picture of old rustry 8n trencher

Justin SE IOWA · Feb 10, 2013

My neighbor has this old 8n with a trencher sitting out in the weeds. I would love to have this for a front yard decoration around the wife's flower garden. He says I can have it for scrap value! Its going to the crusher this spring if I don't buy it. Pretty neat huh?!?!

oldtanker · Feb 10, 2013

Yea pretty cool!

If ya get it and want to part with the blade assembly let me know.

Rick

old · Feb 10, 2013

Years ago I had an IH trencher I think was on a 300U or 350U that I traded off for a car and my wife less then a month later totaled it by going to fast on a gravel road and spinning it 180 into a ditch. If I had the $$ I sure as heck would buy it and believe it or not I would get it back up and running

Kevin in OK · Feb 10, 2013

Very neat old machine. There are an awful lot of chains and sprockets, is it wheel driven instead of PTO?

Randysouthmississippi · Feb 10, 2013

That machine needs to be running. It looks to be all there.
Grab it.

Vito · Feb 10, 2013

I would buy it at scrap price.

Vito

NRB · Feb 10, 2013

How about the yellow scraper? Think your neighbor might part with it??
Thanks

Cliff Nelson · Feb 10, 2013

I'm not a Ford fan but that needs to be saved. Sounds like the price is right. I'm with the others, get it running and play with it.

Greg K · Feb 10, 2013

Sweet! I think it should be working again, I have been thinking of getting a trencher....

FLOLDFORD · Feb 10, 2013

Friend of mine has one like that stored inside one of his buildings.it is in original condition has not been restored but in nice shape. It has a Sherman over and under and an another transmission behind the regular 4 speed. Never seen that many chains and sprockets on a tractor it must weigh at least 6000 pounds. I'm sure it was a heck of a load for that 23hp flat head. I can't remember who it was built by maybe Howard?. Bought a junk 8n a few years back that had the same trans between the the 4 speed and the rearend wish i had saved the aux trans. Could have built me an 8 slow enough to run a rototiller

Whichester1 · Feb 10, 2013

I'd give him a check with a note on the memo section detailing "Ford tractor/trencher" to ensure nobody beats you out of it.
Even a partial payment will hold it for you.

John B. · Feb 10, 2013

I'm sure you would be riding/slipping the clutch a lot to get it to go slow enough while trenching. Keep the trencher and blade and part out the tractor.

JD Seller · Feb 10, 2013

These worked pretty good for the time. If you guys would look there is a chain on the right wheel of the tractor. This chain drove the tractor along the ground. This was driven from the trencher. You only used the tractor transmission to move the tractor while not using the trencher.

I would love to have it to get it working again. IF you can get it for scrap price then I would buy it. If you want to sell it I would be interested. I would love to restore it.

old popper · Feb 10, 2013

Back in the early 50s There was a man by the name of Russell Hobbs in Alta, Ia. that did farm tiling. He had one or maybe two of those trenchers mounted on 8n Fords. He also had two or more with backhoes mounted on 8n Fords. Before the restrictive labor laws he hired a lot of high school boys and gave them the opportunity to earn money to buy cars etc. The good old days.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 10, 2013

I have a feeling that the PTO runs the trencher, and the wheels, look at that big sprocket, inside the fender on the RS wheel, I bet that's not factory!

Anonymous-0 · Feb 10, 2013

Whoops, didn't see JD seller's post. Like minds think alike, LOL!

charlie n · Feb 10, 2013

My dad had one.It was an ARPS. There was a cog system built in the rear end.Using the geometry in the operators manual you set dogs on a ratchet system.The machine could trench a circle with no help from the operator.Some place in my mothers house I have an aerial photo taken over in JohnB's neck of the woods.It's of a farm my dad tiled with it in the early 50's. If I can find it I'll post.Back in 2000 there was one setting in a yard south of Ellsworth in Rapid City.

Scott-SD · Feb 10, 2013

That would be really cool to see working.

fixerupper · Feb 10, 2013

There was a fella west of Laurens that had one. The rig was pulled along by a winch with the cable hooked to a backhoe across the field. He trenched so slow I had to stop on the road to see if he was moving. Jim

SweetFeet · Feb 11, 2013

I'd buy it - pretty neat. Do you get the tractor too? Will look neat by your wife's garden.

Sure would not want to get tangled up in that when its running.

picture of old rustry 8n trencher

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