even 40, with gas (at the 11.97 number for this motor) it'd take 3.34 gallons of gasoline to create the full 40 HP. So in 500 hours, you'd have used 1670 gallons of gas versus 1280 gallons of diesel using the same 40 HP and 500 hours, but at 15.59 horse power hours per gallon. Now, the difference is probably less than that in actuality since you probably weren't using the tractor at the full PTO HP rating for those 500 hours, but the difference is much greater than the 9.7 gallons you mentioned.

Your post does make complete sense!
I foolishly used the faulty data from the previous post.

 

[Steave]

Your post does make complete sense!
I foolishly used the faulty data from the previous post.

Trying to figure your fuel usage the technical estimating way is very confusing. The data posted earlier is correct data taken from the Ford spec book but man it's hard to get that info wrapped around my head and used correctly. I just do it the direct way and figure how much fuel I used for so many hours of work.

In my post where I was talking about using 1 1/2 - 2 gal/hr that's actually not bad pulling a 2 - 16" moldboard plow. It seems bad to me compared to pulling a finish mower and using less fuel. In other words it simply takes more HP to pull my plow than my mower.

Few of my neighbors that use their tractor just for playing says there's something really wrong if I'm using almost 2 gal/hr. I just tell them to hook up the plows and run for 1 solid hour and see how much fuel they use. Running for an hour moves a lot of dirt and for only 2 gallons of fuel ($ 5.25). Not real bad.

 

[motownbrowne]

Your post does make complete sense!
I foolishly used the faulty data from the previous post.

Thanks. The data in the other post was correct, just not written in a unit that was familiar to you. Fuel used per horse power hour is a common measure of efficiency, you just have to put all the numbers in the right places to figure out how that compares to fuel usage. And, like I said, it's just kind of a relative number. Actual usage will vary greatly based on how it's used, just like Steave mentions about plowing versus finish mowing.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I found a way to suck up some diesel in the 3000 today. Use the Bush Hog Rear Discharge Turf Hog 84 finish mower as if it was a rotary cutter cutting a three month growth in an old barn yard. It was a good chance to play around with ground speeds but in the most heavy areas it was still clumpy a bit. It really surprised me how a single belt could drive three blades cutting 7 foot strips at a time and not slip.

It may be the OEM belt that it came with 12 years ago. The belt is showing some wear but I can still read the part number on it. The 3000 diesel knows something is tied to its tail in the heavy stuff for sure and I would not want any less HP for this 7 foot cutter.

So far the RDTH 84 seems to be working well. I noticed the bushings for the four gauge wheel tubes need to be replaced soon as the bronze is getting thin at the wear points. The job looks straight forward and they run about $10 each and I want to do them before they wear through to steel.

The dash really needs some attention, bulbs, etc but when I got back to the house after two hard hours I put on the battery changer and checked the battery voltage and read 12.9 volts. I had to run headlights getting back from mowing at church and the voltage check showed 12.8 volts so the old generator is working at least.

The church is in a swamp but was not 50 years ago. With the MF265 and very heavy duty 6' bush hog of some kind I had to wait on up into summer to mow a lots of places it being so heavy. Today after all of the hurricane rains and general fall rains I was able to mow everything with the lighter 3000 and a mower only weighing 881 pounds. I did have to lift the front gauge wheels because they wanted to mire about 4" and that drag wanted to make the wheels slip some. Spinning in a swamp on a low tractor like a small Ford is a NO NO unless one wants to walk to the house to get another tractor.

The 60 HP MF 265 with the massive bush hog can clear ground and the 8' box blade can move a ton of anything quickly but it is an over kill for lawn care for sure. With no muffler or ROPS sticking up I was able to the a lot closer to the tree and fence lines today. I was taken back how well the finish mower mows backwards. In the swampy areas that was already standing in water I would lift so the front gauge wheels were just touching and go backwards until the rear gauge wheel tires when down about 6" in the mud.

Actually there is little different in this 1966 Ford 3000 than a 1962 Ford 800 series with a double clutch as far how it handles. It was like I went back 50 years in time and it felt GREAT.

 

[Steave]

Sounds like you like the 3000. To me it's a good size for what you're doing, plenty of power and maneuverability is good. One point I have found out in maneuvering is the design of the 3000 utility is built for field work such as plowing and being able to turn around quickly at the end of the row which leads to a lot of caster built into the turn radius letting or making the front tires dig in for traction. If using the standard 3 rib front tire and turning very sharply it will also dig into lawn grass even at slow speeds. I just make wider turns to eliminate the "tracks". My rear Ag tires don't make much of a print on lawn grass.

