Dithering over which little old tractor

[Mr. Ed]

OK - hive mind wisdom needed

 

Target purchase: small tractor needed to winch trees out to our lane that goes down through the woods and then pull them back out again, by arch or trailer and the to help move them around the yard

 

Quantity of funds available? Modest.  
 

Immediate choice? A really charming MF35X with good history and recently rebuilt. A Ford4000 with cab. Both sound. MF more manoeuvrable - Ford more powerful. Good local bloke to fix them when they die. I’m in love with the MF - herself thinks the Ford is better. Photo of MF is a few years old now but it still looks good. 

[HuntingHicap]

Have driven both a 35x and a Ford 3000 a bit, the MF is only going to cope with quite smallish trees, the Ford is still pretty manoeuvrable. Both good choices, not that it helps!😁 

[Mr. Ed]

Thx! Cope with smallish trees in winching or pulling up hill?

[gary112]

8 hours ago, Mr. Ed said:

OK - hive mind wisdom needed

 

Target purchase: small tractor needed to winch trees out to our lane that goes down through the woods and then pull them back out again, by arch or trailer and the to help move them around the yard

 

Quantity of funds available? Modest.  
 

Immediate choice? A really charming MF35X with good history and recently rebuilt. A Ford4000 with cab. Both sound. MF more manoeuvrable - Ford more powerful. Good local bloke to fix them when they die. I’m in love with the MF - herself thinks the Ford is better. Photo of MF is a few years old now but it still looks good. 

This does the job for me,i like the little ford,that would be my choice 

[Mrblue5000]

Ford 4000 with the cab gets my vote. It is probably 10 years younger.

[Mr. Ed]

4 minutes ago, gary112 said:

This does the job for me,i like the little ford,that would be my choice 

Nice! 

[Mr. Ed]

9 minutes ago, Mrblue5000 said:

Ford 4000 with the cab gets my vote. It is probably 10 years younger.

It’s a bit harder to start and smokes more? It may have had a harder life. 

[swinny]

All tractors of this age will have gremlins and it is a roll of the dice.... What's your budget?

[Mr. Ed]

4 to 5k euros. In Ireland. 

[swinny]

13 minutes ago, Mr. Ed said:

It’s a bit harder to start and smokes more? It may have had a harder life. 

I looked at one once and the eng oil was a tad milky / just off colour.... Just left it. Not sure if these could go porus?

 

Possibly look at a David brown, these can suffer issues with hydraulics and 3pl as they were built with such fine tolerances! I had a 990 good few years ago and was fine. I have a little 885 now (just runs processor) and is a good little tractor. 

 

Bought it and serviced engine, topped up rear end oil, fresh battery..... Been sat for 6 months and started ok.