Ford 8N Final Field Mowing of 2020 - Then Fall Maintenance & Winterizing For Storage

Final run of the old 8N for this year!

[@stevezwemer1262]

My late Father-In Law worked at Ford Motor company tractor division in the mid - late 40’s. While there he redesigned the transmission case on the 8N as well as designed the first fully automated process to make the cluster gear all the way from the blank forging to the finished cluster gear. Never before done by anyone. This process was quickly introduced to the automotive side of Fomoco. He was a mathematic and gearing genius. I could listen to him all day long I miss him every day Every time I see an 8N I think of him. Think I need to buy one in his honor.

[@paulmanson253]

You should write down your recollections while you can. Assuming the gal you married was as smart as her old man,you likely picked a winner. That man worked in quite an era. Keeping a record of it is important.

[@stevezwemer1262]

@@paulmanson253 thanks for your kind words. Yes I’m a very lucky man with the wife I’m blessed with. ....36 years so far. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 I have written down much of what my father in law has told me but need to write down even more. Want to keep the stories alive. He was a master at spherical trigonometry, I’m having to think about how to spell it ....lol. Thanks for the good reminder.

[@donmacdonald7758]

70 plus years old and still does a full days work, Thanks Ford

[@jackmurdock5723]

You’re not lying. These summers fly by. Older we get the faster time period flies by. Good to see the 8N out and about. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for those. My uncle had one back in the 70’s and 80’s

[@dougkubash8673]

Bought my 8N when I was 18 and I still have it at 64. Good old tractor!

[@kevincollins2184]

Far as I'm concerned the ford N series is one of the best light to medium duty tractors ever made. I'm not even a ford guy but a wonderful tractor none the less

[@Jethrosgarage]

@13:45 "I can't believe summers go that fast" Growing up in MN, then spending ten years in Florida and now 24.5 in coastal Georgia, I miss that... when you live where the seasonal change is not so radical, the sense of time is different. I find the stark change of seasons reminds one of the sense that life is short, and to make the most of it while you can. Thank you for posting this, as my N is thousands of miles from me in a shed, so (minus the smells of cut grass and tractor) I can experience early fall in Minnesota. :)

[@jdgimpa]

I never thought too much of those N series Fords until a buddy of mine asked me to resurrect one for him. Considering what the other tractors were like back in the day those Fords were pretty advanced. That 3 point hitch was a game changer and left the other tractor companies scrambling to catch up. I always enjoy your videos.

[@casparberends2719]

The 3-point hitch was invented by Ferguson and first tractor to have i was the TE-20 from Ferguson.

[@jdgimpa]

n@@casparberends2719 The 3 point hitch was first on a David Brown tractor that Harry Ferguson showed to Henry Ford. They had a handshake agreement that Ford would design and build the tractors (9N) in 1939 and Ferguson would market them. After World War 2 with Henry Ford dead and his grandson Henry Ford II running the company Ford would no longer honor the agreement and sold the tractors themselves. Harry Ferguson sued them and Ford paid him for the rights to use the three point hitch. But would not honor the handshake agreement. This left Ferguson without a tractor to sell.It was then that Ferguson came out with the TE-20 in 1946. So the 9N of 1939 was the first production tractor to have the 3 point hitch. Other than the engine the TE -20 was almost a carbon copy of the Nseries Ford Tractors.

[@tractorhyatt7044]

Looks like the ole 8N is ready for its long winter nap in the shed. 🇺🇸🚜👍

[@robertrogish1038]

As a kid, I worked at a Camp for 3 summers, 77-79; part of my job was running the camps 8-N and brush hog the fields - I loved it.

[@seniorelectrician6831]

Ready for a long winters nap

[@frritter8253]

Learned to drive - on a little Ford tractor, such a wonderful machine. Great video, thanks for including us Toby!

[@jamesdiehl8690]

I love 8N's! First and only tractor I ever drove. I brush hogged, used a plow and disc, plus a post hole auger with one. It was light in the front, bounced and difficult to steer with attachments but I learned a lot about using one.

[@darrenblattner2508]

where's your snow? We got snow up here, dang it... Them old Fords were handy for a lot of things, we had one on the farm years ago for raking hay and pulling wagons. Keep smiling.

