I got a 9N.

[Warmouth]

Looks a little like this.







But different.

[Duck Me Runnin]

Hey ! That's real nice, Mr Douglas.

[RB]

Dave, make sure you get a brush guard on the front of the one you are getting. It is good for pushing over small trees you don't want in your radiator. The one in the pic looks like an 8N.

[Warmouth]

The 8n and 9n are almost indistinguishable. 9n is a stright 4 cylinder, 3 speed with reverse, but no hi/low range. I do have the brushguard and lights. It runs aweful smooth now, and there's really not much to it mechanically.



I'm shopping for a blade now.

[Tigerhaze]

Congrats! Welcome to the Ford N Series club. I bought DjF's 8N many years ago.



The picture Warmouth posted is of a 9N; you can tell by the rear wheels which have 6 lugs instead of 8 like on the 8N and the lack of the Ford embossing on the front fenders. There are some other distinguishing characteristics that aren't evident in a photo but as Warmouth said they look pretty close even though they were manufactured over ten years apart. The 2N (which came between the 9N and 8N) is a lot different because of the magento and steel wheels due to WWII.



BTW, my 1952 8N doesn't have a hi-lo range- simple 3-speed gearbox with reverse.



There have been several farm auctions with 3-point blades just down the road from you near P-Hill over the last few months; you'll get a better blade for a lower cost at a farm auction. I'll keep my eye out for blades in the sales bills I watch, unless you're wanting a brand new blade.

[Warmouth]

I don't care if its new or not, just so it has pull pin type of adjustments. I have priced one in Harrisonville for $110, and there is a practically new one in LJ that I know about for $120.



I've been looking at ntractorclub.com some, just reading what I can about them. Mine has the 8N paint job, and is in darn good condition for its age. Not like some of the parade queens on that site though.

[Tigerhaze]

If you are finding that good of deals then you should probably just go with them- you won't find much better at farm auctions except on rare ocassions. Most new rear straight blades start at $270 and higher for the pull-pin pivot type.



I have a pretty extensive list of "N" series site links with good info bookmarked and could PM to you if you wanted. My 8N was in somewhat rough shape when I bought it and is somewhat rougher now; it is a workhorse that I put through the ringer. It will never be a parade machine either!

[RB]

TH send me the sites also. I am a fan of old tractors.

[Warmouth]

Tiger, the blades are used, the H-ville one I don't know much about, the other came with a tractor and wasn't needed. I will contact you when/if I need to with those sites, since you are an aficionado. It is interesting how attatched folks are to them, and how many folks still use them.



It looks like mine might be a better purchase than I thought. Not only is it in great shape, but the 9n started the N series, and is that much more attractive to collectors. From 1939-1943 there were 105K+ built. It looks like mine might be one of the earlier years, going by the position of the starter switch.

[RB]

TH, send me the list of sites. I am a old tractor fan and plan to rebuild and restore a couple of them pretty soon.

[Tigerhaze]

I got an 8N as a workhorse for my property, and didn't know much about them when I bought it. I have since learned quite a bit about them and how to work on them. I've already had the tractor split once to replace the engine clutch. Mine has been converted to 12V negative ground which loses some of the restoration value (which doesn't matter to me) but makes it a lot easier to start and run.

They were a very functional tractor in their day (and even now) and set the standard for the 3-point hitch that is used universally now. they can do a lot of work- I regulary skid harvested 20' tree trunks with them (nothing really big in diameter though). You will find out that a 3-point boom pole is about the handiest thing you will use as an attachment- they go around $90 new.

Then one thing I do hate about them is the lack of live hydraulics- it really sucks when you are using a bushhog or post hole digger.

Since there is some interest I will post up a bunch of the links when I get a longer break.

[RB]

TH, they are a good tractor and will last forever. I had mine for several years and it worked very well. I really wanted a loader and a little more power for brush hogging on hills so I traded it it and eventually got a new New Holland with a loader and 4 wheel drive. I plan to rebuild them for a hobby. I still need to learn more but did quite a bit of work on my old 51.

[hunting170]

MOCraig said:
Where's Snowflake when you need him?

Don`t know...never needed him for anything?

[Warmouth]

I am nervous about the pto and brush hogging. I've heard that the brush hog will send you on a ride if you are very careful, which is never something I've been known for.

[Warmouth]

I took a couple pics last night, I'll have to get LA to post them up.