Go BottomBuying old vs new
 | ggman
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2001-02-13 24209
I have been planning to buy a new Kubota this spring...B2710 with FEL,back blade,bush hog, and tiller. Just had an acquaintence offer an old '52 Ford 8N series w/bush hog, plow, disc, grader blade, and back hoe....for ~$4000. SInce I am in middle of building a house on 10 acres....needless to say this is a big difference in $$$ that I can spend on a tractor and otherwise sink into the house. My gut feeling is to still buy new.....but I'm tempted to take my chances with old. I understand the ol' Ford is in good working condition....with only a hint of some attention potentially needed to the hydraulics/3 pt hitch. What do you think.....is this a tough decision or not? Don't know if the $4k is a good price.
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962 
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2001-02-13 24211
ggman, if that old Ford really is in reasonable condition with all those implements; especially a backhoe, he should have no trouble getting $4k for it. Just a tractor alone like that will bring $2k if it's just in good enough condition to move under it's own power in my area. Of course, it's a big price difference for you to consider, but there's just no comparing those old tractors with the modern ones like the B2710 with FEL, power steering, etc. ....
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| Todd
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2001-02-13 24212
ggman, don't know much about old fords, but do know something about people getting squished. if you decide on the old ford, look into getting someone to weld on a ROPS, and add a seat belt. the decision between the two will have to take into act what you plan to do with the tractor. i'd drive the ford and see if you'd be comfortable doing what needs to be done on it.
todd ....
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| Ted Kennedy
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2001-02-14 24221
GG, many of the landscapers I work with still have the old Fords. They are used mostly for draft work; rake, scraper, ripper, etc. Although the FEL's work OK, they are a far cry from today's machines, and lacking MFWD, they get stuck a lot even with wheel weights. The price is nice but look at it this way, are you and your wife going to put used appliances and old plumbing into the new house? Are you considering something in the way of a nice 50's furnace? Probably not, for obvious reasons. You and your family will have a lifetime together in that new home, why not have a tractor that will be around and running strong in time for your kids' first home? Enjoy life, it is filled with enough grief and aggrevation as it is, you don't need to add to it if you can possibly avoid it. Good luck to you and your family and enjoy the new home, it is a wonderful experience you'll look back on with pride and satisfaction. p.s. Don't forget to take lots of photos. ....
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| DavidV
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2001-02-14 24230
I own both a 1949 Ford 9N and a NH TC40D. Bought the 9N around 11 years ago. Loved it, was a great machine for mowing, driveway grading, etc. Needed a loader for some new property and bought the TC40D. Am partial to my first tractor and my memories but am now looking to get rid of it due to how much better the new one works.
Just built a house on the new property this year so I understand what you are going through budget wise. If the choice is between the tractor (which can always be traded in later and won't lose much value) and some significant upgrades to the house (which are impossible or not as cheap to install later) then go for the house upgrades and get the cheaper, but very usuable tractor.
Hope this helps.
DaveV ....
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| Duane Pearl
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2001-02-14 24245
ggman... there is on thing I am sure of, and that is what Bird said... you just cannot compare the old with the new. The new tractors with hydrostatic trannys and power steering are just unbelievably usefull. I am no expert on 8N's but my father did own one a few years ago. It was useful for hauling firewood out of the woods with a big cart, and it was good for pulling around a back blade or box scraper... we never mowed with it, but I am sure it we would have been able to manage. All that being said, you probably could get by with the 8N. And for $4000.00, you really can't go wrong... if you bought the 8N and later decided you wanted a new tractor, I am almost certain you could get your $4000 bucks back if you sold it. I also know what it is like sinking money into a house... my wife and I are totally gutting and remodeling a 2700 square foot farmhouse that was built almost 200 years ago. That takes just about every extra penny we earn. Not to mention all of my spare time. WIth that having been said... I should tell you that I did not hesitate for one second when I decided to buy my new B7500 last september. And I have never regretted it. Believe it or not, the little B7500 is actually more useful than the 8N ever was. I would go so far as to say that it is invaluable to me. The power steering, the FEL, the belly mower, the 4x4, the hydrostatic tranny, the overall comfort of operation, the durability, the reliability... what more can I say. There is no doubt you will be able to do more, and do it more quickly and more comfortably with the 2710. But you could definitely do it a whole lot cheaper with the 8N. Just depends on what your priorities are. Remember though, how valuable your time is. I know from experience that when I work 55-60 hours a week, and then come home and work on the house, that I want to get things done as quick and easy as possible.. and my little B7500 helps me out enough to justify its cost... at least in my eyes. ....
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| ggman
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2001-02-14 24249
Gettin' some great feedback. Not exactly sure where this leaves me....as painful as it may be, I guess I'm still leaning towards new. I'm assuming the old '52 is not a four wheel drive and that more than anything may make my decision....as much of my ground can be a bit soggy. I also am interested in a set up to have for the long haul.......Thanks. ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2001-02-14 24251
ggman, sounds like you've about talked yourself into the new B2710 and I don't think you'll ever regret it. That's what I have and I know I do a lot of things with it that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to do with the old Ford. And, yes, the 4WD really makes a difference. I've had to use my 4WD and differential lock several times, but have never gotten into anything I couldn't drive out of. However, the first year that we lived here, my brother-in-law 4 miles down the road came to get me twice to help him retrieve his old Ford after he stuck it. ....
