Ford 5000 Questions

samsclub91

New User
Hello,

Been browsing the forum for awhile and this is my first post. I'm looking to buy my first tractor for our property and came across a Ford 5000 w/ loader for $8,500 that claims to be in great shape with a lot of new parts. I don't know a lot about tractors and am trying to determine if this is a good buy or not.

The main things I'm needing to do are some basic loader/bucket work around the property, move round bales, and bushog. I'd need to get a hay spear and would like to have some pallet forks in the future too. I've also contemplated getting into making hay for myself and some family nearby which I think this tractor has the horsepower to do.

Hopefully this isn't against the rules but I'm going to post a link to the craigslist ad that has some info and pics: https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/vienna-1968-ford-5000-diesel-tractor/7767008710.html#

I guess my (very uneducated) questions are:
  • Things to look for or worry about?
  • Can anyone identify the loader from the pic? It doesn't look like the Ford 772 loader that would have been original.
I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts or input from someone who knows a little more about these machines! While I don't know much about tractors I'm very comfortable working and vehicles and fully expect to spend some time wrenching on an older piece of machinery like this.

Thanks!

00d0d_5zkqD7q0vWj_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 00d0d_5zkqD7q0vWj_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg
    00d0d_5zkqD7q0vWj_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg
    190.8 KB · Views: 76
Hello,

Been browsing the forum for awhile and this is my first post. I'm looking to buy my first tractor for our property and came across a Ford 5000 w/ loader for $8,500 that claims to be in great shape with a lot of new parts. I don't know a lot about tractors and am trying to determine if this is a good buy or not.

The main things I'm needing to do are some basic loader/bucket work around the property, move round bales, and bushog. I'd need to get a hay spear and would like to have some pallet forks in the future too. I've also contemplated getting into making hay for myself and some family nearby which I think this tractor has the horsepower to do.

Hopefully this isn't against the rules but I'm going to post a link to the craigslist ad that has some info and pics: https://carbondale.craigslist.org/grd/d/vienna-1968-ford-5000-diesel-tractor/7767008710.html#

I guess my (very uneducated) questions are:
  • Things to look for or worry about?
  • Can anyone identify the loader from the pic? It doesn't look like the Ford 772 loader that would have been original.
I'd greatly appreciate any thoughts or input from someone who knows a little more about these machines! While I don't know much about tractors I'm very comfortable working and vehicles and fully expect to spend some time wrenching on an older piece of machinery like this.

Thanks!

View attachment 82794
Based on the pictures it doesn't appear to be being sold by a dealer. My first question would be why are they selling it only 10 hrs after a "complete, major overhaul". To me, that's a red flag, selling it right after an overhaul unless something happened like the owner passing away, or it's being sold by a dealer, etc. It makes me wonder if the complete major overhaul is as complete or major as one would expect.

The Ford 5000 though is a nice machine and very capable of doing the things you mention you want to do. Before I bought it I'd want to see it running and fully warmed up, then check in the radiator and see if there's a steady stream of air bubbles in the radiator fluid. Ford diesels were prone to electrolysis of the engine block where you end up getting combustion gases in the radiator.
 
Upvote 0
Probably a tractor trader. Try to look past the new paint. Maybe all good as described.

I believe the '68 has the smaller engine. I'd want to see receipts for the rebuild. If true and complete, that's a large part of the value.
Loader is not 'easy-off', and appears to have lots of welding. Fenders an ROPs homemade.

James
 
Upvote 0
The 5000 is one of the toughest and most superb tractors ever built. One of the only things to look out for is the select-o-speed transmissions if equipped, but that one looks like the standard tranny so you should be ok. The hydraulics on the 5000 are rather slow compared to new ones, but not terrible. And if it has the minimec injection pump, make sure you regularly change the oil in it (every time you change the engine oil).

Apart from that, not much to be concerned with. I love my Allis's, Deeres, and Internationals, but I have to begrudgingly admit that if any of them were abused the way our 5000 has been, they'd be in a scrapyard by now. Meanwhile our 5000 is still plugging away like new. I don't even want to make a guess at how many hours are on it. It was the primary tractor and logging unit around our 900 acre farm and woodlot for many decades and has had the holy heck kicked out of it.
 
Upvote 0
Update:

I've talked to the individual selling it and he recently bought it off another guy who did the overhaul.

The story is the guy who did the overhaul didn't really need the tractor but bought it anyway, rebuilt the engine and did some other work then had problems with the loader and bucket, got frustrated, and called the current owner for help. Sounds like they're both old tractor guys who know each other. Anyway, the current owner ended up buying it and fixing the loader by removing the two mismatched cylinders and installing the single cylinder that is pictured. He has no idea what kind of loader it is but doesn't believe its a Ford loader and said its very well attached. He did say the loader is front pump driven and doesn't run off the tractor hydraulics. I don't know if that's good or bad.

