The "What followed me home" thread

General Discussion
#382

This followed me home last weekend:

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Guy offered to trade this to me for the flatbed truck I had up for sale. A loader on the farm is pretty handy. This one is a circa 1959 Ford 881 Powermaster tractor, with a Select-O-Speed transmission… basically an early powershift. 540/1000/ground speed PTO, 56hp diesel engine that was also offered in a gas version. Needs a shaft for the front-mount hydraulic pump, but it runs and drives fine.

Because the engine was offered in a gasoline version, there’s a possibility to convert it in future to be a high-compression woodgas spark-ignition engine with readily available parts. For now though, I’m just excited to get some work done using a loader.

The SOS transmission is a bit of a rare bird, so I’ve done some research on them. Apparently Ford released them before getting all the bugs worked out, and they got a bad rap. Actually the guy who designed the SOS quit because he felt it wasn’t ready to ship yet. He went on to work for JD and designed their first powershift. All the Ford SOS tractors were recalled and updated, and the later models were rock-solid. Still, if you do have an issue not many can work on them. I’ll do as much preventative maintenance as I can while everything seems to be working.

Here’s a cool old promo video showcasing the Select-O-Speed when it first came out:

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#383

Nice score.
I have never seen that type of Ford, it does not appear on tractordata.com. Not sure how accurate that site is though.
Its a lot of wheel weights, if you take those off the rear tires will hold a bit longer :slightly_smiling_face: but I agree, a front loader is handy, once you have one you don’t want to be without one ever again.

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#384
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#385

Oh, it is a variety, found it by going in through ford and series.
It says there was a lp gas version too, I like the 1000rpm pto, you can run 540 stuff on low rpm that does not need lots of power, almost idle.

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#386

Chris, does it have power steering? I have a similar tractor, a Ford 850 that does have the power assisted steering and I love it.

Garry C

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#387

Yes, I believe it does have power steering. This was basically “loaded”, their top of the line model. Apparently when Select-O-Speed was introduced, they painted some of the 881s gold and sent them to dealers for “Demonstration models”. To impress the farmers I suppose.

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#388

Hi ChrisKY,
I strongly believe once you get your new Ford tractor sorted out you will find this with the hydraulic front bucket set up your most versatile small farming tool you will use.

I sold off my 21’ by 41’ metal building to be able to purchase an engine powered tracked wheel barrow rig for steep hill fire wood hauling up and out without having to roads make:

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Our J.D./Yammar with it’s front bucket had done all of the sloped site excavation:
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I only had to hand dig trench and fill for the upside drain ditching culvert.
Now the same tractor in one loading front and back cleans up and finishes off my use of this site:
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And in the years before and during this same tractor has towed on fields and roads. PTO driven a tank sprayer, 4 foot wide rototiller, two bottom turn plowed; rake harrowed, drag leveled, and powered a generator. Sawmill logs moved; front and back moved years worth of firewood. Cleared land. Dug and filled; then leveled. Been a fruit picker. Been a stuck vehicle retriever. Etc. Etc.

Just look at how the Ron Lemler, the Swedish guys, Tone and other use theirs. Fork lift. Large bales movers. More.

I hope the rear wheel wieghts on your Ford means you do NOT have liquid filled rear tires. Liquid filled perform great but always become a maintnces headache expense:

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You have to roll the air stem to 12 O’clock. And still you will get corrosive wet liquid fill into your air pressure gauge and pump.
Seepage has cost us first the R.F. wheel and tire. $300.+. Then two-three years ago cost us the L.F. wheel rusted through. $150 for the wheel and a new tube. I did the changing over that time myself.
Pretty soon we will be losing this R.R. wheel now too.

Sure, sure be nice to have a 4x4 tractor. But they cost a lot more and have very expensive power train maintaneces. Do not turn as tightly. And once 4 wheel drive stuck, you are really stuck.

Regards
Steve Unruh

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#389

I have beet juice in my weighted rear tires. That is not supposed to be corrosive. (I hope)

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#390

Who says a geo can’t do farm work? 35 miles home with 14’ hog panels. Not gasifier related but homestead related, I plan to do some hogs next year, so I scooped up these very expensive panels second hand for pretty cheap

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#391

It looks like they came pre-bent for a hoop house. :slight_smile: But a great find none-the-less.

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#392

I’m actually debating using some for a hoop house, but the bend was me to keep them from tail dragging on my bumpy mountain roads. 14’ panels on a 8’ trailer there is some overhang haha

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#393

They don’t fit that well in a pickup either. :slight_smile:

I read your comment as was expecting to see a picture of them strapped on top to luggage racks. The trailer is much safer, glad you put the hitch on. :slight_smile:

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#394

This 1 dollar chainsaw followed me home from an auction because nobody else bid on it. I still don’t know why I did.

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#395

Excellent decoration piece, but I bet it still runs

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#396

Oh Don, that is going to make Goran drool on himself.

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#397

Exactly :astonished: i would do almost anything for one of them Homelites, the old 20-26 mcs- lcs series never reached Sweden :astonished:

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#398

i guess don will go in competition with the collection of göran, there are needed only 119 working chainsaws more, than the collection is equal…

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#399

We are doing some renovating/expanding the shop at work, at the same time the air-compressor decided to take it’s last breath, ofcourse i dragged it home.

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My brother (my boss) loaded it for me, not the same easy task to unload it at home, because a broken down volvo blocks my crane-truck.
Well, im going to dissect it, to see if i can make it running again, if not: the tank probably becomes a gasifier of some kind, and i get a nice 7.5hp electric motor for some build. :smiley:

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#400

The pump crapped out? What could go wrong with it other than some worn out reed valves, assuming that’s what it has. You are a lucky Man Goren. Free big compressors and stainless ball valves in dumpsters. Kind of makes up some for your taxes.

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#401

Yes, i hope it’s only the reed valves, but all oil it had shooten out the crankcase ventilation makes me wonder if it’s something worse…

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