Looking at a Ford 3910, need some advice please…

[Raise]

Wow! I don't think I've seen so many negative opinions on anything short of self castration. While I do agree the Ford is probably not a wise choice, I do wonder about the John deere. Was this tractor "on the farm" and used there or did it come from somewhere else? Can you work a deal with the owner to try it out to see how it handles what you plan to use it for?

Yes sir he is actually going to show me next time im in town how he mows the farm with tha JD 2020. Apparently he has mowed it for years with the 2020, even with the 2wd limitation

 

[Raise]

All I ever mowed with is a 2 wd. Always, always, always have a plan. When I mowed with the 5600 and 8ft trailing mower (think heavy), had a section about 100 ft wide and 175/200 ft long that would cause the ford to start sliding about half way down. Bottom end had about a 200 ft long spot that leveled out. Gave me plenty of room to regain traction. With the cx90 and 15 ft batwing it will hold back and not slide. Neighbor has a newer 70ish hp jd. 4 wd . Have been up with my cx90 and pulled him out of a few places he thought the 4wd would get him thru. IMHO 4wd not the miracle cure all the time. That space between your ears is very valuable. If you have never used a tractor take it slow and get familiar with your equipment.

Was your cx90 2wd?

 

[Raise]

What was done about mowing the property before you bought it? Did the prior owner keep it all mowed or did they just let the grass grow? Knowing what they did and what equipment they used might give some insight into what works for that particular property. Personally, on my home 80 acres, I keep the yard mowed, about 4 acres, and the rest just grows naturally. The renter of the crop land cuts the ditches and a pasture for hay once a year. One other section has been cut and baled 2 or 3 times in the past 20 some years but it's only about 10 acres and hardly worth the time and effort even though there is an incredible amount of hay in about half of that part of the land.

The landowner that sold me the farm mowed it with the JD 2020 2wd with duals in the picture

 

[showcrop]

So if I go down the steepest, what happens if the tractor starts to free roll? Without 4wd i will oy have the brakes to control my stop right?

If a tractor will free roll the transmission needs to be fixed!! No tractor should ever free roll.

 

[Raise]

I have the steepest hills anyone can farm. I have had the upper tire loose traction driving on a side slope. Fluid filled and set wide. 1650 cockshutt. Going up hill with a haybine it runs out of oil in the neck going up the hill. All 2 wd tractors. I do have a front assist but now but never use doing hay or cutting. Up and down and you will never free wheel unless you choose a high gear and stall out, or something breaks. I would also not buy the ford, the JD looks like it might be an option, at least it is not priced at double the value.

Thanks man. So youre saying with practice, a 2wd is completely capable of mowing steepish hills, but always go up hill or down hill and avoid going sideways across the slope. Is this accurate?

 

[Jim.ME]

If a tractor will free roll the transmission needs to be fixed!! No tractor should ever free roll.

One the will would be a Massey Ferguson with a Multi-power in low range, they will free roll downhill. Going downhill with the Multi-power in low is operator error, not a tractor issue.

 

[cjunrau]

Thanks man. So youre saying with practice, a 2wd is completely capable of mowing steepish hills, but always go up hill or down hill and avoid going sideways across the slope. Is this accurate?

yes

 

[wh]

Was your cx90 2wd?

No. Never have owned a 4 wd.

 

[Texasmark]

Thank you. So your opinion is instead of going with duals and navigating sideways on the slopes, only go up and down? Wont that require 4wd from the tractor?

No. I did it for years with a Ford 3000, 8 speed diesel, with R1 (farm lug) rears and 2wd., 6' medium duty mower. Dam slope was 30*.
Edit: Actually there are parts of the dam, near the spillway that are more like 45 or so. On the subject of wet grass......not a good idea. Afternoon mowing is best for several reasons.

 

[wh]

I would rather have a lower frame tractor ( ford - 3000 thru 6000/ MF 135 thru 275/ IH 574 and up etc… ) and spread rear wheels to widest width. My 5600 went to 84 inch centers on tires. Very stable. I would not want duals on that class/size of tractor. But others may say that is way to go. Have my cx90 set on 70 inches tire centers. 4wd very popular today. Never have owned or used one. Have neighbors that swear by them. They have called me a few times to get them out of a jam that they thought the 4wd would do.

 

[Raise]

No. Never have owned a 4 wd.

