OT 8N

Two letters that when you see them you think immediately of Ford.  Anyway, I went to look at one today.  It has the Sherman (under-drive?) tranny, engine is locked up, but otherwise looks pretty clean.  The owner started tearing it down to work on the mag, lost interest, then died.  I think it has set for about 3 years or so.  It comes with a Ford sickle mower, back blade, 2 btm plow and springtooth. The son and mother have no idea what the worth of it is....and I  really don't either. What would you offer?

Sure it's an 8N? How many speeds forward? The only time I ever saw a magneto on a Ford was a wartime 2N. You may have a common front mount distributor. Most Shermans installed in Fords were "step-up's", but some 8N's had step-down reductions installed. Mostly to slow down reverse and third gear.

Eldon, those are two letters that make me think other things along with Ford. One is RUN!!!! Just kidding, they can be very useful little tractors, just don't expect them to perform like a 175. Had a lot of experience with ignition work and carb work on the one we have.

steelwheelAcjim wrote: Sure it's an 8N? How many speeds forward? The only time I ever saw a magneto on a Ford was a wartime 2N. You may have a common front mount distributor. Most Shermans installed in Fords were "step-up's", but some 8N's had step-down reductions installed. Mostly to slow down reverse and third gear.

Well it didn't look like a distributor, but might have been.  It looked like a square box, nothing round like I am used to....lots of grease and grime, so maybe I missed something. The Sherman shift lever wasn't the painted grey or red, and I read somewhere that the under-drive lever was bronze?

If the engine didn't have any problems other than the ignition, I wouldn't think it would lock up sitting for only three years; my WD sat for sixteen years between the time Grandpa couldn't climb on it any longer and when I finally got around to working on it after I retired from the Navy, and it wasn't stuck.

With implements about $1200 range.

There were three versions of the 8N Sherman. Down, Up, and both. I don't know how to tell them apart without it running. Up was handy for road transport.

Gerald J.

I just have some pictures a friend of the family gave me.  He is the one that contacted me...was a produce customer of mine and noted all of my tractors sitting around. Anyway, we can't find a serial number tag, but there is an 8N - xxxxx stamped on the motor. My mother's dad farmed around 600 acres with 3 8N's back in the 50's and 60's. He did have a WC, but the cornpicker stayed on it all year (imagine that!).  He lived a mile south of us, I remember he would always drive the same tractor over to visit. It had real skinny front tires and he told me it had a fast road gear, I'm thinking it was the only one with a Sherman transmission. I see on TractorData it shows over 21 mph in 4th High....that would be moving pretty fast on one of those tractors!  I asked the son what they wanted for the package and he acted like they didn't know....but on the way home the friend told me they were thinking $1500.

Must be this site http://www.oldfordtractors.com/index.html I've been checking it out....very interesting stuff.

sorry but i would never do $1500 for that most I could do for that package would be $800-$1000 and that would be making no money if you resold

It should be noted that was just the tractor and no Sherman step up.

I'll add that it must be than the N tractors were very easy to drive why people want them. That and a low center of gravity makes them a little tougher to upset.

Hitching to the upper link pivot was quite effective and flipping any three point tractor over the rear axle. And usually deadly.

I had and 8N and it was more of a toy than a working machine. My later MF-135 has more than twice the HP and weight in about the same size package and does real work, competing well with the WD. But with 12 speeds forward and 4 reverse its handier in the field. Traction control was an option but I've only seen it in the operator's manual, never in person.

Gerald J.

I can tell you a story about how they can be locked up even with the carb where it is and under motor exhaust.

Speaking fo sites to visit for 8N info.  I do not use YT anymore.  I left a long time ago because of Dell's childish jibberish and the following he has.  Any I did so state when I left.