Dixie379
Member
First off, I'm new here (howdy). And second, I'm kinda sorta new to tractors. Sure, I drove my dad's lil ford (8N) and such, and am definitely no stranger to farming and driving various equipment a lil bit, even horses, but now I done went and got my very own first tractor. I'm still really happy I got it, I think, but there's been a few times all I can say to myself is WHAT was I thinking? haha
The adventure started when I went to load it and bring it home... Now, my brother had acquired it and was selling it for a friend who's late husband owned it, I guess. Not a whole lot of info beyond that. My brother has loaded tractors literally 1000's of times. (pulling tractors, farm stuff...you name it) So he tells me yeah, always DRIVE it on. Never BACK it on like dad does, you get more traction driving it on. Uh huh, sure. Yeah, that didn't work very well, the front end came up, then we wobbled, then I hit a mild state of panic and mashed on the clutch and brakes (and yes, I know this is always what you should NOT do...but panic will make you ignore all years of wisdom, especially with an already underlying fear of rolling tractors over.) Well, my dad and his friend were with me and ended up pushing/holding on to it as it kind of sat cockeyed on the ramps at an angle similar to a drunk trying to get a beer from a cooler. I think it was purdy well stuck there and not so much they were actually holding it, but the right rear wheel on the ground between the ramps, and the front wheels sort of in space above the right ramp, left rear wheel not touching a thing cept the axle it was attached to. Soon as the movement stopped, I was off the tractor and jumping off the trailer, tossed my gloves on the trailer, muttered I'm Done and went on a shaky walk to the truck to find a smoke. Then I pulled the truck forward to hear my 'new baby' slide down the ramp gently and thump to the ground. Wanna try it again? My dad asked....Maybe being a smarta**, maybe serious.. He ended up backing it up on the trailer for me since my response to his question was a bit irritable 'not today.' A week later my so called brother has told anyone that asks that 'I thought she was going to try to put it in her horse trailer, not her gooseneck'. Yeah, cause when I specifically asked him about loading THAT tractor with ME driving it, and I didn't think it would fit in the horse trailer...whatever, I got the thing home without his help
And in hindsight, if I had thought to mash on the silly posi pedal or lower the grader blade a lil more, I may have been able to get it on, but then again it was just getting higher so stopping when I did may have saved myself being mud rassled by the tractor. Definitely a close call.
Anyhow, it says MF 205 on the hood. The serial tag I think says 00209 for the serial# so according to tractordata that makes it a '78. I say 'think it says' because 99% of the writing on the darn tractor is Japanese! Filters, tire specs, model tag, Japanese (at least I'm assuming those cute lil squiggles are jap letters). And the first time I sat on it, the hourmeter said 14.6. (couple of guys have told me think that may actually be original, though I don't see how that's possible) At least the instrument panel has english...
Dad found an oil filter that fit, I ordered the air filter and another fuel filter (first one I picked up locally wasn't right because it uses a spin on, and farm and fleet's book didn't)...of which only the air filter fit. The lil bit of english on the fuel filter doesn't tell me much to even search or cross reference so that's still on a hmmm I'll have to dig a lil more list. We changed the oil, and coolant (smelled really old, almost a hint of alcohol like how my grampa's tractors used to smell) in the process breaking one the cute lil plastic butterfly looking plug but it was still useable with no leak...good thing cause the 2 new ones I ordered (modern, updated, sposedly better metal) ain't even close to the right size, and even called the place I ordered from and they double checked saying thats what SHOULD fit.
SO, is everything for parts just trial and error? Why is a lot of the stuff listed/shown in parts books not even close to what it looks like on my tractor? I thought it had been restored/repainted, but the couple of guys that thought the hourmeter was original say that it all looks like original paint, no wear spots on the foot pads etc. so I'm a bit confused if stuff has been changed (like fuel filter system) why it would still have japanese writing? When I got it, it had a Uline trailer seal tag on the steering wheel (like from a sale, or possibly shipping)...that might not mean squat but thought it kind of odd with what I see on the tractor.
It runs really nice (especially with new fluids in it), and I think as long as it keeps running nice and I can maybe get the darn diesel started in the winter it'll really help me with chores...but that nagging WHAT was I thinking thought in the back of my head seems to be a sure sign I need to learn a lot more about the lil bugger, so I'd appreciate any help/advice/experience/links!
Thanks for readin..I know it got kinda long. I'll get some pics of it when the weather stops being such a pain...