I keep a watch out for a used 7' finish mower such as your Bush Hog RDTH 84 or any good brand. Hoping to run across one in my price range, which by the way is cheap. :laughing:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Yes this 1966 Ford 3000 is turning out to be a blast to recondition and operate. Today the son patched up the down draft exhaust pipe by replacing the 2" ID to 1.75" OD end with off the shelf stuff parts for $9. When I got home we drained the rear end and flowed some diesel through and did the same for the transmission after I mowed with it for about 30 minutes to make the old fluid flow better. This was the second time for the transmission but first time for the rear end fluids.

We refilled both to the full level with 303 UTF and put a quart of Archoil AR9100 in each. Afterwards I mowed with it for about an hour until I threw off the RDTH 84's single drive belt. When I got back to the house my son pulled the belt shields and we found the belt did not break but needed to be adjusted so the tension spring was taking some load. We spun it up without the covers then replaced them. Since it was getting dark and cold we called it a day.

I expect the oil in the rear may have been the 51 year old factory fill. The magnet in the drain plug was loaded with metallic mush but no teeth, etc. It was a midnight black when the first couple gallons drained out. The new 2 week old transmission fluid was a bit milky but the diesel flush came out looking more or less like diesel so we are gaining ground on getting it cleaned up.

When we get the new seals in the rear end so the new brake shoes hopefully stay dry I am sure we will lose some UTF but we will top it off and do a total change out again next working season in both. It seems like the lift held up the 881 pound (per manual) mower better with the engine shut off while we checked out and reinstalled/adjusted the mower drive belt. A new one is own order as are 8 new bronze bushings for the tubes supporting the gauge wheels. I am trying to get as many hours on the tractor with all new fluids as possible before it goes in the shop to fix the dry brakes from being wet brakes.

Yes these old manually operated dry brakes can lock one rear wheel and spin the tractor on a dime like when planting with a two row drill without markers when in good condition and well adjusted. I am doing OK with no brakes so far but it is not safe on hills but I am working in 3 gear mainly (8 speeds) so the engine does most of the braking in my case.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Since the shop that picked up my MF 265 months ago has not returned it I have been using the Ford 3000 and the 7' finish mower as a bush hog since I last bush hogged several months ago. By the end of yesterday I liked about 2 hours of clean up but by then the belt I am guessing to be 12 years old was wapping loudly and making a lot of black dust on the deck and under the belt covers. Since the mail lady brought our new Bush Hog brand belt the son put on for me at noon. Major improvement plus we got to make sure it was the correct belt and that we did not have a secondary issue with the pulleys, etc.

If the rain stops me I am at the point where I can call the mowing finished for the year.

I do have new bushings to go in the tubes that hold the four gauge wheels in place but after an hour with punches and chisels I need a new approach. I guess with time I can crumble them out but yesterday morning I did not want to shut me down from using the RDTH 84 yesterday so I stopped before I got very far. They are 1.25" ID and 1.5" OD and 1" long. There is a lip that I can hit to drive them out I thought but that is not going well. I read about using heat to get the old ones out and new ones pushed back in.

If you have been there and done that please share what did/did not work for you please.

The new shop said I could bring in the 3000 Monday and I told him about the MF 265 still being in the local shop near me so he said update him at the end of next week about bringing it the following Monday.

 

[jscusmcvet]

I enjoyed reding your thread. As I look for a larger tractor with and FEL, reading your thread gave me some good insights. We are considering a Ford 1900 that is for sale relatively local to us and your thread confirmed it is at least worth looking at. Thanks for sharing.

John

 

[Gale Hawkins]

TractorData.com Ford 19 tractor attachments information

John thanks for your comment. I wish we had something like that when inside lots for the mini horses. The full size JD 310B backhoe is like a bull in a china closet. I see the factory Ford brand FEL options came 4 or 5' wide buckets. I have decided if we ever get a FEL tractor that 60" with the max width I want. The JD FEL is 7.5 feet wide and that is NOT good for 8' openings that we have.

While our 1966 3000 looks fine and I will work to keep looking OK but it is going to be a working tractor and not a showpiece. It is 60F today and I am going out to play with it. For under $50 I got a total new wiring harness for all the wiring under the hood. A new generator and RPM gear head plus voltage regulator came this week and I noticed a melted connector at the old generator so I am going to look at rewiring it today/tomorrow but the bundle is all made up and came with a nice schematic that I have stepped through in the house the other night.

I do have to have the rear seals replaced and new brakes so I am sending that out to a tractor shop but otherwise I think it is ready to go the way it handle the 84" finish mower using it in some very tall stuff. In our case ours is 51 years old but the sheet metal is fairly straight and it did not look worn out at the major wear joints so it was not the cheapest 3000 that I looked at but I am happy at this point. The rear seals and oily brakes that are to be DRY is just an expected one time thing if done right will be the last time in a long long time as a hobby tractor.

Keep us posted on what you find. Short of blowing an engine, etc most of this old iron can be sold down the road with little or no loss in value.