I'm going to go look at it later today after work. I confirmed it does have the 8speed trans and not the select-o-speed which would have probably been a non-starter for me. The current owner offered to put me in contact with the guy who did the rebuild which I'll probably take him up on if everything seems ok after seeing it in person. I'll also try to check the radiator as @DRussell suggested.

Thanks for the replies so far!
 
Upvote 0
Probably a good thing to have a front-driven pump. That's the only thing I don't like about ours- how slow the stock pump is (especially when loading logging trucks or opening the gate on a round baler).

Looks like it might be the same Allied loader as ours, but is hard to tell: Ours has been so beat to heck, broken, and reinforced with whatever has been laying in the boneyard that I've forgotten what it's supposed to look like.

Gwiz does make a good point of having to look past the paint. Someone on here posted a few years ago that you have to be very cautions buying a used 5000, because no one in their right mind ever gets rid of one unless it's been seriously abused and has major problems. But it takes a lot of abuse to hurt a 5000, unlike the 4000: I was never a fan of the 4000. The early 4000 and early 5000 were almost neck-and-neck for performance; in some cases the lighter weight of the 4000 meant that it could out-work the 5000 - especially on hills where the 5000 used more of its own power just to move itself around. But because the 4000 was built so much lighter, they just couldn't take years of abuse and a lot of 4000's were beat to death and scrapped after only a decade or two, whereas the 5000 was bulletproof.
 
Upvote 0
That 5000 is a early vent hood model built before May 1968 or the sheet metal has been changed
It has the wrong grill panels and makes me wonder if that worked on it knew much about Fords
The early 5000’s used a smaller 233 ci engine making 57 hp, later models with the 256 engine made 66 hp, owning both models I can say the later model is far better than the older 5000
5000’s up into the early 70’s had finicky power steering and a weak pto pawl brake but overall
where solid tractors
That loader on the other hand is a much different story, the home modified center tilt cylinder eliminates any possibility of adding attachments without major modifications
The engine may have actually been rebuilt but there’s to much mismatched parts and cheaply done modifications for me, plus new paint scares me
Two neighbors have purchased 3 tractors with new lip stick on a pig paint jobs, the 3000 had to be overhauled within 6 months, the 6600 has had the rear rims replaced along with brake repairs plus a number of other cobbled up items that still need attention, the 4630 I had to repair the wiring before he could even use it and we still haven’t got the hydraulics working properly

As for the remark about the 4000 being to light and not holding up, that’s totally wrong
 
Upvote 0
That 5000 is a early vent hood model built before May 1968 or the sheet metal has been changed
It has the wrong grill panels and makes me wonder if that worked on it knew much about Fords
The early 5000’s used a smaller 233 ci engine making 57 hp, later models with the 256 engine made 66 hp, owning both models I can say the later model is far better than the older 5000
5000’s up into the early 70’s had finicky power steering and a weak pto pawl brake but overall
where solid tractors
That loader on the other hand is a much different story, the home modified center tilt cylinder eliminates any possibility of adding attachments without major modifications
The engine may have actually been rebuilt but there’s to much mismatched parts and cheaply done modifications for me, plus new paint scares me
Two neighbors have purchased 3 tractors with new lip stick on a pig paint jobs, the 3000 had to be overhauled within 6 months, the 6600 has had the rear rims replaced along with brake repairs plus a number of other cobbled up items that still need attention, the 4630 I had to repair the wiring before he could even use it and we still haven’t got the hydraulics working properly

As for the remark about the 4000 being to light and not holding up, that’s totally wrong

I can't tell for sure what is stock and what isn't. I know for sure the seller installed the fenders and lights when he did the paint job. Any pictures I find of that style grill on a Ford 5000 seems to be on the later models without the vent hood which makes me wonder if someone replaced the hood at some point. I'm going to clarify which engine it has and its the smaller one I'll probably walk away. I'm not afraid of buying something I need to do a little work to but I'm not trying to buy a problem by any means.

I'm with you on the loader. I figured with the custom center cylinder I may have to convert it back to dual cylinders at some point or modify a QT adapter to fit and be able to use QT implements going forward, which would be my preference anyway since I am starting my collection from scratch.

I'm going to see how it looks in person and go from there. All the comments here have given very helpful things to think about or look at and my initial positive feeling about this machine is starting to erode away because of all the custom and unknown modifications that have been made!
 
