FordGuy62
New member
I just bought my first "real" tractor, a 1979 Ford 1700 4WD with 2100 hours. It came with a 770 loader, 758 backhoe, 105 tiller, a big, heavy back blade, and all of the original operator's manuals. It has ag tires, not good for my property. I need to find turf tires/rims and a finish mower. It needs some TLC, the backhoe pins and bushings are worn, the front loader bucket is pretty beat up, and it could use and overall cleaning and thorough "going over". I'm looking forward to getting a bunch of work done on the beautiful two+ acres on the creek my wife and I purchased last fall. "Paradise" as she calls it.
I'm a Ford guy all the way. I drive a '69 F250 and have a '76 F250 highboy project in the works, plus a few other Fords. So the Ford tractor was a natural! Actually, I would have taken any one of the major brands at the right price, but being a Ford is a bonus to me.:thumbsup:
I saw the listing for the 1700, and with those implements and at the price I had to see it, it was just what I was looking for. It was 300+ miles across the mountains from me. I set out early Saturday morning, much to my wife's dismay
, in my 2WD '69 and 24' car trailer, despite a forecast that called for some nasty early spring weather in the mountain pass. Well, the forecasters turned out to be right and after some fish-tailing 1,500 feet from the top I decided it was best to turn back, without the prize that the 1700 was sure to be.
Give up now? No way! That old tractor was beckoning me from afar. I studied the forecast information, begged the boss for Monday off, and set out after dinner on Easter Sunday, leaving the wife to entertain my family. As you have no doubt surmised, this tractor thing was already becoming unpopular with my dear wife... if she only understood what hangs in the balance!:laughing:
The weather cooperated and I made by destination by 11:30 PM, in a hotel room, poised to head out at daybreak and see what awaited me. Next morning I made the one hour journey to the middle of "nowhere-offgrid USA". Ever have one of those moments when you think "what the heck was I thinking... they could kill and eat me out here and nobody would ever know it". Truly the most remote place I've ever seen. Well, turned out to be some of the nicest folks I've ever talked to. Not knowing all that much about what I was looking at or how to run it, they helped me understand what was what and gave me a quick lesson on driving the tractor and using the backhoe. SOLD!!!
After treking out the 3.5 miles of narrow dirt, mud and snow road, we made it to a maintained road where we could load up. We continued into town, did the money transaction, and I was on my way. That is the heaviest load I've ever pulled with the old F250. I topped the mountain pass at 25 MPH in low gear, but my trusty old truck never missed a beat. Heavy wet snow 1,800 feet from the top made my heart skip a few beats, but that let up and it was sunshine and dry pavement for the rest of the trip. The 1700 is home and I've managed to track up the yard and dig up a few small stumps that never stood a chance. Heck, I gotta do something with this new toy!
I'm a Ford guy all the way. I drive a '69 F250 and have a '76 F250 highboy project in the works, plus a few other Fords. So the Ford tractor was a natural! Actually, I would have taken any one of the major brands at the right price, but being a Ford is a bonus to me.:thumbsup:
I saw the listing for the 1700, and with those implements and at the price I had to see it, it was just what I was looking for. It was 300+ miles across the mountains from me. I set out early Saturday morning, much to my wife's dismay
, in my 2WD '69 and 24' car trailer, despite a forecast that called for some nasty early spring weather in the mountain pass. Well, the forecasters turned out to be right and after some fish-tailing 1,500 feet from the top I decided it was best to turn back, without the prize that the 1700 was sure to be.Give up now? No way! That old tractor was beckoning me from afar. I studied the forecast information, begged the boss for Monday off, and set out after dinner on Easter Sunday, leaving the wife to entertain my family. As you have no doubt surmised, this tractor thing was already becoming unpopular with my dear wife... if she only understood what hangs in the balance!:laughing:
The weather cooperated and I made by destination by 11:30 PM, in a hotel room, poised to head out at daybreak and see what awaited me. Next morning I made the one hour journey to the middle of "nowhere-offgrid USA". Ever have one of those moments when you think "what the heck was I thinking... they could kill and eat me out here and nobody would ever know it". Truly the most remote place I've ever seen. Well, turned out to be some of the nicest folks I've ever talked to. Not knowing all that much about what I was looking at or how to run it, they helped me understand what was what and gave me a quick lesson on driving the tractor and using the backhoe. SOLD!!!
After treking out the 3.5 miles of narrow dirt, mud and snow road, we made it to a maintained road where we could load up. We continued into town, did the money transaction, and I was on my way. That is the heaviest load I've ever pulled with the old F250. I topped the mountain pass at 25 MPH in low gear, but my trusty old truck never missed a beat. Heavy wet snow 1,800 feet from the top made my heart skip a few beats, but that let up and it was sunshine and dry pavement for the rest of the trip. The 1700 is home and I've managed to track up the yard and dig up a few small stumps that never stood a chance. Heck, I gotta do something with this new toy!
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