I have a lead on a 1958 Ford Model 800 tractor. It is being offered with tire chains, bucket,plow blade,and forks runs good and all works good for $2500.
Since this would be my first tractor, I am hoping to get some feedback from you all. I am in New Hampshire in a fairly rural area, there are a few tractor repair shops around. I have seven acres in real need of smoothing out and stump removal, as well as some logging and driveway rebuilding.
What do you think? Look for something more recent? Is the 800 a good model (my limited Internet research says it's a decent model).
Thank you for reading. If I have violated a forum rule, please remove my post. Have a good day, I have been lurking for awhile, nice forums!
$2500 for a 40-50 hp (engine) with a front end loader (FEL, I assume that's what you mean by "bucket") is a good deal IF and ONLY IF there are no major defects that will cost you big bucks, especially if you can't do the necessary repairs yourself.
Check out that tractor carefully. Start with the rear tires--if those need to be replaced (dry rot, worn tread, cracks, etc), you are facing a major expense north of $1K probably.
Next, check for leaks (water, engine oil, transmission/hydraulic fluid). Old tractors generally have seepage at the seals. If you see a lot of leakage on the ground, you may need to split the tractor to fix the seals--another big job, especially if you've never worked on a tractor and don't have the proper tools including jacks, cranes, etc.
You can tell quite a bit about the engine by starting it cold. If that 860 still has a 6V positive ground electrical system, the engine may crank very slowly. It could be the battery, dirty contacts, weak starter motor.
If it's hard to start, then you may have timing problems, low compression, electrical problems (coil, distributor, resistors, plugs). When I buy old used tractors (I have 5 of them so far. Three of them ran OK when I did my test drive; 2 of them didn't run at all, but really wanted them so I bought them anyway), I take my compression tester with me if I'm looking at a gasser rather than a diesel. It's easy to pull the plugs one at a time and run a quick compression check on all the cylinders by cranking the engine with the distributor disconnected so the plugs won't fire.
If and when you get the engine running, check the color of the smoke when the engine first starts and after a few minutes idle. Most tractors, new and old, puff a little smoke at startup. But there can be problems if the smoke continues after idling. Blue smoke may mean the engine is burning oil (rings, valves, etc). White smoke may indicate a coolant leak into the cylinders (head gasket). Black smoke could indicate that the carburetor needs adjusting or rebuilding.
Drive the tractor. Check out the tranny in all gears forward and reverse. Check out the pto operation. If it's hard to get the pto engaged, that could be a clutch problem which could lead to splitting the tractor to replace the clutch pack.
Check out the hydraulics (3pt hitch, FEL). Look for leaks at the hoses and fittings. If the response seems sluggish, you may have a contaminated hydraulic system that needs the fluid replaced, sticking hydraulic valves, etc.
If the tractor checks out, pay the man and enjoy your new purchase
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Good luck.
