Massey Ferguson F40

[5.7 hemi]

We are buying a house on 1 acre, and I’m gonna need a small tractor or riding lawn mower.

We currently live in Central Valley in California, just south of Fresno and looking on CL, I’m finding Ford 8/9N’s and a few Massey Ferguson tractors. They all have a 3 point lift and some have a PTO.

I only need it to plow down weeds and do gardening. So any advice ya got, I’m gonna take. Thanks!!

 

[super-bee_ski]

Is it just for mowing
1 acre?
Okay, if just for mowing I have a Husquavarna 28 HP (26?) with a 54" deck....
It has 3 blades, cut like a champ.
Get something like that on Craigslist....
Okay, I see, a Power Take Off....
Hmm,
Nope, won't work....

 

[super-bee_ski]

Here ya go "Z-man"
35 miles from my house, in Rosamond CA!

Ha Ha...yeah huh?
He's asking money for this!


Ha Ha

Okay, Bakersfield CA:

Maybe too big...

But this is sweet, an older Simplicity...
With rotortiller attachments in Clovis!
SIMPLICITY, these were GREAT little Lawn Garden tractors in the Day, along with Graveley's and Cub Cadets....

He has a bunch one new stuff like battery/ignition etc....
These are becoming collectors items

Hey, like my 54" cut Husky, it will cut all day long...but they have no PTOs.....

 

[Bb70charger500]

There all good I've worked on tons there basically the same thing I like the 8 n's the best there's tons of stuff for them and they rarely brake down my boss used to buy and restore the older ones they can be had for not alot you need a PTO to run a mower so keep that in mind there not cheap to put on a tractor that doesn't have one . If you have all the hyd that's a start atleast but some I've seen with nothing no hyd so you would need everything... Just keep in mind .

But all honesty a zero turn will handle an acre in a breeze if it's overgrown bad at first maybe get a brush hog or tiller out to clear the crap and the zero turn can take the grass on .

 

[Bb70charger500]

Here ya go "Z-man"
35 miles from my house, in Rosamond CA!

View attachment 979355


Ha Ha...yeah huh?
He's asking money for this!


Ha Ha

Okay, Bakersfield CA:
View attachment 979356

Maybe too big...

But this is sweet, an older Simplicity...
With rotortiller attachments in Clovis!
SIMPLICITY, these were GREAT little Lawn Garden tractors in the Day, along with Graveley's and Cub Cadets....

View attachment 979357


He has a bunch one new stuff like battery/ignition etc....
These are becoming collectors items

Hey, like my 54" cut Husky, it will cut all day long...but they have no PTOs.....

That first one is not in bad shape just needs tires I bet it will fire right up its just a little ugly not bad being around 70-80 years old

 

[5.7 hemi]

The property doesn’t have grass. Just need to knock down weeds that are sure to grow in the “south 40”, lol!!

A riding lawn mower would also work, if I get a tractor with a disc, box blade of tines, I may be able to recoup some money but taking care of the neighbors land.

Here’s some examples that I’m contemplating..... https://fresno.craigslist.org/grd/d/fresno-massey-ferguson-to30-tractor/7153211935.html
https://fresno.craigslist.org/grd/d/parlier-ford-8n-tractor-for-sale/7149095152.html
https://fresno.craigslist.org/grd/d/sanger-1952-ford-8n-tractor/7163180513.html

 

[Bb70charger500]

Second one scares me a bit.
I would advoid it almost looks like the washed it of kinda and spray painted it to seal up the leaks !

The first seems nice up again with the paint ! It's a tractor it's not a show car .
The last seems to be the most honest of the 3 you can see what your getting !
Plus I'd say best bang for the buck !
I wouldn't write the first one off they might of had it apart to rebuild stuff and just cleaned stuff up as it looks like it wasn't a rush thing !
Keep in mind also these are little gas motors 38 hp or so maybe less
The 12v conversion is a must on these
But you definitely won't be pulling stumps with this little guy !

 

[5.7 hemi]

Agreed! I’m not gonna be farming with it, just use it for weed control, moving a bit of dirt, gardening for fruit trees, blackberries, raspberries, green string beans, etc..

