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Fordson Major diesel

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Gary Huff

04-21-2002 08:24:02




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I am looking at purchasing a Fordson Major Diesel with factory loader and backhoe. I think it is a 1955. Are engine parts available? How about hydraulic cylinder rebuilding, most of them are leaking some severely. Apparently this tractor had not run for several years. The grandson of the owner knows nothing about tractors and is trying to sell it for his mother who recently inherited it. He has been using a short shot of ether to start it for about the last month or so. How much damage could be expected, it idles well. It also is low on oil and he didn't even know how to check it or where to put oil in, the very bottom of the dipstick has oil on it. The brakes are shot. The tractor is beatup looking. How much is it worth?

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Gary Huff

04-24-2002 05:36:52




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 Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Gary Huff, 04-21-2002 08:24:02  
Thank You all for your help. I won't be joining the Fordson owerners at present. The guy found someone who was willing to pay $2800. If not for your help it might have been me.
Gary



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Mike

04-22-2002 02:11:00




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 Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Gary Huff, 04-21-2002 08:24:02  
Gary,
The 2002 used Tractor Price Guide puts its value in poor condition at $1360 less the cost of repairs. From the sounds of it he'll have to come down a lot further. Good luck.
Mike



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Paddy

04-21-2002 15:45:02




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 Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Gary Huff, 04-21-2002 08:24:02  
Also, check if it starts easily, thats normally a good sign of engine condition, check if it smokes, if its blue, walk away, dont bother buying it, white, or black is much cheaper to fix. Blue means oil consumption, and usually means an engine rebuild which is costly and time consuming, black or white is usually injectors or pump (black) or water getting in the bores (white) which usually means blown headgasket, or worst case scenario cracked cylinder head, or block, but that is extremely unlikely.
Paddy

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Paddy

04-21-2002 15:41:41




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 Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Gary Huff, 04-21-2002 08:24:02  
I live in the UK, and there are loadsa parts for old majors available over here, there are engine rebuild kits for sale on this site. Lots of people use Ether to start tractors, long as not too much is used it wont do much damage. Make sure you check the oil level though, but it is probably ok. It is quite incredible how strong those old things are. Apparently they are the tractor with the strongest backend ever!!!
By the sounds of it, id pay anything up to about 500 or 600 pounds, which is about 800 dollars, basically if he asks you for anything above 1000 dollars tell him to get lost.
Also don't worry about the brakes, they normally are gone on majors, they were never any good to start with. Tin work can always be blasted and resprayed, and new panels are available.
Good luck, try and get the price down if you can
Paddy

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Gary Huff

04-21-2002 17:41:37




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 Re: Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Paddy, 04-21-2002 15:41:41  
Thanks for the advice Paddy. With the short shot of either and an almost dead battery it started right up. Had a little black smoke at start then pretty clean. The oil was just barely showing on the dip stick but it had leaks at the front seal and the injector pump drive seal. I don't know how long it had sat prior to the recent attempt to sell it. Does your $1000 US recommendation include with a loader and backhoe. He is asking $3000 but came down while I was looking at it without me even talking dollars. I am in western Colorado where a 50's 8N with a loader is worth about $4000.
Gary

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Phil Munson

04-22-2002 11:03:50




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 Re: Re: Re: Fordson Major diesel in reply to Gary Huff, 04-21-2002 17:41:37  
The 8N is a toy, I have one. Everybody wants one, generally, not to work on but to play with. The major, (blue ox) is too big to be a toy. Out here in rural NY it is not unusual to see toys bring more than older work tractors twice as big. If this beast needs to be reworked, front to back, with the loader and hoe, I would not want to spend over a grand of my money. BUT, a backhoe sure sounds like a lot of fun!!

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