"Maggie" as my brother and I refer to her.
Maggie is the 8N work mule at the Cash family enclave. Almost a year ago Holden conscripted a gentleman to convert Maggie from 6 volt to 12 volt (why? I don't know...). It has taken 6 months of weekends to get things right. I'm a surveyor and he's an attorney. At current billing rates we probably could have bought a brand new tractor for all the time we've spent.
She's running fine now.
We've got some rutted lanes to grade out and LOTS of brush-hogging to do. Got her working just in time for cool weather...B-)
Looks nearly identical to the 1951 8N I drove four million miles going up and back and up and back and occasionally around and around. My Granddad had a 1950 model with a slightly different look to it. For some reason we sold it when I was 11 so only had a few years driving it.
Oh, the memories. With a 2-14 moldboard plow I could cut a massive 28" swath through the soil and rocks putting the top on bottom and the bottom on top. The 8-foot tandem disk that went on the three-point hitch was fun because it was the perfect weight so that when you hit the end of the field you would lift it and stomp on one brake pedal while watching the front wheels come off the ground as you swung around perfectly to drop the disk and go back alongside where you had just come from. We even had a large buzz saw that ran off the PTO to cut firewood into proper lengths. The guard on the front of the tractor with a hitch point allowed you to push trailers and other fun things backwards towards where they needed to go, which was far easier than looking over your shoulder to do it the standard way. Cultivating only two rows at 0.00001 MPH was incredibly tedious for a lad with a wandering mind. It had just barely enough power to run a square hay baler so long as the hay was dry and the windrow was light. Used it to haul a trillion yards of dirt with the tiny scoop that fit on the three-point. Also hauled four kazillion tons of limestone rocks using the box attachment. Used the blade more for pushing in little brush piles for proper burning than for serious dirt moving as it was too light to cut into our tough clay soils very well. A great way to scare a seven year-old to death is to put him on that little 8N with two hay wagons hitched behind that held about 96 bales each and send him three miles to deliver which included that treacherously steep hill where the instructions were to stop at the top of the hill, put the tractor in "Grandma", and steer straight because those trailers were going to push you to the bottom of the hill faster than it would go unloaded in fourth gear. I'm not sure but I think my parents had a really big life insurance policy on me.
It's been 40 years since I drove one much, but I still remember the gearshift layout.
Had an "interesting" experience on one back then. It wouldn't turn over after sitting for a while so Dad hooked it to the pickup with a chain and started pulling it. It started right away so I pushed in the clutch and throttled back. Didn't have much time to do anything else. It kept right on going - stuck clutch. It needed a new radiator and a bunch of straightening.
My father-in-law had an 8N for many years. Always trusty and reliable, but I think his was 12 volt.
Me, I have a 1949 Cub that is 6 volt, positive ground. Sometimes I wish it was 12 volt for a little more kick.
Will it take care of palmettos?
That's what I want to know.
Seriously.
" We even had a large buzz saw that ran off the PTO to cut firewood into proper lengths." I used one of these to cut more loads of firewood, than I really care to remember, fifty plus years ago.
Here what I think is a 2N, an earlier version of a 8N. I used my trailer and truck to get it to a friends house but I don't think he has it running yet.
good eye, HC
> Looks nearly identical to the 1951 8N I drove four million miles ....
The title says 1951 but there are some earlier parts on there that disagree. After this many years, who knows what all has been added or removed? 😉
We had a neighbor that had one previous to the 8N. It was all grey in color no red paint. I think it was called Ferguson - Ford. If I remember right it had a three forward speed transmission and the 8N had four forward speeds. Seems to me the front wheel tires had only one ridge about and inch in depth or so in the middle of the tire. I suppose that was to make it hold better in the middle for cultivation.
Ferguson-Ford
> ...It was all grey in color no red paint. I think it was called Ferguson - Ford.
That is a really interesting story about Massey Ferguson and Ford that includes huge law suits. From what I've been able to gather in the "earlier" days Ford made the engines and Ferguson made the rest of the tractor. The two companies were making plenty of money selling tractors.
Ford decided to come out with their own tractor, using mostly Ferguson parts. Ferguson really couldn't gripe too much because without the Ford power plants, they didn't have a tractor to market.
I believe it was the focus of a long running law suit. Most of the parts from those years fit both MF and Ford.
Heck R, just have Oddis drop off a D8! 😉
To be helpful to my Dad in my younger days, I poured plently of oil right into the radiator cap on one of those tractors.
What is the advantage to having 12 volt on a tractor?
Ever try jumping a 6v positive ground with a 12v negative ground?
That's my best answer without getting technical.
some decent pics here and past discussion
http://beerleg.com/index.php?mode=thread&id=57852#p58024
> What is the advantage to having 12 volt on a tractor?
two fold:
1. make it negative ground
2. faster starts
should only take about an hour to convert. hardest part is finding a alternater to replace the generator Kits availble on line
OK, I could see how dealing with a dead battery could be a PIA.
I guess if you have an engine in good running order and you use a solar battery tender, you probably would be just fine.
However most of those old tractors probably don't have much compression and the battery is probably always dead.
Ferguson-Ford
The guy I worked for 50+ years ago had a Ferguson - Ford, we searched the
local junk yards and found two wheels, from a 37 or 38 for a car, bolt holes matched the front of the tractor, he installed regular auto tires. The tractor was used only for on the road work and was more easier to handle the the regular tractor tires.
Don't Go To 12 Volt, Get An 8 Volt Battery
I just heard this the other day from a surveyor that has two older Farmall Cubs. Instead of converting to 12 volt there are 8 volt batteries that when connected to a 6 volt system solve all the electrical problems.
Paul in PA
Nice tractor! Enclave? Need me to come take care of the critters for ya?
