jmcgill89
New member
After some fantastic advice from Soundguy, I've pretty much narrowed my current choices for a tractor to bush hog and mow my 20+ acres to two older Ford models. Try as I might, I haven't been able to locate anything with a live PTO in my immediate area, and I'm not at the point where I can travel 10 hours to get one...
First is a 1954 850. It's in original condition (still six volt)...never painted, never restored. It's a two-owner machine, and the still working proof meter shows 5100 hours. I have seen it in person, driven it, and worked all the hydraulics. It's still got the old hydraulic pump (described as looking like a tissue box). It needs a carb kit maybe, and a new fuel petcock, but that's it. No rust, and really only one dent. Warm idle oil pressure was 25-30 psi. It's got non-matching back tires, one fairly new, the other not so much. Both have tread, but one is really cracked. The guy is asking $2900 for it, and I don't have a feel for how far he'll negotiate.
Second is a 1958 641. It's a well-used machine, with one rusty fender and a rusty wheel rim from calcium chloride. The sheet metal is good, and doesn't have much rust on it. The battery tray is rusted out. It runs fantastic, has a strong hydraulic system, and the tires are average. This one is also still six volt, but I couldn't get a reading on the oil pressure as the gauge was bad. All the fluids look great. The one thing this one has that the other one doesn't is power steering. I know it was a joy to drive with that added feature. However, I don't know how reliable the system is or will be....I did see that power steering parts were VERY expensive on ebay. The older gentleman wants $2750 for it, and offered to trailer it to my house for me.
Well, there are my choices as of now....I'd love to hear some thoughts from folks who may know a bit more than me.
Thanks,
Joe
First is a 1954 850. It's in original condition (still six volt)...never painted, never restored. It's a two-owner machine, and the still working proof meter shows 5100 hours. I have seen it in person, driven it, and worked all the hydraulics. It's still got the old hydraulic pump (described as looking like a tissue box). It needs a carb kit maybe, and a new fuel petcock, but that's it. No rust, and really only one dent. Warm idle oil pressure was 25-30 psi. It's got non-matching back tires, one fairly new, the other not so much. Both have tread, but one is really cracked. The guy is asking $2900 for it, and I don't have a feel for how far he'll negotiate.
Second is a 1958 641. It's a well-used machine, with one rusty fender and a rusty wheel rim from calcium chloride. The sheet metal is good, and doesn't have much rust on it. The battery tray is rusted out. It runs fantastic, has a strong hydraulic system, and the tires are average. This one is also still six volt, but I couldn't get a reading on the oil pressure as the gauge was bad. All the fluids look great. The one thing this one has that the other one doesn't is power steering. I know it was a joy to drive with that added feature. However, I don't know how reliable the system is or will be....I did see that power steering parts were VERY expensive on ebay. The older gentleman wants $2750 for it, and offered to trailer it to my house for me.
Well, there are my choices as of now....I'd love to hear some thoughts from folks who may know a bit more than me.
Thanks,
Joe