[@lwilton]

@@squatch253 You are getting light snow, and I'm sitting here at 2AM and it is 75 degrees outside. I keep wondering when the hot weather will end.

[@ciaransynnott7958]

You sir do a fine job on restoring your old gear! It's not often you see an old tractor like that heading down the road with out having half a turn left and right in the steering and still not able to keep it straight not a mm of play in that old girl!! Credit to you

[@richardnimmo7040]

Hi. They are a good little tractors. I have a 1956 TEA Ferguson with the 85mm boar engine. My father in law has a Ferguson 35. One of the first of the 35s has only got a single stage clutch. Same motor as mine but it has 87mm boar. Great work love your channel 👏.

[@Steelaworkn]

Wow. That little tractor really moves down the road.

[@alabama7636]

Thank you for the video it really brings back a lot of memories hearing that flathead and a bushog whine.

[@kenthawkins2418]

Beautiful Fall day, beautiful 8N, and a great video Squatch.

[@jamesweaver9636]

Beautiful countryside! I really enjoy your videos.

[@bobuk5722]

Hi Squatch. Beautiful location at.this time of year with the sun out and the blue sky above. Thanks for showing it, making these videos on top of all the other things you do is very generous and much appreciated. BobUK.

[@men4skirts]

Love the little Ford, First Vehicle I ever drove! I did get to drive an old Minneapolis Moline once time back in the 60's and it was pretty old then. Love Chanel and love the Cats too!

[@VicsYard]

Been running a 8N at hunting camp. Lots of fun. Great video!

[@toomuchyoutube]

Great job on the cinematography Squatch.

[@vincentdunne7197]

Reminds me of the Ferguson I used as a young boy in far new south Wales Australia. Hi from down under

[@thefencepost]

The 8N cleans up real nice! Here's some fun trivia, the same Autolite distributor in the 8N was used in '38 to '53 Indian Chief motocycles. So if your distributor goes missing look up the nearest Chief owner. Keep'em running!

[@bobpaterson1845]

8n certainly runs very sweetly an pulls like a train 👍👍

[@hoverhead047]

I learned to drive my uncle's Ferguson version to this tractor when I was 10 staying at his dairy farm for the first term school holidays. This was something really impressive for a kid from the big city (Melbourne, Australia). I got to harrow one of his small paddocks. The gear used was forth. When I went there the next holidays (Christmas) he had upgraded the harrows larger, heavier. These would require to be dragged in third gear. It had a carryall for carting the hay bails to the dairy. It could drive a mower (not a slasher or a Tarrap) it could drag a hay rake and a self powered McCormick hay press. I could never work our how you were supposed to drive down the road (for instance) and go through all the gears using the hand throttle and the crash gearbox. I learned about syncromesh gear boxes during my apprenticeship a few years later.

[@ronaldkearn3322]

That has to be the sweetest Brush Hog rig I have ever seen.It's perfect for that 8N Ford tractor. Just perfect. Great video! There is nothing ever on the boob tube so its nice to have this vid to look at. :-) :-) :-)

[@whathappensinmaine5463]

I ran a slapped AND I MEAN SLAPPEDDD 8N during hay season. Everyone hated the thing I loved it. I was running around keeping up with big Massy 583s. I miss that little bastard. Would start after you hit the starter a couple times, it tool abuse well. But I still love the fact I ran circles around some of the more "seasoned" guys and they got mad. Aye, I learned how to run it and some of the ways to speed up what I'm doing. BUT BY GOD THE WHEELIES THAT LITTLE BASTARD DID

[@shaneharrison4775]

That 8N is an awesome little tractor

[@chuckhaynes6458]

I sold my trusty 8N a couple years back. She was an early one with a rear axle housing casting date of 8-6-47. Still my favorite.... winter's coming.

[@corpnut2906]

Nice 8N we grew up with a Ford 600 fun little tractors

[@familytraditiontransportat7951]

Been watching BillsTmaxx in CA work on his 2N and he just not long ago, got into that front axle pivot bushing. Suggested having it bored and sleeved but I think he went with some shim stock instead. Now he's trying to find parts for the sherman, as the input shaft is badly worn and it's just pouring fluid up into the clutch area... Your 8N is impressive, love the modifications you've done ... Though from watching your work with the Cat's and the IH, I've come to expect no less. You and a few others I follow (watch wes work, JC Smith are a couple) really keep me inspired to just go that extra mile to do it the best way possible. Not the easiest or cheapest but the best way...Top shelf as always, and you can KEEP the snow..

