Show us a picture of your orphan Farmtrac.

[Suburban600]

My tractor is a 2003 Farmtrac 60. I've owned it since new. I bought it because I wanted a simple easy to work on tractor. I have about 620 hours on the tractor but they are hard hours clearing land, building roads, digging a pond, and clearing trails in my wood lot. I intend to work it a lot harder supplying/moving my new sawmill.

Here's a list of the repairs I've made to date.
1. Punched a hole through the right rear tire on a stob. Bolted in a boot. Then had a commercial boot installed. Fixed.
2. Punched a hole though my radiator screen and almost punched a hole in my radiator (the branch left a nice mark on the radiator). Replaced the screen. Fixed.
3. Replaced the left front axle control arm bolt with a grade 8 bolt. OEM stretched. Fixed.
4. Went through the whole clogged tank screen episode. Easy fix. Fixed.
5. Battery wasn't charging. Replaced bulb in dash. Episode somewhere here in forums. Fixed.
6. Had my power steering ram rebuilt and had new hoses made. I run 303 hydro in the power steering and in the main hydro. Fixed.
7. Most recent. TPG held my hand through "oiling up the fuel injection pump". Got it working again. Fixed.

My attachments.
SQ 72 bushog ... Keep and keep welding it up (would not have a bush hog without a clutch)
Dearborn disc plow, lots of welded repairs... Keep
Chain on forks ... Keep
Old bush and bog disk ... Keep welding it up
No Name Box blade ... Keep
HF PTO generator ... Sell (The old ford design engine is just too noisy, and PTO gen power is too dirty, gen works fine but I like portables better...keeps tractor free)
New capstan style hydro forestry skidding winch...right sized for my 20 year old pines. Not yet evaluated.

 

[weathda]

Glad the Pump Guy got you straightened out on your FT-60.

Here's my orphan. I picked it up in 2012 with 358 hours on it. It now has about 640 hours.

I haven't had any structural issues with the tractor. It's a heavy built machine. Kinda crude, but easy to work on. I've had the typical loose bolts, blown fuse, replaced hydraulic line to the cooler, fixed fuel float, replaced all 3 injector lines because they were rubbing and/or vibration took it's toll on them. I've strapped rubber between the lines to cut down on vibration and made sure the battery pan doesn't sit on the line. And yes, stopped up fuel strainer and dirty tank.

It's primary duty is bush-hogging, but it's done a bit of dirt work too.

Some bush-hogging videos of the 665 in action:

Bush Hogging Heavy Growth on BigCreek - YouTube

Bushhogging - YouTube

 

[Suburban600]

Glad the Pump Guy got you straightened out on your FT-60.

Here's my orphan. I picked it up in 2012 with 358 hours on it. It now has about 640 hours.

I haven't had any structural issues with the tractor. It's a heavy built machine. Kinda crude, but easy to work on.[/url]

Nice videos. I really like the looks of your tractor! There is a 555DTC for sale near here but I think I'll stick with my FT60. These Indian tractors are heavy (4500 not including FEL) and simple (I need simple). I've done lots of bush hogging with my tractor in my wood lot. I usually run through with a chain saw. Then with a clearing saw to flatten the stobs. Then come in with the tractor. If I'm just using the tractor in brush I back in. For low brush or tall weeds/old field growth like you were in I really like to run with my FEL at about 6 inches to warn of metal or stumps. I take it slow. My tires are really beat up. I do have some electrical issues I have to fix. My flashers don't work nor does my horn. Just an inconvenience.

 

[bazman82]

Just picked up my 795DTC (badge says 785 but ID plate says 795DTC) on Saturday. 585 hours but the meter isn't working so I will assume around 700-800 hours. Haven't done much with it just yet other than move 2 round bales and pull a disc and cultipacker a few hundred feet to straighten out my laneway. I cant wait to get a bucket and grapple for this to really put it to work but first I need to change the filters and oil etc etc.

 

[weathda]

That's a nice looking tractor. It's in great shape. What year is it? I had hear Farmtrac was selling again in N. America.

 

[bazman82]

Well, the dealer that sold it to the guy I bought it from had it listed as a 2005. Tractor data has the years as 2006-2008 for my model so I am just going to say its a 2006. Upon my research of the tractor for parts etc, to help be comfortable with my purchase, I did find a site and some dealers in Mississippi and Alabama.

FARMTRAC | A Tractor Ahead of its Time

That's the site I found. If they had some dealers in NY I would've considered the 6075 model they have. The dealer at Dixie tractor quoted me around 30k for a new 4wd w/loader. I feel I got this tractor for a steal. With the price of tractors in my area, if I had some patience, I could probably resell it and maybe make 3 or 4k on it. If I did that, then I would be back to looking at more tractors...

 

[weathda]

I didn't know AL, MS and LA were the only dealers. My dad was showing me a sales paper he had that featured the Iuka dealer not too far from where I live. Guess they're dipping their toes back in the U.S. I hear a lot of dealers got burned years ago by Escorts. Anyway, I've never had a problem getting parts.

It's interesting how they made the old Ford style tractors along with the newer looking tractors during the same years. The date stamp on my tires, which I know are OE are dated '06. So I figure mine is an '05 or '06 model.

Yours definitely looks a little more refined. I'm like you, I couldn't have bought a 60hp 4WD with 350 hours on it for no where near what I paid for this tractor. All in all, I would do it again. It's had it's share of problems, but nothing major. It has no leaks other than the one I just fixed on the steering cylinder.

 

[bazman82]

Yeah, I was looking at the videos you posted and thought to myself, man, that looks just the dash of the Ford 7000 I use from time to time. The engine on mine is actually closer related to my SAME Mercury since they are the same manufacturer. SAME built my engine and when I looked up the hydraulic filters for the farmtrac, they are the same in my SAME as well. Not sure if that's a plus for anyone else but it is in my book. I'll be able to really test out the tractor once I start making hay and hopefully I don't find anything wrong at that time. If everything goes well, then I will have a big'ol smile on my face for sure.

 

[bazman82]

I added a canopy to the tractor last week. Just in time for cutting hay too.