P.S. At least the cute lil tool box I ordered mounted on the back of the goofy 'roll-bar' nicely to personalize it a lil bit! Makes a good place to stash horsey and goat treats for the critters...It's the lil things....
The adventure started when I went to load it and bring it home... Now, my brother had acquired it and was selling it for a friend who's late husband owned it, I guess. Not a whole lot of info beyond that. My brother has loaded tractors literally 1000's of times. (pulling tractors, farm stuff...you name it) So he tells me yeah, always DRIVE it on. Never BACK it on like dad does, you get more traction driving it on. Uh huh, sure. Yeah, that didn't work very well, the front end came up, then we wobbled, then I hit a mild state of panic and mashed on the clutch and brakes (and yes, I know this is always what you should NOT do...but panic will make you ignore all years of wisdom, especially with an already underlying fear of rolling tractors over.) Well, my dad and his friend were with me and ended up pushing/holding on to it as it kind of sat cockeyed on the ramps at an angle similar to a drunk trying to get a beer from a cooler. I think it was purdy well stuck there and not so much they were actually holding it, but the right rear wheel on the ground between the ramps, and the front wheels sort of in space above the right ramp, left rear wheel not touching a thing cept the axle it was attached to. Soon as the movement stopped, I was off the tractor and jumping off the trailer, tossed my gloves on the trailer, muttered I'm Done and went on a shaky walk to the truck to find a smoke. Then I pulled the truck forward to hear my 'new baby' slide down the ramp gently and thump to the ground. Wanna try it again? My dad asked....Maybe being a smarta**, maybe serious.. He ended up backing it up on the trailer for me since my response to his question was a bit irritable 'not today.' A week later my so called brother has told anyone that asks that 'I thought she was going to try to put it in her horse trailer, not her gooseneck'. Yeah, cause when I specifically asked him about loading THAT tractor with ME driving it, and I didn't think it would fit in the horse trailer...whatever, I got the thing home without his help
And in hindsight, if I had thought to mash on the silly posi pedal or lower the grader blade a lil more, I may have been able to get it on, but then again it was just getting higher so stopping when I did may have saved myself being mud rassled by the tractor. Definitely a close call.Anyhow, it says MF 205 on the hood. The serial tag I think says 00209 for the serial# so according to tractordata that makes it a '78. I say 'think it says' because 99% of the writing on the darn tractor is Japanese! Filters, tire specs, model tag, Japanese (at least I'm assuming those cute lil squiggles are jap letters). And the first time I sat on it, the hourmeter said 14.6. (couple of guys have told me think that may actually be original, though I don't see how that's possible) At least the instrument panel has english...
Dad found an oil filter that fit, I ordered the air filter and another fuel filter (first one I picked up locally wasn't right because it uses a spin on, and farm and fleet's book didn't)...of which only the air filter fit. The lil bit of english on the fuel filter doesn't tell me much to even search or cross reference so that's still on a hmmm I'll have to dig a lil more list. We changed the oil, and coolant (smelled really old, almost a hint of alcohol like how my grampa's tractors used to smell) in the process breaking one the cute lil plastic butterfly looking plug but it was still useable with no leak...good thing cause the 2 new ones I ordered (modern, updated, sposedly better metal) ain't even close to the right size, and even called the place I ordered from and they double checked saying thats what SHOULD fit.
SO, is everything for parts just trial and error? Why is a lot of the stuff listed/shown in parts books not even close to what it looks like on my tractor? I thought it had been restored/repainted, but the couple of guys that thought the hourmeter was original say that it all looks like original paint, no wear spots on the foot pads etc. so I'm a bit confused if stuff has been changed (like fuel filter system) why it would still have japanese writing? When I got it, it had a Uline trailer seal tag on the steering wheel (like from a sale, or possibly shipping)...that might not mean squat but thought it kind of odd with what I see on the tractor.
It runs really nice (especially with new fluids in it), and I think as long as it keeps running nice and I can maybe get the darn diesel started in the winter it'll really help me with chores...but that nagging WHAT was I thinking thought in the back of my head seems to be a sure sign I need to learn a lot more about the lil bugger, so I'd appreciate any help/advice/experience/links!
Thanks for readin..I know it got kinda long. I'll get some pics of it when the weather stops being such a pain...
P.S. At least the cute lil tool box I ordered mounted on the back of the goofy 'roll-bar' nicely to personalize it a lil bit! Makes a good place to stash horsey and goat treats for the critters...It's the lil things....
