FORD 9600 Tractor Harvesting Watermelons

In this video Big Tractor Power spends time out in the field with a 135 pto hp FORD 9600 Tractor harvesting watermelons. This video takes viewers out into the field to see this tractor at work and the harvesting . Viewers will learn about the FORD 9600 Tractor's production history, specifications and original price tag.
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[@Jorrie86]

That engine sound of the 9600 sure brings back a lot of memories ... I spent hundreds of hours on my uncle's tractor ... Great machine !

[@braydenwhite9283]

What kind of tractor was it

[@jankotze1959]

Isn't that beautiful, my old time favorite, love these old big Fords

[@Snowtruckdriver]

I used to haul watermelons out of Florida and Georgia into the markets in Maine and Massachusetts and New York. I never saw a belt pickup like that before. Saves a lot's of labor. In the deep south they all picked and threw them up into stackers using old school bus's with the tops cut off. Great video once again.

[@UFOsExst]

Those are some hard working people!

[@andylieffring3987]

Amen to that! Some good folks as well

[@andynieuwenhuis7833]

​@@andylieffring3987;at least these men aren't afraid to work at $10.00 dollars an hour. Alot of OTHERS wouldn't even Consider doing that type of work.

[@Dinoxt12]

How many of us Americans are willing to do this kind of Labor that this Farmer Disperatly needs...Kool olde Ford.

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

I know very people who would do this. Oh well Mexicans brought beautiful music, tasty drinks, amazing food, and very beautiful women to our great country. Plus Mariachi Bands to follow a dickhead boss around all day to annoy as a prank.

[@harvest585]

My second tractor was an 8600 Dual power we used it mainly on a subsoiler and 3.5 metre lely rottera powe harrow plus another couple of cultivators, I loved it for its amazing traction with twin wheels

[@justinpacker2451]

My grandfather had an 8600 that was used for heavy dirtwork in out hay and iat field, sadly though it blew the head gasket and sat for 16 years. #2 and #4 are rusted solid with large cracks in the sleeves. Sadly it is only good for parts now. Great old tractor though, and I love seeing them run. Great vid BTP.

[@boehmfarm4276]

Like the canopy and fenders on the ford. - Brad

[@clarkwheeler8764]

I have a 1981 model Ford 7600. Bought it used from a small town implement Co about 20 years ago. Its been super reliable and is my one and only tractor on my 95 acre West Kentucky farm.

[@byronglover490]

I grew up running a Ford 7000 1974 model on my granddad's farm. It was his main tractor. He grew corn for cattle feed and produce for the market. After he passed away a neighbor acquired it and has used it to pull produce wagons ever since. The only work done to it to my knowledge was it had a transmission clutch and PTO clutch repaired. The engine has never been into.

[@robertpsieving4401]

My all time favorite tractor. Usually I see them in tillage

[@garywest8901]

Great vid as usual B T P. Like the diversity in your vids . My favorite Ford. Also I salute the hand labors , God s children too.

[@markisb3585]

We use to farm here in Eastern North Carolina. We stopped back in 2008. We had a ford 4600 and a ford 7000. Really good tractors we had. We grew soybeans, corn, wheat and tobacco and produce.

[@jedimasterjoe5386]

Why you stop

[@markisb3585]

My uncle passed and my aunt decided to sell the equipment instead of letting me continue to farm. We still have the land. We rent it out. I started driving over the road after that

[@jedimasterjoe5386]

@@markisb3585 damn sorry for your lost, long haul driving is a blast tho seeing all the country

[@markisb3585]

Thanks. Trucking was my second favorite to farming. Do I had a chance to do both. Love being on the road

[@MichaelTJD60]

We have two Ford 445A's and 445D industrial loader tractors which are a heavier-duty version of the 4000 diesel, with loader and 4WD. They get used for landscaping jobs, farming, maintaining several acres of wooded areas, and plowing snow. Some of the toughest tractors ever built. I also have my grandfather's 1969 4000 diesel that he bought brand new and used on the farm for many years...it's currently awaiting restoration.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice FORD line up. I have several Ford Industrial sales brochures from the skid steer to the wheel loader.

