School me on firewood tractors

[300zx_tt]

Hey guys, I'm currently in the market for a compact/ small/ maybe a medium sized firewood tractor. I have a couple of ads up on some boards and Craigslist. I'm looking for a tractor with a front end loader. I have no money (I'm getting married, so I have money, just very little for a tractor) right now so I have my ar-15 (spikes lower and bcm upper) for trade plus some cash. So a rough value of ~2k.


Now anything I should stay away from? I'm talking about a $2000 here so I'm not expecting anything fantastic. Certain years for certain manufacturers?
Certain motors? I know it's going to be old and not pretty but I'm moving slabs, firewood and logs around so it's gonna be a working tractor, I'm also fairly young at 25, so something I could keep and fix with parts I can source is kind of important. It seems like the bigger, older tractors go for cheaper around my area.

Any help would be appreciated since I have no knowledge of tractors or front end loaders, but I intend to learn

 

[laynes69]

Around here, 2000 won't bring a front loader. I have 2 tractors a Oliver Super 55 diesel, and a '52 8N Ford. Neither have a loader. I used my Super 55 for quite some time when I ran into my 8N for $900 dollars. She is old, but hauls alot of wood in our military trailer. For firewood, a decent older tractor and trailer would be a start. I've cut hundreds of cords and pulled many logs with my old tractors.

 

[300zx_tt]

Around here, 2000 won't bring a front loader. I have 2 tractors a Oliver Super 55 diesel, and a '52 8N Ford. Neither have a loader. I used my Super 55 for quite some time when I ran into my 8N for $900 dollars. She is old, but hauls alot of wood in our military trailer. For firewood, a decent older tractor and trailer would be a start. I've cut hundreds of cords and pulled many logs with my old tractors.

How do you like the 8n? Any major issues?
I found a 1949 9n with a loader on it for $3100... it was a clean tractor but it needed 4 tires. They were real dry rotted. I wasn't in the market at the time, unfortunately.

 

[stevetheboatguy]

Be patient and one will come along. I have two I use. Our cub/yanmar 2400 loads easy and doesn't tear things up, but it's limited to around 700 lbs lifting. Now our case 585 does much heavier lifting (can't remember what my old car weighed, but it lifted it over the sides of the trailer to haul it in for scrap 2400lb?) but will rut things up and doesn't fit on my trailer. I think I paid $6500 for the 585 about 8 years ago. And $5700 for the cub.

My advice would be to take your time looking and make sure you can get parts when needed. And you will definitely risk breaking thing's lifting firewood do not kid yourself on that. Our cub 2400 was a smoking deal. But parts are a issue when they break. Some things you can improvise and make. Others not so much.


Steven

 

[Conquistador3]

I don't know how the situation is in the US, but the problem with old tractors is that they break down far more often than modern ones and spare parts are far harder to find, especially if you are looking at tractors that stopped being made before the 70's.
Whatever smoking hot deal you find, poke around to see if parts are still available for it and how much they cost. These days it's easy to ask people with knowledge and not just dealers.

Personally I have a soft spot for smaller Japanese tractors (Iseki, Kubota, Mitsubishi, Shibaura, Toyosha/Hinomoto/Hitachi etc) as jack of all trades. I've used them for years without an issue, something that could not be said about the other brands I had to use, such as New Holland. The "problem" is they tend to hold their second hand value really well, meaning they are pricey even when old and high hours.
If you find one, an 80's Iseki such as the TL2101 would be a fine machine and give you many extra years of service.

 

[dave_dj1]

Just keep looking. I think you will be disappointed in an old 9n or the like with a loader on it, they really can't lift much. I don't know your area but usually cash is king. I have a ford 3000 that I picked up this summer, it's a gas model with a loader, it will lift a lot, very strong machine and not too big (47 hp back in 65)
I just listed it for sale for 2995, it's ugly as sin but runs great, loader is tight and has new rear tires. I've already had two very interested potential buyers, we are waiting for the weather to get up out of the sub freezing temps...lol
Good luck and congratulations on gettin hitched

 

[dave_dj1]

I don't know how the situation is in the US, but the problem with old tractors is that they break down far more often than modern ones and spare parts are far harder to find, especially if you are looking at tractors that stopped being made before the 70's.
Whatever smoking hot deal you find, poke around to see if parts are still available for it and how much they cost. These days it's easy to ask people with knowledge and not just dealers.

Personally I have a soft spot for smaller Japanese tractors (Iseki, Kubota, Mitsubishi, Shibaura, Toyosha/Hinomoto/Hitachi etc) as jack of all trades. I've used them for years without an issue, something that could not be said about the other brands I had to use, such as New Holland. The "problem" is they tend to hold their second hand value really well, meaning they are pricey even when old and high hours.
If you find one, an 80's Iseki such as the TL2101 would be a fine machine and give you many extra years of service.