Upvote 0
I don't know but the ad says it is showing 1600 hours and already has had an overhaul. Doesnt sound like very many hours for a 50 year old tractor or enough to need an overhaul unless it was abused. Then it only has 10 hours on the overhaul so it is broken in yet and the rings haven't been seated yet. I'd suggest talking to the mechanic. I know from experience that you can ruin an engine rebuild in the first 15 to 30 minutes after getting it back together.

The words complete major overhaul has a lot of different meanings for what work was done to it, what parts were replaced, what parts were rebuilt, and what was done by the mechanic, what was done by a machine shop, and what experience the mechanic has. Need to know what was wrong with it to begin with. Someone could change a head gasket and change the oil and call it an overhaul. A minimum overhaul to me would include rings and cylinder work and a valve job on the head, checking pistons, rods, crankshaft, and camshaft, and then replacing all bearings, seals, and gaskets. Plus checking the oil and water pumps and cleaning all parts and passages. Would like to know if the diesel injection pump was rebuilt.

An on overhauled tractor with 10 hours should still have fairly clean and clear looking oil which you can still see on the dip stick. Radiator fluid should look new.

Definitely need to run it around doing some kind of work for a couple hours to make sure it doesn't run hot or act up. Don't idle a newly overhauled engine. Keep it at a minimum of 1500 rpm for the first 100 hours while varying the rpms up to wide open every 15 minutes or so. Idling won't let the rings seat and it will burn oil. Make sure you have the proper oil pressure. Put the mower on and go mow for a couple hours for a test run even if the grass don't need. Or run it up and down the road going up and down hill with the mower on to vary the load.

Also ask the seller and mechanic if they post here on YT and that you asked for information here. They could be well known here.

My 2 cents.
 
Upvote 0
Update:

I've talked to the individual selling it and he recently bought it off another guy who did the overhaul.

The story is the guy who did the overhaul didn't really need the tractor but bought it anyway, rebuilt the engine and did some other work then had problems with the loader and bucket, got frustrated, and called the current owner for help. Sounds like they're both old tractor guys who know each other. Anyway, the current owner ended up buying it and fixing the loader by removing the two mismatched cylinders and installing the single cylinder that is pictured. He has no idea what kind of loader it is but doesn't believe its a Ford loader and said its very well attached. He did say the loader is front pump driven and doesn't run off the tractor hydraulics. I don't know if that's good or bad.

I'm going to go look at it later today after work. I confirmed it does have the 8speed trans and not the select-o-speed which would have probably been a non-starter for me. The current owner offered to put me in contact with the guy who did the rebuild which I'll probably take him up on if everything seems ok after seeing it in person. I'll also try to check the radiator as @DRussell suggested.

Thanks for the replies so far!
I'm always skeptical of the stories I get out of someone selling a tractor. This one sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. Someone with the patience to overhaul an engine doesn't usually throw up their hands at a simple loader bucket cylinder.

Take any story you get with a grain of salt. What they're telling you may be repaired but they are likely pointing that out to direct your attention away from other problems that they don't want you to find until you get the tractor home.

In my opinion $8500 is a premium price for that tractor and it would have to be 100% as advertised and 100% functional with no nagging issues for me to even consider paying that much.

You can see the engine driven pump in the second picture of the ad. It's a good thing, gives you faster response and better lifting capacity than using the onboard hydraulics.
 
Upvote 0
Update:

The plot thickens and I actually think I believe at least most of the story. Doesn't mean the tractor is worth what they're asking but the story is probably true, I've talked to both the former and current owners for quite awhile and didn't get any shyster vibes from them. The guy who "did" the engine overhaul says he had it done by a mechanic who primarily works on John Deere's but did this Ford as a favor. A new (or probably reman) block was purchased for $1,600, heads were taken to a machine shop, and a "premium" overhaul kit was purchased and installed by the mechanic. He offered to put me in contact with the mechanic who did the work but I haven't spoke to him yet. After all the engine work was done the guy found himself in a position where he didn't really need the tractor anymore, he's retired and his wife wants to buy property on the local lake so he started selling off all his equipment. He also sold several implements to the guy who has the tractor listed for sale now including the bush hog mentioned in the craigslist ad.

I did learn yesterday that the factory tach does not work, at some point the stock generater was replaced with an alternater without a tach drive. At the time the tach stopped working the tractor had a little over 4000 hours on it. The engine break in procedure that @bc mentioned makes me a little nervous with this machine only having an estimated 10 hours on the rebuild.
 
