ford 3600

[mjsnodgrass]

today I looked at a low hour ( 2000 hrs )3600. tractor was clean and operated well. I have a decent 860 i'm thinking of replacing. there is nothing wrong with the 860, just tired of the gas it burns. I guess my question is are the 3600 tractors as reliable as my 860? according to the 3600 serial number it appears it was built in 1980. thanks for the feedback.

 

[Billy NY]

Be wary of the hours, proof meters are not as reliable as many think, but there low hour tractors out there just the same, don't get taken in by it.

We had a 1980 3600 for well over 20 years, very reliable, a bit of a step up from an 860, do both have power steering ? Overall, you can't go wrong with a mechanically sound 3 cyl. general purpose ag tractor such as a 3600. Likely better on fuel, 8 speed gives you more options with implements such as a 3pt tiller, snowblower etc. Reasonably priced, good choice. I ran an 850 at home and our 3600 at the farm for years, never disliked either tractors.

 

[Ultradog MN]

My theory is that every series of tractor that Ford built was better than the ones that preceded them. 8N over a 9/2N. Jubilee over an N.
Hundreds over a Jube and so on.
Each had advantages, improvements, features and options that made them better than the last.
I think the 3 cylinder Fords followed that same theory. Just look at the crankshaft.
They are massive compared to an 860 crank with four main bearings for a 3 cyl vs three mains on a 4 cyl. That provides a lot more wear surface and longevity.
Metalurgy improved, gears are tougher, bores more wear resistant. They have more gears, more features - flow control, differential lock. PS was almost standard on them.
The 3600s are better than the 3000s due to better electrics, better hydraulics with oil coolers and filters and double the flow from a gear pump. They have better rear axles.
You don't state whether the tractor you're looking at is a gas or diesel.
A diesel is more efficient than a gasser. Much more reliable too without all the spark and carb problems inherent to gas engines.
Here are a couple of stats on efficiency from the original Nebrasks tests.
An 860 produced about 11.5 horspower hours per gallon of gas (hp-hrs/gal)
A 3600 diesel produces about 15.2 hp-hrs/gal
A gas model produces about 11.4 hp-hrs/gal. So you won't see a bump in efficiency there.
Both models produce about the same ~40 HP.
A 3600 has a heavier rear end and will lift more than an 860. And though neither model is an ideal loader tractor a 3600 does have a much heavier engine block and front bolster.
There are downsides to a 3 cyl too though.
If a gasser you will dislike getting into the distributor on one. They are a pia. And more gears means more shifting, not just one handle either. Parts are more expensive for a 3 cyl than a 4 but just as available.
And a Blue 3 cyl will never have the iconic appearance of the Red/Gray tractors.
All in all, they are both great machines and I would never trade a known good running 860 for a poor 3600 but if all things are equal I would take a 3600 over an 860 any day.
Sorry this got so long.