Looking at 2 tractors Ford 4000 and NH TN 70 2WD. Don't have hours on either ( yet) Both very clean, good metal the 4000 $4900 TN 70 $7800. Looking for opinions, what to watch out for, reliability ... Using around small "farm" 6' flail mower...
Thoughts?
The TN will have likely have better hydraulics, operator comfort, and gear selection. BUT, the 4000 will easily complete general "small farm" tasks. Don't get me wrong, 4000s are very nice to operate, but any newer tractor will usually have the improvements mentioned. The biggest complaint I can think of would be the noise produced by the 3 cylinder diesel in the 4000. If that 4000 is in good shape and doesn't need a bunch of work, and if you take care of it and store it inside, your cost of ownership would be next to nothing. I would bet that 5 or even 10 years from now, there will be buyers lining up to purchase a nice 4000 for $4,900.
A 4000 that is for sale and in truly good shape may be a little tricky to locate. The first thing I look at is the pedals and the front axle. How bad are the dimples worn off the pedals? If they are completely worn off, then your're looking some hours to do that, or possibly some loader work. Check out all the movement in the front axle. It is best to jack up the tractor, but usually not convenient unless it has a loader on it. Look for anything loose, or excessively worn. Most of the front axle items are easy to obtain and are not especially expensive, but they do take some work and are a good general indication of how the tractor may have been maintained (or not).