Buying Advice Ford 8N - Is it worth consideration?

[sparc]

There is a 8N in good condition near me for sale. Has been cleaned up, repainted and appears to have no active leaks. Tires are good no signs of dry rot or serious damage with about 50% life remaining.

No one was home to get to fire it up and hear it run or a test drive, so everything above is based on a static display.

My Q is it worth considering for caring for a small lot (~10 acres) to handle mowing and maybe a box blade for light grading of the drive.
About 4 acres needs mowing in addition to the lawn right around the house. This is my in-laws property and they need someone to care for the Yard for them as its too much for them to do at their age. So I was considering the 8N but I think the asking price is a bit high at $3000
I don't have a pic but it does look to be well cared for and fully functional.

Should I go back and have a real look and maybe haggle for a better price or move on to something else?

 

[Soundguy]

prices tend to be regional, and vary with supply / demand.

IMHO.. I'd never pay 3000$ for a N.. .. maybee a lil over 2000$ for a decent one. 2500$ if it was family and I owed them a favor

What i'd hold out for, is a 55-64 modle like a 600/601/ 800 / 801 900 / 901 series. middle digit denotes trans type.

4 = 4spd, non live pto

5= 5 spd non live pto

6= 5 speed live pto

all have live hyds.

some have power steering.

diesel available after 59.

SOS trans ( 7/8 middle digit ) available after 1959.. but I'd avoid them.

the 55-64 models are SOOOO much more tractor than an N.. and usually in the same price range.

on the other hand.. if used small / older tractrors are rare in your area.. high 2k$ may be what you are stuck with.

that said. an average 8n and a 5' rotary mower with an over running coupler installed will mow fine, adn box blade fine for something in that size range of property.

post back

soundguy

 

[sparc]

Thanks for your comments and insight. Yes, i'm not looking to put too much into this purchase as the property is 15 miles away and i don't want to trailer my equipment over there every time. I have just started looking and actually seeing this 8n is what got me thinking about picking up something like this to maintain the property with. There is also a cub cadet i spied just today that i will stop and look at next chance i get, don't know condition or price on this one. Might have had a belly mower with it which would be good, but i couldn't see it that well as i drove by.

 

[Soundguy]

get the 8n over the cub

the N ain't a BAD tractor.. just if you have a choice of a NAA or 6xx/8xx/9xx i'd look them over first.

hit craigslist in yer local...

 

[bucktaker]

try search tempest for a wider CL area search.

i agree with Soundguy the 8n will do what you are refering to but the later series do it much nicer with usually bigger smiles

Dont forget the fergueson's to-30's 35's and MF's up to a 135 make great land maintainers

 

[Soundguy]

oh yeah. I'm a ford guy..not mf.. but a good 35 or 135 I hear, are the cats meow too!

soundguy

 

[timswi]

oh yeah. I'm a ford guy..not mf.. but a good 35 or 135 I hear, are the cats meow too!

soundguy

I had an 8N...I think it was a 1950..Good machine and was converted to 12v.

It had an FEL (what a contraption that was, but it worked)...Came with disks, a BB, blade and rake for $4000...At the time it seemed reasonable and it did everything I asked of it...Sold it for what I paid for it 4 years later..It was a pretty nice looking one too...You do get some stong arms due to the manual steering ... I'd like to have another one as a show type tractor someday...

Wish I had some digital pictures of it, but I was never an early adopter...Sold it in 2004.

 

[strum456]

A cub cadet??? Even something like a lowboy or cub is not in the same ball park as an 8n. They have about half as much power.

 

[sparc]

A little searching has turned up a 53 Jubilee in vg condition abt 200 miles away for $2500.
I think with some more searching on cl and eBay as well as other sources i can turn up something that will work for me. I'd like to keep the total outlay under 5k if possible, that includes a mower. I should be able to pick up a box blade locally for a couple hundred.

 

[sparc]

A cub cadet??? Even something like a lowboy or cub is not in the same ball park as an 8n. They have about half as much power.

Yes, it was something i spied in my travels this last week. Drove by again today and saw there is no mower, but it does have a 5' disc which i don't really need. I think it is out of the picture after seeing what else i can get for under $2k.

