300 farmall questions and value

[Graveyard1984]

I am looking at a 300 farmall.
It was running when parked, its been
sitting in a barn. Tires are flat.
The hood use to be soild red and they
repainted it with the white stripe.
Years ago the tractor ran away and hit
something and broke the right side
axle house they found and replaced the
axle and housing so that is not a
issue anymore. It has a torgue
amplifier.

The tractor has the two point hitch

It comes with a sickle mower and
another one for parts
A disc plow
And the 2 point hitch adapter to make
it a 3 point hitch

And various other parts

Whats it worth i live in middle
Tennessee?

Are parts readily available for the
tractor

Would it handle a 6ft bush hogg


Good and bad things about the tractor
Thanks

 

[Janicholson]

As is not running with the attachments 1000 if stuck but not broken, 600 if stuck so it must be rebuilt. Great tractor, no issues very handy and "modern with Live Hydraulic, and Live PTO. Jim

 

[leroy in ne]

Are tires usable when aired up? If not be prepared to spend $1000 plus on rubber if it's in decent running condition.

 

[DR. EVIL]

I ran a 6 ft Bush hog over 1000's of acres of corn stalks, hay ground, hog pasture, etc with a Super H, the very next model older than the 300. 300 should have no problem cutting up anything you can drive over or through.
Hope the rear tires are good enough to hold air. Most 300's in my part of the US came on either 12.4x38 or 13.6x38 rear tires. $1000 doesn't quite put new rear tires & inner tubes on a 300. Front tires are much cheaper.

 

[dhermesc]

Is the engine stuck?

Is it a balanced head mower or one with the wooden pitman stick?

Are the tires usable if aired up / inner tubes installed? Rims rusted through from calcium?

It's hard to say the value of a non-running tractor without more information. If the engine is stuck and the tires are toast - $200 - $300. If its a balanced head mower (with a parts mower) and the engine rolls over fine and the tires just need air it could be $2000.

 

[dhermesc]

It will handle a 6' brush hog without to much trouble. Brush hogs are tough on PTOs and you'll need to keep the bands correctly adjusted or it can smoke them. I used to pull an old JD 6' brush hog with my 350 Farmall - but started using an Allis D17 instead.

 

[NY 986]

I've seen many 300's on Craigslist over the past year and just looked at one last Friday. Ones with good sheet metal, good running engine, so-so paint, NFE, Fast Hitch, advertised good TA, and good rubber sit on Craigslist until the seller drops the price to around 1,500 dollars then the tractor is gone for good. Runners are normally 1,150 and up. Implements can mean very little or a lot depending on the potential buyer. Check out auction time to see what 300's are selling at.

 

[WayneLee]

Most running 300 will bring 1500. with decent tires

 

[ss55]

I would assume the worst and price it as that unless you really really want the tractor. As it sits with unknown tires and unknown engine it's maybe worth $500 maximum salvage value.

Let the owner take the risk of airing up the tires or getting it running. If you air up the tires and they are good, that price will double to $1,000, if the tires split the owner will be mad and want you to buy it at the asking price. The same could happen if you try to get it running.

 

[300guy]

Only real pain with these tractors is if you have any hydraulic leaks on the control valves behind the dash area, is a monumental task to remove them and seal them up. The entire area where the steering wheel is supported has to be taken loose, the control handles removed and then you can get to the valves to remove them. I did mine when I first got my 300. I also had to replace the garter spring in the valves so they would center the spool valve and not allow things like my loader to settle while I was using the tractor. The garter spring is not a hard job but I had to make a special tool out of wood to install it. So any work behind the dash area is a real pain!!! This includes the 400 also.

 

[Mac AR]

I honestly can't tell you what it'd be worth, but depending on overall condition (i.e. stuck engine) of it and the implements, I'd say anywhere between $600 to $900 should buy it.

As far as running a 6' hog, I pull an MX8 John Deere with mine no problem. Granted, if its thick growth like it was this year, she'll get a workout. But in knee high grass you can run 2nd easily, and usually in 3rd but the TA gets a workout on the hills. My 6' hog doesn't give it any trouble either, it's just a pain to hook up being its a 3 point unit. My 300 will also handle a 10' wheel disk, 12' spring-tooth harrow, and 3/14" moldboard plow or 2 disk plow without any trouble. The 300 is a bit under-rated if you ask me. Nebraska Tests say they're ~38 HP on the drawbar, but mine sure seems a lot stouter than that!

If you do buy it, do yourself a favor and buy an electronic ignition unit. I did and it helped a LOT. It now starts easier and runs smoother, and the kit isn't difficult to install. Make sure to use a hytran-comparable oil in the transmission/pto. The TA clutches will thank you. Speaking of TA, you may already know this, but you shouldn't have the TA lever back (engaged) while going down hill. It causes undue wear on the TA unit and allows the tractor to free wheel. Finally, I will echo what 300guy said regarding the hydraulic valves: they're a pain in the @$$ to get to! I'm waiting until this winter to do mine, as they have a small leak at the bottom cover. Other than that, they're relatively easy to keep up and parts are available from IH dealers, and this site. Most things like plugs, points, etc. are available from any local parts store.

I'll close with this statement: I've had several tractors over the years, and most have went their own way for various reasons. The old 300 is still on the farm, earning her keep almost daily. She's starting to get a bit tired now, though. An in-frame overhaul, PTO bands, and new rear tires would do her a lot of good. But in all the years I've had her on the farm, she's never let me down. Always starts, even in the bitter cold. Pulls plenty good, and won't spin a tire. Just lugs down and keeps on tugging. You couldn't ask for anything any better. Sure, she's a thirsty old gal; she'll drink 3 gal/ hr on the 8' hog in tough going. And she can be a bit cantankerous at times. I don't know how the rest of 'em are, but mine has been an all-round good tractor to do whatever I've asked. And you just can't beat that.

Mac

 

[300guy]

I forgot to say I pull a 15 foot stock shredder with mine in tall CRP grass and it handles that nicely most of the time in 2nd and others in 3rd. So it has the power to pull that shredder.

 

[bass]

I bought mine, running for $200