Ford 9N - Retrieve it or Leave it?

[lman]

I hope he is paying you to take it.

 

[nybirdman]

Just had a local guy killed with one of those;fell off and into a cutter on the back(no seat switch on those 8N or 9N's.)
Spent a lot of hours on them and DON"T miss it at all.

 

[wolc123]

I am planning on buying a non-running 9n myself. A nieghbor pushed it out to the road a couple weeks ago. He said it "ran when parked", 2 years ago. While it was running, he replaced the clutch and changed all the fluids. 3 of the 4 tires & rims are good. One of the rears is loaded and has some corrosion around the stem, the other rear is not loaded and has a new rim.

My first tractor was a 1951 8n, which I still own (picture below). I like using it with its original Dearborn 2 x 12" plow, and for planting corn with my JD 246 planter. i bought it from the widow of its first owner, with only 1200 hours on it. It has always been stored inside, and still wears the original paint. One of the original, loaded rear rims rusted thru this year, right after I finished my spring plowing.

My plan for the non-runner is to take the loaded rear off and put it on my 8n. I will use it for cultivating this year and for plowing next spring. Over the winter, I will spend about $ 200 on a new rear rim and tube. I will also get the 9n running. I dont believe that will take much effort

The guy is asking $ 1200, but hasn't had any action on it. I plan on offering him $ 900 and not s penny more. When and if I get it running, I will put the two marginal loaded rear tires/rims on it and try selling it for $1500.

The $400 profit ought to cover my pain and suffering, breaking loose all them rusty 5/8 carriage bolts that hold the back wheels on. With two new, rear unloaded rims, my 2000 hour 8n ought to last me another 40 years or so.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If you want a project go for it. I would sell the front end loader to someone who thinks they have to have one. I worked one one with a front end loader and as mentioned the option makes them horrible to drive

 

[4570Man]

I’d scrap it. The effort to turn it into something useable would far exceed it’s value and it would still be junk.

 

[lennyzx11]

I’d go for the yard art. As a kid, we “drove” a lot of imaginary miles on a tractor sitting in the back 40.

1. After having 3 of them through the years, I’d pass on restoring it unless you want a hobby. Perfect showroom restorations are going for 5k these days.
2. Always were too high gears for brush hogging or other work I wanted to do. I coveted the Sherman under drive but never got to get one.
3. That loader and no power steering is going to be hard to live with. Yes you can he man it but I bent a steering linkage once doing that. Without a loader just trying to turn in a tight spot in mud.

 

[Cameron Smith]

Be always suspicious of a bargain, but it's hard to argue with that word "free"! You can always part it out.

 

[marhar]

A hobby is a hobby. Don't need anybody else's opinion, don't need to justify it, don't need permission.

I don't understand the OP. If you want to do it because you want to do it, then just do it.

I used to be a fisherman. Had the price of Grouper down to about $60 a pound. Maybe closer to $75

But it was fun. Didn't save any money on fish, though.

The OP asked, "Is it worth it?" No, it isn't. Neither was my going 30 miles offshore and trying to catch fish worth it.

But I enjoyed it at the time. Would I do it again? Yup. If I were young enough and in good enough shape, no doubt about it. Was it 'worth it'? Depends on what you call 'worth it'

But that was my hobby. I think doing resto work sucks a big green one and you may feel that way toward fishing but it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

Well said! I do a little wood working and could have easily bought what I have made for the price of the equipment. I, however, enjoy my hobby and seeing progress on projects.

 

[sunandsand]

Got a neighbor who seems to collect derelict stuff like this. He keeps on saying he'll get to it, but somehow he never does. At least it is a harmless hobby, it keeps him off the streets and out of trouble.

It is very easy to pour lots of money and time into something that won't be worth it when it is done. If you are doing it as a hobby, that's one thing, but if you expect to USE it, go buy the best one you can afford because it will run and not be busted all the time.

This is not limited to tractors, there is a saying that a cheap Mercedes is the most expensive Mercedes you can buy. I've done this both ways, and it is true, if you want to use it, spend the money, if you want yard art, buy something that "ran when parked".

