Ford 555 or 555A

[snowcrash]

Hello everybody,

We are upgrading from our old 4500 that is wore out but still does the job to a little new Ford TLB.

I don't have the numbers with me at the moment but I will post them later but I think it was made November 1983. I'm trying to figure out if it is a 555 or a 555A. Seen some literature saying that they started the A in 83 but others say 84. Didn't know if it was like a car though and the A maybe actually came out near the end of the year 83? I'm sure that our Ford was probably not shipped out right away once built so I don't know when it actually was purchased but thinking sometime in 1984.

I've tried looking for pictures to see if I could see the differences between a 555 and 555A but it has been hard to find. Some pictures show an A painted beside the 555 and some pictures listing it as a 555A just say 555. Also noticed that some have the 555 painted on the loader arm and not on the front hood piece.

What is the real differences between just a 555 and 555A? Is there something that one will have that the other will not that will be able to let me know which I have or is the serial number about the only way to figure it out?

Once I get the numbers, I will post back, thanks for any help,
Charlie

 

[snowcrash]

My Unit Number is 3L10B, which if I figured right, would make it built November 10, 1983 on the day shift.

Biggest reason for wanting to know which it is so I can buy a hard copy manual. Found a great guy that helped me out with a digital copy but thought about having a hard copy made at Staples to keep with me on the farm with our other manuals. Found the ones on ebay are only a few dollars more. Just don't want to buy an A and I should have bought the 555. Guess if it is not right, I can return it for the other.

 

[Wagtail]

TractrorData.com says that the 555 ended production in '83. And that the 555A started production in '84.

TractorData.com - Ford tractors sorted by industrial

 

[TractorGuy]

A dealer can look it up by serial number and tell you when it was built, when it was first sold, and to who. I got all that info on my backhoe. They told me it was built in June 98 and sold january 99 to a road department in texas.