Buying Advice What do I want in $8-10k range for light brush-hogging and snowplowing?

[Notforhire]

Have you guys actually ran a 8N? They were a excellent tractor in their day but by today standards they are not much. Yes they are cheap to repair and reliable if properly maintained. They don't have power steering, live PTO or hydraulics, their hydraulics are weak (My BX will out lift one on the 3PH), they gearing in the trans in not that great (really need a sherman step up step down), turning radius is not as good as a newer tractor, the 3PH does not work as good as a newer tractor, and no ROPS. They are still a capable machine but thing have got a a lot better.

+1 I grew up with a 8N. They were a great tractor 60 years ago. There are much better choises now.
If the OP doesn't need 4WD and just wants to replace the 8N with a similar size modern tractor, how about a 2WD L3240?

 

[Don87]

Have you guys actually ran a 8N? They were a excellent tractor in their day but by today standards they are not much. Yes they are cheap to repair and reliable if properly maintained. They don't have power steering, live PTO or hydraulics, their hydraulics are weak (My BX will out lift one on the 3PH), they gearing in the trans in not that great (really need a sherman step up step down), turning radius is not as good as a newer tractor, the 3PH does not work as good as a newer tractor, and no ROPS. They are still a capable machine but thing have got a a lot better.

No, I haven't run an 8n.

But with that being said, the OP's first post said he had to get rid of the 8n because of a broken manifold. I'm sorry, but that's nonsense. There is a big difference between 'need' and 'want'. OP has a reliable tractor that will do the work he needs done.

Now if the OP 'wants' a new tractor for the chores (and has money burning a hole in his pocket), that's a totally different discussion. The BX series, or the B3200 you mentioned will both work well for him, and they will do the jobs quicker and easier as you stated.

P.S. This post was not meant to offend anyone. It's only a 'reality-check', in reference to the OP's first post. Which was 2 acres of mowing, light snow removal, and various other chores.

 

[flusher]

Advice, anyone? I've got a Ford 8N that I've been using for the past decade for mowing the dry hillside around my house, and occasionally for clearing a foot of snow from the driveway and road, plus miscellaneous other tasks. Thanks to a wobbly vertical muffler I now have a cracked exhaust manifold. Parts are on order and I can probably fix it myself, but this is the wake-up call that it's time to upgrade to something a bit more reliable.

We're in a semi-arid area, so I only mow twice a year (about 2 acres), and the snow is never very deep. The hillside is very bumpy, though, thanks to ground squirrels -- a riding lawnmower won't handle it.

Another consideration: I have rather limited mechanical aptitude, and only hand tools. I've been able to do minor repairs on the 8N, but that's because the 8N was made to be maintained by a farmer with a set of hand tools. I'd like the capabilities of a much newer tractor, but I'm not sure about my ability to fix it when it breaks.

And I can't justify spending more than about $10,000.

I'd love to hear any suggestions of what model of tractor I should be looking for. Thanks in advance!

My first tractor was a Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL. Cost $12,600 in 2005. You can find pre-owned 7510s like mine with less than 500 hours on eBay, Craigslist and at dealers for a lot less than $10K. I used a 4-ft wide King Kutter brush hog to mow my 10 acre place. I'd sell the larger brush hog you used on your 8N and get a 4-ft model. Cutting 2 acres would be a 3-4 hour job.

Good luck.

 

[94BULLITT]

Yeah I got a few hours on one, still run one probably more than most compacts get run. I put several hundred hours per year on mine doing farm work, bushhogging, raking hay, digging post holes, grading my farm road, ect. They are definatly old tractors and have there weak points but very capable never the less. Exhaust manifold is a $100 fix if he does it himself, $300 if he hires it out and gets a new exhaust. If I were going to spend $10K I would buy a couple more acres for the 8n. If the ROPS is an issue you can buy them for around $750. I never felt the need for one but I actually have an older version with the round tube, the newer ones have rectangular tube.

I have heard that the axle trumpets may break off in a roll over so a ROPS would not be any good. $750 is half of what a good 8n is worth.

 

[paulharvey]

I wasn't singing the praise of an 8N, simply stating that if he gets a 20/25hp cut/scut he will realize that the 8n was in a different league traction and possibly realistic lift capacity.

 

[tessiers]

I am not disputing the niceties of a modern compact, just saying for cost effective mowing and chores the 8n is a very capable and reliable option. They are a different animal all together and replacing them with a 1500 lb sub compact may not be the best choice.

 

[94BULLITT]

I am not disputing the niceties of a modern compact, just saying for cost effective mowing and chores the 8n is a very capable and reliable option. They are a different animal all together and replacing them with a 1500 lb sub compact may not be the best choice.

I also suggested a B3300SU. It may be the best replacement for the 8N 4WD and in his budget. All of his 8N implements should work with it versus needing new stuff for a SCUT.

 

[chemteck29]

Just how much weight is TOO much on a septic drain field? I'm shopping for a tractor and that may play a small role in what I choose. Thanks, Chemteck

 

[94BULLITT]

Just how much weight is TOO much on a septic drain field? I'm shopping for a tractor and that may play a small role in what I choose. Thanks, Chemteck

I guess it depends. I don't want to a say a weight and you damage your but I had a truck load (24 tons) of gravel back across mine. Vehicles drive across mine daily. I don't like to run across the septic tank.

 

[chemteck29]

Well then, I'm not looking at anything that big. I should be fine. Thanks, Chemteck.

