What is your favorite tractor and why?

[wolc123]

My favorite happens to be the first tractor I ever bought, a 1951 Ford 8N. To this day, there are still a few tasks that I would rather use it for than any other. I appreciate it's compact size, good power/weight ratio and fuel economy, smooth & quiet gasoline power, ease of putting implements on and off, ease of mounting and dismounting the operator platform, rugged simplicity, and unmatched parts availability. As long as you use it for jobs that are in it's wheelhouse, it is a tough tractor to beat. Certainly there are many superior tractors for PTO and front loader work. There are no others that I would rather have on my two-row corn planter. It also does a heck of a job on a 2 x 12" plow, the implement that it was designed around.

This design was way ahead of its time. Almost 80 years after the N-series was introduced in 1939, there are some tasks where I prefer it over many of the tractors being produced today. The 1951 - 1952's were the most refined form of the N-series. I pick the 1951 as my favorite, rather than the 1952, because some of those may have used reworked parts to clear out inventory prior to the totally redesigned 1953 Jubilee model. To me that 1953 redesign was a brief step backward with less fuel economy and a less reliable hydraulic system. Ford did get most of the bugs worked with the 600 series.

I don't think you could have asked an easier question and this one is a slam dunk if there ever was one.

 

[ctrider]

That's a toss-up. I really like the new one I have, a 2012 2320. But I also really like using the 1952 JD MC dozer. It's just such a simple, beastly machine. And I can't stop there. The IH784 is a beast in the woods.

Sooooo, I guess I don't know which is my favorite. :confused3:

EDIT:

Yeah, I know, I left out the 318. Ha!

 

[Egon]

Talking about Prime Movers for farm work I'd guess my favorite would be four Belgians!

 

[wolc123]

Talking about Prime Movers for farm work I'd guess my favorite would be four Belgians!

Yes, there is nothing quite like the old Hay Burning S__t makers. I prefer Percherons, at least they have a bit better power to weight ratio and make a little less of it.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

My grandpa has a 1929 John Deere General Purpose that I fell in love with, tried to buy it from him but he wanted a bit too much for it lol. I will buy one, one day even if it’s not his. Pic isn’t his but same one.

The two I own that I like are my JD 4320 and JD 455 with Ruegg 3pt. 4320 has done everything I have needed and some, A/C, heat, air seat and comfortable ergonomics, my 455 is great for mowing and lighter duty work.

My buddy is into war time Ford tractors N series. We just picked a 2n that was 5 hours one way away lol. It’s got a Sherman step up trans and a 8n engine. He also loves his mahindra 28 Max XL TLB because it’s able to do all his projects, he uses the backhoe more than the loader.

 

[wolc123]

I have a soft spot for the green ones also. The first tractor on our farm (that replaced a team of percherons in 1950) was a John Deere M. My dad still uses that to plow his garden and cultivate. it is not quite as smooth as my 4 cylinder Ford 8n, but I liked cultivating a lot better with that than the "cultivision" Farmall cub I used for a while.

Currently, I have an open-station John Deere 4120, which is also a fine tractor. The 4wd makes it a great loader, and disk tractor, and the live pto is great for that work. I added a home-made canopy to it for comfort mowing hay under the hot sun. It is not as good on the plow in good soil conditions as my old 8n, due to a lack of draft control on the hydraulics. I only plow with it when the soil is too wet for the 2wd 8N.

I mow the lawn with a very high-hour John Deere LT 150. I just completed a lot of work on it to get it ready for spring, and I am thankful that it has been delayed this year with the cold and snow. That gave me time to make weld repairs on the mower deck and exhaust, sharpen the blades, change the oil, and to replace the motor mounts which had been "band-aid" fixed all last summer. I love the hydrostatic transmission on that one for mowing the lawn, but I much prefer the Power-reverser gear job on the 4120 for field work.

 

[Sonny580]

These!











have more!!! thanks; sonny580

 

[orangeandgreen]

Another vote for JD 4020. Ours is a 1968 "dash" model with a little over 7000 hours on the clock. It has seen duties from gardening to pulling 5-16's through heavy clay soil. I grew up on the tractor and it is my go-to tractor for anything that the Kubota can't handle.

 

[Jstpssng]

Hopefully it will melt soon! Are you planing to restore it?

It still runs good, which is one reason I'm bringing it home. It will go good with my Ford plow and Dearborn harrow.
This weekend I'm going down to pull the water pump off and change the fluids, the only maintenance it seems to need right now. I had planned to pick up a trailer to bring it home; instead I will probably have the same guy go get it who bought my Kubota and backhoe home.
Next winter I will clean up the tin and paint it.

 

[K5lwq]

Your Dad would be proud that you will continue using the Ferguson. I have often wanted to find my Dads old Cessna Ag Truck crop duster to restore. Most likely, I will scratch build a large scale model of it instead. I have a few pictures to go off of but finding the plans will be the most challenging. The plan is to have a hopper and functional spray system designed exactly like the original. I also would like to use a four cylinder model engine as well. Somewhere around 210cc. The only thing I really need is the time to build again. Congrats on getting such a special tractor!