Thats what i said, i asked if it was a 2wd

 

[47fivewindow]

If you want to learn from my mistake, don't cut down the hill when the grass is covered with dew. Even though the tractor was was in a low gear the tires lost traction and away I went. I could still steer but was gaining speed all the way to the bottom. I was afraid I would roll if I got a little sideways.

 

[Raise]

If you want to learn from my mistake, don't cut down the hill when the grass is covered with dew. Even though the tractor was was in a low gear the tires lost traction and away I went. I could still steer but was gaining speed all the way to the bottom. I was afraid I would roll if I got a little sideways.

Was this a 2wd tractor? And when you say dont cut down the hill, do you mean dont drive straight down the hill, when the grass is wet?

 

[47fivewindow]

Was this a 2wd tractor? And when you say dont cut down the hill, do you mean dont drive straight down the hill, when the grass is wet?

Yes 2wd with a 5 foot brush cutter. Too steep to go up or sideways. I had done it before when it was dry with no problem.

 

[ss55]

I would do exactly that but with my acreage it costs around $1000 to mow it. I have received several quotes from several local companies and individuals with bush hogs and the prices were at or just above $1000.

Sounds like the pasture ground might already be well setup for cattle grazing. Is it well fenced, is there shelter and water available for livestock? Currently buying enough cattle or other livestock yourself to graze 45 acres would be very very expensive, not to mention the time required to watch over and tend the livestock.

Would it be possible to temporarily rent out the pasture for either live stock grazing or for haying for a few years? Ask the seller if that has been done in the past and who in the area might be interested in renting your farm ground. The renter can be held responsible for weed control and mowing, include those requirements in the lease, work with a local lawyer or county agent on that. Renting would generate some income and more importantly get you some farm income receipts to help keep your farmland status for property tax assessments ( BIG SAVINGS there!!! ). Renting temporarily would also reduce or eliminate the cost, time and headache of mowing the ground yourself for a few years.

When you do build on the property, maybe fence off the building site and driveway access so the pasture can continue to be rented until you move in.

If the JD 2020 is in good condition it does seems to be reasonably priced and would be a good mowing tractor. It does have a swept back front axle that is not as good for loader work as a straight front axle. Generally loader work is hard on tractors, so if the 2020 has never had a loader on it would be a positive for me. Is there a shed to store the tractor on the farm? If there is no tractor shed and you can rent the ground out, you may not need a tractor yet, so I would not invest in a tractor at this time. It would just be one more thing to go wrong and maintain.

The 2020 has great hydraulics for its time, but requires maintenance to keep it in good condition. Cavitation on cylinder sleeves from poor coolant maintenance is also a know problem on those tractors. Dad had a new 2020 in the early 1970s, it was a great loader tractor, and a great mower tractor with the Quick-Tach loader removed, but that was fifty years ago. Condition is everything on older tractors, new rear tires cost $500 to $1000 each. Is it a gas or diesel engine?

Can a sickle mower be used to mow your ground or is it too rocky? A sickle mower takes less power to run than a bush hog and is better for making hay. FYI, selling grass hay is often a breakeven deal at best. After you move in will you need snow removal equipment, a front end loader is great for that.

 

[sotxbill]

Well th


Well the land owner told me he put the duals on there so he could mow sideways on the hills

Ford used to sell LCG 4000 tractor for mowing the sides of hyway embankments and they DID have dual wheels on the just for this reason. Duals can be used for flotation or for widening the wheel base. Wider wheel base "Lowers the Center of Gravity" significantly. and LCG means it does not roll over on a known angle of slope. Some of these tractors came with 10 inch rim and tires on the front as well. They looked like spiders on the side of the hyways, mowing in the 60s and 70s. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up... just looking at them. In the early mornings with dew on the grass, they would actually slide down a bit while they were mowing.. Again, check tractor carefully, and offer appropriately. Dont fall in love if it worn out.

second tractor was a ford 3000 with 730 loader that had been used in a charcoal factory. Bought it for $3000 and then had to put $5000 in parts back in it to get it back to good shape. I did however sell it for $7000 15 years later. It was true love at first sight and the ford parts/dealer loved me. Tore up several bolster pivots, and broke 3 front spindles clearing land, but it did the job. A front end loader is hard on the tractor in rough fields and beats up the front end pretty quickly. Finally removed the 400lb bucket to fix that problem.