[@robertklim4216]

I met my wife while hauling round bales 25 years ago on my 9600 that my grandfather bought in 1974. Since I now have a second 9600 with a cab, 2 8600s with cabs, a 9700 canopy, and a 7700 cab with a loader. The 7700 has been planting, spraying, fertilizing, raking, tedding, square and round baling, loading hay, and rapping round bales. Because It will run all day on 8 gallons of fuel.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice line up.

[@HarryVerey]

Spent three solid months picking melons like this when I was travelling in Australia in the 80's . Some days temperature hit 115 f .but great team spirit I remember .

[@bigtractorpower]

That is extra hot. Hard work. Thank you for sharing.

[@abbygirl4375]

We dairy farmed for 30 some years, the Ford 9600 was our favorite tractor. Mostly we used it for tilling the fields and cleaning cow sheds. When we quit farming in 1996, dad sold it for four times what he paid for it.

[@bigtractorpower]

The 9600 is a great tractor. It would be neat to see one working in tillage.

[@brandonrobinson371]

I bought my Grandfather's Ford 9600, there's just something special about tractors with history. Our family operates Ford/New Holland on our corn, soybean and hay farm. 8000, 9600, 9700, TW-25, 8670, 8870, 8970 and TG285.

[@bigtractorpower]

Wow what a cool blue line up. Thank you for sharing.

[@davidwillison2815]

I had a 9600 in the early 90’s...Great tractor and one of the best looking tractors ever built.......

[@TheGhostOfLuciasClay]

One of my top five favorite tractors. Used to be 3 of these 9600 within 3/4 of a mile of me.

[@gurjotsingh8934]

What are other four?

[@TheGhostOfLuciasClay]

@@gurjotsingh8934 #1 I would love to have is Ford TW-15 series ll 4x4. The others in no particular order with the Ford 9600 White 2-180 International 1066 Case 2590 Honorable mention, I'd like to find the john Deere 520 I grew up on.

[@gurjotsingh8934]

@@TheGhostOfLuciasClay love the list!

[@LEVUCARCHANNEL]

Chiếc xe tải đa dụng ford 9600 rất thuận tiện cho công việc thu hoạch dưa của bà con nông dân ,cảm ơn bạn chia sẻ

[@MonteSS10X1]

Seems like the old guy should be driving the tractor.

[@robertgill7811]

Not if the young guy is paying the older guy

[@Bernie5172]

Elder abuse for sure. Old bloke must be a proud work-horse who has to prove he's the hardest worker in the crew

[@Eddiedoherty22]

@Leonard Carr ha wat I was thinking 😂

[@maxhallman1036]

I've seen a 90 year old man do more watermelons per hour than a 20 year old kid

[@Bernie5172]

@@maxhallman1036 yes, it must have been my dad you saw

[@joshp5574]

Love the older Ford tractors my father had a 7600 and 5600 on his farm.

[@scruffy6151]

This is a tractor channel not a people for all those complain about the title. 👍👍

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you Scruffy. I was excited to get to feature a 9600 doing something a little different. Same history and specs info as it it were running a baler or other implement.

[@scruffy6151]

@@bigtractorpower when you did show the workers you treated them with respect by not being in the way or in there face. Plus you showed the work they did both in the field and sorting the melons. Show casing to the world the work they do and the respect they deserve. You are a farming equipment channel. Have a great day. God Bless.

[@XGalaxy4U]

We've got a 4630 Ford. That's a good tractor. I remember when we got it back in the early 90s. Everybody was so excited. I think we paid about $18,000 for it. Same as MSRP for the 9600 when it was in production. Only thing I don't like about it is that it's tricky to change the seal on the PTO. If you do it wrong a bearing will drop down in the crankcase and you have to split the tractor. It's got about 3500 hours on it. I need something with a little more muscle. We've got a NH TN70 but that would be the min to pull a round baler.