The 12 volt conversion I can if it doesn’t have it already. Don’t really want a Ford, but it’d be the only Ford I’d ever own!!

 

[Bb70charger500]

Agreed! I’m gonna be farming with it, just use it for weed control, moving a bit of dirt, gardening for fruit trees, blackberries, raspberries, green string beans, etc..

The massy is basically a Ford kind like a mercury to ford !

If I was buying a tractor I'd go for the 8n because they made more and parts are more available
You can get a post hole digger and a loader bucket for these too there very universal !
Let me tell you I used a hand held auger to do fence then my boss bought a auger attachment for the 8n my God worth every penny!

The 12 volt conversion I can if it doesn’t have it already. Don’t really want a Ford, but it’d be the only Ford I’d ever own!!

 

[5.7 hemi]

Fat finger syndrome.....I’m NOT gonna be farming with it.

 

[chooch]

I love my kubota & probably wouldn"t anything else especially not a JD.

 

[440 4 speed]

There are some nice small MF’s out there. I would also suggest a tractor with a front end loader, I mow 2 acres with aN old Craftsman 18 hp mower.

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I have had great luck with the Massey tractors I have owned

 

[Curiousyellow71]

Try looking on tractorhouse.com and auctiontime.com...see what comes up close your area code use the search engine for the hp class you are looking for. I would rather sit a little higher mowing. Utility tractor like a 8n you sit really low.and it's a dirty job... If you are looking at a older tractors that do not have a live pto you need to buy a over running clutch for the pto. Without the over running clutch the momentum of the mower will keep pushing the tractor after you push down on the clutch. We actually have a shredder on the front of our skid loader that we use most of the time. I took a 3pt 8' mower welded a qiuck tach plate on the back end of it and bought a hydraulic motor to power it. But skid loaders are pricey...but sure handy.

 

[440Coronet500]

Ford 8N all the way. Millions produced, parts are available, have many attachments depending on the job. I have had a 9N for many years, I just Love it! 440'

 

[440 4 speed]

Also some of the MF`s from the the early mid 60`s had electroluminescence dashes. Their power packs should work in any Chrysler product that used this system I would think.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

https://youtu.be/w8YO1-C14D

We have '52 fergusen to20 bought new. Its a little harder to find parts for then a 8n or 9n. My younger brother has farmall 200 w a 3pt he used to mow with until he got a international 2606 utility tractor...about the same money as a decent 8n but twice the power with live hydraulics pto and creeper gear. But harder to find. Some of the John deere lawn tractors have hydraulics which is nice for working with implements...such as the 400 or 420 deere posted in the video. They are a nice size with parts available they usually have a 6' mower deck.
One utility tractor that had problems was a cub cadet 154...most spent there time broke down. The old farmall Cubs were good little tractors.

 

[khryslerkid]

My personal experience with the old 8n and 9n fords are they are not the easiest, friendliest to operate. I always found it odd to have to stand on the clutch and brake leavers. And I call them leavers because of the long flexable lenth of them. It was uncomfortable to me to have to almost stand up off the seat to operate them instead of sitting on the seat and pushing the pedals foward like on newer models.

The front ends are very light with skinny tires and found them to push and not steer the tractor in certain situations. Rear end traction is limited without added weight also. Ok tractor on level ground, can be a handful on hills and wet grass. A wagon load of hay going down a hill can get rather scary.

Another thing about the low slung utility tractors. Having a bush hog on the back whether a three point hitch or a tag along, you'll get hit in the back of the head by hard flying debris. A tractor that has a mid mounted mower is much safer and is alot easier to maneuver around things.

I like the John Deere three cylinder diesel or Kabotas with hydrostatic transmission. So much easier to operate and very comfortable to use for long periods of time. Many used ones are on the market, just have to make sure it was taken care of and not beat to death.

Good luck.

 

[Curiousyellow71]

What we use on our acreage. It does have a pto. I agree 100% w the last post...the 8n and 9n are fine....till you spend time on something else.

 

[Kern Dog]

Hmmm...
I hear F 40, I think of THIS :