WHAT IS A FARM TRAC?????

Travis_R · Aug 13, 2004

I have never heard of this brand before, but I have heard and saw a "Long" tractor. I think they are somehow affiliated with each other. How durable and powerful are these tractors?

Are these tractors better than Mahindra? If I was to consider a Farm Trac, it would be the 35PS I believe is the model.

The Farm Trac 35PS, or the Mahindra 3505-DI. Which one would you choose?

Travis R

Bratkid · Aug 13, 2004

I have had a Farmtrac 35 for just about a year now. I bought it new to replace an 8N Ford that was just not up to my needs. I'll try to explain the story behind the Farmtrac brand to the best of my knowledge and research:

There is an agriculture equipment company in India named "Escorts". At one time they were under license by Ford to build small Ford tractors (2000's 3000's etc.) for the overseas market. After Ford got out of the tractor business in the 80's (early 90's?) Escorts continued to build essentially the same machine renamed. Long Agribusiness recently started importing and selling these machines under the "Farmtrac" brand name. They are almost identical in appearance and operation to the Ford 2000-3000-4000 series. (The front axle appears to be the heavier unit used on the Ford utility tractors as there are no radius arms.) This information may not be exactly correct, but I think I'm close.

Now, about the one I have, it has nearly 100 hrs on it now, and so far it has run without a problem. It is a heavy machine, weighing 4220 lbs without filled tires. I have bush hogged, box bladed, disced and plowed with it and it hasn't missed a beat. The one thing I don't like about it is it's lack of power steering. At the time I bought it, the 35 didn't offer power steering, you had to buy the 45. I paid $9500 for the 35, and they wanted $11,900 for the 45. I didn't think I could justify $2400 for power steering and a couple more HP, but if I had it to do over I'd bite the bullet, as it gets tiring after a few hours! I see now the 35 comes with power steering, and they call it a "535". (I wonder how much it costs?) All in all, the machine is built like a tank, the castings are smooth and if you can do without the bling-bling like hydrostatic drive, hydraulic PTO, step-through floor etc. it is a good buy for the $$.

A couple more recommendations, order it with the folding ROPS and don't buy the factory filters for service, use WIX filters. The oil and hydraulic filters that the Ford 2000 use are the same, don't know about the fuel filters yet.

Bratkid

Travis_R · Aug 13, 2004

Thank you very much for your information. Sound like you know what you're talkin' about.

Does FarmTrac have a website? What kind of parts support do they have in the U.S.?

Thanks,
Travis

Inspector507 · Aug 14, 2004

Farmtrac

Archdean · Aug 15, 2004

I had the pleasure of using my brothers Farmtrac 60 last year and found it to be well made but hard to shift and he thought so too, and just traded it on a new Farmtrac550 Farmtrac 550 web page
He uses it as a general purpose tractor and seems well suited for his farm. The upgrade gives him 4wd and a shuttle shift along with a flat floor, needless to say I am anxious to try it out this fall..
If I can be of any help I will gladly try I did meet the dealer and was impressed even though Orange is my favorite color but then I don't have a need for anything that big!!
Good luck!
Dean

zet · Aug 17, 2004

did they get the 80hp cab model yet.

Kaliburz · Aug 18, 2004

( did they get the 80hp cab model yet. )

Now that would be an interesting model to have.... IF the price was right.

A clone of a Ford bascially....wow. Means I could get it fixed at a local New Holland dealer (formaly a Ford one).

powerstroke2000 · Aug 18, 2004

yeah right /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
you can not even get an 80 let alone one with a cab or 4x4

zet · Aug 19, 2004

What do you mean by your reply. they do offer the 80 model, with mfwd and sometime in future cab.

powerstroke2000 · Aug 19, 2004

( What do you mean by your reply. they do offer the 80 model, with mfwd and sometime in future cab. )

I meant they do not have any. The mfwd was to be here 2 years ago this April and dealers have yet to see any

Woodbeef · Aug 19, 2004

The largest model is not actually a Ford clone. It has a Perkins engine and an Escorts built Carraro tranny.

I do like the looks of the Euro PolMot/Escorts version better,especially the mfd cabbed ones.

callais · Aug 23, 2004

I saw FarmTrac for the first time this weekend while I was buying a box blade for my Yanmar. These have got to be the most comfortable tractor!!!! Roomy and everything is in reach. I don't know how they hold up, but if there longgevity is as good as comforatablity, we see these things around for a while.

Charolais · Oct 2, 2004

( I saw FarmTrac for the first time this weekend while I was buying a box blade for my Yanmar. These have got to be the most comfortable tractor!!!! Roomy and everything is in reach. I don't know how they hold up, but if there longgevity is as good as comforatablity, we see these things around for a while.
)

You are correct.The 80 has a flat platform, shift levers on the right, shuttle shift on the left. Real nice for loading and stacking round bales. It has a park brake that works.(grin) Pull that park brake lever and it'll lock and slide both wheels. I'm impressed with the lift arm control also. It has joysticks for the loader and the dual remotes. Only thing I didn't like on the tractor was the exhaust pipe. I cut the curve off and put a rain cap on.

That Perkins is pretty good on fuel also. I think it's a 21 gal. tank and I've run 19 hours several times when I was checking the fuel usage. Oh, and no smoke out the exhaust. New emissions setup took some of the fun(smoke) out of the diesel. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

CMunger · Oct 2, 2004

Mr Beef- Is the Perkins used in that tractor a Simms Diesel built under a license from Perkins or is it the real thing? Simms builds the engines in the Massey clones, TAFE, and they are built under a Perkins licensing agreement. Something MF ushered in, in the old days.
Chuck M.

BobG_in_VA · Oct 3, 2004

"...or is it the real thing?"

I just had to jump in here. Back in WWII, the best fighter aircraft of the war (P51 Mustang) used a Rolls Royce engine that was built under Licsence here in the good ole USA by Packard. So I ask you, "Was IT the REAL thing?" Just wonderin'? BobG in VA

gamble77 · Oct 12, 2004

It is a true "Perkins"...both the FarmTrac 70 & 80 are "platform" tractors (although they have been renamed here recently the 665 & 675).

For the price, dependability, and performance these are some of the best valued tractors around.

Charolais · Oct 13, 2004

The 80 I have has Perkins in big letters on the valve cover. Now like many companies they could outsource and have another make the engine for them. I used to run MF back in the late 60's and on in to the early 80's. When I was checking the 80 out I started it up on the lot. All I can say is that engine sure sounded familiar to me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif The Perkins engine was one of the major reasons I bought the tractor.

I didn't know that the 70 had the Perkins. I was thinking it was a 3 cylinder and from the same that Ford used. Have they made a change this year?

The price, well I got the tractor with the 5540 loader/6ft. bucket and hay spear for just a little over 22K. I don't know where I could find that package in the major colors for that price. It seems to be a well made tractor. It's easy to operate and has plenty of power. With the platform you're sitting up high enough to make loader work easy too.