[@maxbardier1608]

Thx bud we learn every day

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@unknownuser53488]

I love blue tractors you make them make me love them more please use this tractor in new videos thanks your biggest fan

[@derek7837]

Need to come to south Georgia for watermelon harvest. The way they are doing things, in your video, is a very "primitive" way of doing things. We run hundreds of acres of watermelons.

[@bigtractorpower]

That would be neat to see.

[@ScottPykare]

Appreciate this aspect of farming as well. A lot of work goes into people getting food into their homes! An old farm when I was a kid ran a Ford 4000 & a Ford 8000. Thanks Jason.....BTP!!💪💪👍👍

[@kenmorford6156]

I use a 1973 Ford 4000 diesel with a cab for mowing and baling hay still, love the old tractor always dependable

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice. I have not seen many 4000 or 5000 models with cabs.

[@nellsonstout7001]

Is it a 4200 (flat deck, aka row crop?)

[@kenmorford6156]

@@bigtractorpower sent you photos on Instagram

[@kenmorford6156]

@@nellsonstout7001 It's a 1973 4200 row crop , 3 cylinder Diesel with a select-o-speed 10 forward 2 reverse, has the 540 and 1000 pto

[@GICK117]

Wow, amazing how much labor is still involved. Great video dude.

[@bigtractorpower]

It’s a delicate crop. Many fruits and veggies have to be hand harvested to keep them undamaged. .the process moves pretty fast.

[@johnp556]

thank goodness really, when widespread adoption of fully automated watermelon picking technology occurs, forget it, it's the end.

[@SimonKL11]

The old fords are great tractors😁👍 harvesting watermelons is an interesting process😉👍

[@אוריפלסי]

The ford didn't harvest the f-ing watermelons.

[@Kindredmsg]

Excellent video. Nice to see harvest variety from the usual corn/wheat/etc (which are still cool anyways).

[@fordsfarms1297]

Good stuff!! Love seeing the old blues putting in work! Good thing that trailer is a good heavy one! Those melons are HEAVY!! We have a few old Ford's. We plant with the row crop 7600, spray with the row crop 7000, any tillage the 9700 handles. Also have the '64 2000 diesel my father's uncle bought new and dad started farming with. Keep up the great work!!

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

I used to love that tractor a local diary had one when growing up.

[@luislozano3548]

Bien por mi raza trabajadora!🙏👌

[@doublebfarms2313]

We farm with 2 ford tractor we ha e a 1970 ford 4000 SU that we use the cut and bale hay with some light field work, we have a 1956 Ford 860 that we use the rake hay and pull hay racks around, and then we have a 1953 Ford golden jubilee and a 1959 Ford 861 with the front wheel assist. We also have 3 Ford garden tractors that we use for sweet corn and pumpkins.

[@sullinsfarm1495]

My dads buddy has a 8000, he was the first one in our area to get one, he got his name in the paper and everything. He still uses it today but only to do a bit of bushhoging.

[@uzqf2107]

Me and my grandfather run a hay farm and we run the best equipment BLUE equipment we have a ford 3600 2 ford 5000’s a gas and a diesel and we also have a ford 5600 with dual power. We mostly run ford NH equipment.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very cool. I like blue.