I think most of the tractors you like we call grey market tractors, parts are usually hard to source. I have a 65 Ford 3000 and just about every part is available for it as well as the older N series tractors. My brother in law has an old Massey and most parts are still available for it, it has a Perkins diesel. I know a lot of guys restore old tractors like JD, Oliver and Case and they can get most parts for them.

There is a site called yesterdays tractor that sells tons of parts and I like tractor data for looking up specifications of a specific tractor.

 

[babybart]

I think in your price range you could get an old Ford.. 2n, 8n, 9n, 600, 650, 800, 850. The 600 or 800 are a little heavier and you can find any one of them with a loader. I have an 850 and I can get any part I need, some of them are on the shelf at TSC. I was on CL recently and saw a 600 with a loader, I'm in NE MD so not sure where in PA you are.

 

[laynes69]

How do you like the 8n? Any major issues?
I found a 1949 9n with a loader on it for $3100... it was a clean tractor but it needed 4 tires. They were real dry rotted. I wasn't in the market at the time, unfortunately.

It's not my first choice, but I use what I have. Tires are not cheap either. My oliver has an independent PTO, where the 8N does not. With that said however on a budget they get some work done. Having a loader with an N series however they aren't built that heavy in the front end. The hundred series would be better suited for a loader or a 2, 3 or 4 thousand model. I just know, 2000 is a very low budget for a loader around here. I want a loader tractor, and for a decent older model heavy enough to use without breaking, I'm in the 6,000 to 8,000 range.

 

[GVS]

How do you like the 8n? Any major issues?
I found a 1949 9n with a loader on it for $3100... it was a clean tractor but it needed 4 tires. They were real dry rotted. I wasn't in the market at the time, unfortunately.

$3100.00 for any N ford is way too much!Needing 4 tires-forget it!They are good tractors for what you want to do but that price is way out of line.

 

[Mustang71]

I had a ford 850 with a loader and power steering. I paid 3k for it and sold it for 3k it's a much better tractor than the 8n. The front end is stronger it's got about double the power and it's not a flat head engine. It was a 6 volt positive ground tractor I switched it to 12 volt. I got it stuck in the mud burried above the axle that was a bad day. I didn't like the non locking rear end. Make sure you get good tires or chains.

I won't be buying another old tractor. I'l be getting a new one that I can mow my lawn with and operate a loader more efficiently. Hopefully some day soon.

 

[sirbuildalot]

I would wait until I had more $$$ saved up. I don't think you'll find much of anything with a loader for 2 grand that runs.

 

[DoHomerSimpson]

If you cant find a tractor with a loader within your budget, consider putting a set of forks on the rear 3-pt lift of an older tractor. I have one on the rear of a John Deere 855 and it is extremely useful. The forks are great for lifting/carrying logs, slabs etc and the tractor's pulling power will get longer log lengths out of the woods for you.

You may be able to get a used hydraulic lift unit for a 3-pt linkage for a lot less than a FEL.

 

[300zx_tt]

The first tractor is probably on the large size for me. He's asking $3500. Out of my budget but there's some value there for sure.






The last old ford is pretty rough looking, like I said though. I don't care about looks. If I did I wouldnt daily a 92 f350. Just wanted to show you guys that there are some tractors out there in the $2000 range. Not the perfect tractor, but good workers

 

[Mustang71]

I would think you would be better off with the TO30 than an 8n. A lot of those loaders don't have down pressure. That bottom ford does. If u only want to lift stuff with the loader then it would be fine but if you want to do any digging scrapping or scooping you will want a loader with the hydraulics to force the bucket into the ground. Applying down pressue.

I have herd that those 8ns flat head engines often require rebuilds unlike that massy Ferguson. That would have a push rod engine.

 

[Ryan'smilling]

Forget about Ns. If you want a loader it's the wrong tractor. If you want to pull a wagon around, sure. Otherwise, don't even click the ads.

A Massey is much better, but still, the loaders on all of these tractors you list except maybe the first one if it's an industrial tractor, are basically garbage. They have poor cycle times, even worse lift capacities, they can't be quickly removed, so they really make the tractor cumbersome, and they take weight off the drive wheels, which reduces traction, and also puts a lot of stress on the front axle, which they aren't designed to take. An only tractor like that that's worn a loader for long is almost guaranteed to have loose or broken front end components. Also, almost none of those tractors have power steering. Have fun turning the wheel with any weight on the bucket.

Lastly, any old tractor like that (unless it's been retrofitted) won't have a roll bar. Rollover is no joke and it's been the end of countless farmers.