 

[94BULLITT]

Well then, I'm not looking at anything that big. I should be fine. Thanks, Chemteck.

Hopefully some other people will reply to give you a better idea.

 

[paulharvey]

I've been told that a 3000# car is too much for the drain field, after all its 4" corrugated about 8-12" deep with nothing but sand. Now if you live where they use #57 stone or use the pipe arc pieces that would affect it.

Mom used to park every weekend over hers to wash car, and has had trouble, septic Guy said to avoid parking anything on it, but it could all be coincidence. I personally drive my L285 over mine because that's what I mow with (2230# and 12.4-24 R1)

 

[chemteck29]

Around here since the ground flat out "doesn't perk" we have to run (if memory serves) a 12'x45' separate sand filter bed leading to ( In my case ) 120' of leach lines divided into 3 runs along a slope in my property. I believe the trenches are 2 to 3 foot deep, with the 4 inch corrugated pipe buried in #2 or #3 washed gravel all covered with 6" minimum of topsoil. Whew! That's a mouthful! I have one roughly 3'x3' foot section in my leech bed that will get soft in the spring if it has rained a lot. I'm pretty sure it's just a little light on topsoil there (which I plan to remedy here pretty soon.), but I have my boy push mow that particular spot the first time or two each spring just in case, other than that rest of it is just like driving over the rest of the lawn. I would never park any thing on it for any length of time that's for sure.

 

[chemteck29]

I've been told that a 3000# car is too much for the drain field, after all its 4" corrugated about 8-12" deep with nothing but sand. Now if you live where they use #57 stone or use the pipe arc pieces that would affect it.

Mom used to park every weekend over hers to wash car, and has had trouble, septic Guy said to avoid parking anything on it, but it could all be coincidence. I personally drive my L285 over mine because that's what I mow with (2230# and 12.4-24 R1)

Around here since the ground flat out "doesn't perk" we have to run (if memory serves) a 12'x45' separate sand filter bed leading to ( In my case ) 120' of leach lines divided into 3 runs along a slope in my property. I believe the trenches are 2 to 3 foot deep, with the 4 inch corrugated pipe buried in #2 or #3 washed gravel all covered with 6" minimum of topsoil. Whew! That's a mouthful! I have one roughly 3'x3' foot section in my leech bed that will get soft in the spring if it has rained a lot. I'm pretty sure it's just a little light on topsoil there (which I plan to remedy here pretty soon.), but I have my boy push mow that particular spot the first time or two each spring just in case, other than that rest of it is just like driving over the rest of the lawn. I would never park any thing on it for any length of time that's for sure.

The size tractor I'm looking at currently is in the 1500#-2500# range like you, mostly because I'd like to mow around the house with it too. But if I found something bigger, which I don't really "need" then I could always keep the GT I have instead of trading it in and mow around the house with that. Best case though I find one machine that will work reasonably well for all my needs.

 

[8Nmuppet]

Wow, this thread really took off over a few days. Didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest over the 8N. Just to clarify, I am keeping the 8N. The new manifold and gaskets have arrived, and with luck I'll have it repaired by tomorrow and can finish my mowing.

Don87 is correct, a broken exhaust manifold is not enough reason by itself to spend $10k-$13k on another tractor. My 8N does have a bunch of other little problems (and big ones) -- but that discussion doesn't really belong here, so I omitted those details. It's a very good machine, and it even has the Sherman transmission for extra gears, and if I had another $1k of shop tools, $2k of replacement parts, mechanical aptitude, a muscular friend, and a couple of weeks with nothing else to do, I could rebuild it. And it still would lack a bunch of useful features that newer tractors have.

I won't say I have money burning a hole in my pocket, but cash flow is not a problem at the moment, and tractors hold their value well. I only really need to be able to do brush-hogging, minor snowplowing, and weed-spraying, but if I had a more modern machine, I'm sure I could find half a dozen projects here that I can't do with an 8N.

Many thanks to everyone who has made suggestions. I looked at a brand-new Mahindra 3016 with front-end loader and HST -- very nice, but $17k plus tax, ouch. There's a New Holland TC29DA available for $10,500, but it's 2-1/2 hours from here so I haven't seen it yet. Not much else available locally at the moment. I'll have to be patient and keep looking.

 

[paulharvey]

Advertised in Ocala FL, new ( possible new old stock) 2WD gear, bare bones Mahindra 4015 from dealer..... $11,000. Probably plus sales tax, 7%, and maybe some bogus dealer prep fees, but that's 41 HP for not much. No loader or impliments of coarse at that price. I'm only bringing Mahindra up cause I was kind of floored by that price.

Edit.. advertised on bill board, Ocala Tractor.

 

[chemteck29]

Advertised in Ocala FL, new ( possible new old stock) 2WD gear, bare bones Mahindra 4015 from dealer..... $11,000. Probably plus sales tax, 7%, and maybe some bogus dealer prep fees, but that's 41 HP for not much. No loader or impliments of coarse at that price. I'm only bringing Mahindra up cause I was kind of floored by that price.

Edit.. advertised on bill board, Ocala Tractor.

That is a good price!

 

[allen6634]

i was looking in to buying a kubota , i was thinking that the 0% intersest thing was just right for me, so i went to my local dealer, wile we was talking he told me that the smaller hp kubotas didn't have a frame so i would need to buy a bigger model. i don't rember the exact model of the tractor, because i was there getting my saw chain put on was just talking to pass time.