new farmtrac

kc73 · Nov 7, 2004

hey guys, keep posting on the farmtrac. i am very interested in their bigger models. just need to know about maintaining and longevity. from the searches i have done, the closest dealer is ne nebraska. i am in central sd. that could be a prob. for parts.i am handy with a wrench and can learn more, but if it falls apart the first time i grab a round bale i'll be screwed. so are these well built tractors or not? the model i am thinking about is 680. gear drive and simple. any feed back would be appreciated.

Charolais · Nov 7, 2004

kc73 The 520 and the 680 are from the tractors under the Long name. They are all under the Farmtrac name now since the buyout. The 680 is the same as the 2610 Long.

The 435,535,545 555,565 and 575 are Farmtrac tractors. They have the Ford style engine except for the 575. It has a Perkins 4 cly.

The 520 and 680 have the UTB Fiat engine. 3 ponit lift cap. is much less than the Farmtrac in the same HP.

Go to Farmtrac.com Click on full product line and then on 2wd utility tractors. Look at the models close and you see the difference. in the hood style and some other things too.

I have a 2610 which is the 680 now and I have a Farmtrac 80 with the 2005 number being the 675. There's a big difference in the two tractors.

Just thought I'd throw that in before you make up your mind. Both are good tractors for me but the Farmtrac is far more modern and better finished than the Long.

kc73 · Nov 8, 2004

do you like the tractors? are they dependable? is there a big dfference between the gear drive and the fancy tranny. i just want something simple and reliable. with no dealer close i will have to fix everthing myself. can i get maintenence items...ie filters without waiting for them to come from india? sorry to be a pain, but i do not like the used tractors around here.

Charolais · Nov 8, 2004

The(97) 2610/680 Long has been a very reliable tractor for me. Got a little over 1,000 hrs. and no major problems with it.(alternator went out this past spring, I've seen them fitted with a delco but I replaced with what came on it from my dealer,temp sensor too) Hastings has filters for the engine oil and hydraulics. I cut about 60 acres of hay per year and use this tractor to pull a JD 820 Moco and a 8430 CIH round baler. The tractor handles both very well.

The Farmtrac 80/675 isn't a year old yet. Have 135 hrs. on it with no problems.I have the Long loader on it also. Ford filters can be used on the Farmtrac except for the 80/675 which has the Perkins and I haven't found a hydraulic filter cross for it yet but am working on it. All of the other models use Ford parts also. They are Ford tractors built in the same plant like the Ford 6610 were built in India. The 665 and 675 have a 12 speed Carro(sp) tranny and a flat platform. The 680 has an 8 speed with 3rd and 4th Synch. The 12 speeds are Synchroshuttle which is gear shuttle. In other words the 12 speed shifts much smoother that the 8 speed and comes closer to finding the right speed for equipment with the 12 speed.

I've never run a loader on the Long but did had a Long loader on a 574IH. I was also impressed with the Long loader. Pretty darn tough. I pilled 6 acres of brush for burning in a couple of weeks and loaded 26 dump truck loads of rock and stumps with it in 2 days.Also moved and fed about 300 bales per year with it. Never had any problems with the loader. Well I did have one hose to burst. It was 6 years old then. I traded that 574IH with the loader in for the Farmtrac. Was planning to keep the loader but it wouldn't fit the Farmtrac. Wasn't wide enough.

The 3 pt. lift on the Farmtrac will lift almost double that of the Long. The lift is more controlable on the Farmtrac than the Long also.

Again I've been very pleased with both tractors.

Bob_Young · Jan 14, 2005

This thread is interesting. The Farmtracs look like the old 3 cylinder Fords from the 60's and 70's. I've got an old Ford 4000 from the early 70's that I really like. The thing is tough as nails. The Farmtrac 555 has virtually the same specs. Unfortunately the 4000 has seen better days and it's always taken a shot of ether to get it started when temps fall below 45 degrees.

Charly, do you know whether the Ford style engine they're using in the Farmtracs is any better at starting in the cold? I've got a dealer about 18 miles away. Guess I could drop in on him some frosty morning and see for myself. Last time I went by he had a 555 on the lot.

The 555DT FWD model shows a 55 degree turning angle for the front wheels; but they don't say what that translates into in turn radius. I don't think it would be very good as the 2WD Ford front wheels appear to deflect much more than that. How do the Farmtrac FWD models stack up against Kubota and the others in tems of turn radius?
Bob

LBrown59 · Jan 28, 2005

Does anybody have a Ford CUT built in the late nineties?
My cousin bought a new FORD CUT some where around 1997 1998 1999 0r 2000.
It's about the same size and style of the KUBOTA B Series.

LBrown59 · Jan 28, 2005

When did Ford NH Merge?

I see a lot of talk on the board about Ford - NH after the merger
But nothing about The Fords before the merger.

Can someone enlighten me?

CMunger · Jan 29, 2005

They did not merge, Ford Motor Co. bought New Holland in about 1988 I think, then a couple of years later Fiat bought Ford/New Holland, they were allowed to use the Ford name for a couple of years, then it was required to be drop.
Chuck M.