David Brown 885 or Ford 8N?

[crumrw]

Hi guys,

I'm new here, and I'm from the Dallas,TX area. I just purchased a piece of land and am now looking at purchasing a tractor...well actually bartering for a tractor.

Currently I have two offers and I wanted to get some opinions as I really don't know much about tractors other than my dad has a MF 135. The first tractor is a 1950 Ford 8N, runs and drives good, pto works but the lift only works intermittently. The second offer is for a David Brown 885, runs and drives good, pto and lift both work but apparently it smokes. The owner said that it's been sitting (inside) and a mechanic told him that it could be smoking from sitting or it could be a bad injector.

If the two were in the same working condition I would probably go with the 885 because it's a little more tractor, has the live pto and it's a diesel. I haven't been out to see either tractor yet, so my question is what should I be looking for when I go look and are the problems listed a big deal? I know it's a loaded question with the limited info I have, but maybe y'all can point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ptfarmer]

The smoking from the 885 could be a injector, or a piston ring (it depends on the color of the smoke). The 885 is very close to a MF135 as power, and size goes. Since David Brown was purchased buy J.I.CASE, and there was also a CASE 885 which should make parts for it should be easy to get. http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/4/1/410-david-brown-885.html

 

[crumrw]

(reply to post at 11:02:44 09/10/15)

Of the two, do you think the 885 would be the better deal? What color smoke would indicate which rings versus injector?

Thanks

 

[RGMartin]

Money the same?


An 8N will always be an 8N.


An 885 DB is darn handy, nimble, fuel miser, it will do twice the work as the 8N on half the fuel. 3 times the gears(syncronized within range), 2 speed PTO(live via a 2 stage clutch), remote live hydraulics.

As to the smoke could be anything, but lack of use seems most likely. Give it a good day of hard work and see what happens.

 

[60 acre hillside]

I absolutely agree with every statement you made. I worked for an Allis Chalmers dealer when they took on the David Brown line. I thought the 885 or perhaps was 880 was considered to be a 3 plow tractor comparable to a Ford 860 or Massey 65. Fact is we sold a David Brown and took in a gold colored ford 800 gas. New owner was happy.

 

[60 acre hillside]

I thought all of the European diesels smoked if you worked the,. Anyway my IHC 574 does even after the pump was rebuilt. Massey 165 no smoke IHC 986 very little smoke Kioti CK 35 no smoke

 

[old]

Late or early model 8N?? Late model would have the side mount distributor and the early a front mount. If it is the late model I would tend to go with it since parts are easy to find and the D?B parts tend to be harder to find and a diesel while good is not a machine that the common man can work on

 

[Spudm]

I own a David Brown 995, which is the big brother to the 885. The engines are very good. Only problem with those tractors have been the hydraulics, but I still would take the David Brown over the 8N Ford.

 

[J.Wondergem]

David Brown. Get it and work it some, see what happens. Even if you had to stick some money in it, you'd still be ahead.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Buy the David Brown that way you have a good useful tractor,I have a DB 770 great little tractor and extremely fuel efficient.

 

[Bret4207]

Get the David Brown. The Ford is a toy for collectors, the DB is a TRACTOR. Parts are a snap these days with internet purchases.

 

[Leroy]

Only problem with the DB is it is a diesel. Now a lot of people no problem. Me I cannot stand the diesel fuel smell, can't use the gas pumps at the station that has the diesel pump from spilled fuel smell. Even just driving past a running diesel I have problems. Now the Ford will be a lot simpler to work on but will not do the work the DB will. You would be able to do a lot of the work on the Ford, The DB you will have to find a qualified mechanic to work on it. And that could be a problem. The part time working of the lift is probably PTO turned off when lift does not work as hydroilc pump is driven off the pto shaft. I have 2 Fords but I would say go with the DB if the diesel is not a problem for you.

