Small Tractor for plots?

Looking at options for a small tractor for food plotting…pushing some snow around…general woods work…thinking a Ford 8n…seem reasonably priced…fairly reliable…and a 3pt on most of them…anything else I should look at in that $2k price range? My wheeler is taking a beating and I am about to tear up more ground this spring…

A lot of us come to the same realization, while you can do some food plot work with an ATV/UTV, but plot work and especially any kind of discing/tillage is hard on the machine and it is very slow. You’ll be much happier with a tractor, especially if you’re expanding you plot acerage.

Ford 8Ns are a good option to look at in that price range. So long, of course, as you understand you’re buying technology from the middle of the previous century. They have a simple gasoline engine and I think that is easier to keep running than a diesel of the same vintage. Parts are relatively easy to come by for a tractor this old. Your 3 point lift capacity is going to be fairly limited in a tractor this small, I don’t know exactly, but I would suspect it will be less than 1000 pounds and that’s the maximum so safe lift capacity is probably 500-600 pounds. That is only enough for about a 5 foot disc if it’s a heavily built quality model.

The Foed 8n tractors do NOT have a live PTO, so the clutch must be fully engaged for the PTO to run and you must be aware of “PTO push” when using rotary implements like a mower. An over-run PTO clutch must be used for safety.

Also, if I recall correctly, the 8n does not have live hydraulics. This means the hydro pump is driven off the same shaft as the PTO, so to lift the 3 point, the PTO must be engaged AND the clutch must be engaged (pedal all the way out) so the pump is live. You CAN have the tractor in neutral, but the clutch must be engaged so the PTO is spinning and the pump is being driven. I believe this was the way all 8n models were. It’s not as much a problem as an oddity and something to be aware of.

Make sure the transmission and clutch are in good shape because repairs of these are difficult and expensive. It is a big advantage to find a unit that has been converted from the original 6-volt system to 12 volts. These little Fords suffered from rusty fuel tanks and this causes all kinds of fuel system clogging issues, so do what you can to make sure you get one with a good tank that is not internally rusted. Tractor tires are not cheap, especially the rear tires, so if at all possible get a model with good rubber or factor new tires into what you offer.

An 8n won’t go anywhere in the snow without chains and even then, traction is limited. I used to use an old 8n to help an elderly friend of my dad’s clear his driveway and they are not great in snow.

If you’re looking at other tractors in that price range, the Farmall H, M and Super M have live PTOs and Hydros, but not all of them have 3 points. But if you’re going to use pull behind tillage tools rather then 3 point, there are many of these tractors out there and they are very durable.

Imo I would look more at something like the AC WD45. In about the same price range but with more weight for heavier work. Get one with a wide front. Most won’t come with a 3 point but it is easy to convert the 2 point ot a 3 point for about $100 in parts. No live hyd. here either. I have always kept my ild tractors 6 volt but if you want to convert to 12 it’s pretty easy.

I have 2 WD45’s. They have what they call a snap coupler for a three point but like onestout has said it ez to convert. I bought as a package. So all of my implements are set up for snap coupler. They come with2 clutches they consider the hand clutch as live power. The only time I use the hand clutch is with the brush hog and loader. They are very simple tractor to work on and parts are available.

It depends on how big your plots are, how much other stuff you want to do. I started out trying to use a UTV. Moved up to a Farmall super C. I got frustrated enough and just bought a Kubota L3301. I have hydraulics to the front so can use a grapple. I will never need another tractor. If you can swing it, look for a small New Holland, Mahindra, Kubota etc. you will be better off in the long run.

My parents have what would be described best as a ‘hobby’ farm, before my early teens it was a little over 40 acres, 4-5 acres of it was tilled and we did everything with a Ford 9n (everything that was not done with the horse team (Belgians) that is, which was a lot when he was younger). They are tough machines, we added fluid to the rear tires which the added weight helps a lot as it was our only plow(rear blade) my entire childhood.(but like Grouse said, chains went on usually around deer season and stayed on till we started getting ready to plow in spring(gravel road/driveway)) Grouse hit a lot of the highlights limitation wise, I can’t speak to anything hydraulic as to this day he still has zero equipment that uses any hydraulics. We ran a 2 bottom plow on it, it could and did run our baler(small squares) but that was pushing its limit. A basic mechanical inclination, repair manual, tools and space the average joe can work on these.
When he bought the first expansion to the farm (which doubled the size, most of it pasture) we bought a john deere model A which became the workhorse for the next decade plus.(probably not an ideal foodplot machine but still my favorite tractor to operate, plus it sounds cool as hell) His workhorse now is a massey ferguson 135, built very similar, quarter of a century newer, a bit bigger and live PTO (and power steering). I doubt you will find one under 2k though, if you do it probably needs a lot of work. But there again they (like most tractors of that age) were built with the idea in mind that the farmer would need to fix it in the field himself (dad spent last winter rebuilding his in his garage).