[@Murphyslawfarm]

G'day Squatch great video.

[@Jethrosgarage]

Those N's are pretty handy! I have a '49, sits in a shed in Todd county MN and gets used a few hours the twice a year I make it "home" (I live and work in coastal Georgia as a boat diesel tech) and compared to say a Farmall H or John Deere B of similar vintage and horsepower, they don't pull as much on the draw bar but were designed to be used with the 3 point implements made for them at the time, which they do very well! I find the N's to be very handy woods tractors. Small and maneuverable. I pulled mine locally, the lowest weight class they had was 3500 and mine is 2750 with my butt in the seat. I pulled 96 feet and spun out, had I weighted it down to 3500 I would have done much better.

[@deanbarr5740]

Love the sounds of these ole reliable tractors. Their awesome. Not real user friendly, don't have all the comforts but you can not beat them for reliability. Their always ready for work.

[@whathappensinmaine5463]

I honestly loved the simplicity of them, slapped a 80s JD seat on one and it was pretty decent. I had previously run a 1961 JD 1010 so I had some experience behind the controls of a machine. Probably my least favorite and most favorite to run was the 8N. Just cause it was so quirky, but the hydraulics were slapped on it sadly. So you had to constantly be on em. I'll never hate the little bastard cause it ran circles around pretty much anything

[@jamesmoore3346]

Love those ol 8N's! Last year they built em was 53, cost in the neighborhood od $1500.oo. Most of the farmers would use them on a 100 acres, do everything. End of the season they would go down to the ford dealer and buy a 'season kit', everything needed to do a rebuild.. Liners , pistons and all. I'm not 100% sure but would venture to say yours is earlier than a 53 as the 53 was the only year they put a 'tachometer' in the dsah...didn't see one in yours. Think they were in the area of 14 horsepower, may have increased toward the end. Great idea you had with the axle piviot bushing grease! Every rord tractor I pulled apart had serious axle bush slop, makes em harder to steer. Worked on many of these little tractors, got some laughs from em too. Bought my pa-in-law an over ride stub shaft for the PTO, watched him almost take down a fence turning with the bush hog pushing the tractor, just glad he didn't get hurt...You have done a beautiful job on rebuilding/restoring yours.

[@liltrooepr7577]

Beautiful Tractor

[@ramsay19481]

LOL the old generator.. Don't see that much anymore....I learned to drive on a 9n MANY years ago... Cheers from Louisiana....

[@leoarigo3849]

We had one years back on the muck farm ..was ok for small jobs the massey 135 diesel was the real work horse on our farm

[@KPearce57]

My Grand Dad had a 1952 8N was the fist tractor I drove, pulling a 2 bottom plow .

[@Rdrake1413]

Beautiful place.

[@tkroyalbeef3501]

That is a nice 8N!

[@johndowe7003]

clean 8n & nice job on the mowin. put a new muffler on mine lasted about an hour before it came off and got ran over lol.

[@paszkors]

Beautiful tractor

[@keithwarkentin]

Hey there another nice relaxing video to watch thanks loved it! I loved your idea of a grease zirk on the front axle pivot! Every 8N that I have restored has had issues there! I want to make a comment but before I do I want to say as you were saying that the summers fly by and you gentlemen have more projects to do than I am sure you have summer! But if you ever get a rain day and you have time you should paint the Ford script on your hood it would make that tractor even sharper but it is not a criticism I love those tractors even if they are oily and rusty! Ok still looking forward to seeing the Super M running and breaking her in!!!

[@michaelscriffiano9267]

That is a huge drain plug....nice piece.

[@alwaysbearded1]

You live in a beautiful place. Makes me feel cooler to see you wearing a hoodie. In the high 80's here, heat wave. The last I hope.