[@sidewinder7371]

Their was a dairy farmer that had one of these when i was a kid. One of my favorite tractors 🚜

[@brentfarrow8125]

My first truck was a Ford and my first tractor was a Ford 9600 with power shift button on the floor. Great tractor 😎

[@ericlakota6512]

Like the streight pipe we have huge crome stack on are 8600 we grow 50 acres of produce and we use it for big heavy duty 8' disk harrow in spring and fall and we have 8' brush hog and all are other work we use 45_70 hp tractors for all else. Basically are 8600 we could get away with out having but its realy nice and fast pulling the harrow and believe it realy turns sharp we have a 6bottom flip plough but we dont use it

[@FieldRows]

Awesome this looks like my neck of the woods in Florida. We used to grow melons, now just stick to peanuts and cotton

[@KCAATV]

I owned a 9600 and I have nothing good to say about it. It had a low-high floor mounted speed range switch that was similar in size and shape to an old floor mounted light dimmer on an old car. I think it was Ford's version of a Farmall TA. The transmission did not have enough cooling capacity and would constantly overheat under a load, especially in high range. One of my employees burned it up pulling a 4 row JD TWA disk. The engine had plenty of power and it pulled so easily you would not realize you were over heating the transmission. The transmission was clearly miss matched. It would not hold up under hard pulling in the Texas blackland clay. Obviously, it would be ok if you never tried to work it hard. As I watched the video, it reminded me that every time I tried to move away from Deere, I paid the price.

[@אוריפלסי]

John deere are junk, unless you are willing to pay for a variable they still don't have a decent low gear. You can't operate the pto going slower than 1.8 km/h. They have one tractor that has a half gear button and will go 0.9km/h and it isn't even manufactured by them. It's a Carraro manufactured in italy and painted green.

[@nellsonstout7001]

Oliver/White is the way

[@TheJdeere4020]

ford sucks

[@swampratt36]

Had an early 9600 that would plow circles around our tw20 that claimed 145 hp . Both were good tractors , but that philco quadrafonic am/fm cassette and frost a turd AC in the TW became my favorite first cab tractor in 79 .

[@darrelstinson4737]

I appreciate all your efforts to make these great videos. Brings back fond memories.

[@williamhays3322]

The '9600' seems to be a bit of over-kill for hauling a little wagon around...

[@paulofrancisco565]

Que maravilha colhendo melancia nunca tinha visto parabéns eu gosto muito desta fruta 👏👏👍👍💪💪🍉🍉🍉🇧🇷

[@evantelford4434]

We had a Ford 7710 on the farm when I was a kid. Great tractor if you can find one!

[@mrourcanada8964]

That was great to see the tractor working in the field I forgot that they had to have pink watermelon that’s a lot of hard work out there

[@familyfarmertn8931]

I grew up on a 7600 my dad bought the same spring I was born. I have a 9700 that does planting and grain cart work.

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice.

[@ericlakota6512]

We have a 8600 and it is an beast same tractor ill say for a big tractor she will turn some corners

[@anthonylentini6278]

I also have a ford tw 10 love it

[@FarmerTed]

We are mostly JD, but inherited my great Uncles fords, Fw 30 (rare) 9700 and 7000 utility (very rare). All have been good tractors, most serve backup rolls now with the 9700 used the most as utility tractor.

[@Hellbillyhok]

minted old fordy 👌🏻

[@BigWater59]

That is hell on those motors for sure..

[@sneak6654]

That brings back memories of picking Cantelopes on my Uncles farm in Mendota California back in the day using the same methods. Everything had to be picked and transferred by hand so you wouldn’t bruise the Cantelopes and bring down the price.

[@jasonknight4906]

Love them fords

[@kolewiebensohn]

My grandpa bought a 8600 brand new in 1974 and it came with a toy 8600 and big blue wagon which I have and had restored.

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

I loved hearing Spanish in tbe background of this video. I love hearing foreign languages its a spice of life.

[@timhowey3644]

We run a ford 7740 SL powerstar that has FWA it’s a good tractor we had it on our silage blowers but now it’s hauling wagons to the feilds to the silo and it’s spreading cow crap and we run it on every now we’re using it on the teader and rake and diskbine

[@jtoddjb]

I'd hate to tangle with any of them, but particularly the gent on the far outside of the conveyer with the straw hat. he was just flicking those bigger melons like a childs lego toy. These big old Ford get their share of hate, but I know where there's a pair of 8600's that are still working on the farm that bought them new, so that says something. I fed cows a lot with an 8700 and it was a very comfortable and terrific tractor. Always the first to start on those 40 below mornings

[@allenmoore4186]

My first job was in the watermelon 🍉 field making $3.80/hr. We used a Ford 7610 tractor.

