Posted by Rick C. on March 18, 1998 at 19:49:16:
In Reply to: best tractor? posted by Susan on March 17, 1998 at 22:12:22:
: We just bought a little 4+acre in Western Washington. We need to a tractor to prep and mow/maintain the property. I have 2 horses to do most of the "mowing". But, I need a tractor. My father is an old farmer/construction man (who loves JD's) but says a Ford is best for our needs. Its about a 2% grade with a bit of aswell to it. I want a front-loader (for snow and poop) with a disk and maybe a box scraper. I've been looking around, but I'm not sure what to look/ask for. I don't want to get taken advantage of (I'm female). What's the best older tractor and can I expect to pay more than 4k for one (my budget is tight)? Any advice about where to look and how much to pay?
Ford. 8N's are a darn good tractor and hard to beat for the money. However, the lack of live hydraulics is a pain. I also would not get one with a loader, it makes them too hard to steer and get traction, and most of the N's with loaders have really long arms to the bucket making them real hard to manuveur(?) in tight spaces. It also wears out the front end. If you insist on a loader, but a 600, 800 series or even a 2000/3000 if you can find one for your price (doubtful, but possible). You can't go wrong with Fords for reliabilty, easy of getting parts, etc.
Rick