[@alwaysbearded1]

@@squatch253 Your 8N sure cleans up nice! I love it when you beat the rains or snow with project. Must actually feel like Fall. Still fire season here in Northern California. Yesterday we had out power cut by our utility Pacific Gas & Electric as a "safety" or "butt covering" measure. Wind is just dying down now temps dropping to the mid 80's. No rain in sight. Driest hottest year in memory. But I'm hoping rain is not far off. Official beginning of the rainy season was yesterday.

[@whathasxgottodowithit3919.]

Love the Autumn colours - (Fall)

[@noelstractors-firewood57]

Nice old tractors. My 1951 ferguson is basicly the same as your ford. I have a 6’ rear discharge finish mower and other attachments.

[@ericcorse]

Pretty 8N I wish you ad been doing videos when you went through it. You have great oil pressure, mine which has been rebuilt, has a solid 30psi. I like the idea of the screen is that 1/8" mesh?

[@KC2DZB]

The tested PTO HP of the 8N is just about the same as the pony motor on your RD6. Some food for thought

[@imtimrich]

Love the ford 8n

[@jankotze1959]

That little Fords and Grey Fergie's have guts,

[@scrotiemcboogerballs1981]

Ford made some great little tractors

[@Ham68229]

Used to have an old Ford 881 Select-o-speed. Was a very good little tractor, miss it, traded it off for a Farmall 706.

[@mandolinman2006]

I've been jonesing for a Squatch video. Gotta see if I can get the WD45D fired up for some plowing. Tis that time of year.

[@frankdeegan8974]

The N tractors do just what they were made to do. Growing up several 40 to 60 acer farmers used a ford or john deere h and they made out just fine using a small tractor.

[@smillsy23]

Hey Squatch, what year is the Ford tractor 🚜? And, did you video the rebuild? Love the grease tube hack. Best to senior.

[@georgedoolittle7574]

Looks like you need to weld on a skid plate to safety out all those amazing mods you have done. Joy to watch and I think would show any Farmer out there how to rightly deal with their so called "headlands" and all their complaints about limbs and brush clogging up their million dollar combines.

[@scania1982]

The front axle bushing lacks lubrication on the Ferguson Tea-20 too. Bundy bear's channel shows how to drill a grease hole for that bushing in order to mount a zerk.

[@tenaxxband]

i just replaced the voltage regulator on my 94yr old neighbors '48 8N. he still uses the thing to farm and couldn't finish his fall harvesting without it killing the battery

[@matty2helpfull]

I just watched a guy put a new pin and bushing in his 2n he had the same problem where it took the bushing out and chewed into the axle alot.

[@jameswest332]

I I wish my 8n looked as good as Yours got a lot of work to do, got to get that jungle gym loader out of the way to do some major work hoping I don't have to split her !

[@aerospot2]

Your mid october looks alot like ours here on lake erie shore. We dont drain our gas, rather we top it off. always use ethanol free, and add a bit of stabil. And we start them at least every 2 months or so. Our 8N is in need of rear tires this season. Perhaps I'll do a short vid on my page.

[@mathewmerkl576]

Just curious how much land does squatch and senoir have there are some beautiful views you have

[@wagon9082]

Good video

[@dennishayes65]

My first tractor was an 1953 NAA with an over sized loader ! Someone extended the bucket width both ways to make it 6’ wide ! That poor tractor couldn’t hardly turn with a full bucket ! No power steering on it ! It helped to have rear wheel weights though !

[@andrewl9472]

That mowing looks fun. Nasty traffic jam around 5:45 though

[@robertinscoe2379]

This the one you did on smoke stack some years back? Neat little tractor.

[@natevanlandingham1945]

Your first time you run one hot from a plugged screen you don't forget to clean one. My little Yanmar if I am in fluffy stuff I stop every hour or so and make sure I stop to clean it.

[@CarCatCol2023]

Can't believe you did not have any problems on the road with all that traffic!...lol

[@petejones9788]

Yep those 8n are good for gathering eggs.

[@kevinmaas3229]

Always love your videos. Definitely excellent content. Question: any reason you did not have the PTO connected as you drove to the the field. Thank you.

[@alanswanson1952]

Most likely because those 8n didn't have live hydraulics. And the PTO has to be engaged to run the hydraulics and three point hitch, and when you push the clutch in and the mower is running it will push the tractor forward even with the clutch pushed in

[@motorv8N]

Gorgeous little machine. Do you block the clutch for long periods of storage? Been doing that on my Fergie TEA20 over the winters as a preventative measure to keep the flywheel free but never totally sure if it's required.

