1959 ford 601 4-speed

maybe you guys can help me, i'm looking at this tractor, it is rough looking, rusted fenders,and several bad paint jobs. but it is 1 owner with 950 hours showing, every thing is tight and runs and works perfectly. we are trying to put agree on a price. i wonder if you guys would have any idea as to it's value. thanks in advance, chuck

A 601 4 speed (probably a 641 model) is not rare or special. It is a good basic utility tractor. Proofmeters tend to go bad and get replaced so I wouldn"t put a lot of faith into the 950 orignal hour claim, unless you personally know the entire history of this tractor. In the condition you describe, I"m thinking it"s about a $1500 tractor in the current economy. If it were rust-free, nicely painted, all systems operating as they should AND you could verify the hours, then maybe $3000. My opinion only, take it for what it"s worth.

Down here in New Mexico if everything worked perfectly and it was just cosmetic that it needed, If you could find someone wanting to restorer it, you might get $1000 but Just from what I see things going for around this area and as common a tractor as that one is Not Gospel but maybe $500. But most here want it field ready. And as far as that proof meter goes. Most only use it to check for oil changes and to tel the rpm on the implements Good luck to you.

A lot depends on tires and if it smokes and is 6 or 12 volts. From what you have said it could be a $700 to a 4500 tractor. Figure just a set of new tires is a $1000 now days that is all four of them. Since you say it is a 601 that is the series and it has a 4 speed then it could be one of 3 models that I can think of. 621, 631, or 641. Each had different options.

Speaking of tires,....does a modern day tire store sell tires for a 1950's Ford Tractor? Even if not like the original?

When I go to look at an old tractor I take my compression tester and vacuum gauge. Neither is expensive and together they will give you a good "look inside" the motor. It is very helpful to know the oil pressure both cold and hot as well. If you post the model number, which is found on the horizontal flat spot to the rear of the starter on the bell housing, someone will tell you if it has live PTO and/or hydraulics and how to adjust value accordingly. I agree that the hours showing on the proof meter should be ignored, going instead with compression, oil pressure and vacuum. post back with this info and you will get a much closer value.

In many different widths, treads, sidewalls, and price ranges.

From the available information, probably around $2000. Add a bit if the tires are GOOD and subtract a bit if the tires are not so good.

Dean

it has very good turf tires. we are at $1300.00 i think i will buy it. thanks to everyone for all the advice. chuck

It's a real steal at $1300 unless it has serious latent defects.

Dean

I have to plead ignorance since I don't know exactly what a 601 is. I've got a 641 - and the "4" in the middle stands for 4 sp. trans, pto, and 3 point hitch.

If no power steering, with no live PTO and just the four-speed trans which is overly fast in low gear - $1300 would be top dollar in my mind. I'd rather pay $2500 for one in similar condition, but with a live PTO and a slower 1st gear. Then you could actually use some rear attachments like a tiller, snow blower, etc.

I've got a 1960 era 641 with no power steering and four-speed trans. I absolutely hate the tractor - even when just running a brush-cutter in the back. But, I'm used to having something better. I bought it in a pinch at a rural property I own. The seller was somebody I personally knew and I bought the tractor without seeing it. On the phone, 1000 miles away, he described it as a Ford Workmaster with a live PTO. So, I took his word for it, and that info was incorrect. In hindsight, I suspect he didn't even know what a live PTO was. I can buy Case VACs often for $500 and they work just as well as a 641, but with a bit less power.

This 641 has new paint and all new ag. tires, a pretty nice front-end loader with hydraulic lift and dump, along with a new 12 volt alternator and new battery. I bought it with a brand new 5 foot King Kutter brushhog, disks, and back-blade for $2500. So I figure the tractor itself cost me around $1500. Not bad for a loader-tractor.
Not a bad deal, but I never would of bought it, if I'd known it had the four speed. I later picked up a Case VAC-14 with a new battery, new rear ag tires, and a HD backblade for $500. It runs the 5' brush hog good enough for my purposes, and I'm going to dump the 641 at some point.

I sure you know this but if you do not. The 601 is the series number of the tractor and in that series there was the 621, 631, 641, 651, 661, 671 and the 681. All of them are 601s but all are different models of that series of tractor. First 3 all have 4 speeds the next 2 5 speeds with the 661 having live PTO and the last 2 are SOS trannys

Simple answer is yes but some of the sizes can be a tad bit harder to find and cost a good bit more because of that. Common tractor tire sizes that can be picked up at any good tire dealer or farm and home place are the 24, 28, and 38 inch diameter tires and they come in many wights

Yes, and I sometimes find it a little confusing. Most of my tech books call the series simply 600-700-800-or 900. Others say 601, . . . etc. That's why I made it clear I was talking about a 641- in my situation.