 

[Soundguy]

if you can find a naa for 2500, you are getting close. find a 00/01 in or near that $ range and you are set.. as long as it ain't a SOS modle..

 

[sparc]

Prices tend to run a bit higher here in the NE than the rest of the country. Your 2500 is my 3000. I see this in all things for sale not just tractors.

Found a 53 NAA just 5 miles away with asking price of 3000 thanks to a tip from a co-worker. Considering its age I'd say it's been used but not abused. No serious damage to the sheet metal, fenders, etc. Looks like the carb float is sticking as I saw a slow drip of fuel where the air intake connects to the carb. Shouldn't be too hard to correct but indicative of how the machine has been maintained. It's not presentation quality.
Gauges were all wet with condensation when I looked at it yesterday evening after two days of no rain here so appears the seals are shot. There was something missing from the dash in the center, what was there a starter button or switch? It's about a 1" hole.

I'll stop by this weekend and see if I can get a better look at it and talk to someone, but based on what I see first hand with this one and the one that is 120 miles away I'm leaning toward the PA tractor at this point but don't know where the price would go on that one as its an auction item.

What were the transmission options for NAAs? I did not see much on the web sites I looked at about the Ford tractor history and identification. Was the hydraulic pump standard equipment?

 

[Soundguy]

naa had a 4spd trans like a 8n did ( different trans.. same gearing mostly )..

thy could have any of the pre or post trannies sherman made.. like combo's, live pto, etc.

otherwise it's a basic crashbox, non live pto.

starting in 53 ( naa ) hyd pumps were engine mounted, thus live hyds, and standard equipment.

soundguy

 

[sparc]

Well, I quit bidding on the auction tractor at $3k and was outbid, It was in excellent condition but that's about the limit I have set for this purchase.

Auction closed with reserve not met, so maybe it will get listed again in a few days.

Meanwhile, I have leads on three others (two 8Ns and a NAA) that are much closer to home that I am working on contacting the sellers for an eyeball on them.

 

[downslope]

naa had a 4spd trans like a 8n did ( different trans.. same gearing mostly )..

thy could have any of the pre or post trannies sherman made.. like combo's, live pto, etc.

otherwise it's a basic crashbox, non live pto.

starting in 53 ( naa ) hyd pumps were engine mounted, thus live hyds, and standard equipment.

soundguy

Reverse was a little slower starting with NAA, I believe. Also early NAA came with vane pump for hydraulic, whcih may not have been as reliable as later piston pumps.

 

[nickel plate]

I had an 8N-my first tractor at the age of 60-it was one of the later models as it had the bulge in the transmission casing for a larger and slower reverse gear, from the ground up restored but had to get rid of it as the 8Ns did not have power steering and I already had one shoulder surgery going on two. It also had the common 8N quirk: If you stalled it when it was warm and working, you might as well leave it, walk away and go have lunch as it wouldn't start back up until it cooled down. My second and last tractor is a NH TC-40.

 

[Soundguy]

Reverse was a little slower starting with NAA, I believe. Also early NAA came with vane pump for hydraulic, whcih may not have been as reliable as later piston pumps.

them blasted vane pumps went thru at least 00 series in 55 as far as I know...

 

[sparc]

There is a 53 Jubilee on eBay right now that closes in about an hour this evening which looks to be nicely restored. I was bidding on it but bowed out as it got beyond what I want to spend for my needs.


If anyone is interested it is item number 150793788606. I have no interest in it or connection to the seller just passing it on for someone else who might be. The tractor is in PA, about 150 miles from me I think.

 

[CaptJCHill]

I have never seen an 8 n that wasn't for sale!Really they are obsolete-just for collectors,parades etc.Although parts are readily available,like a Model A Ford,it is probably not what you would want as your daily driver(tractor). That being said, many do get by with one.For just a little more you can move up a decade or two and enjoy most of the productive features available today in a new base tractor.

John

 

[sparc]

Yup, I'm not expecting to do much with it except drag a finish mower around a couple acres is about all the work it would see.

If I find one pretty clean I would volunteer my time to pull some floats in local parades for Scouts or 4H, etc.