Whats the worst tractor of all time?

[will l]

DB 1390, had it new in 1980 & it was sold a year later.
Worst tractor that's ever been on the farm

They were even worse in high clear spec with the rear reduction hubs turned,

 

[Cowabunga]

I bet you had a mecanic living on you're place with a ford

The Ford *600 range were launched around 1974, initially with the old 1000 series safety cabs but by 1975 they started to come through with the dome-topped Q cabs. The four cylinder Ford engines always varied in performance between individual units but the Ford 6600 engines were universally hopeless in the first two years of production. All smoke and noise and no-go whatsoever. Terrible performers by any standards you care to judge them by.
As before though, the transmissions were tough and nice to use and generally very reliable. My favourite Ford model of that era was the 4600 at 62hp, which was often a better performer than 6600 tractors even though it was a three cylinder and theoretically 16hp less.

 

[7610 super q]

I bet you had a mecanic living on you're place with a ford

What would the mechanic have been doing...
Aside from the much talked about porous engines, I don't recall any problems with the back ends, hydraulics and gearboxes. ?‍

 

[Flat 10]

The Ford *600 range were launched around 1974, initially with the old 1000 series safety cabs but by 1975 they started to come through with the dome-topped Q cabs. The four cylinder Ford engines always varied in performance between individual units but the Ford 6600 engines were universally hopeless in the first two years of production. All smoke and noise and no-go whatsoever. Terrible performers by any standards you care to judge them by.
As before though, the transmissions were tough and nice to use and generally very reliable. My favourite Ford model of that era was the 4600 at 62hp, which was often a better performer than 6600 tractors even though it was a three cylinder and theoretically 16hp less.

Our 4600 was rattley but seemed to pull nearly as well as neighbours 6600. The advantages of his 66 being dual power and bigger wheels plus more length.

 

[rob h]

We had a new 6600.t reg with no dual power.it was hopeless.spent most time with foot on the clutch while the revs picked up ready to go again.swapped that at only a year old for a 7600.Not a lot better but at least it had dual power so you could drop it down when the revs fell it shattered the epicyclic gears in the back axle at only 2 years.swapped that for a 7610 4wd.in early 83.What an awfull tractor that was .spent half it's life being repaired.not a nice thing to spend a long day in and boy could it drink

 

[livestock 1]

I bet you had a mecanic living on you're place with a ford

Yes that was me mainly

 

[rob h]

What would the mechanic have been doing...
Aside from the much talked about porous engines, I don't recall any problems with the back ends, hydraulics and gearboxes. ?‍

Gear box not bad backend final drive weak hydraulics not too bad but load monitor wast of time.linkage used to chop bottom pin holes in the trumpet housing .pto seals weak.porus block head gaskets leaking oil water or both.fromt axle pivot pins didn’t last front hubs leaking .power steering not up to it numerous gaskets on the box.lost count of pipes only cured when i replaced them with rubber.steering pump wears out not enough power steering joints dont last.i could wright a book i had the miss fortune to own one fo over 20 years .round hear they were everywhere in the early 80.and the reason most swapped over to jd.they should have stopped development with the 5000.then come up with a new more modern design for the q cabbed tractors

 

[Lowland1]

The Ford *600 range were launched around 1974, initially with the old 1000 series safety cabs but by 1975 they started to come through with the dome-topped Q cabs. The four cylinder Ford engines always varied in performance between individual units but the Ford 6600 engines were universally hopeless in the first two years of production. All smoke and noise and no-go whatsoever. Terrible performers by any standards you care to judge them by.
As before though, the transmissions were tough and nice to use and generally very reliable. My favourite Ford model of that era was the 4600 at 62hp, which was often a better performer than 6600 tractors even though it was a three cylinder and theoretically 16hp less.

The 600 series came out on October 1975 we had a new 4000 in the September and a new 6600 in February both with the deluxe cab the new q cab came out the june we bought anothe 6600 in October 1976 but couldn't get the q cab and had to get one with a Duncan cab. Potatoes were a good price in 75/76

 

[bluebell]

well they must have been good because the export demand and the few left, the 5000 6600 7600 all fetch top prices at the cheffins collectable sales? even the later ones the 7610 generation 2 or 3 try find one to buy ? then what about the 7810 s and ive not even started on the tw20, 25, 35s?

 

[Cowabunga]

The 600 series came out on October 1975 we had a new 4000 in the September and a new 6600 in February both with the deluxe cab the new q cab came out the june we bought anothe 6600 in October 1976 but couldn't get the q cab and had to get one with a Duncan cab. Potatoes were a good price in 75/76

The place where I worked from Autumn 75 to Winter 76 bought three used 6600 pre-Q-cab tractors late 75 or very early 76. A few months later, probably March 76, they bought the dairy unit a new Q cab 4600 to replace a 4000.
Yes, spuds were around £100 a ton. 'We' had all 150 acres of tatties irrigated and they yielded splendidly, even magnificently. They had a variety of irrigation units, from two 'Tourrain' reels to a rotary thing mounted on a Major, to alloy pipes and sprinklers. Three or four reservoirs, one of which I helped to build, mainly driving a Volvo loader towing a vibrating roller.

