Chris sounds like you got a good deal. That Ford tractor is it a standard transmission? Ford had a selecto speed transmission with a shifter lever on which doesn’t come up from the transmission floor between your legs but off the column under the wheel. If it is a selecto speed be very careful I had one on a Ford 800 sold the tractor the day it decided to try and run me over as I was getting off. The selecto speeds are know for not actually shifting out of reverse into park.
The Ford is easy to get parts for the MF is harder but of you need any give a yell I have gotten good at getting them.
My advice for what it is worth is don’t sell any equipment till you have lived on the property for a full year you might find there is something at a certain time of the year that you really need the other tractor for.
As to gas tractors I have a couple don’t jump ship on those diesel motors too fast they burn alot less fuel then a gas and have way more torque. I would love to do woodgas as well but my allis Chalmers D17 gas is about 60 hp and burns 4 gallons an hour working hard. Those gas tractors have a serious drinking problem. If you start looking for a gas tractor post on here first I have a few thoughts on them from years of driving different ones.
Yes. Very crunchy going into gear, just listening to the owner drive it. He had his hand near the floor.
I’m a total tractor novice, no idea how to drive one (yet). Can’t be any harder than driving on wood.
The real fun will be the big Ford truck, it has a 3 range manual transmission, something like 15 speeds I think… whoo boy.
Sounds like you need to adjust or more likely I hate to say replace the clutch. Watch out on shifting that Ford once you loose the gears they tend to be expensive to replace. But being a Ford a entire parts tractor is cheap they made tons of then probably you can find one walking the nearest stone wall…
Take the Ford to that hill you want to live on and drive down in each gear if it stays in gear going down hill the transmission is probably fine and you are probably looking at clutch and or the throw out bearing as the issue. Could be as simple as clutch adjustment. Also double check the breaks before you go up that hill…
But be very glad it is a standard. If it is a 5 speed manual the Ford probably has a 2 stage clutch the first engagement point is the transmission the second lower one is the motor this is how Ford did live power if you only press half way down the pto keeps running while the tractor stops moving forward. Great for haying when that big bunch of hay enters the bailer and you don’t want to plug it up. But it is a bear to only press down a little. I also don’t know how to adjust those clutches.
As to the truck you have me stumped there. We had old trucks worth a 2 speed rear end and a 5 speed transmission. What I can tell you is look up the shift pattern because our trucks with 2 speed rear end where not all the same shift pattern. But yes learning to shift those old trucks is a art.
Oh my two cents of advice on the tractor always be at a full stop when you shift. Let the rpm come down and never force it with light pressure it should go in if not try kicking the rpm about half way an when they fall to about 1/3 throttle maybe a little lower it should slide in over time you will learn the trick to timing it. If it is that bad that the old owner couldn’t shift it I would guess the clutch isn’t actually releasing. If it sat alot the clutch is probably coated with surface rust and stuck. I will leave suggestions for that one to someone else I don’t know any I would actually suggest someone try.
You have to remember that old tractors don’t have sincronizerd transmissions so you have to be gentle with them.
You’re going to love that 955 loader if you decide it deserves to run again, it is a serious pc of equipment for a Farm. The only problem is fixing big old crawlers is tons of time and tons of money. You need another decent sized loader just to take parts off of it.
I’d ask how long it’s been sitting. I think those have dry steering clutches. If they are stuck, it is a humungous job to fix. Unfortunately you’re not going to know if they are truly stuck unless the thing runs. Might be a good idea to get a tarp over it just in case they might still be free.
Stuck SC’s basically mean the scrap pile for all but the most driven of shade tree mechanics!
Steve,
They are trying to get ahead to avoid a situation like is in the colorado basin right now. This is a decent summary of that issue.
This is the effect of the water issue on a more continental scale:
https://e360.yale.edu/digest/a-north-american-climate-boundary-has-shifted-140-miles-east-due-to-global-warming
It is also a huge reason why the west is pushing RE over thermal solutions, that use copious amounts of water per kw. In around 2000, a study was done that said the US used 20gallons per kw of electric generation in thermal facilities. They also use up to 5 gallons of water per gallon of gasoline produced.
But of course I am sure you were aware of most of it already.
Time to build a fresh-water pipeline. We in the Mid-west have lots of it, and who would object to an H2O pipeline? 
haha. Nestle has the great lakes region pissed off because of their water bottling facility. Besides it is far cheaper to eliminate the 2nd largest (by far) consumer of water.
Chris a lot of the older deisel motors will run great on used, filtered vegetable oil that can be obtained for nothing. I have 2 isuzu deisel trucks i run on UVO and my fuel cost is about 60 cents a gallon, only because i mix 20 percent gasoline to thin it. Im not talking about biodeisel thats a whole other process thats necessary for newer deisels, just filtered vegetable oil diluted with gas.
The systems I have seen for running veg oil use a pre heater to thin the oil. I have thought about going that route but have never had a diesel I wanted to take the time to set it up on.
Dan i have tried the preheater method, the 2 tank method where you start and stop on deisel and run on vegetable oil when warm, i have tied centrifuge for filtration. Keeping it simple is imperitive for me being off grid so i used old bed sheet for a prefilter, and before i use it i run it thru a 1 mil cone filter. My experience is that preheating runs a battery down too quick and leaves you short on starting power, even with dual deep cycle batteries. For me the easiest way is one fifth gasoline. However if you have power a block heater will work well. Its more about what injection system you have and if there is a prechamber. Older Isuzus, older VWs and old mercedes motor do fine starting with a little wiff of either. Would be worth looking into for Chris’ goldmine of equpment he is getting. I only know what i have experimented with the last 3 years but willing to share.
Hey Chris .
Just remember when you have equipment Poo Poo happens 
My Bobcat is standing on the same 3 legs.
Oh man that loader frame makes me think that might have been expensive… if those tires are loaded it isn’t cheap to get them filled back up.
PooPoo happens, but leave it to Wayne to start designing a reverse tricycle tractor.
Wayne, this may be a way cutting down on equipment and maintenace. The V10 could do it all 
I will give them credit for creatively but I think i will stick to my baler. I was hoping they would flip the hay into the back of the the same truck though… lol
I think I will build one of those on the front of my truck and go trolling for deer!
Looks like something that was leftover from the mad max movies.
After the war, they had a line of equipment to attach to army surplus Jeeps for farming. ( that is just what some older folks have told me, I wouldn’t remember back then, 
) TomC