[@StubProductions]

Nice tractor and video. That King Kutter mower gear box sounds shot. Need a nice Woods rotary mower.

[@landerson1012]

I have the King Kutter finish mower, 72 inch, and the gear box must have different gears as it doesn't sound like that. I use a MF GC2410 on it...it makes the whopping 18 pto horses pull pretty good in thick grass.

[@StubProductions]

@@squatch253 It may have straight cut gears in it which would cause that whine. It mows well!

[@anderleof]

Ever worry about that grease zerk modification getting torn off by a branch or something? Looks pretty vulnerable under there.

[@waltermattson5566]

You make using a 8N look pretty fun. Is that a 5’ brush cutter or a 6’?

[@wildcatwilly]

Hey squatch house come you didn't have the PTO hooked up while driving?

[@Crash5291]

Makes me want to put the old 1944 2N here back together, with its original 4cyl. Engine was tired and replaced with Chevy 250 I6 its quite the ... contraption. Sadly Most of the sheet metal is gone.

[@heybiker]

Like collards the greens will be sweeter after the first frost.

[@paulmanson253]

Dumb question,but.... Have you checked the antifreeze for acidity as well as amount of glycol ? For non diesel engines,checking for sufficient additive package is a constipated pain in the ass,but I used general purpose pH paper,now hard to get. Buying containers of water pump lubricant also means additive package. Better than nothing,better than unnecessary corrosion. Just a suggestion. All the best.

[@m44guy]

You’re putting your 8n away mine is just about ready to push snow all winter long

[@washietatonka]

I saw something weird the other day. A Farmall M with cement wheel weights. Never seen that before.

[@russellmcknight7226]

looks like you was able to move right along while mowing,,,I have an IH B250 and I have a 5 foot brush hog,,best I can do is 2nd gear anything higher and she gets a bit too warm

[@Drottninggatan2017]

This was easy cutting and he didn't go close to the ground.

[@1murder99]

That sound! Sounds like a Ford flat head.

[@johnmf6096]

How many acres do you have? Idk if you have mentioned it before? If you did i missed it.

[@isbcornbinder]

And it has a generator.

[@chrismaurer8879]

How many show cats have you done

[@evankibbe590]

Cool

[@scruffy6151]

👍👍

[@copperhead6132]

wait you're supposed to store a tractor in the winter?

[@1crazynordlander]

Is that King Kutter a 6 foot? I have the 5 foot one. Mine is too big for my compact diesel Yanmar. I am looking forward to getting my Ford 8N.

[@1crazynordlander]

@@squatch253 Then I am in good shape then because it is murder on my little Yanmar.

[@mickdog2]

Do you pull out the battery?

[@charlesward8196]

When was the 8N built? Looks very nice.

[@robertbak4108]

8n 48 2n 42 9n 39.

[@theamericangamer2696]

What weight oil do you use on the 8n?

[@mattthescrapwhisperer]

Love my old 8N. However, I'm getting oil in the radiator, but no coolant in the crankcase. Weird; guess I better investigate that!

[@ShainAndrews]

Oil pressure is higher than coolant pressure. Pretty simple machines, only spot I know of those two being in close proximity is the head.

[@dennishayes65]

Matt : My CA Allis Chalmers had oil in the radiator . Lost compression ! Had 1/8th “ gab between the cylinder walls & the pistons ! It was worn out ! Mechanic put over sized pistons in etc. Gained 6 hp !

[@mattthescrapwhisperer]

@@ShainAndrews yup, that's what I figured. I'm betting the head gasket is the culprit.

[@ShainAndrews]

@@mattthescrapwhisperer That would be my guess as well.

[@williamwilliams7706]

Don't get too greedy on those cuts I always think to myself. I usually wind up cutting that last two un-mowed slivers anyways.

[@thepubliceye]

My Dad farmed 250 acres with two 8 8n's

[@johnschwarz6564]

Hey Squatch there's a guy on KZbin that's working on a caterpillar dragline I think one of your members would be interested in buying it or helping them out on trying to get it to run the KZbinr is Hamilton Farm