Looking for a bigger tractor... Super C?

[tstewart]

I've got a couple cubs now and looking for something bigger. I often peruse the local craigslist for old fords (9N through 600) and old Farmalls. I'm looking for an all around tractor for garden duty, snow plowing, dirt/gravel grading, maybe a loader, maybe a 3-point log splitter. The cub works for alot of things but not too good at moving/grading dirt and gravel and I wouldnt dare take it into the woods to haul logs out or anything like that. Always wanted a small farm tractor anyhow, maybe take it in the local parade and old time farm festival.

Right now there seem to be a couple good deals locally on two Super C's. I dont know a whole lot about this tractor. Seems like a lot of folks recommend the M but I dont know if I really need one that heavy duty. The one local Super C is a '48 and comes with a 72" pull behind mower (RM 600 - not sure if thats a brand/model or what) a 5' snow blade, and quick hitch adapter.

Looking for opinions and advice. How hard is it to come by the 3-point adapters for these? Would it power a log splitter?

I remember hearing the warnings about the older fords not being 'live' pto and how the mower will push the tractor after you clutch it... are the Super C's like this? What about other Farmalls?

Thanks for any info...

 

[kweaver]

Tristan - It never amazes me that ppl want 9Ns. Why I don't know since the MF 35s had a far better hydraulic lift (they invented it) and they had live PTOs (runs when clutch is pushed in) which is NICE when shifting gears PLUS the engine in the MF had overhead valves ! They sell cheaper than the 9s also. I've seen late model diesel 135s sell at auction cheaper than the 9Ns.

 

[kweaver]

Plus if you want to work a garden I'd go with an "A" not the "C" and REALLY NOT the "M". The "M" would take a 1/4 acre to turn in.

I've always wanted a Super A myself. Bigger than the Cub Tractor (F-Cub) and small enough to be in a garden.
I had a tricycle "C" in a 2 acre garden I had some years ago , just to big ...

 

[tstewart]

Hmm I guess I hadnt really though about the C still being too big for the garden. Plus I suppose manuevarability wouldnt be that great mowing either. I dont think I have ever driven a tractor with the tricycle front personally, I was under the impression they actually turned tighter.

Our current garden is only about 25'x65' if memory serves, but I plan on putting in a second garden in addition, and probably a little larger, but since I only own 2.5A we will never have any kind of multi-acre gardens. Unless we bought more property of course. Which we may but not for a while. I often toy with the idea of getting a small farm field with some woods I can build a log cabin getaway, hunt, and plant corn for a pellet burner and other things.

I dont know a whole lot about the 9N's... but when I look I usually only look at the newer 50's 8Ns and newer. My dad had a 600 (well there was some debate about which model it was, thought it was a Jubilee) and I know he used that for alot of things and loved it. Thought that had live pto too but I really cant recall. Still trying to get him to let me have it but it needs a lot of work now, he ran it out of oil once and messed up something in the motor and has been moved in many years now. I look for the MF's too, but to be honest I hardly ever see any and the few I do are usually more expensive. My brother in law has MF of that era (not exactly sure the model, but looks like the N series and has the double clutch) so yeah I consider those as well.

 

[lhinds]

Tristan; We bought a 8n ford and used it for two years. My brother thought that was all we needed. Then he took it to the field and bushhoged about 3 acres and came back and said we need a tractor. We gave 1800. for it and sold it for 3200. We found a 1967 3000 Ford diesel for 4200. We traded our 5 foot bushhog for a 6 ft. The tractor handles it with all ease but getting in corners is a pain. We should have kept our 5 ft. bushhog. With good brakes and power steering it gets around in the gardens better than the 8n. I tow the tractor on a 16 foot trailer with my F150. My cousin has a 3000 gas and we worked together for two days and there is no copairing the two tractors. I had lots more power and used 11 gal fuel and he used 19 gaal gas. Just my 02c

 

[mgonitzke]

I vote for Super A or B as well. My dad has had a B for probably 30 years. He pushes snow, cuts wood, and mows with it. The A and B do not have a live PTO, but if you have an overrunning clutch (which you should ALWAYS have on any tractor without a live PTO when using a mower) there's no problem. It's pretty cheap on gas, too.

 

[dross]

What about a 234 or equinilant compact tractor. Your in the ballpark money wise. Live pto, hydraulics even a 3 point. Just thinking out loud.

 

[jdanke]

I have a tricycle C that had been my grandfathers. I had it trucked out to Conn. from Wisco. last year after I moved to a place with 2.5 acres. Mostly, it's heritage. I get a kick out of letting my kids steer, since that's what I did when their age.