 

[RodinNS]

If it's an 885 then it should be a Case Brown, not a David Brown... and there are some differences as there always was through model/year changes. Lots of stuff is getting hard to get for them through OEM sources but no doubt there is lots of aftermarket online.
Personally this would not even be a choice in terms of which one to buy. The Brown is 3 times the tractor the N ever was or is. I would say as long as the oil is clean in it, it doesn't knock or miss... then I wouldn't be too worried about the smoking. That will probably clear off once you work it hard. If it misses or has dirty oil then all bets are off... and yes, unlike most other diesels... the Brown should keep fairly clean oil.
The only think I don't really care for about the Browns is that they have a very convoluted hydraulic system and the layout of a lot of other things on them are very foreign if you're used to say a Ford or IH tractor of that size. It's not necessarily a bad thing.... just that it require a different plan of attack if you're working on one.


Rod

 

[Ray]

The 885 is several times the tractor as a 8N.

 

[2underage]

My advice is "neither one". The 8n ford was made no later than 1951 and it not only did not have a live PTO but the hydraulics were pretty bad they stop working when the clutch is depressed. The DB was made in the early 1960,s and , although some would seem to disagree, the parts are getting harder to find and becoming expensive. Most of the ones that I have owned were hard shifting.

There are lots of tractors for sale and I would look for a later model Ford or Massey or maybe even a John Deere. They have good parts support and good reputation. Remember, you get what you pay for! Happy Farming!

 

[crumrw]

Thanks guys for all the advice. I will be looking at the DB this weekend. Unfortunately because I'm trying to do a little trading and not paying with cash, my options are my options, and I don't really have the luxury of "shopping around". That being said, it sounds like the DB should meet my needs. Is there anything in particular that I should be looking for when I got check it out?

As an aside, it looks like the DB 885 was made from 1971-1980.

 

[Bob N.Y.]

Better check your facts. The 8N was made through 1952 and 880 was in production until Teneco bought David Brown which I believe was 1969.

 

[Bob N.Y.]

The 885 is even newer.

 

[showcrop]

I had a 1974 Case David Brown, for about three years until I sold it to get a DB Case 1490. The 885 would do a lot for it's size, it was very nimble, and it shifted very well. Getting on and off past the two sticks was a pain.

 

[ptfarmer]

The 885 was made from 1971 - 1980 here is all the info you need http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/4/1/410-david-brown-885.html

 

[RGMartin]

(quoted from post at 21:54:26 09/11/15) The 885 was made from 1971 - 1980 here is all the info you need http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/4/1/410-david-brown-885.html

The 885 was built until 1983, concurrently with the 1190. It was offered as a poorman's version of the 1190, also as a "LCG"(low center of Gravity, with lighter 770 front end) and "N" version(narrow for vineyards and such).

Keep in mind there were some Gasoline powered 885s, rare birds... Some parts are unobtanium(governor), and some must be converted from diesel parts(pistons)... Diesel DB parts are easy to come by.

 

[ptfarmer]

You still can find the part numbers for David Brown tractors on http://partstore.caseih.com/us/

 

[sotxbill]

Pass on both.... get a GOOD running tractor, as life is too short to buy problems. Engine problems can cost you 5 grand for a rebuild. 3 grand will buy you a great running tractor with live pto and live hydraulics.

8n is a 23 hp tractor built from 1948 to 1953, the crossover year for the naa line. Parts are readily available and cheap as over 500,000 were built in the series. This tractor was sold to replace two mules and price at the same price. but its a very limited tractor due to non live pto and non live hydraulics. 1st gear is way to fast for most work. So if you have more than a acre or two, best to get a more modern tractor. Jump up to a 1965 or newer ford 3000 with 8 speed transmission and you have a very nice tractor for about a grand more at 38 pto hp. Aftermarket parts are plentiful and cheap as this series was sold in every country in the world and had 3 factories running around the world. A massey 135 also a very good tractor but parts are a bit higher. Parts support for other tractors is a bit more difficult if not impossible.

Stay away from power shifts, sos, 4 speeds, and other troublesome variations. A diesel is usually the better choice. Buying a GOOD running tractor is the most important.

 

[crumrw]

Well, should have known if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Seller of the DB backed out.

 

[buickanddeere]

No competition . The 885 DB is far superior to the N series. Injectors are low cost now. Obtain a set from eBay and have the pop pressure verified. Install a 195F thermostat in the DB which will assist cleaner combustion. When changing the oil use straight 40wt . The smoke will just about go away.