another tractor - tough choice

[Soundguy]

Ok, through some strange event, my wife has ok'd me to buy another tractor.

The three I have been driving by and smelling lately all fall within a close price category and are as follows.

John Deer 40
Overall good shape, rebuilt motor, some parts need replacing, like rear lamp is crushed, and seat is some sort of seat from a bass boat..etc.
Grill is damaged, but works.. but I would replace it for aesthetic reasons. there has been some angle iron bracing added to the right front spindle support ( this is similar to a hi-crop tractor ).Good rubber... ( looks new, with a bit of weather age on it ). Paint ok

tractor # 2 is a 2n with a sherman trans, and brand new rubber, Paint new, but was 'carpet bomb' style painted.. will need to be sanded and painted before I felt 'right' with it.
Starts / runs good, and pulls ok. Throttle seems to need to be adjusted. At full travel of throttle, engine sounds like it is only getting to high idle.. maybee 1krpm.. but no more.

tractor #3 is a ford 600. serviceable rubber. Hood sheetmetal ok, with minor rust damage around gas tank door ninge latch area..nothing bondo or epoxy won't fix.
Needs a new sediment bowl and gas galve, as old one constantly drips. Has had angle iron bracing added to one radious rod, and one steering draglink. Both front spindles have been reinforced /braced with the addition of a roughly 'L' shaped peice of metal welded in.. though neither casting looks like it was broke... don't know why it was braced.
Has been converted to 12v .. wiring looks like a hair dresser helped a raccoon wire it up.

Those are my options guys... any comments?

thanks

Soundguy

 

[Woodbeef]

Hey Sound Guy,

Decisions,decisions,decisions,eh!!

Well now if it was me,I'd first go with the 2N it seems to be the straightest of the lot. Then I'd say probably the Deere......

 

[Soundguy]

Yeah, the 2n is sounding best ( cheapest of the lot as well.. but longest drive too... no biggie ).
The n will just need throttle adjustment, sanding, paint, and a new hood plaque and radiator 'winged' cap.

The 600 will ( for me ) need a new radious rod and draglink.
Do 8N radious rods and draglinks fit the 600?
I would also have to find out why braces were added to the front spindles.. and If they can be removed ( safely ).

The JD is about in the same boat.. but possibly less work.. only one braced spindle.. and needs a grill/light/seat... doeesn't seem too bad.

decisions decisions.... The JD and the 600 are .5 miles from where i work.. the 2n is 2 hours from where i live.... decisions decisions.

Soundguy

 

[hazmat]

Soundguy,

You're buying tractors faster than I can get the OK for implements! You must be doing something right.

 

[Soundguy]

Actually, the last one I got was earlier this year, the 8N.... these other 3 are just prospects...

As for the strange permission my wife gave me on this latest one.. It kinda scares me, as when i bought the 8n in august? I had to swaer/sign a waver that I was done tractor huntin' for a while ( 1-2ys). I had mentioned these tractors a month ago, and got the cold shoulder... then a week ago.. poof.... 'Why don't you got get one of them if you want to".... makes me think she probably bought herself a large xmas present... and is doing 'damage' controll by distracting me with a tractor...

We both work about 70+ hours a week, and pretty much keep our finances seperate...but we 'confer' with each other on large purchases... so looks like she got herself a big present...

Soundguy

 

[Stonewall]

As I recall a picture of your stable showed a 2120 and an 8N. I don't know how much land you have to care for but I would look for something larger if you have the property to support it (tractor lover logic). If not, then go with something smaller to tip toe thru the garden plot with. You have the 20-35 PTO HP range pretty well covered so I would look at a different range for the "right tool for the right job" logic. There is also the restoration option but at 70+ hrs a week at your day job it might take a while to get around to it. What ever you do - DO IT QUICK before she changes her mind! Just my two cents.

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Hey, you still won't have a HST, and I've been COUNTING on you to get a <font color=green>4x10</font color=green> just so you could post pointers, we TBNers need your insight in new differant areas. Of course you'd also want something new in <font color=blue>blue</font color=blue> as a "control group" for really accurate comparisons...

