We got a "new (to us)" Ford 4000

[judc]

It's been in the family for a while, but my uncle graciously let my wife & I take it off his hands. We are extremely appreciative and we're going to have a lot of fun with this tractor! It's my first tractor. I still need to get a smaller tractor with a front-end loader but this is an awesome start.

 

[leanin' H]

Giddy up. That is a great way to get started. Happy for ya

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I wouldn't go much smaller with a loader tractor. You always want to do more then they re capable of.

 

[judc]

I wouldn't go much smaller with a loader tractor. You always want to do more then they re capable of.

Thanks for the advice, I will certainly keep it in mind when I go poking around for a loader tractor!

 

[leanin' H]

What BMR said!
Especially if you plan to load big hay bales. It's tough if you are at or near capacity because it takes a lot longer time moving/loading hay. But you can only do what you can afford. That's the boat I'm in. Which is a leaking canoe approaching a water fall without paddles

 

[webfoot]

We are somewhere near inheriting a Ford 4000 with a loader. But it is not nearly as good shape as yours appears to be in. I have a New Holland 55TC. That was all I had for years. It would move big bales but you better be careful. I got a Massey 390. It is so much nicer moving bales without the pucker factor being involved.

 

[Evans]

I've never owned but have run quite a few ford tractors and they were all great.
Getting hard to get parts though on biggers fords.
Apparently same tractor could be made in different places with different parts or that's what jobbers blame it on when they give you wrong stuff.
Those old fords really hold their value so other people must like em too.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

Nice looking tractor judc! You certainly can't fault a gift tractor because it lacks a front-end loader. I would say find a front-end loader for it and buy a smaller tractor for your other needs.

I loved my old Ford 8N with a front-end loader. I had a scraper blade for the back and I welded up a steel holder frame on it to hold several sections of 3-foot long railroad track allowing me to pick the right weight for the job. That back weight took the broc riding out of it when loading things like the heavy limed granite sand from a small quarry. All the experts kept telling me I was going to break the front axle, but I never did. I suppose if I had used it every day that way it would have.

 

[DosArroyos]

You could buy a loader for that tractor and install it.