thinking about buying

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fishy68

fishy68

Tyr Fryr's Inc.
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A 1948 Ferguson TO-20 tractor. Anybody here mess with the old Fergy's or Ford/Fergy's? The guy claims it's in real good mechanical shape. Engine was rebuilt about 10 yrs. ago and not used a lot since. Electrical system has been changed over to a 12 volt system with an alternator. Just needs the oil changed cause it's been sitting a lot and could use painted.

There have been several times a small tractor would come in handy and the price sounds right so Sat. morn. I'm going over to look at it and see how it runs and drives.

Does anybody here have any idea what prices these things are selling for in good shape?
 
Don't know about the Fergys but a few neighbors have old Ford N series tractors. Relaible as a rock. Neither one of my neighbors has any brakes to speak of. I did look at a few old Fergusons. Same thing on the brakes. Hope you got strong arms and a good back .....unless you plan on just driving straight. The 2 that I test drove were a real sob to turn......
 
Tracy, I have a 1949 Ford 8N. It is a remarkable tractor. I think that particular Ferguson is a mirror image. Very easy to work on and maintain, plus everything is still available from Ford...well...new holland. I did a ground up on mine about 9 years ago. Holds 25 PSI oil pressure at idle and 40-50 at speed. We have almost seven acres and it has not failed to do anything I have asked of it.
 
Buddy of mine has a Ferge TO-20.. Amazing little tractor.. They will work longer then you want to.. keep the tall narrow tires on it.. Makes it eisier to turn..
 
fishy68 said:
A 1948 Ferguson TO-20 tractor. Anybody here mess with the old Fergy's or Ford/Fergy's? The guy claims it's in real good mechanical shape. Engine was rebuilt about 10 yrs. ago and not used a lot since. Electrical system has been changed over to a 12 volt system with an alternator. Just needs the oil changed cause it's been sitting a lot and could use painted.

There have been several times a small tractor would come in handy and the price sounds right so Sat. morn. I'm going over to look at it and see how it runs and drives.

Does anybody here have any idea what prices these things are selling for in good shape?
Click to expand...

just to let you know there is a company in central PA. called Wangers if you need anything for the tractor he will have it the last time i was there for parts for a B mod. Johne Deere he must have had 200 old tractors there if i can find his number i'll send it to you but i know he is in the phone book and i think he has a web. site
 
We had an 8N when I was a kid and remember my Dad always remiding me to not get my thumbs on the insides of the steering wheel.
Hit a little ditch one day with it, and yes I had my thumbs on the insides of the wheel.
Bout tore em off when the steering wheel spun around.
Friggin thing ran for as long as I can remember though.

We had a TD4 caterpillar also, and that was a blast when I was a kid.
Crank start and all.
 
The one thing I recommend you get for it Tracy is an overrunning clutch for the PTO output. Since the little tractor does not have a live PTO, the clutch will keep implements from "pushing" the tractor. If they have one flaw, that is it, but it is easily overcome. I also recommend the "Zane Thing" for hydraulic pump adjustments, as it will need adjusting periodically to maintain optimum operation. A quick google search will pull it up. You will also want to watch moisture buildup in the hydraulic oil. When it freezes, it usually takes the hydraulic pump out with it. Wrapping the area under the seat with blankets or a heating pad when it gets really cold will prevent that.
 
I have a 41 ford 9n, not many differences at all between the 9n,8n, and fergusons, (ferguson designed N series tractors for ford). Everything in SS's posts are true, but I will add a couple things. These tractors are work horses, and as others have said, parts are readily available and not nearly as expensive as farmall or john deere parts, and they are easy to work on. i dont know what you plan to use the tractor for, but they arent the best for use with a front end loader. due to the lack of power steering and the front ends arent built as heavy as some tractors built later. as long as you aint carrying large buckets of dirt/gravel, you can get around that by throwing a set of discs on the 3pt. Heres a couple more links you might find helpful

http://www.yesterdaystractor.com/
they also have photo ads on the left of the page, so you can get a better idea of prices for your area

and heres the zane thang SS mentioned
http://www.tntwebdevelopment.com/tff/zanethang.htm

IMHO, ferguson made the best tractors ever built, way ahead of there time, they were even used to make the 1958 trek to the south pole by sir edmund hillary:blob:
 
...and get this.....you know WHY parts are so readily available? ...and this is NOT counting the Fergusons, but between the 9N, 2N and 8N over one million N series tractors were built. Over 3/4 of them are STILL OPERATING TODAY. I think that's just funny as all hell. ...also, Ferguson didn't build the tractor for Ford. Ford built the tractor and Ferguson supplied the hydraulic three point hitch system. From AntiqueFarming.com :

"In 1938 Ferguson and a small staff took his plow-tractor combination to Ford and the two formed a partnership that favored both sides. It provided Ferguson a manufacturer for his idea and Ford an idea to manufacture. Ford invested $12,000,000 in tooling costs and helped Ferguson finance his new distribution company. In 1939 Ford introduced the 9N tractor that became known as the Ford Tractor with the Ferguson System. The 9N had rubber tires, power takeoff, Ferguson hydraulics, an electric starter, generator, and battery and it was priced at $585.
The Ford 9N Tractor and the Ford 2N tractors certified the engineering ideas Harry Ferguson had struggled for decades to prove. Yet when Ford introduced the 8N that utilized Ferguson's invention Ferguson's name was no longer on the tractor and no royalties were paid to Ferguson. The handshake agreement between Ford and Ferguson was dissolved and Ferguson filed a law suit against Ford that dragged on for four years and resulted with Ferguson receiving a $9.25 million settlement from Ford."
 
Had a 2n a few years ago. Friends would laugh at how simple it was. Hell its just a motor, trans and rear with a seat and a little sheetmetal around the fuel tank.
 
There was more of to it that ferguson brought over, from the ferguson brown tractors in europe. Ferguson also held more patents than just the 3pt hitch from those ford tractors. He also held the patents for the front end/ steering components, which you wouldnt have to disconnect any of the steering linkage to adjust the front end wheel tread width. the N series tractors are almost a spittin image of the ferguson brown tractors sold in europe prior the ford-ferguson agreement
 
Oh I am sure it was way more intertwined than the article I posted, no doubt. There were also Ferguson implements and attachments that fit both tractors. They shouldda known that since both tractors were the SAME, that would lead to some **** on down the road. LMAO.
 
Oh no doubt theres alot more to it than we will ever know.....sounds like you love them as much as i do:toothy7:
 
jw_german said:
Oh no doubt theres alot more to it than we will ever know.....sounds like you love them as much as i do:toothy7:
Click to expand...

I sure do. I can go out there right now and pull the choke, give it half throttle turn on the key, TOUCH the starter and it pops right off.
 
I used to have a 1941 9N. Had to work on it every time I used it. I have no idea how many hours were on it, but it was well used. If you happen to need parts for it that aren't available from New Holland (such as axle spider gears, tore the rear end up in mine), you can check with Helm's farm machinery. They are a Ford tractor junkyard in South Carolina.
 
Helms is great. I have also had great service and made good friends with Trusty Tractor in Shelton, Wa. Dale and April are good people. It's a small mom and pop operation that I enjoy doing business with.

http://trustytractor.com/
 
Very interesting reading. My grandfather never had a tractor he always used a mule and a plow to do the family garden with.
 
Wow, thanks for all the replies and information and links. I thought it was about the same as a Ford 8N. Really glad to hear parts are still available for it. The tough steering may be an issue right now since I'm still recovering from back surgery but it's winter so I figured I'd park it till it warms up this spring and get it out then and play with it. By then I should be all healed up too.
 
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