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Escort bought the old Ford plant in India. They also purchased the rights to the parts, molds and such. If you look close the Farmtrac has the pump, filters and just about everything in the same place as the 3000/3600 Ford did. I crossed a Farmtrac oil filter number and it crossed to the Ford filter. Even the transmission gear pattern is the same as the Ford. Except the 60hp and 73hp and they have 12 speed made by Carroro. The 60hp has the Ford design engine as the smaller models and are 3 cylinder. The 73 hp has a 4 cylinder Perkins engine. Farmtrac sometime last year bought out Long Agribusiness and changed the name to Farmtrac. They also kept two models of the Long and have the Farmtrac name on those too. They also built a new plant in Tarboro. I think the old plant could produce about 4,000 of the Long tractors. The new plant is to produce 12,000 of the Farmtrac models per year. I purchased the 73HP with loader last May. Got about 300hrs on it now. It has the 12 speed, gear shuttle and 3pt. lift cap. is around 5200 lbs. I have several pieces of 3 pt. equipment that are over 1,500 lbs. and it does a great job lifting those. With the loader on it I've never had the front wheels to come off the ground. It also has the flat platform, wet brakes and just love that Perkins engine. The tractor has performed very well. I like it. I have 4 dealers within 40 miles. Parts are no problem here. I have a good dealer and that can make a difference. The Farmtracs are hot selling tractors in this area. I use mine to cut hay with an 820 JD moco, rake is 254 NH rotary and bale with 8430 CIH baler. Then use the loader form moving and stacking hay. Also have to keep pastures clipped and run over 50 to 75 acres per year. The hardest work the tractor has done is pulling a 7.5' CCM commercial rotary tiller. I just finished going over 18 acres of pasture reseeding it. The tiller weighs 1,580 lbs. and is about all that Perkins wants. 73 hp is on the low end of what that tiller needs. Several days ago I read that Farmtrac will offer 3 more models of larger tractors around the first of next year. I think it's SAME tractors and in the 75-85-and 95 HP range. I have 4 friends that have bought Farmtrac in the 35hp and 60hp 4wd models. They have been happy with the tractors. I hear there are big sellers in Pa. too. If I needed another tractor I'd by another Farmtrac.
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