 

[fatjay]

Any loader on an 8N is a very bad idea!
There is no power steering on an 8N, and with any weight in the bucket you need to be Charles Atlas to steer, unless you are driving on a glass table top.
I would haul it away, but would get paid $500+ to do so!

I can attest to the accuracy of this. But man was I ripped afterwards.

 

[Cattleguard]

What do you want out of it? If it turns over you can likely make it run. Every other item on the thing will need to be looked at. Many fixed or replaced. Like Tires, seals, every type of fluid in it, wiring…
You can get it back up and running and if you don’t care what it looks like, you’ll have a Ford N. I’d stop there.
You also may just waste a bunch of money and then haul it off for scrap.
It’s your call. Good luck.

 

[AWSubie]

From the picture you posted it’s not a 9N it’s an 8N. I’d say it’s worth it but only because I love old tractors.

As others have already said, if u enjoy restoration and have the time and space u will have some fun.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Me? I wouldn't touch it.

You might be different.

Are you mechanically inclined? Can you paint? Are you in the mood to spend hundreds of hours working on it? Do you have the space it will take up? How about the money? You're gonna have to put beaucoup hundreds into it.

Are you willing to lose your shorts on it? You will.

If you just want a hobby, something to do, go for it. Just don't expect much in return.

But that's me. My outlook on these type of things is very jaded. I am very prejudiced against them. I've seen way too many resto-jobs where the guy put his heart and soul plus many thousands of dolars into an old car just to sell it for a gigantic loss at some point. Either because he was moving, ran out of room to store, left his OL or just never got it finished. Sometimes because he just got sick of it. Got tired of spending untold hours looking for parts and paying big money for them. His friends stopped coming over to help after they lost interest

I am of the mind that if you really want a dinosaur, let somebody else lose their shorts on one when you buy it from them.

But...... That's me.

I seen my neighbor buy a house and some land. Paid it off in three years buying, restoring, and selling 8n and 9n tractors. But, I dont think he was prejudiced. He worked full time plus in the oilfield. Worked eleven years straight without a day off. Quit school in the seventh grade. Im not sure he can read hardly. He stopped by yesterday, hes my dad age. He sold that house, shop, and land. Bought a forty down the road. House, shop, barn, with cash. But, once again, I dont think hes prejudiced. I myself will get anything machine or tool that is free. But, thats just me.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

A hobby is a hobby. Don't need anybody else's opinion, don't need to justify it, don't need permission.

I don't understand the OP. If you want to do it because you want to do it, then just do it.

I used to be a fisherman. Had the price of Grouper down to about $60 a pound. Maybe closer to $75

But it was fun. Didn't save any money on fish, though.

The OP asked, "Is it worth it?" No, it isn't. Neither was my going 30 miles offshore and trying to catch fish worth it.

But I enjoyed it at the time. Would I do it again? Yup. If I were young enough and in good enough shape, no doubt about it. Was it 'worth it'? Depends on what you call 'worth it'

But that was my hobby. I think doing resto work sucks a big green one and you may feel that way toward fishing but it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.

Very good advice.

 

[k0ua]

How bout that? it is an 8n not a 9N.

 

[sandytrail]

Just to add my 2 cents, I can assure you it will need wheels also. On tractors of this age, the rust has eaten through the rims and that's another $250. I have an 8N now that I wish I hadn't bought. I bought it for $300 and now am $1600 into it and its still not running. I haven't even tested the hydraulics yet. I would only buy one that's running or that I knew the owner and/or the tractor before it was parked.

 

[k0ua]

Yeah, we have it on good authority that it was "running fine when it was parked". That is why the owner abandoned it in the first place. No one would abandon an old tractor that was just junk would they? Big smiley face here.

 

[LD48750]

Yeah, we have it on good authority that it was "running fine when it was parked". That is why the owner abandoned it in the first place. No one would abandon an old tractor that was just junk would they? Big smiley face here.

I have a truck sitting out back that ran just fine when it was parked.
Will be used again when I start getting wood again.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Sometimes I think old rusty junk vehicles give some people wood.

 

[Alan46]

Sometimes I think old rusty junk vehicles give some people wood.

I have a friend in England that's gets wood over 1969 Boss 429 mustangs. So much so he shelled out $279 large in the states plus shipping and a 25 % tax in in England to own it!️