[@piperdoug428]

Ford man through n through but never had dealings with these big boxy Fords, werent common in the UK. Currently run a 91 8730 2wd and just recently picked up a Fordson Diesel Major. i also run modern NewHolland tractors but we wont speak of that.

[@pml22]

I'm growing watermelons right now. Not as many as this farm, but I wanted to try it and figure it out.

[@christyler7391]

Lots of water is key. I use to grow our melons under barn & shed eves so they get plenty of water when it rains & the dew runoff. But I did it for fun.

[@gavinhenderson3861]

We have a Ford 9700 on are supreme feed mixer great tractor

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice.

[@billbooth4147]

Still use a ford 6610 good machine

[@AgricultureINDIA-91]

Why should the loader JD front tyres are opposite to the traction

[@bigtractorpower]

My guess is all the back and forth it does shuttling the crates. Less wear on the front tire.

[@AgricultureINDIA-91]

@@bigtractorpower Thanks sir !

[@bradolsen9981]

Nice tractor

[@dingui875]

J'adore the ils Scholl !!!

[@carlmenzel8744]

My father had a 7000 he used for tillage and was his main tractor for a few years but been a 4 cylinder it got a bit beyond it then he bought a international 766 black stripe and it was a stepping a few step up in tractor the 6 cylinder in the international ate the ford for breakfast it was a whole lot of tractor more we have been red tractors ever since

[@jm7488]

It would be interesting to see some other crops being harvested as well, such as onions or carrots.

[@bigtractorpower]

I have filmed onions, red table beets, peas, green beans, sweet corn, peas and Lima beans. Veggie crops are neat to see being harvested.

[@beckyclayton3120]

Hi Mike, have you done any videos on the service trucks that are used on the large farms and by the custom crews. Would love to see that. Thanks.

[@bigtractorpower]

Hi. This Jason from BTP. Thank you for watching. I did make a service truck video on a Chevy 3500 HD. It is posted at kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmjNi2t9fcapqbc

[@MitzvosGolem1]

These Blue Ford's best.

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@timberhills1778]

Nice video of old Ford iron

[@bigtractorpower]

Thank you for watching.

[@sturtzfarms985]

Use a ford 946 versatile For chiseling and feel cultivating in Illinois

[@bigtractorpower]

Very nice.

[@Bernie5172]

Legit question here ? HOW DO YOU PLANT AND RAISE SEEDLESS MELONS.?

[@derek7837]

You transplant seedlings

[@Bernie5172]

@@derek7837 how do yo raise seedlings without seeds.? seedless melons.?

[@derek7837]

@@Bernie5172 in short you have seed watermelons that are crossed and the off spring (seed) that grows is sterile. It produces a melon but no seeds....it is very similar to say Tyson Foods chicken. They use 2 different breeds (I cant remember off the top of my head which 2 breeds they use) of chicken to produce a off spring. The off spring that the 2 chickens produce cannot lay eggs, so that off spring cannot reproduce but they are for growing out fast and being meaty.

[@derek7837]

@@Bernie5172 it would be the same as a man (watermelon) and woman (watermelon) getting together and having a child (seedless watermelon sprout) but the child cant have kids (seedless melon vine grows a watermelon but it doesnt have seeds). Hope this helps

[@blueberry6613]

So farmworkers harvesting while tractor collects should be the title.

[@bigtractorpower]

The focus details are on the tractor in the video. When I post a tractor planting corn or forage harvesting and it’s powering the implement no one has complained on that title in the past 1,789 videos. This video shows water Mellon harvesting. The tractor pulls the trailer and powers the conveyor.