Farmall Hs and Ms do not have live power not many of the old tractors have true live power. In my opinion being I have farmed for better then 45 years I would not go less then 40 hp, 50+ gasser would be better if looking at running a brush hog or similar. Can you get by with smaller sure but your going to be there all day. I would stay away from anything two point they work but a pain in the ass finding attachments. Stay with a low profile tractor especially when there are trees near by easier to get under the branches or the trails leading to your plots. Many times you can buy more HP for less money then the smaller tractors. A Ford 4000 would be about perfect but I am sure more then you want to spend.

Thanks for all the info guys! I’m guessing the plots all together are going to be less than 5 acres total…not super interested in mowing with it…my cabin driveway is small but it’s some of my excuse to “need” a tractor with the boss…so some sort of blade or bucket would be nice…$2k isn’t my limit but will need to buy a few implements as well…seems there are quite a few of these mentioned in my price range…

Loaders are tremendously useful, but IMO the nature of loader work means you have to have a HEAVY built tractor that can handle the stress. Nothing tears up a tractor that isn’t built heavy enough than a loader that is being over-stressed. Guys think a loader with a 750 pound limit is fine to lift 750 pounds and while it will do that, CONSTANTLY doing that will eventually wear stuff out or break it.

And be aware that a small tractor is not a skid steer. Skid steers are built for lifting and loading and have far greater capacities than most smaller tractors will have.

Basically you have to pick your tractor and then build your implement collection around it. Modern tractors are slanted toward 3-point and hydro-driven implements and they have systems and capacities to match.

Old tractors were made to pull and to some extent provide PTO power to spin. Hydraulics and 3 points, if present at all, were convenience features to aid in the primary purpose of pulling.

Ford 8n are one of those tractors that many have fond memories of. Almost anyone who comes from rural America knew someone who had one, maybe grandpa or an uncle or neighbor. They are tremendously simple and if you have basic mechanical skills and the willingness to study and learn, almost anyone can work on them successfully.

In fact, here’s a great article about how the Johns Hopkins engineering school uses these N series tractors to help today’s “hands-on-challenged” engineering students gain practical experience with real-life mechanical objects.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2018/11/28/tractor-class-1947-ford/

Those who do not have experiance operating old iron need to be very very careful when they lift something with the loader and move the machine.
Actually my warning applies to new iron also.

Here you go if you want an 8N looks pretty clean and a decent loader with hydraulic bucket, chains with three point great price if it runs good. Market place spring Valley Wisconsin

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/937468571320492/?ref=browse_tab&referral_code=marketplace_general&referral_story_type=general&tracking=%7B%22qid%22%3A%22-2747752464616372932%22%2C%22mf_story_key%22%3A%223446380591817804827%22%2C%22commerce_rank_obj%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22target_id%5C%22%3A3446380591817804827%2C%5C%22target_type%5C%22%3A6%2C%5C%22primary_position%5C%22%3A21%2C%5C%22ranking_signature%5C%22%3A2053394029572026672%2C%5C%22commerce_channel%5C%22%3A501%2C%5C%22value%5C%22%3A0.00048054848190491%2C%5C%22upsell_type%5C%22%3A129%2C%5C%22candidate_retrieval_source_map%5C%22%3A%7B%5C%2224746655348282146%5C%22%3A801%2C%5C%226976832412405038%5C%22%3A3502%2C%5C%227644715282211974%5C%22%3A3534%2C%5C%226344653198967498%5C%22%3A3021%2C%5C%227744667218895579%5C%22%3A3528%2C%5C%227091247927656473%5C%22%3A3502%7D%2C%5C%22grouping_info%5C%22%3Anull%7D%22%2C%22lightning_feed_qid%22%3A%22-2747813556394889548%22%2C%22lightning_feed_ranking_signature%22%3A%222053394029572026672%22%2C%22ftmd_400706%22%3A%22111112l%22%7D

Unfortunately that tractor is sold.

I think the biggest problem you are going to run into is realizing how much more work a tractor can do more efficiently. Then you are going to want a bigger tractor with more capabilities and functionality. This happened in our family a few times. My uncle is now running a John Deere 4210 and I’m running a John Deere 2320. We like them but as you know, Deere is a green cult and they charge according to be a member. Blue and red tractors are just as functional and it doesn’t cost as much to be a member.

A front end loader with a quick attach. Huge huge asset.

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Jackfish wrote:

Thanks for all the info guys! I’m guessing the plots all together are going to be less than 5 acres total…not super interested in mowing with it…my cabin driveway is small but it’s some of my excuse to “need” a tractor with the boss…so some sort of blade or bucket would be nice…$2k isn’t my limit but will need to buy a few implements as well…seems there are quite a few of these mentioned in my price range…

Yeah………about that. I’ve got more money tied up in implements than I do the machine itself. That stuff is expensive!

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

Unfortunately that tractor is sold.

Did not think it would last long at that price that was a steal if it ran at all.

Figured I would update the post…finally picked up a tractor this week…been holding off for the right deal with some implements included…got the tractor and implements for $2500…

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Nice find.