Farmtrac 535

[Farmtrac535]

Greetings! My first time here. I bought a new Farmtrac 535 this March, and am wondering how many others here have one, and how they feel about them? I've got 25 hours on mine, and am pleased in all aspects. Thanks!

 

[bones1]

Welcome Farmtrac 535.I have a Farmtrac as well and am very pleased with it.Only 45 hrs,so far so good.Hang around, there are some good folks here.

 

[KrumpsBrother]

Good looking tractor you got there. Classic proven design. Will make a good family heirloom.

KB

 

[Farmtrac535]

Thanks! That proven design issue was one of the main reasons I went with it. Have a good weekend!

 

[HRS]

Great looking tractor. If it is anything like my old Ford 2000, which I'm sure it is, it will last and do everything you want for many, many years. Your tractor is the very reason I would not bother to rebuild my old Ford. When I need a true utility, I'll just buy a new Farmtrac.

 

[KrumpsBrother]

My local Farmtrac dealer has been selling the 535's pretty good. I think they sell here because many kids (now adults) grew up using the older Fords. The old timers buy them too. Folks moving from the city to the country here generally buy the more "modern" designed Kub's JD's & NH's.

I was looking at the specs on the Farmtrac homepage, 540 pto @ 1800 rpm's? Does it use much fuel? My B7800 screams @ 2550 rpm for 540 pto!

I'll do a 50 hour review next month of my 675 dtc. How about one for the 535?

KB

 

[Farmtrac535]

Man, that 675 is quite the ride! Looks like there isn't much it couldn't handle.
Sure, I think I can manage a 50 hour review. It may be somewhere around the end of October though. As far as fuel consumption goes, it's not bad. The only tractor I have to compare it to is my 1960 MF 35. It's got a 3A-152 Perkins diesel turning 1600 for 540, and it really is light on fuel use. I feel the Farmtrac uses more fuel than the MF for the same work, but It's still not too bad.

Chip

 

[redlevel]

Anything will use more fuel than a 3 cyl Perkins. Why, I've had several MF 135's that I would have to stop and drain a little fuel off to keep the tank from overflowing while I was working.

Mark

 

[Turtle Mt. Farm]

I'm new to this - would like to post my complaint with my Farmtrac 535. I've had my since 4/06 with less than 25 hours. I had to replace my fuel line - broke at the bottom - at 21 hours and the second broke at 25 hours. Plus, the dealer want's to charge me to pick it up and take it back to the shop! Have any of you had a problem with fuel line ?

 

[Farmtrac535]

So far, the only things I've had to deal with are:
Left tie rod end loosened up, to the point that it was going to fall out.
Right spindle arm loosened up (noticed the wheel wobble)
Left rear tire tube/ valve leaking.
I never called the dealer regarding the loose nuts & bolts, but I did have them take it back to the shop to repair the tire issue. They haven't given me any problems, regarding the pick up / delivery. No fuel line problems to date.

 

[bluechip]

Most warranties do not include transportation of the tractor to the dealer. Some dealers will do it out of thier own pocket. In our case, if we sold the tractor new and something comes up, we will not normally charge for hauling if the customer is not able to bring it in to the shop. We do try to miantain a little bit of margin on the sale to cover some of the after sale support that customers may expect, but manufacturers dont cover.

 

[crazymike]

I'm new to this - would like to post my complaint with my Farmtrac 535. I've had my since 4/06 with less than 25 hours. I had to replace my fuel line - broke at the bottom - at 21 hours and the second broke at 25 hours. Plus, the dealer want's to charge me to pick it up and take it back to the shop! Have any of you had a problem with fuel line ?

Personally, if it was a fuel line it would be repaired for the customer onsite. Unless they are trying to gauge you on delivery.

However, being that it's your second fuel line, perhaps they are going to take a close look on why it's breaking.

Either way, pickup and delivery should have been written into your sale contract. Depending on distance from dealer, it may or may not be included. For instance, if you buy a combine that costs over hundred thousand dollars and need warranty work, they will usually expect you to drive it back to the dealer if possible because the float prices would be very expensive.

 

[Jerseyguy]

I bought a Farmtrac 555 new June '05. I understood at the time that dealer warranty service did not include transportation (45 miles to dealer). The first warranty problem was field repaired (leaking hydraulic line "O" ring - suction side of pump at reservoir) and I suspect this problem was present when the tractor was delivered as I found it quickly. This year I found a coolant leak after winter layup. It was significant and required pickup to the dealer. All this in 22 hours of operation. New water pump installed under warranty. I am very satisfied with the tractor. I also have an 8N which was purchased new in 1951 by my father. I love to use them both.

 

[NewToy]

I was checking out a 535 at the County Fair last night and it sure is a stout looking machine. Just wondering, what type of work do you fella's do with those tractors?
John

 

[redlevel]

what type of work do you fella's do with those tractors?
John

Toy, these tractors are true small ag-utilities. As such, they are expected to do anything that needs to be done on a small farm.