Honestly, the C is too big for my 25x40 garden. It's not a great loader tractor, either. I found a C-32 trip-bucket loader, which is great for lifting stones (400-600lbs?) when rebuilding a retaining wall. It's pretty shaky, so I take it easy. I am excited about a grader blade that I just bought off the Akron craigslist because our last snow was too wet & heavy for the Cadets. On the plus side, the tricycle front does whip around quickly. I'm happy, but I'm also just screwing around.

Around here a Super A would make more sense. SA implements are much more common locally, as are three-point. I think their size is good for the 2.5 acre hobbyist. Because I'm not that tall, I think there'd be better front visibility on a SA because of the offset. Since I now have way too many Cadet projects, I really ought not look at eBay/Craigslist/auctionzip as much as I do.

I did a lot of mowing on 5-acre parks using a 9n as a kid. They're OK for that, I guess. Never had many problems, though once I got too close to a sapling, pulled it under the mower and gave it a super pruning. The tree made it, though, and I'm amazed at how big it is now.

 

[dfrisk]

JOEL - I'd keep the C since it was your grandfathers. An A or B would be nice, but still a 1-bottom tractor for plowing a garden. The A/B replacements, 100, 130, & 140 would be better, the 140 was the longest produced IH tractor EVER. Even the larger 200, 230, 240, 340 would be a good tractor for gardening. And if you could find one in decent shape a 300, 330, 350, or 460 International utility would be a good tractor. Even newer would be a 404, 504, 424, 454, etc from the 60's & 70's. They would all have live hyd, live PTO, and 3-point or IH Fast-Hitch. Also some could have power steering. Charlie even has a 460 Utility fork lift.

The old Ford 2,8,9N's are WAY over-priced for what they are capable of doing. Any of the IH models I listed above are just as capable, or more capable and cheaper for their size. And like Luther says, the later 1000-series Fords are a much better tractor and not much more expensive than the N and 600/800-series.

KEN - I remember running the Super H chained to a 1-bottom horse-drawn plow plowing Dad's garden one spring. We were turning over sod plowing about a foot deep. The Super H had it's hands full idling in low gear, I needed more RPM but Dad was having problems walking in the furrow so had to go slow. I was used to "Navigating" His back yard however. The vehicle I drove in his back yard Before the Super H was a 10-wheel 50,000+# ready-mix truck.

Since the H & M are about the same size, the M can do anything and fit anywhere an H will and offers 50% more power. An old Land-Lord used to till his garden with a couple passes of his 9-shank Glenco chisel plow and His 8440 JD 4x4 articulated tractor. The garden was about 40 ft X 60 ft.

TRISTAN - To get Live Hyd & LPTO You really have to get into IH's numbered series tractors.
MATT gives good advice on the over-running clutch on the transmission-driven PTO but I've run a 6 ft rotary cutter over THOUSANDS of acres with the Super H and only needed an ORC a time or two. If your quick at getting the PTO or transmission out of gear the instant you hit the clutch the ORC isn't needed. But if You don't get one drivetrain into neutral they will push you into or through whatever you were trying to stop for.

Far as running a log splitter, YES, anything with a pair of remote hyd. outlets can run a splitter, you have to have 2-way hyd. which is typical of any IH since about 1954/1955. The earlier hyd. systems were lower PSI so splitting performance would be reduced unless you had a large dia. cylinder on the splitter.

The IH Fast-Hitch is actually better than any 3-point, it also has power downforce which a 3-pt will not have. Adapters are available as well as quick-connect Fast-Hitch implements, but FH equip. is getting kinda rare & expensive because of collectors.

Far as a Loader tractor, My M was DAD's loader tractor since before I was born. I was about four yrs old when I drove that M the first time, I was standing between Dad in the seat and the steering wheel... I "SOLO'd" on it when I was about 6 yrs old running the hay rope putting hay in the back barn. By the time I was ten I prayed for BIG snows every weekend in winter so I could clean the whole barnyard with the loader & The M. I still have the Stan-Hoist loader Dad bought new in about 1960 for the M. Steve B noticed SON & I driving into the show grounds @ RPRU this summer with the M and the fact it still had the loader brackets bolted on! The Super H also has a remodeled FORD loader on it. It mounts similar to an IH 2000/2001 Loader. The SH also has 2 pair of rear wheel weights & 500# of calcium fluid per rear tire. The M has no fluid but three pair of 140# each rear weights, I wouldn't run a loader on a NFE tractor without some rear weight. Neither tractor has ever been close to being on it's side even being NFE and with loaders. Just keep the loads low until You need them higher.