[@markrskinner]

There was one local to me here in the UK.

[@jacksak]

It's amazing how little a watermelon costs at the store related to the many workers it takes to harvest. Those workers must be making peanuts for their effort.

[@maxhallman1036]

A lot of the water melons go to an auction and then get bought by stores and sellers

[@johndowe7003]

them guys are getting less than minimum wage.

[@maxhallman1036]

@@michaeltroyer7470 yep same for tobacco but the farmer has to provide housing food and transportation from the airport to the farm and back

[@johndowe7003]

@@michaeltroyer7470 yup, thanks the the minimum wage law tht passed in 65'. if they raise it again, even less people will be hired

[@JEDI-MAQUINAS]

Gostei equipamento diferente top

[@canadiantractorspotter9969]

Nice.

[@robertpsieving4401]

We run a 5000 row crop and an old Jubilee

[@dougschmitii6165]

Cool video!

[@AgrooTarm]

Süper

[@greggergen9104]

I would love to work there; especially as a kid. What a great way to get paid to build muscles.

[@johndowe7003]

it gets old fast and them bosses are pricks most of the time. youll work all day and probably get like 50$ for a 10 hr shift. hell they dont even get free drinks (look at the vending machine)

[@greggergen9104]

@@johndowe7003 As that where you work?

[@johndowe7003]

@@greggergen9104 hell no, i used to work on a oil rig, oil went to trash so now im just staying home taking care of my folks

[@greggergen9104]

@@johndowe7003 Very good. Hope you find work soon.

[@johndowe7003]

@@greggergen9104 thanks, got some vids on my channel as well if you wanna check that out

[@brd1242]

Better than bucking hay bales lol

[@andylieffring3987]

Jay, why hasn’t spec cast released an 8600 yet?

[@MienTayTiVi]

LOVE IT

[@kevinniemietz273]

3910 (utility) and 7910 (hay production) and they are still running.

[@thayhai1994]

Nhiều người làm vui quá luôn anh ơi

[@johnp556]

who cuts the stem?

[@paulc.sachsejr.7209]

1974 Ford 3000 - General utility.

[@WinstonMartin-iz5nq]

My neigbor has a 9700

[@donaldriehl9075]

that actually looks us ( my family when we were younger )

[@bigtractorpower]

👍👍

[@XalphaxAssassinX]

Extension ladder section turned to belt conveyor?

[@bigtractorpower]

It’s a manufactured conveyor. I did not see a manufacture label on it though.

[@apn42]

They would save some money polling the trailer with a tractor half the size. A Ford 4000 or 5000 would easily pull that trailer.

[@maxhallman1036]

There's a lot more weight on that trailer than you think there is

[@barackobama8664]

Btp did you do some of this with a go pro?

[@eugenekline8518]

Can't beat the ford 9600 I use it to square bale hay

[@bigtractorpower]

Nice. What model baler did you use.

[@eugenekline8518]

New Holland BC5070

[@xSCHEF]

BTP saw you commenting that a lot of fruit and veggies need manual labor to be harvested undamaged.. ain’t that the truth. Coming from a greenhouse strawberry farmer from the Netherlands; during harvesting season I’ve got a workforce of 60-65 people (4 hectares) any less and I can shut down right there. People online be talking about robotics and such but when we’re talking a delicate fruit such as strawberries I cringe the second it’s brought up.. no such thing as robotics in my world.. Typed out my story on Reddit a little while ago. We're the only farm in the Netherlands that refuses to use pesticides to grow our crop (The Netherlands, tiny as it is, is 2nd after the USA in food production, we're a powerhouse in our own way) and one of 4 remaining farms in Europe not using pesticides). Manual labor is our bottleneck, without Polish workers we can close our doors, similair to the US Mexican workforce. Anyway, if this interests you, this is my farm: www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/bh5yfi/til_that_along_a_lonely_stretch_of_highway_in/elqoz5x? (it's the comment written by Sodapopa)