Re: What's the best general purpose tractor?

Posted by paul on March 28, 2007 at 05:43:45 from (66.60.197.202):

In Reply to: What's the best general purpose tractor? posted by Kyle Meadows on March 27, 2007 at 20:44:00:

Folks sure love those N Fords, when they don't know anything about them.

Bush hogging is a lot more fun with a live position control 3pt hitch (hydraulics being live; setting the height with a position lever rather than an on/off lever). And a live pto.

Snow blowing _requires_ a slow reverse gear & a live pto.

A loader also is much more fun with live hydraulics & power steering.

Some N series tractors don't have any of that, and most don't have several of those items.

What you are looking for is a late 1950's through 1960's tractor with those options. Most manufatuerers made these advances during this time frame.

Those old tractors without these features are great to collect & restore & look at.

A Ford N would be a step down for you. An N has a 3pt hitch; but in every other way it is less of a tractor than what you have now.

As to wide front vs narrow front; I have a loader on an IHC H tractor narrow front with it property wighted; and I have a NH compact loader tractor with wide front & 4wd. That H is a rock solid loader. The little compact scared the heck out of me the first times I used it, terribly unstable. I added fluid to the tires, and a rock box on the 3pt, but it still scares me some days. Wheelbase & loader geometry make those rear wheels lift up, & the front powered axle keeps it moving rather than spinning out.

That old H (which does not have live pto, live hyd, or power steering.....) is much more stable even with a narrow front & being taller, because of the long wheelbase & proper weighting. Don't assume a wide front is always better than narrow front.

And hey, I have 4 Ford/NH tractors, so I'm not bashing them in a color war. :) Grey/red & blue are my favorite colors - despite the red & olive green on my place which I also like. You just have to look at the options a tractor has to fit your needs.

--->Paul

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