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Have you cross-checked the serial number on the engine? That's the first thing you should do. That will tell you when the engine block was produced. (Apparently, there was a guy on the Fordson production line with a stamping set [like a bunch of small cold chisels, except they have numbers 0-9 instead of a blade], and he hand-stamped the engine serial number into the block of every tractor that went by him on the assembly line. You'll usually notice that the serial numbers are not in a straight, even line.) If you don't know where to look for the serial number, it's just above the fourth bolt that holds the manifold on (nearest the radiator), and it's often obscured with grease, paint, rust or a combination of the three. Use a small scraper or screwdriver blade and a toothbrush-sized wire brush. Once you have the number, compare it to the serial matrix (you can find it on several sites on-line, or write me & I'll look it up for you). As for your statement "Too many parts from different years to zero in on the date," you often find that there is a mish-mash of parts on Fordson Model F's. The basic mechanical design was unchanged for the ten years they were in production here in the U.S., and farmers are a thrifty bunch to begin with. Why spend good money at the parts store when you can remove a needed part from another rusting hulk on the scrap pile behind your neighbor's barn? You may be able to get a pretty good idea of the tractor's year, you just have to keep at it. (I think that there is a date cast into the underside of the rear axle, for example.) There are folks out there in InterNet-land who know a lot more about Fordsons than I do; keep asking questions until you're satisfied. -- Maine Fordson
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