How many acres was an 8N designed to farm, when new?

[Bentrim]

If you wanted mounted implements you had to dedicate them to the tractor. We had snap coupler plows for the ACs but we also had a pull type trip plow for the old F-20. Other than plows and cultivators there weren't many mounted implements.

Most implements back then were pull type so the was no problem with hitching it. And most used a mechanical lift or lever, hydraullics was not a popular option on the larger tractors back then or only was used for the cultivators or sickle bar mower.
The PTO may have been more of an issue as some were high others were low, some were 1 3/8 and some were 1 1/8. Some were too far or too close to the hitch point. I don't know when all that was standardized.
If you consider the hitch issue -- Ferguson and Ford used the three point hitch, JD used the Yakima hitch and then went to an odd three point for the 50,60, and70 withe the 40 using a three point after the Yakima hitch. Case had the eagle hitch, AC used snap coupler IH used the fast hitch.
Most row crop tractor usually had some type of mounted equipment that was brand specific. Some mounted equipment such as corn pickers only fit certain brands and then not all models.

 

[coast40]

Ford Flathead in a Ford tractor.

 

[Paystar]

I bought my '52 8N from the original purchaser. He still had his owner's manual, sales receipt and customer survey (attached here). With the 8N, I got his Dearborn 2-14 Economy plow, Dearborn cultivator, and Love Tractor disc harrow. You will see from the survey that he farmed 70-99 acres with it. It replaced his mules. Can you imagine how hard that was? Mr. Bangs worked this 8N hard, but loved it and took great care of it. He started getting emotional as I loaded it on my trailer and I offered to back out of the deal, but he would not hear of it as long as I promised to take good care of her. I've had her for about 30 years now. I've also attached the sales invoice that shows the original price of the 8N and implements.

That's awesome! Not often you see old paperwork like that.

 

[California]

Ford Flathead in a Ford tractor.

A flathead seems to me is the only authentic re-power. Anything else is a Frankenstein-ord.

 

[EdGooding]

Ford Flathead in a Ford tractor.

Love it! Nicely done!

 

[NUTTERDW]

It was definitely a massive improvement over working with a team of horses or mules. If a farm used an N-series as the chore tractor and a Farmall M or JD G as the big tractor, did that mean they had to buy separate implements for each machine? A Farmall M is much larger than an 8N, but I can imagine it could be inconvenient having to purchase and maintain two different sets of implements.

I’m especially curious about the 3-point implements for the N-series Fords. Since other tractors at the time didn’t use a 3-point hitch, those implements wouldn’t fit anything else. How did farms handle that mismatch?

When my dad purchased the Farmall C he paid 1795 for the tractor and the plows, disc, sickle mower, and cultivators cost an additional 600 dollars, for a total cost of 2395. that was in 1950 and I think his income for the year was around 4000 dollars.

 

[careyo63]

Yep! The Funk Aircraft Company in Kansas reacted to this with their conversion kit to allow 8N owners to swap in a 95hp 6-cylinder engine so the 8N could pull a 3-bottom plow.

I think the Ford 8N has had more engine swaps than any other model I have seen. I have seen them with virtually every major auto 8-cylinder engine in them, a Honda Valkyrie engine, and a huge turbine. Also, another one with FOUR transmissions in it that made it the slowest tractor known. I could start a new thread and share photos of all if there is interest.

My Grand father owned one! It was Funk 6. Father was Dealer Rep. for ford back then. So they knew what it was. The owner was of a coal mine he worked at. He was the Foreman. Told to me it scared the !!!! out of him. Stuck on a hill a leaned up against a tree. WV.. Grand father used his Plow team to get it out. And he did sell it to him! True.

 

[lman]

I thought these 8N's were neat but I believe there were problems with the CVT.

 

[RayIN]

I bought my '52 8N from the original purchaser. He still had his owner's manual, sales receipt and customer survey (attached here). With the 8N, I got his Dearborn 2-14 Economy plow, Dearborn cultivator, and Love Tractor disc harrow. You will see from the survey that he farmed 70-99 acres with it. It replaced his mules. Can you imagine how hard that was? Mr. Bangs worked this 8N hard, but loved it and took great care of it. He started getting emotional as I loaded it on my trailer and I offered to back out of the deal, but he would not hear of it as long as I promised to take good care of her. I've had her for about 30 years now. I've also attached the sales invoice that shows the original price of the 8N and implements.

I agree. The Harry Ferguson TO20 owners manual said it was designed to farm up to 80A. Those tractors were about the same size.

 

[masseyrider]

I thought these 8N's were neat but I believe there were problems with the CVT.
View attachment 4412865

I looked at one of these when they came out.
The most local dealers were gouging on the price and I did hear rumors about mechanical issues.
For the same money I got a lot more tractor with a solid 8x8 mechanical shuttle tranny and a loader.
Whenever I've tried to go New Holland the dealers have always shot themselves in the foot/tire.