[AT] Off topic - Front loader

[Steve W.]

ATIS wrote:
> Thanks again for everyone's thoughts and advice on this. I have
> decided against the skid steer. Finding a decent used one is
> difficult and every bit as expensive as a decent tractor with a front
> loader. Plus I'd really rather have just one machine in production to
> maintain. Now when it comes to collectible antique tractors, you
> can't have too many. :-)
> 
> I've looked at a bunch of tractors. The best one that I have seen by
> far lately, in terms of condition and price, is a 545 "Farmtrac"
> brand tractor.  Looks just like a ford 3610 with  different sheet
> metal.    Pic is below.
> 
> Anyone have any experience with these?
> 
> Normally I wouldn't pay much attention to an orphan brand, but I know
> Farmtrac and Long tractors crossed
> ownership/brand/licensing/something paths somewhere in the past and
> Long has a deep history here in North Carolina.   Plus a very good
> local dealer used to sell them and are quite knowledgable still.
> They insist parts are "still generally available".   Of course they
> told me not to buy it and instead buy one of their new $30K tractors
> (-:
> 
> Any thoughts?   Thanks in advance!
> 
> Spencer Yost


Should look like a Ford. It is a Ford! Farmtrac is owned by Escorts Ag. 
They are the Indian company that made Fords and New Hollands for years.
When Ford dropped those tractors Escorts bought the rights to them and 
kept making them. They also bought the Montana brand and Long. They now 
make the Powertrac and the Farmtrac brands. (Look on the block, many of 
the earlier ones have NH cast in the block....)

90% of the parts are Ford interchangeable. Some of the filters are 
oddballs though, but it isn't hard to get replacement filter blocks and 
bolt them on so it uses common filters.

Free parts catalog.
http://www.farmtrac-tractor-parts.com/files/FTS545-555.pdf

-- 
Steve W.