How many acres was an 8N designed to farm, when new?

[JsJs]

Interesting historical ag conversation. Noticed he paid $1,504.00 in 1952 for a brand new tractor. Inflation makes that $17,130.00 2025. What a bargain he got.

 

[Bentrim]

Dad bought a '48 8N at a sale in the early 50's. As I was too young to remember but he told me he had a Black Hawk 2 row planter to plant all the corn. Also bought a new JD 2 bottom 14" plow which he believed was the first one the dealer sold.He had a '46 JD A for the heavy work. The Ford also raked hay, and pulled the stone boat. Later dad bought a LOU 20 Ferguson loader to clean on the barn with. When I got big enough to be a steering wheel holder he sat me on the seat to steer the tractor so he could load hay that was baled on the ground.
When he got the tractor he also got one of those jacks that used the hitch to lift the whole tractor to change wheel spacing etc. That tractor also got used with a rear mounted blade to push snow out of the lane.. If loads weren't too big even used it to pull loads of hay and straw to the barn.
Dad farm about 80 acres on the home farm and rented or share crop about another 100 acres.
In '56 the A got a lot of help from a new JD 70 diesel in '58 the Black Hawk planter got replaced by a JD 494A so the Ford got releived for the corn planting duty put still did a lot of small odd jobs.

 

[sixdogs]

The tractors that really took off were the Int'l Harvesters. Their extra weight and the pulling power of the H or M was a game changer. Back then IH was the dominant brand and most farmers either had or wanted one. JD was still grunting along with two cylinders.

IH could have been JD and I guess they just lost their way. IH of then could have been the JD of today had they focused differently.

 

[EdGooding]

The tractors that really took off were the Int'l Harvesters. Their extra weight and the pulling power of the H or M was a game changer. Back then IH was the dominant brand and most farmers either had or wanted one. JD was still grunting along with two cylinders.

IH could have been JD and I guess they just lost their way. IH of then could have been the JD of today had they focused differently.

A quote from Harold Brock after he left Ford Tractor and joined John Deere:
"I left the Ford Motor Company in 1959 to help John Deere update the older two-cylinder models. The new generation of tractors of Deere in the 1960s advanced the features of hydraulic controls of all functions, better operator station and ergonomics to enhance operator comfort. As Deere's first Director of Worldwide Tractor Engineering, my staff introduced the first industry quiet, air conditioned cab and powershift transmissions. These advances finally placed Deere in a leadership position."

 

[BossofBBQ]

Dad bought a '48 8N at a sale in the early 50's. As I was too young to remember but he told me he had a Black Hawk 2 row planter to plant all the corn. Also bought a new JD 2 bottom 14" plow which he believed was the first one the dealer sold.He had a '46 JD A for the heavy work. The Ford also raked hay, and pulled the stone boat. Later dad bought a LOU 20 Ferguson loader to clean on the barn with. When I got big enough to be a steering wheel holder he sat me on the seat to steer the tractor so he could load hay that was baled on the ground.
When he got the tractor he also got one of those jacks that used the hitch to lift the whole tractor to change wheel spacing etc. That tractor also got used with a rear mounted blade to push snow out of the lane.. If loads weren't too big even used it to pull loads of hay and straw to the barn.
Dad farm about 80 acres on the home farm and rented or share crop about another 100 acres.
In '56 the A got a lot of help from a new JD 70 diesel in '58 the Black Hawk planter got replaced by a JD 494A so the Ford got releived for the corn planting duty put still did a lot of small odd jobs.

I also have one of those jacks, it was included as a package deal with my tractor. I've never used it; seems safer/wiser to use a floor jack instead. Regardless, it's a neat and very unique tool. I even have the front piece for it.

 

[EdGooding]

I also have one of those jacks, it was included as a package deal with my tractor. I've never used it; seems safer/wiser to use a floor jack instead. Regardless, it's a neat and very unique tool. I even have the front piece for it.

The jacks do work well as long as your hydraulics don't leak down, but you can deal with that with limiter chains:

 

[BossofBBQ]

The jacks do work well as long as your hydraulics don't leak down, but you can deal with that with limiter chains:

I'll have to try it out, then! After I rebuilt/adjusted my top cover, including a new Jubilee style piston and new cylinder, my leak down problems have pretty much been completely eliminated.

 

[EdGooding]

I'll have to try it out, then! After I rebuilt/adjusted my top cover, including a new Jubilee style piston and new cylinder, my leak down problems have pretty much been completely eliminated.

They are big attention-getters at shows and events.

Since you are in Colorado, they are handy when you want to put chains on the rear tires to move snow.

 

[Gem99ultra]

My closest week-end place neighbor had a 1958 8N and I had a 1960 Fordson Dexta. The 8N was no competition for my Fordson as far as pulling power went but with a Sherman transmission, I think it would have been a very close match. Those transmissions, i.e. Sherman dual range transmissions were and are as scarce as hens' teeth. Unobtainable.
Another neighbor had a 9N, which I felt was a very weak competitor.
We actually had very little real work to do with any tractor, both of us being weekend only farmers, but we did 'play' with them all the time. About the heaviest work we ever had to do was a lot of brush hogging.
I have a lot of respect for folks having to make their living depending on their tractor performance.

 

[Shady oak]

I was raised on 2 cylinder Deeres and a 8N. The Ford was for wagon and manure spreader work, raking, mowing hay etc. We did have a 2-14” mounted plow but that was sort of useless, since you had a hard time getting it to stay in the ground. On occasion when plowing with a JD in very tough conditions, we would hook a chain and a tire between the Ford and the Deere for extra power. The 8N’s biggest drawback with lack of traction. The smaller wheels and the lighter weight made it vulnerable to slippage. Same as a WD-45. Good engines, but not much traction.

I ended up buying a 8N when I had some acreage. It was ok for awhile, but getting it started with that 6V system was a pain. That and I had forgotten how high the reverse speed was. That said I had it for some years and it served me well. Eventually sold it to a mechanic friend of mine, and bought a used JD 955 which has been an excellent machine. Love those 3 cylinder diesels!