 

[Richard Nixon]

Hey fellas, I am new to the forum and also new to tractors. I recently bought a 45 acre farm in eastern Kentucky, i would say atleast 25 acres of it is rolling pastureland, with the rest being nice wooded bottoms and creek. Its a beautiful farm and we will probably start building on it sometime next year. In the meantime, I will need to keep the grass cut at least 2 maybe 3 times a year. I will end up using the tractor for much more down the road, but right now its just to keep the grass down until we start building. Moving forward, than driving a forklift for years, I dont really have much experience with heavy equipment. I found an 88/89 Ford 3910 4wd with somewhere around 5000 hours on it. It already has dual rear wheels on it, which will come in handy on my hills. It also comes with a Ford 7410 front end loader already on it. I have found a few 2wd tractors with duals as well for much less money, but I have been told by quite a few veteran farmers that I should not even consider a 2wd tractor if I have any slopes at all, which one of my hills has a pretty steep grade to it. Anyway, I have attached some photos below. Thw seller is asking $15k for it, and he may take a little less but not much less. The local tractor dealer said everything looks great and functions well, starts right up, loader works, 4wd works. The hours seem high to me, but again the tractor is close to 40 years old. What do you guys think about the hours, condition and price? I figured coming with the duals and the loader already gives it a few grand bump in value. Anyway, I appreciate all your help guys, especially being new to farming and looking forward to a much more simple life.

Just to add, i have 2 7.3 diesel trucks that I maintain myself, so im not new to diesels and I am a pretty decent mechanic. But i would like to know what an annual maintenance will cost in parts if you guys have a

Hey fellas, I am new to the forum and also new to tractors. I recently bought a 45 acre farm in eastern Kentucky, i would say atleast 25 acres of it is rolling pastureland, with the rest being nice wooded bottoms and creek. Its a beautiful farm and we will probably start building on it sometime next year. In the meantime, I will need to keep the grass cut at least 2 maybe 3 times a year. I will end up using the tractor for much more down the road, but right now its just to keep the grass down until we start building. Moving forward, than driving a forklift for years, I dont really have much experience with heavy equipment. I found an 88/89 Ford 3910 4wd with somewhere around 5000 hours on it. It already has dual rear wheels on it, which will come in handy on my hills. It also comes with a Ford 7410 front end loader already on it. I have found a few 2wd tractors with duals as well for much less money, but I have been told by quite a few veteran farmers that I should not even consider a 2wd tractor if I have any slopes at all, which one of my hills has a pretty steep grade to it. Anyway, I have attached some photos below. Thw seller is asking $15k for it, and he may take a little less but not much less. The local tractor dealer said everything looks great and functions well, starts right up, loader works, 4wd works. The hours seem high to me, but again the tractor is close to 40 years old. What do you guys think about the hours, condition and price? I figured coming with the duals and the loader already gives it a few grand bump in value. Anyway, I appreciate all your help guys, especially being new to farming and looking forward to a much more simple life.

Just to add, i have 2 7.3 diesel trucks that I maintain myself, so im not new to diesels and I am a pretty decent mechanic. But i would like to know what an annual maintenance will cost in parts if you guys have any idea?

I'm enclosing a picture of a Ford 3930, 4WD w/loader on our nearby dealer's lot in NE Wisconsin. Asking price = $16,995. It appears to be in much better shape than the 3910 you're looking at, is low slung and has a very wide stance making it suitable for your hills. I doubt you could get this tractor to roll with the loader set low unless it hit a stump or something while sliding sideways. In any case I don't think you'd be able to sit in the seat anyway.

 

[Raise]

Sounds like the pasture ground might already be well setup for cattle grazing. Is it well fenced, is there shelter and water available for livestock? Currently buying enough cattle or other livestock yourself to graze 45 acres would be very very expensive, not to mention the time required to watch over and tend the livestock.

Would it be possible to temporarily rent out the pasture for either live stock grazing or for haying for a few years? Ask the seller if that has been done in the past and who in the area might be interested in renting your farm ground. The renter can be held responsible for weed control and mowing, include those requirements in the lease, work with a local lawyer or county agent on that. Renting would generate some income and more importantly get you some farm income receipts to help keep your farmland status for property tax assessments ( BIG SAVINGS there!!! ). Renting temporarily would also reduce or eliminate the cost, time and headache of mowing the ground yourself for a few years.

When you do build on the property, maybe fence off the building site and driveway access so the pasture can continue to be rented until you move in.