Upvote 0
I don’t doubt the engine rebuild but the question now is which block did they use for the rebuild
Another 4.2 bore 233 block staying with the original engine size, or a 4.4 bore block increasing the engine size to 256
Crank and rods are the same for both engines
If they upgraded it to 256 that’s a good thing as the original 233 was a bit under powered for that chassis
 
Upvote 0
I don’t doubt the engine rebuild but the question now is which block did they use for the rebuild
Another 4.2 bore 233 block staying with the original engine size, or a 4.4 bore block increasing the engine size to 256
Crank and rods are the same for both engines
If they upgraded it to 256 that’s a good thing as the original 233 was a bit under powered for that chassis

I'm told they went back with the stock 233 block.
 
Upvote 0
The 233 engine is still a good engine, just a a little less power. I don't see anything on your want list, that the 233 won't do.
 
Upvote 0
Everyone, thank you for the input on this tractor. I ended up talking to the seller and he let me bushog with it for an hour or so on some of his property and while it ran good it felt very underpowered for a 60hp tractor connected to a 6ft bushog. Being unfamiliar with the tractor its hard to say if there was an issue or just how it is but that combined with learning that the PTO apparently doesn't turn off due to either a brake or clutch issue and all the other questionable/custom things done to this tractor led me to pass on the purchase.

Again, the feedback here is very much appreciated and I learned a lot about tractors and used tractor shopping through the process. Now I'm looking at a '79 Massey 255 diesel in very good shape with less than 1k hours and a bone stock Massey 236 loader! I'll start another thread for that machine if there are any questions but for the price this thing seems like a steal if there are no signifigant issues!
 
Upvote 0
That 5000 should have easily handled a 6 ft mower, I run a 7 ft 3 point and a 10 ft trailed behind a 5600 with the same 233 engine making 60 hp
Good luck on the Massey but be suspicious on those hours
1000 hours on a 45 year old tractor is 22.2 hours per year, my wife puts more hours per years on our zero turn than that
 
Upvote 0
The 5000 is one of the toughest and most superb tractors ever built. One of the only things to look out for is the select-o-speed transmissions if equipped, but that one looks like the standard tranny so you should be ok. The hydraulics on the 5000 are rather slow compared to new ones, but not terrible. And if it has the minimec injection pump, make sure you regularly change the oil in it (every time you change the engine oil).

Apart from that, not much to be concerned with. I love my Allis's, Deeres, and Internationals, but I have to begrudgingly admit that if any of them were abused the way our 5000 has been, they'd be in a scrapyard by now. Meanwhile our 5000 is still plugging away like new. I don't even want to make a guess at how many hours are on it. It was the primary tractor and logging unit around our 900 acre farm and woodlot for many decades and has had the holy heck kicked out of it.
Those old Fords are like the Honda Civic of tractors. Nothing fancy, not very handy controls, and slow hydraulics, but the things will run forever with very little problems and get the job done.
 
Upvote 0
Everyone, thank you for the input on this tractor. I ended up talking to the seller and he let me bushog with it for an hour or so on some of his property and while it ran good it felt very underpowered for a 60hp tractor connected to a 6ft bushog. Being unfamiliar with the tractor its hard to say if there was an issue or just how it is but that combined with learning that the PTO apparently doesn't turn off due to either a brake or clutch issue and all the other questionable/custom things done to this tractor led me to pass on the purchase.

Again, the feedback here is very much appreciated and I learned a lot about tractors and used tractor shopping through the process. Now I'm looking at a '79 Massey 255 diesel in very good shape with less than 1k hours and a bone stock Massey 236 loader! I'll start another thread for that machine if there are any questions but for the price this thing seems like a steal if there are no signifigant issues!
Dad bought and sold a 255 Massey c/w loader back when they were newish. He thought it would be a better tractor for loader work than the 510 JD we were using at the time. He was wrong. Maybe it needed more ballast in the back end or something, but it wouldnt do what the 510 would.
 
Upvote 0
That 5000 should have easily handled a 6 ft mower, I run a 7 ft 3 point and a 10 ft trailed behind a 5600 with the same 233 engine making 60 hp
Good luck on the Massey but be suspicious on those hours
1000 hours on a 45 year old tractor is 22.2 hours per year, my wife puts more hours per years on our zero turn than that
I bought a 1974 Massey Ferguson 40 about 5 years ago with a verifiable 431 hours on it, so they are out there. I’ve known this tractor all my life. The man that bought it died when the tractor was just a couple years old, and it sat in the same spot all those years. I tried to buy it for years, and one day the widow called me up and priced it to me. First thing I had to do when I got it was rebuild the engine, because the can covering the exhaust had rusted out long ago, although a ring of the can was still slid down on the muffler.
 
Upvote 0

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top