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| Duane Pearl
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2001-02-15 24264
I think Bird hit the nail right on the head... You've probably talked yourself into buying new, and you will not ever regret it. And he's right about the 4 wheel drive too... and it doesn't just make a little difference, it makes all the difference in the world. My tiny little 7500, which is perfect for my 4 acres, can go places and do things that my fathers 8N would have never done. When I imagine my tractor only having 2 wheel drive, I only think of all the things I couldn'd do with it. I can imagine how much more versatile a 2710 would be than my 7500 too... with all that extra hp and weight. If you do decide to buy new, you would have my support... for what it's worth. ....
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| Todd
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2001-02-15 24267
ggman,
I'm with Bird and Duane. Like Bird, I have a B2710 and love it. The decision maker for me when I compared old vs new was that I would never have felt safe with my wife driving one of those older tractors (hence my comment on ROPS).
Todd
Hey Bird, up here in VT we have a fourth season between winter and spring. We call it mud season, and we've managed to get stuck twice! Once I was lucky enough to have the bucket on to "swim myself free", but when my dad decided to try to rotary cut the marsh behind our pond... In his defence, it's only marshy early spring, and he was following where my wife had gone the summer before, but I had to drop the cutter off the back before we could pull him out. He had the axles in the water! It was actually pretty comical. (Live and learn and have a really big come-along.)
....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2001-02-15 24268
Todd, I sure understand about mud season; I'm in the middle of it. The weather's been pretty warm lately, I should have planted a lot of the garden this week (I've had the seed over a week), the yard needs mowing already, and I need to rebuild the brick walkway from the house to the shop. However, it's rained 15 of the last 45 days, everything is saturated, even when it isn't raining, the humidity is 90 to 100% and it stays cloudy so nothing is drying out, puddles everywhere, and I'm getting nothing done. I changed both engine and hydraulic oil & filters in the tractor yesterday, inside the shop, and the tractor was dripping water in the floor just from condensation on the tires and frame, even though it hasn't been out of the building in over a week. ....
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| JeffM
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2001-02-16 24274
Todd and Bird, I sure envy you guys with all those seasons. Up in the Adirondack High Peaks region we only have 2 seasons: winter... and the 4th of July.
PS - Todd, I realize that your climate is virtually identical to mine! ....
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| Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2001-02-16 24285
There isn't really any choice for what you are doing. Those old Fords are wonderful to look at... and with low weight and wide stance they make a great platform for backhoeing. The 8Ns never did handle a loader very well; they are balanced as a 3pt and pulling machine.
And if you are building anything, the tool you will get the most use out of is the front end loader. You will be using the FEL all day every day for more chores than you would ever believe. So I think you will want to go with the tractor that has power steering, 4wd, and a much nicer front end loader. I can guarantee that your back will thank you.
The 8N makes a great complement to a compact tractor. I Hope you do get a chance to own one someday. A prettier tractor has never been built, and that little gas engine just purrs.
....
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| Todd
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2001-02-17 24308
Planting season Bird??? Really! We got an inch or snow last night and it's 15¡F outside. Hard to believe we're in the same country sometimes. We'll palnt in May if we're lucky. If not, there's always the 4th of July growing season, right Jeff?
Todd ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2001-02-17 24310
Yeah, Todd, it SHOULD be planting season; in fact, the potatoes, onions, beets, turnips, and radishes should have been planted this past week, and the broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower next week, but this year . ., who knows? It was 25 degrees here this morning (forecast to be even colder tonight), and mud and puddles everywhere. You may plant your garden before I do this year. ....
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| JeffM
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2001-02-17 24312
PLANTING SEASON??? I'm still laughing. Todd is right... cold weather stuff 3 months from now in May, maybe... Safer for everything else to wait until after Memorial Day. Seriously, years ago I helped my dad hand-plant 13,000 evergreen seedlings over a four year period on long-abandoned farmland for a tree farm. We would plant for 3-4 weekends in May and June. On Memorial Day weekend there would still be snow in ravines with a northern exposure. We would plant the southern exposure areas in mid-to-late May, but had to wait until June for the northern exposure slopes because the ground would still be frozen 3 inches down. I'm not talking about Alaska here, this is low elevations (1000') in upstate New York! ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2001-02-17 24315
Jeff, if I wanted until Memorial Day to plant, everything would be burned up by the heat and sun before it got a chance to produce. Anything that isn't planted before Easter hasn't got a chance. I don't plan to plant anything after April 7 this year. ....
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| G Clevenger
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2001-02-18 24343
I think it is as important to know something about the man as it is about the tractor. What kind of car do you drive? What kind of truck do you drive? ....
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| Roger L.
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 0
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2001-02-18 24346
The trucks are 1970s vintage Chevrolet 4x4 K10 pickups. There are two - his and hers - my '70 is red and white, her '72 is green and white. The car is a '97 Toyota LC FJ80 which alternates in warm weather an old beat up motorcycle, a '67 R60 Earles style BMW. ....
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