If the JD 2020 is in good condition it does seems to be reasonably priced and would be a good mowing tractor. It does have a swept back front axle that is not as good for loader work as a straight front axle. Generally loader work is hard on tractors, so if the 2020 has never had a loader on it would be a positive for me. Is there a shed to store the tractor on the farm? If there is no tractor shed and you can rent the ground out, you may not need a tractor yet, so I would not invest in a tractor at this time. It would just be one more thing to go wrong and maintain.

The 2020 has great hydraulics for its time, but requires maintenance to keep it in good condition. Cavitation on cylinder sleeves from poor coolant maintenance is also a know problem on those tractors. Dad had a new 2020 in the early 1970s, it was a great loader tractor, and a great mower tractor with the Quick-Tach loader removed, but that was fifty years ago. Condition is everything on older tractors, new rear tires cost $500 to $1000 each. Is it a gas or diesel engine?

Can a sickle mower be used to mow your ground or is it too rocky? A sickle mower takes less power to run than a bush hog and is better for making hay. FYI, selling grass hay is often a breakeven deal at best. After you move in will you need snow removal equipment, a front end loader is great for that.

There is a 30x60 barn on the property. It has a few roof panel breeches but it wouldnt be hard to keep the tractor in the barn under a tarp or something foe the time being. We just cant lock it up because it has 2 big bay door openings. We are putting up a new barn in a few months so that will eliminate that problem.

The tractor is a diesel.

The ground is not rocky at all so a sickle mower may be an option for the steep areas

 

[Raise]

Sounds like the pasture ground might already be well setup for cattle grazing. Is it well fenced, is there shelter and water available for livestock? Currently buying enough cattle or other livestock yourself to graze 45 acres would be very very expensive, not to mention the time required to watch over and tend the livestock.

Would it be possible to temporarily rent out the pasture for either live stock grazing or for haying for a few years? Ask the seller if that has been done in the past and who in the area might be interested in renting your farm ground. The renter can be held responsible for weed control and mowing, include those requirements in the lease, work with a local lawyer or county agent on that. Renting would generate some income and more importantly get you some farm income receipts to help keep your farmland status for property tax assessments ( BIG SAVINGS there!!! ). Renting temporarily would also reduce or eliminate the cost, time and headache of mowing the ground yourself for a few years.

When you do build on the property, maybe fence off the building site and driveway access so the pasture can continue to be rented until you move in.

If the JD 2020 is in good condition it does seems to be reasonably priced and would be a good mowing tractor. It does have a swept back front axle that is not as good for loader work as a straight front axle. Generally loader work is hard on tractors, so if the 2020 has never had a loader on it would be a positive for me. Is there a shed to store the tractor on the farm? If there is no tractor shed and you can rent the ground out, you may not need a tractor yet, so I would not invest in a tractor at this time. It would just be one more thing to go wrong and maintain.

The 2020 has great hydraulics for its time, but requires maintenance to keep it in good condition. Cavitation on cylinder sleeves from poor coolant maintenance is also a know problem on those tractors. Dad had a new 2020 in the early 1970s, it was a great loader tractor, and a great mower tractor with the Quick-Tach loader removed, but that was fifty years ago. Condition is everything on older tractors, new rear tires cost $500 to $1000 each. Is it a gas or diesel engine?

Can a sickle mower be used to mow your ground or is it too rocky? A sickle mower takes less power to run than a bush hog and is better for making hay. FYI, selling grass hay is often a breakeven deal at best. After you move in will you need snow removal equipment, a front end loader is great for that.

The former owner kept a dozen cattle on the farm so they ate a good bit of the grass, and yes the farm is completely wire woven fences in. Indont have any plans to put cattle back on the farm though, mostly for hunting reasons

 

[Texasmark]

I'm enclosing a picture of a Ford 3930, 4WD w/loader on our nearby dealer's lot in NE Wisconsin. Asking price = $16,995. It appears to be in much better shape than the 3910 you're looking at, is low slung and has a very wide stance making it suitable for your hills. I doubt you could get this tractor to roll with the loader set low unless it hit a stump or something while sliding sideways. In any case I don't think you'd be able to sit in the seat anyway.

Side note per a comment above: There are still WPA or CCC railroad bridges that cross over highways still around. There is one in a town near me. The slopes on the sides of that bridge are at least 60*. I often wondered how you could get a tractor (and a driver) to mow that......well my curiosity was recently answered. A crew of men using WeedEaters on foot were cutting the grass. Looked really awkward and one guy had to be on the way to 300# with sloppy shoes looked like he was going to fall back, down the embankment any minute.