strum456
Platinum Member
I forgot to mention: 545's eat "traditional utility tractors" for lunch. Really, no comparison. If you have to transport it...that is where the utility tractor may be better.
Ford / NH 545D Industrial Tractor - looking for owner experiences
- Thread starter TSO
- Start date
OP
TSO
Elite Member
Well boys, it took awhile but i finally made a deal on a very clean City Owned 545D. A really great JD dealer in Iowa facilitated the deal and brought her in to their shop for a full checkup. They found and replaced a few leaking hoses and even put her on their PTO dyno to make sure she ran right.
Transport is getting arranged now, should have her here Monday or Tuesday.
Question: this is a 93 model year. Does this one have a turbo? I thought i read that early years were naturally aspirated, and later years had a slightly different engine with turbo.
Transport is getting arranged now, should have her here Monday or Tuesday.
Question: this is a 93 model year. Does this one have a turbo? I thought i read that early years were naturally aspirated, and later years had a slightly different engine with turbo.
joecdeere
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- 1948 Allis UC Hi-Crop Cane 1941 Allis WC 1948 Allis G with loader, 1948 Allis G with dual disc 1948 Allis G 1948 Allis G 1949 Allis G 1954 Allis G 1959 Ferguson TO-35 1972 MF 135 1979 Power King 2418 1989 Ford 345C TLB
Nice, nice, nice!!!!!
TractorGuy
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Sweet!
Never researched enough to know any of these had turbos. Looking at the parts manual I downloaded the turbo page and it said after serial number A442030. Would be a good question for the selling dealer.
What equipment does it come with? Does it have the 3PH lift arms? AC and Heat? Mind telling us how much you paid?
Never researched enough to know any of these had turbos. Looking at the parts manual I downloaded the turbo page and it said after serial number A442030. Would be a good question for the selling dealer.
What equipment does it come with? Does it have the 3PH lift arms? AC and Heat? Mind telling us how much you paid?
Gale Hawkins
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- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
It sure does not look 25 years old. Congratulations!
OP
TSO
Elite Member
Thanks
JD855... It has 3pt, dual rear remotes, Heat, no AC. I actually considered another one with AC but ruled it out party because of the added height from the AC unit. One thing i especially like about this model is the height, at only 92'ish inches, it still fits thru all the doors in my shop.
When i was shopping around and considering new machines, there weren't any new utility machines with cab worth considering that would fit under the 8' (94" max clearance) doors in my shop. One of the only models would be a used New Holland TN60-70DA units, those sat around 91" with cabs.
I'd rather not kiss and tell on the price.
JD855... It has 3pt, dual rear remotes, Heat, no AC. I actually considered another one with AC but ruled it out party because of the added height from the AC unit. One thing i especially like about this model is the height, at only 92'ish inches, it still fits thru all the doors in my shop.
When i was shopping around and considering new machines, there weren't any new utility machines with cab worth considering that would fit under the 8' (94" max clearance) doors in my shop. One of the only models would be a used New Holland TN60-70DA units, those sat around 91" with cabs.
I'd rather not kiss and tell on the price.
TractorGuy
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Ahhh, too bad they didn't have AC designed like my 575. It has the evaporator under the seat and all ducts are under the cab.
Hopefully all your windows will work okay. All my latches are broken and missing so mine are tied closed. I have to use AC even when temps are low outside. The cab quickly becomes an oven.
I saw clean looking 99 with AC advertised in FL last year for 19.5. Didn't have the expendable cash so didn't look at it in person. Doing some searching I found auction history on a couple not as clean looking but described as full functional. One went for under 7k and the other just over 10.
Hopefully all your windows will work okay. All my latches are broken and missing so mine are tied closed. I have to use AC even when temps are low outside. The cab quickly becomes an oven.
I saw clean looking 99 with AC advertised in FL last year for 19.5. Didn't have the expendable cash so didn't look at it in person. Doing some searching I found auction history on a couple not as clean looking but described as full functional. One went for under 7k and the other just over 10.
OP
TSO
Elite Member
Yeah unfortunately there was no factory option for this model that didn't include a rooftop unit. I'm not thrilled about a tractor without AC, but I'll make due. I'm used to spending hours in my track machine without AC 
I think I've seen EVERY 545D that can be found on the internet, including the auctioned ones you're referring to. I did pay more for this one than those auction ones, but less than the pricing for the comparable ones available now in this condition.
What sold me on this particularly unit was it's history, and the dealerships attitude. Being a single-owner municipal unit (and seeing the service records) the machine didn't want for anything in regards to repairs or service. It has had the lift cylinders serviced within the last couple-hundred hours. It's had new hoses when needed. It's been greased. It's had a relatively easy life. And the dealer (the city bought new machines and this was a trade in / consignment) worked hard to ensure my satisfaction.
It was worth paying a tad more versus taking a long shot on other "private owner" or auction machines. Sometimes those deals are fantastic, but often, the upfront savings turns into expensive headaches later.
The other machine i seriously considered, was from a private seller who seems new to tractors and bought this a year ago for private use. Didn't sound like he knew what a grease gun was. In the pics i could see evidence of old fluid leaks being painted over. Those are the kinds of things that might be nothing, but could also be disasters waiting to take my money!
I think I've seen EVERY 545D that can be found on the internet, including the auctioned ones you're referring to. I did pay more for this one than those auction ones, but less than the pricing for the comparable ones available now in this condition.
What sold me on this particularly unit was it's history, and the dealerships attitude. Being a single-owner municipal unit (and seeing the service records) the machine didn't want for anything in regards to repairs or service. It has had the lift cylinders serviced within the last couple-hundred hours. It's had new hoses when needed. It's been greased. It's had a relatively easy life. And the dealer (the city bought new machines and this was a trade in / consignment) worked hard to ensure my satisfaction.
It was worth paying a tad more versus taking a long shot on other "private owner" or auction machines. Sometimes those deals are fantastic, but often, the upfront savings turns into expensive headaches later.
The other machine i seriously considered, was from a private seller who seems new to tractors and bought this a year ago for private use. Didn't sound like he knew what a grease gun was. In the pics i could see evidence of old fluid leaks being painted over. Those are the kinds of things that might be nothing, but could also be disasters waiting to take my money!
TractorGuy
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- John Deere 4310 CUT, Ford New Holland 575E Industrial Backhoe, John Deere F725 Front Mount Mower
It does look and sound like a goodun. Let us know how it works out because I am still interested in this model.
If you are mechanically inclined and creative enough you might be able to add a generic under dash type AC in it somehow.
I didn't exactly put mine back factory. The compressor brackets on mine looked home made. I purchased a Sanyo compressor off ebay and had to do some creative adjusting and shimming to get it lined up. The inside on mine looked to be factory except for all the bypassed and added on wires. I lucked into a factory AC control for it on ebay and got that much back like it should be.
If you are mechanically inclined and creative enough you might be able to add a generic under dash type AC in it somehow.
I didn't exactly put mine back factory. The compressor brackets on mine looked home made. I purchased a Sanyo compressor off ebay and had to do some creative adjusting and shimming to get it lined up. The inside on mine looked to be factory except for all the bypassed and added on wires. I lucked into a factory AC control for it on ebay and got that much back like it should be.