Honestly, if you want a practical tractor, either forget the loader and use some three point forks, or better yet, put down a down payment on a new tractor. Since you don't have a lump sum you can plop down, one of the low or 0% interest deals might be perfect for you. You'll get a safer, more capable machine that will work all the time instead of breaking down. That'd be the best, and you can get something like a Kioti ck2610 or a Kubota l2501 for under 20k. That makes payments pretty reasonable. Otherwise, you should be able to find something like a Ford NAA or 640 for $2-3k without a loader. They're still prone to rollover, but if you are cautious you can do a lot with them. If you go that way, make sure it's got good tires. It's easy to spend 1k on tires if it needs them.

 

[Tin-knocker]

I don't know much about tractors but I do know about buying and selling stuff! My 2 cents is that not everyone selling a tractor is looking for an ar-15 but everyone selling one is looking for cash. So I'd sell the gun and have the cash in hand that way if a good deal comes up you can jump on it without having to jump through hoops to try to work out a trade plus cash deal and then potentially miss a good deal. Hope you can find what you're looking for!

 

[300zx_tt]

I don't know much about tractors but I do know about buying and selling stuff! My 2 cents is that not everyone selling a tractor is looking for an ar-15 but everyone selling one is looking for cash. So I'd sell the gun and have the cash in hand that way if a good deal comes up you can jump on it without having to jump through hoops to try to work out a trade plus cash deal and then potentially miss a good deal. Hope you can find what you're looking for!

I posted 2 ads on Craigslist one wtb a tractor for 2k and one want to trade. I had 5 emails on the trade post and none on the wtb post. People are into bartering nowadays. I agree that most people won't want to trade but at the price point I'm at I think people want to barter. I have the rifle up for sale on some firearm forums as well.

I have time so I'm not in a crazy rush

 

[rarefish383]

I had a Ford 641, it's a newer, 1957, over head valve version of the N's. It was 31 HP. I sold it about a year ago and bought a Massey 135 with a Continental Z145 gas. That was the bigger gas engine available for the 135. Twice the tractor the Ford could ever dream of being. I paid $1000 and put another $300 in it. $99 was a new adjustable seat because the original wouldn't slide back far enough for my new knee to reach the clutch. Back in October a Massey 35 with a FEL sold at our local equipment auction for $1500. The 35 was basically the same as my 135, just a couple years older. I would definitely go with the TO30 before the N. The TO30 has the slightly smaller 134 CI continental. You live close enough to me I know you can find a nice Massey or IH for less than those advertised prices. The equipment auction I go to is in Frederick MD, Spring March and Fall October. There is another auction house in Boonsboro that turns up deals now and then. If you can find a Massey with the 3 cylinder Perkins diesel I'd pay a bit extra for it. I know where there are 2 Massey's for sale, I'll ride out and check the price tomorrow. But, this guy buys and fixes up tractors and might be a bit steeper on price than I'd go, Joe.

 

[Mustang71]

Forget about Ns. If you want a loader it's the wrong tractor. If you want to pull a wagon around, sure. Otherwise, don't even click the ads.

A Massey is much better, but still, the loaders on all of these tractors you list except maybe the first one if it's an industrial tractor, are basically garbage. They have poor cycle times, even worse lift capacities, they can't be quickly removed, so they really make the tractor cumbersome, and they take weight off the drive wheels, which reduces traction, and also puts a lot of stress on the front axle, which they aren't designed to take. An only tractor like that that's worn a loader for long is almost guaranteed to have loose or broken front end components. Also, almost none of those tractors have power steering. Have fun turning the wheel with any weight on the bucket.

Lastly, any old tractor like that (unless it's been retrofitted) won't have a roll bar. Rollover is no joke and it's been the end of countless farmers.

Honestly, if you want a practical tractor, either forget the loader and use some three point forks, or better yet, put down a down payment on a new tractor. Since you don't have a lump sum you can plop down, one of the low or 0% interest deals might be perfect for you. You'll get a safer, more capable machine that will work all the time instead of breaking down. That'd be the best, and you can get something like a Kioti ck2610 or a Kubota l2501 for under 20k. That makes payments pretty reasonable. Otherwise, you should be able to find something like a Ford NAA or 640 for $2-3k without a loader. They're still prone to rollover, but if you are cautious you can do a lot with them. If you go that way, make sure it's got good tires. It's easy to spend 1k on tires if it needs them.

That's how i feel. I've done the old tractor thing. Just because it's 3000lbs of steel with some tires and a loader strapped on it doesn't mean it' awesome. 4wd and a removable loader are great features. I remember seeing at the county fair a john deere dealer selling a mid size compact tractor for just under 200 a month with 0 interest. Yea it may be 7 years to pay it off but there's no interest and I'd plan on having it for 20 years anyways.