I bought one a month ago and have about 25 hours on it. So far, these are the jobs I have done with it: cut brush and grass with a 5 ft. 285 Bushhog, harrowed up a fall garden with an old Dearborn 6 ft. harrow, "broke" the garden with a 1950's vintage Ford two-bottom plow, planted the garden with an old Pittsburg cultivator and Covington planters, sprayed herbicide on the garden with a modified ATV sprayer, loosened crusted soil in the garden with an old Dearborn rotary-hoe, and started sub-soiling a field with an old Dearborn single shank subsoiler.

I mention the age of some of the implements to illustrate that tractors like this have been doing jobs like these for going on 60 years now. All the old equipment I have was purchased new by my Father-in-law with a 640 Ford in 1956. He had purchased an 8N a year before, and he worked about 60 acres with the two tractors. When the Ford diesels in the thousand series became available, it wasn't unusual for a farmer to work upwards of 100 acres in row-crops (cotton, corn, and peanuts in this area) with a 3000 diesel and an old 8N or 600. My neighbor worked about 90 acres with a 600 and an 8N, later a 3000 and a 600, then a 3600 and the 600, and finally with a 3930 and and the 3600. He is in a nursing home now, but the 3930, the 3600, and the 600 are all still on the farm in working order.

In the 1950's, 60's, and early 70's my little agricultural community had a very aggressive Ford dealer, and in the middle 60's through the middle 80's, a good MF dealer. It has been over 20 years since either of these dealers sold a tractor, but there are literally hundreds of their tractors ranging from 8N's to 4000 Fords and 175 MF's running strong in my area.

To my knowledge, the Farmtrac 535 is the only new machine available that has the features of these old tractors. No frills, economical operation, ease of maintainance, and almost absolute reliability. At least I hope the 535 turns out like that.

 

[NewToy]

Sounds like it's a real farming tractor. The longevity of those old Ford 8 & 9 and those old Massey's amazes me. I'm sure the FarmTrac will hold up just as well. I'm real happy with my little 270. It's been a great little tractor. I have 235 hrs and no issues so far. They replaced the seat under warranty and the new one was a much more comfortable unit. Other than that, just regular service.
John

 

[fred davis]

I'm new to this - would like to post my complaint with my Farmtrac 535. I've had my since 4/06 with less than 25 hours. I had to replace my fuel line - broke at the bottom - at 21 hours and the second broke at 25 hours. Plus, the dealer want's to charge me to pick it up and take it back to the shop! Have any of you had a problem with fuel line ?

 

[fred davis]

I purchased my farmtrac 535 1.5 years ago. I have had two fuel lines break in the first 50 hours,also the breaks locked up at the far back part of field and right rear wheel was about to fall off . The brakes were ruined. They wanted to charge service fee but I refused so they finally fixed it. The biggest selling point to this was I was supposed to get a rebate of $2600.00 which I never received because farm trac supposedly went bank rupt 2 months later. Had to speak with attorney at my expense to have warranty work performed by the dealer which sold these tractors. They lied as much as farm trac. Name is creek county equipment. Will never buy here again or anything to do with India again.

 

[yfs]

Fred-Please get in touch with the attorney general of your state.Tell them of the scam that Farmtrac NA pulled on you with the "less than zero" deal.There are many more of you out there that need to do same.Three million dollars worth of "less than zero" financing alone done.That amount should demand some attention from government officials,but so far nothing has happened because not enough customers that were hurt in this scam have reported it to the proper authorities.As for the dealer who did not honor your warranty,I can only tell you of the hundreds of other dealers who pay warranty claims out of their own pockets.Farmtrac dealers were hurt just as bad as anybody in this, and still are carrying a heavy load because of it.Most dealers will do the right thing by their customers.

 

[SESS]

We are a former Farmtrac dealer. When the Farmtrac doors closed last January 2008 we were owed $26,000 on warranties that we had performed. To this day, we have received ZERO of it and will NEVER RECEIVE ANY OF THAT MONEY. Our dealership has spent about $7,000 out of our pocket in 2008 to honor warranties for the customers that purchased tractors from us. Will we be able to continue to do that in the future-no.

As it has been said 100 times on the "farmtrac thread"-customers, dealers, employees, vendors, etc have been just completely victimized by Farmtrac closing. It is a complete crime. Please don't put all the fault on your dealer. After Farmtrac closed, dealers were not "required" to continue performing warranty work-we dealers choose to because it was the right thing to do. But when your loosing more money than your bringing in, you have to make a decision on want happens. Dealers are closing their doors at alarming rates these days. Dealers (and customers) did not cause the Farmtrac problem. BUT working with your dealer and I am sure you can come up with a resolution. Dealers cannot carry the burden of the Farmtrac mess. We have been left in our own mess to clean up.