Buying Advice Ford 3600, what do you think?

[Plott]

Found a business a few hours up the road that's selling a 1976 Ford 3600 diesel, asking $5,500. Transmission has been flushed, new front tires, new instrument panel, new gas tank, and freshly painted. Fires right up the first time with no smoke at all. Only thing I noticed was a little oil at bottom of pto (see picture). Wasn't sure if this was from it sitting a while of if it needs a new seal...or is a little oil there not too uncommon? Any opinions are appreciated.

 

[Clint S]

That seal should be easily replaced if it is bad.

 

[Plott]

Thanks Clint, from what I've read it doesn't seem too hard to fix if that's all it is. This will be my first tractor and I've looked at so many different ones already. Lots of good stuff out there but for some reason I really like the 3600's.

 

[milkman636]

From the pictures it looks like they just painted over dirt, oil, hoses, exhaust pipe, and whatever else was on the tractor. The pto shaft is leaking, drawbar bolts are bent, no idea of hours or what they flushed out of the transmission or fuel system. I am a little scared for you going in at that high of price for so many unknowns camouflaged under shiny paint. I would recommend looking for one with some of the original patina left on it and still showing some clues to maintenance history.

 

[Plott]

Yeah Milkman, the whole gas tank thing has been bouncing around in the back of my head...I could deal with fixing just a pto gasket but if the gas tank was so bad that it had to be replaced, it makes me wonder what kind of garbage has been run through the whole thing. I'll ask a bit more advice though. We just purchased 10 acres and will need a tractor mainly for smoothing out some dirt with a box blade, and of course a bush hog to keep the overgrowth at bay. I'm sure more uses will come to mind once we move there in a few months. I'd like something with power steering and from what I've read, a lot of folks recommend buying a bit more tractor than you think you'll need. Trying to stay below $7,000.

 

[sd455dan]

Found a business a few hours up the road that's selling a 1976 Ford 3600 diesel, asking $5,500. Transmission has been flushed, new front tires, new instrument panel, new gas tank, and freshly painted. Fires right up the first time with no smoke at all. Only thing I noticed was a little oil at bottom of pto (see picture). Wasn't sure if this was from it sitting a while of if it needs a new seal...or is a little oil there not too uncommon? Any opinions are appreciated.

I bought my 1967 3000 diesel with an industrial Ford loader, power steering good 14.9x28 tires but it has the selectospeed 10 speed transmission (came with the rebuild receipts from the local New Holland dealer) No issues , I paid $3850. I know- IT'S A SELECTOSPEED they aren't worth as much as a manual trans model, that being said
I think that price is to high , if it had a loader for that price I would check it out closely and if OK buy it. but if that's all the prep work they were willing to do on the paint, how much can you trust the other work...I would keep looking -there are a lot of 3000 and 3600 Fords out there... A 3000 is older, but a well cared for one is at least the equal of the 3600
You will be amazed at the amount of work a 2 wheel drive tractor this size can do, with loaded tires and a heavy weight on the back like a gannon box blade, if you really like the Fords, a 4000 or even 5000 are also great machines.. good luck

 

[milkman636]

The 3000 and 3600 are great choices for what you are doing. In my earlier years I mowed 25 acres three times a summer, plus gardening, grading, wood hauling, and snow removal on a very similar Ford.

I personally do not favor a loader on these models though. If using only factory hydraulics it makes for slow operation, plus the front end and clutch can take a beating from loader work. For a 2wd loader tractor I'd recommend going to one of the higher series equipped with a box type front axle.

 

[sd455dan]

The 3000 and 3600 are great choices for what you are doing. In my earlier years I mowed 25 acres three times a summer, plus gardening, grading, wood hauling, and snow removal on a very similar Ford.

I personally do not favor a loader on these models though. If using only factory hydraulics it makes for slow operation, plus the front end and clutch can take a beating from loader work. For a 2wd loader tractor I'd recommend going to one of the higher series equipped with a box type front axle.

Well if a 3000 has the(yellow) industrial loader, all of the ones i've seen come with the crankshaft driven pump The one on mine is 17+ gallons per minute and it only runs the loader. If anything this style set up is to fast tor some people. As far as the front axle is concerned , They are not as strong as the solid beam style. Mine has been broken and welded up and reinforced , So if he likes the 3000 style and doesn't want to deal with the weaker front axle, his best bet would be a 4000.

 

[Plott]

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Will be looking at a 1996 Ford 3930 tomorrow, with 2500 hours. It's NOT been painted, so no wondering what's underneath all that blue. I've been told there's no leaks or any issues at all except for a little rust here and there. He's asking $8,000 and when I said it was above my budget he said he's willing to come down on the price. It has newer turf tires which I hope won't be a problem for my initial box blade work (a 3' high line of soil that's over 300' long on mainly flat land). The whole 10 acres is pretty darn flat and I don't need to do any clearing, just bush hogging and such.

 

[sd455dan]

Thanks for all the comments and advice. Will be looking at a 1996 Ford 3930 tomorrow, with 2500 hours. It's NOT been painted, so no wondering what's underneath all that blue. I've been told there's no leaks or any issues at all except for a little rust here and there. He's asking $8,000 and when I said it was above my budget he said he's willing to come down on the price. It has newer turf tires which I hope won't be a problem for my initial box blade work (a 3' high line of soil that's over 300' long on mainly flat land). The whole 10 acres is pretty darn flat and I don't need to do any clearing, just bush hogging and such.View attachment 311344View attachment 311345View attachment 311346View attachment 311347

You won't have a problem with that front axle, believe that's one of the last few years of the (real) Ford designed tractors. I don't have any experience with turf tires, do you get snow down there- if not it might even be better this way, if the main use is running a brush hog...