<font color=orange>orange</font color=orange>

For a second, though, I thought you had kidnapped my wife, but she just called me, so she's safe. She still wants a backhoe, though....

<font color=purple>purple</font color=purple>

/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[s1120]

<font color=red>Has been converted to 12v .. wiring looks like a hair dresser helped a raccoon wire it up</font color=red>

Sounds like a few cars I'v had. Luckly the wiring on these old tractors is pretty easy.

<font color=red> had mentioned these tractors a month ago, and got the cold shoulder... then a week ago.. poof.... 'Why don't you got get one of them if you want to"..</font color=red>

Ah! you are in BIG truble!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[rockyridgefarm]

<font color=red>red</font color=red>

 

[Hoeman00]

Find out what she got by telling your
getting ALL THREE
If she sees no problem then U ARE IN
TROUBLE.

 

[Soundguy]

Ok, here's some more followup info. I stopped by the 600 and the jd 40 this morning again, and put my hands all over them.

The 600 has angle iron welded over the top of the radious rods. I looked the rods over real good.. felt the back, etc.. looked down them... they are true, and don't look like they were ever damaged. The welds are spot welds every 6" .. so i could die grinder them off.

I looked at both spindles, and again... I can't find the slightest evidence of cracks / breaks.
I wonder if the previous owner just welded it up to make it sturdy for a loader or something?

The fuel tap a tthe bottom of the tank leaks badly... but the sediment bowl at the carb looks ok... can that fuel tap a thte tank be replaced? looks like it is screwed on, etc?

Sheet metal wasn't as bad as I thought.. just a few dents.

I guess i could torch cut the front spindle braces down and grind them back to normal.

The JD 40, has a beat up grill and I called JD, and it isn't available.. but I'm guessing there are jd websites loke dons 8n sight that will have parts for it, etc.

I checked out its front spindle repairs, and at one time they were damaged.. either cracked or broke... lotsa stick weld was used to repair it, along with the verticle angle iron braces.

Guess with a lot of work it could be cut / ground down to the base metal, then repaired elegantly for light work.

The 2n ( which I havn't seen since last weekend ) will probably be the least mechanical work.. as I think the throttle linkage is very loose.. and needs sanding / paint, etc. ( and has a sherman ).

This tractor purchase will be a play tractor.. just like the 8n is ( shh... I actually let it do light work.. like the 3pt spreader for fertalizer / seed, moving a small trailer around the property, dragging the pasture, etc...

The 1920 gets all the greasy hard work...

new update. I've also found a sopposedly jubilee ( could be naa ) that is close tot he price range of the others, and is in good shape. Any ideas on this one compaired to the others? naa's and jub's have live hyd's right?



Soundguy

 

[thefarm]

I have a 1954 NAA.Just like the Jubliee but a year older and the emblem on the hood is differant.I would get the above if you can.Better than the 2n,better hyd,better motor,better tranny.Don't know about the others.My Dad bought this new in '54.But I'm a Ford Man.It's not my fault,I blame it on my Dad.I suppose by live hyd,you mean you don't need the PTO engaged.If the tractor is running you have hyd power.I found this tractor is still to heavy to drive across the lawn.The ag tires leave their mark.That's why the BX1800 came in.

 

[johnsonauto]

i would go with the 600 it has better brakes, live hydraulics, overhead valve, much better choice than a 2n. or go with the john deere, they hold there value pretty well, you should be able to get most of the parts for your deere in the aftermarket, i would look in me catalogs but i'm home. The 2n is an interesting tractor, i like them all but from a use stand point the 600 beats them all.

 

[bgott]

http://members.aol.com/naa60512/naa2.htm

This website has a lot of info on the later than 8N tractors.

 

[frank_f15]

the 2n sounds like the best of the lot(course i am partial to them, i had one) only thing is that the 8n and 2n are very similar, but that may not matter to u.