How Does an 8N Ford Stack Up With Modern Tractors?

How does an 8N Ford stack up against modern tractors? Great question for Tractor Mike Q & A from Quent who has an 8N Ford that's been passed down through his family which he uses for brush hogging and some blade work. He's recently acquired some new property and thinks it might be time to retire/restore the 8N and wondered what tractor that's now available would compare to the performance of the old Ford. He's considering around 40 hp with 4wd and front end loader.

Actually, almost every tractor company has a modern day version of the 8N, and Quent nailed it. They'll generally be between 30 and 40 hp, with front wheel assist and a loader, and they'll not only be in the ballpark of the 8N's specs, they'll actually exceed them in almost every area. That's not surprising considering you're comparing an almost 70 year old tractor with a new, modern compact diesel tractor. Let's look at how they stack up...

The 8N put out between 23 and 27 PTO horsepower depending on the year and engine. The tractors Quent is looking at are rated between 30-34 hp, so the newer tractors have a big power advantage. The 8N had a whopping 4 gears forward and a single reverse speed, the new tractors, at the very least, will have 9 forward and 3 reverse speeds, but many will have a shuttle shift, which is great for loader work, and some offer hydrostatic drive, which is even better. Again, the advantage goes to the new models.

Weight and lift capacity may surprise you, an 8N weighed about 2700 pounds, the new tractors weigh within 100 lbs of that...WITHOUT A FRONT LOADER. Add a front loader at around 800 lbs and the new tractors will actually outweigh the 8N. Rear lift capacity of an 8N was 800 lbs, new tractors will actually double that ability, many are more than double the Ford's lift capacity.

New tractors have wet disc brakes, a huge stopping advantage over the 8N's drum brakes, and the new tractors have live PTO, which is not tied into the transmission like the 8N's was. a big danger to brush hogging with an 8N comes from the PTO set up, when you get to the end of the field and push in the clutch, the inertia from the blades can propel you places you don't want to go. Install an overrunning clutch to prevent injuries if you cut with an 8N.

Finally, the new tractors are 4wd, have roll over protection, seat belts, and much more comfortable seats.

In the end, the newer tractors definitely win in almost all categories of performance, ease of operation, and creature comforts, but who knows if they'll last as long and an old 8N just has a nostalgia factor that new tractors may never have. I think Quent will be very happy with whatever new tractor he buys, but the old 8N's were definitely ahead of their time and, amazingly, still doing work in their seventh decade. There aren't too many mechanical devices you can say that about...

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