600-700-800 and 900 made from 1955 to 1957 and then in 1958 they came out with the 601, 701, 801, nd the 901 and built them till 1962 and in 1963 they came out with the thousand series now those confuse me LOL

Obviously, I'm no expert on Ford trivia. Deere, maybe. I do have two 4000s that are totally different machines - so that's one change I'm well aware of. USA to the sort-of British format.

We often worked on Fords at our Deere dealership, but many had letter names besides the numbers. like Jubillee, Powermaster, Workmaster, etc. In my mind, I see "601" as an extension of the "600" platform. My OEM Ford microfiche just calls them all (on the top) as "four cylinder tractors."

It's the number and name confusion that led me to get stuck with this 641. They guy told me it read Workmaster on the hood and the PTO kept going whenever he pushed in the clutch to shift the trans. So, I assumed since it had live power, it also had to have a 5 speed. I begged him to find the exact model #, but he never did.
I wish now it had 641 written on the hood. Maybe then I'd gotten a straight story from this guy.

Model number is on the bell housing below the battery. Flat spot there. Top number is the model and the bottom serial number. I'm no expert just been here so long that I have picked up on and remember a lot so then pass it on as I can. Ya the power master and work master where other terms used on some and those can get tricky. Of course with I like is when you go to an auction and they have what is being called a 4000 but is clearly an 801 series because of the curved top and the long fuel tank door.
Now on JDs I own a JD-B 1935 model brass tag that was my grand fathers and he got it in 1940. I even have the owners manual that came with it when new

(quoted from post at 12:21:20 12/05/10) Obviously, I'm no expert on Ford trivia. Deere, maybe. I do have two 4000s that are totally different machines - so that's one change I'm well aware of. USA to the sort-of British format.

We often worked on Fords at our Deere dealership, but many had letter names besides the numbers. like Jubillee, Powermaster, Workmaster, etc. In my mind, I see "601" as an extension of the "600" platform. My OEM Ford microfiche just calls them all (on the top) as "four cylinder tractors."

It's the number and name confusion that led me to get stuck with this 641. They guy told me it read Workmaster on the hood and the PTO kept going whenever he pushed in the clutch to shift the trans. So, I assumed since it had live power, it also had to have a 5 speed. I begged him to find the exact model #, but he never did.
I wish now it had 641 written on the hood. Maybe then I'd gotten a straight story from this guy.

Click to expand...

The 641 say this on the side of the hood assembly: Ford 641 Workmaster

I proudly own one!

I'm not doubting that yours is a 641, but many of these tractors have had parts swapped out over the years to the point where it may have a hood with decals from a different model than it was when it left the factory, but then again, if they've had a transmission swap, then the stamped numbers on the bell housing won't be totally correct either.

We had over the years a 641,an 800(850) and a
2000. The 2000was a later model with the 3cyl gas engine,4x2 trany,ps and lpto. First tractor we had on the farm with ps. Dad didnt like the 641. Something about a chuga,chuga,chuga sound the engine made. He traded it for the 2000. I have been around Fords,Fergusons and Farmalls most of my farm life.

Good luck and have fun.
Stephen

well guys, i bought the tractor. i need new or good used fenders, i was wondering if anyone knew of someone who makes ropo fenders with the ford logo stamped in the fenders like the originals. the gas tank also leaks. can this be repaired? or does anybody make a new tank with the hole for the fuel gauge? any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks chuck ps, the gas tank leaks near the front mount

Tractordata says that would be a 621 made in 1959 without pto and without 3 point. Also 4 speed. Is that what you have?

billybuck, i have both pto and 3-point as well as a complete dash with all the gauges. were these options for the 621? thanks, chuck

Sorry Chuck, I lost track of this one. They are listed as having been "options" on those tractors, but since they were making the same tractor with 3 point and pto in the form of the 641 or 5 speed 651 during those same years, it seems more likely there's been a swap of rear ends. Ordered from a dealer with those options, I suspect the tramp stamp would say 641 not 621.

billybuck, i found that it had a sherman that was removed. the bellhousing has no hole for the shifter, so i thing the bellh. was changed at that time hince the 621 stamp. i'm in touch whith the dealer that did a lot of the service work on the tractor and they are checking the records for me. thanks for the input, chuck