What's your favorite small, vintage, practial tractor? (What to avoid too)

[tessiers]

Allis Chalmers G, around 1500 lbs, highly sought cultivating tractor, price may be a little high.
Massey Harris Pony, around 1500 lbs, in there price range.
Farmall Cub, around 1500 lbs, in there price range.
Kubota L175, L235, around 1500 lbs, diesel is nice, very fuel efficient, maybe priced a little higher.
John Deere L, around 1500 lbs, in there price range.
Ford 9n, 2n, 8n, a little heavy, more like 2500 lbs but cheap and easy to get parts for.

I like the fords the best, parts are everywhere, parts machines are everywhere, 3 point hitch is universal, lost of advantages, especially if you can find one with a Sherman Transmission. We haul our 8n on my fathers single axle 3500 lb 4 wheeler trailer behind his Toyota Tacoma with no trouble.

I see Farmalls, Massey Harris's and Fords constantly for sale, the others may be a little less available. They are all easy to work on and very capable little tractors. Mostly in the 10 to 15hp range but nothing like 15hp today.

 

[Bfitzgerald3]

Xskier et al,

Yep...1500 pounds makes getting an effective tractor tough. However, doing things by hand is much harder. The husband and son are currently referred to as the farm's oxen. The weight limit is pretty firm. They cant get into a heavy vehicle right now and they can't/won't leave the tractor at the farm. They've been given a plot to use for free but have no place to keep equipment there....leaving a tractor unattended in a field is not the best idea.

Thanks everyone for trying to help!

 

[TomSeller]

What are they going to tow this with/on?

 

[The Fred]

I would steer clear of anything Japanese or far east built only because of the high parts prices. Their budget might buy them a 90s Kubota but when they need parts they might cry.

North american built tractors would still have parts available for cheap money. Kubota wants $11.00 EACH for plastic pins to hold the side panels on 40 series tractors still being sold new....REALLY?

Fred

 

[aczlan]

I would steer clear of anything Japanese or far east built only because of the high parts prices. Their budget might buy them a 90s Kubota but when they need parts they might cry.

So, what brand are you going to buy a older compact tractor from that WASN'T built overseas? Deeres were made by Yanmar, MF/NH by Iseki or Shibaru, Bolens by Iseki, etc, etc, etc.

North american built tractors would still have parts available for cheap money. Kubota wants $11.00 EACH for plastic pins to hold the side panels on 40 series tractors still being sold new....REALLY?

No worse than Dodge with the clips that hold on the doorpanels in a Caravan ($8 each and it takes 7 or 8 per door).
On the tractor front, Dad had a 755 TLB and having seen what they wanted for some parts, I would say that they are on par with Kubota.

Aaron Z

 

[Gary Fowler]

They are wanting a tractor for $1500 which might be possible to find an old beat up 8N which is likely the cheapest tractor they will find for that price but when they added it cant weigh more than 1500 pounds that almost certainly ruled out most old iron. I just cant think of any thing other than a Gravely walk behind that would work for them in the weight and price range and they would be lucky to find one in good condition for that price limit. The Gravely might be just a bit better than a tiller but that may hold them till they can come up with a more reasonable weight limit.
I cant help but wonder what they plan to pull a trailer with that will only haul 1500#? Volkswagen beetle perhaps. Any good utility 2 wheel trailer(better would be a tandem axle) would haul an 8N Ford when properly balanced and just about any truck would safely pull it also. It may be outside the "legal" towing weight but the OP didn't mention details of the haul distance or pulling vehicle or roads travelled. I have pulled lots of boats thousands of miles with cars and some weighed more than 1500# and no trailer brakes so I really cant see the weight limit they have put on as being critical unless they have a trailer that is limited to that weight. In that case, I would say get a better trailer or keep tilling with the walk behind until they can afford proper towing and something in the tractor line that wont be just another added piece of worthless equipment that might be no better than the tiller they are now using.
If they want total organic, maybe a mule would be the ticket.

 

[murphy1244]

What they want is a Garden Tractor.

 

[The Fred]

So, what brand are you going to buy a older compact tractor from that WASN'T built overseas? Deeres were made by Yanmar, MF/NH by Iseki or Shibaru, Bolens by Iseki, etc, etc, etc.

No worse than Dodge with the clips that hold on the doorpanels in a Caravan ($8 each and it takes 7 or 8 per door).
On the tractor front, Dad had a 755 TLB and having seen what they wanted for some parts, I would say that they are on par with Kubota.

Aaron Z

I agree Aaron, but those clips for your Caravan are available aftermarket for cheap.
I can go to TSC and buy a carb kit for an 8N on any Sunday though, forget trying to buy Kubota filters there. I don't care what offshore far east brand you choose cars included, parts prices are way inflated and many parts become obsolete way before their time. Take a Suzuki car axle for example, dealer list $800 dollars. That's ridiculous. Try buying Honda car parts for 80s vehicles, same thing most stuff obsolete and priced high; especially for those models that were NOT produced here like before the Maryville, Ohio plant opened.

Years ago I had a Cub Cadet garden tractor with a hydraulic 3 pt hitch. That thing would lift a car if you could get under the front bumper. The tiller worked well as did the mower deck. Parts were not crazy and it was made here.

Wheel Horse is an excellent choice for a used garden tractor. Very durable with cast iron Kohler engine and a variety of attachments to hunt for used.

Fred

 

[TomSeller]

They are wanting a tractor for $1500..........

I understood the budget to be $1 to $5,000. The Original Post says "$1-5000". Can the OP clarify?

 

[Bfitzgerald3]

Budget is $1-5000, weight limit is 1500 lbs. they have some sort of honda suv...smaller family suv. I forget the model. The tiller they had died when a chain wore through the tranny case (or something like that....either way, a fatal break in a 50 yr old tiller) The family oxen (again, dad and son) only have so much to give. Personally, I think they should find a way to add a few grand to the budget so they can get a beater truck to haul the tractor back and forth.