Gale Hawkins
Super Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,268
- Location
- Murray, KY
- Tractor
- 1948 Allis Chambers Model B 1976 265 MF / 1983 JD 310B Backhoe / 1966 Ford 3000 Diesel / 1980 3600 Diesel
Duke I think you may be fine. A tractor that age can have some dings on the skin for sure. Often times they have seen very little use for the past 20 years.
Putting on a new seat and cleaning up / paining the rear wheels/FEL frame will greatly enhance it looks. Typically if they start and run fine and the clutch is strong enough to kill the engine at low speed in a high gear they are OK tractors.
I doubt you plan to use it 80 hours a week plus the bushhog will give you traction when using the FEL with heavy loads. You can pick up some nice chain on forks for like $150 if interested.
A new FEL alone would cost about what you paid for the rig. We wound up with our 1983 JD 310 BH after looking for a FEL for the late FIL nice 265 MF because we got a solid 60 HP JD tractor (3020 era I have been told) with a full size BH with a 7.5' FEL for about the same price.
Your $4500 deal would have been more like $6-7K if it was mint and may have not have had any more life in it. I enjoy the old BH because I can use it without concerns of making a boo boo on the paint or sheet metal more so than with the FIL 1976 265 MF with 1300 actual hours even though it is not mint but is for its age. It still has all of it OEM lights and they work.
If you have a few wrenches you will be able to keep it up I expect.
Putting on a new seat and cleaning up / paining the rear wheels/FEL frame will greatly enhance it looks. Typically if they start and run fine and the clutch is strong enough to kill the engine at low speed in a high gear they are OK tractors.
I doubt you plan to use it 80 hours a week plus the bushhog will give you traction when using the FEL with heavy loads. You can pick up some nice chain on forks for like $150 if interested.
A new FEL alone would cost about what you paid for the rig. We wound up with our 1983 JD 310 BH after looking for a FEL for the late FIL nice 265 MF because we got a solid 60 HP JD tractor (3020 era I have been told) with a full size BH with a 7.5' FEL for about the same price.
Your $4500 deal would have been more like $6-7K if it was mint and may have not have had any more life in it. I enjoy the old BH because I can use it without concerns of making a boo boo on the paint or sheet metal more so than with the FIL 1976 265 MF with 1300 actual hours even though it is not mint but is for its age. It still has all of it OEM lights and they work.
If you have a few wrenches you will be able to keep it up I expect.
