Old Faithful

It has it's issues but it is still the best I have come across and my experience is somewhat limited.

First I had a JD 60 with a JD45 manure scoop/loader on it. Powerful enough and would pick up a house with the loader. It had manual steering and a NF. Great if you were going in a straight line. I never mowed with it. I was kind of afraid too. You needed 3 arms to operate it and reverse was a little fast to try to hook up implements. There wasn't a lot of easing into something. Kind of dangerous in my opinion.

 

I have a friend that wanted me to work over his Ferguson TO-35. He said his dad bought it new and uses it once a year to mow a couple of acres. He wants to restore it some day but his cash is limited and do the best you can. I said "sure I'll give it a try". 3 point won't go down, engine make noise, couple of other things. It's just a different version of an 'N' ford that I have always despised. How those sell for so much is beyond me.

 

It's been sitting outside for no less than 35 years.

The hydraulic spool had feather stuck in it (in the sump) along with an 1 1/2 of sludge  the pump was trying to plow through.

 

The engine noise was the manifold had rotted away and I could stick my little finger in the gap on #2 and #4.

The LR rim was so rotten it punched a hole in the tube. I told him he needed a new rim, it has new rear tires. He said to fix the rim the best I could. I did.

 

Changed the oil which is another thing he seemed to overlook for a decade or 2.

It runs pretty well except..................It won't go into gear without grinding. Start it cold in gear you had better hang on and hope nothing is in the way. The clutch won't release unless you mash the brake and that's 50/50. I took the inspection cover for the clutch and about 3 quarts of some brown oily fluid came out. I'm pretty sure it's not an oil bath clutch.

I drilled some holes in the cover to keep the oil volume down hopefully it with be less spastic. I drove it around for about 30 minutes and tried to determine if it was acceptable or not. It was better. I'm hopeing he won't get pushed through a fence. He will know what's up with it and what I think.

 

I wouldn't own the SOB even if was new. Hard steering rough riding piece of crap gutless wonder.

I thought the WD hydraulics were lacking. This 3 point is laughable.

 

Anyway............ the moral of the story is, lacking as my old WD may be in certain areas, it's still like getting into a new car compared to some of the overpriced old junk that I have dealt with.

Just my opinion.