 

[jf850]

The Ford *600 range were launched around 1974, initially with the old 1000 series safety cabs but by 1975 they started to come through with the dome-topped Q cabs. The four cylinder Ford engines always varied in performance between individual units but the Ford 6600 engines were universally hopeless in the first two years of production. All smoke and noise and no-go whatsoever. Terrible performers by any standards you care to judge them by.
As before though, the transmissions were tough and nice to use and generally very reliable. My favourite Ford model of that era was the 4600 at 62hp, which was often a better performer than 6600 tractors even though it was a three cylinder and theoretically 16hp less.

The 600 series came out on October 1975 we had a new 4000 in the September and a new 6600 in February both with the deluxe cab the new q cab came out the june we bought anothe 6600 in October 1976 but couldn't get the q cab and had to get one with a Duncan cab. Potatoes were a good price in 75/76

The place where I worked from Autumn 75 to Winter 76 bought three used 6600 pre-Q-cab tractors late 75 or very early 76. A few months later, probably March 76, they bought the dairy unit a new Q cab 4600 to replace a 4000.
Yes, spuds were around £100 a ton. 'We' had all 150 acres of tatties irrigated and they yielded splendidly, even magnificently. They had a variety of irrigation units, from two 'Tourrain' reels to a rotary thing mounted on a Major, to alloy pipes and sprinklers. Three or four reservoirs, one of which I helped to build, mainly driving a Volvo loader towing a vibrating roller.

My father bought a new Ford 5600 , delivered on the 26th of February 1976. Ford cab , or Fieco more correctly . A neighbour bought a tractor the exact same , but different dealer mid November 1975 . 1 st 600 series that I either saw or heard tell of. Another neighbour bought a new 2600 very late May 1976 , and that was fitted with the Fritzmeir cab . The 2600 was with the original owners nephew up to 12 months ago , when he died . Not sure of where it went then . The other 5600 , owner sold the farm , in 1985 . 5600 still here alive and well . Semi retired , but running most days . 2 engine over hauls , dual power resealed , Pro brake band done , and 1 clutch . Not bad. No idea of hours . Clock stopped 40 years ago at 2950 hrs . Never that powerful , but very reliable . Here to stay .

 

[glasshouse]

We had a new 6600.t reg with no dual power.it was hopeless.spent most time with foot on the clutch while the revs picked up ready to go again.swapped that at only a year old for a 7600.Not a lot better but at least it had dual power so you could drop it down when the revs fell it shattered the epicyclic gears in the back axle at only 2 years.swapped that for a 7610 4wd.in early 83.What an awfull tractor that was .spent half it's life being repaired.not a nice thing to spend a long day in and boy could it drink

They reckon a lot of how a tractor performed was how it was run in.
Putting it straight to heavy work on a rotavator was seen as the best way to get a punchy tractor.
Had a 6610, 7610, 7810x38210x2,tw15 tw25,tw30, the only gearbox that failed was an 8630 and 8830
Cant complain about the others

 

[Tomr10]

Are people comparing old to new or just how bad the remember an old tractor was.

Anybody got more modern ones they hate and if it was in the yard be the last one used

 

[2wheels]

Gear box not bad backend final drive weak hydraulics not too bad but load monitor wast of time.linkage used to chop bottom pin holes in the trumpet housing .pto seals weak.porus block head gaskets leaking oil water or both.fromt axle pivot pins didn’t last front hubs leaking .power steering not up to it numerous gaskets on the box.lost count of pipes only cured when i replaced them with rubber.steering pump wears out not enough power steering joints dont last.i could wright a book i had the miss fortune to own one fo over 20 years .round hear they were everywhere in the early 80.and the reason most swapped over to jd.they should have stopped development with the 5000.then come up with a new more modern design for the q cabbed tractors

load monitor was excellent on the plough IF you had plenty of ballast on.

 

[thorpe]

Sheer blaspheme!



To be honest having been sad enough to have reread all 16 pages of this thread I think there is only one winner.

Yes there were some pretty horrendous 90 and 94 series Davy broons, which considering how bullet proof the 996 was amazes me how they got it so bloody wrong, and the JD6300 deserves a mention as the example I drove was hideous.

However the crowning winner is clearly the Massey 595. And the Massey 500 series in general. Having grown up with ford leyland and Fiat tractors in my youth the only good thing about the MF 500 series was getting out of one!

yes fantastic acsees in and out.

 

[livestock 1]

Are people comparing old to new or just how bad the remember an old tractor was.

Anybody got more modern ones they hate and if it was in the yard be the last one used

Deutz 4.90s mk1 pile of shite

 

[thorpe]

You are thinking of the 84 series with the base version Low Profile cab, which i agree wasn't particularly nice, but was cheap.
They could be had with a "warm roof" which had a heating system. The handbrakes worked in a fashion, until a driver forgot about it and buggered it by driving with it still engaged.

The 84 series could also be had with the rather excellent for the time XL cab

but still crap

 

[glasshouse]

They reckon a lot of how a tractor performed was how it was run in.
Putting it straight to heavy work on a rotavator was seen as the best way to get a punchy tractor.
Had a 6610, 7610, 7810x38210x2,tw15 tw25,tw30, the only gearbox that failed was an 8630 and 8830
Cant complain about the others

Forgot the best one of all, the fw60

 

[essex man]

The place where I worked from Autumn 75 to Winter 76 bought three used 6600 pre-Q-cab tractors late 75 or very early 76. A few months later, probably March 76, they bought the dairy unit a new Q cab 4600 to replace a 4000.
Yes, spuds were around £100 a ton. 'We' had all 150 acres of tatties irrigated and they yielded splendidly, even magnificently. They had a variety of irrigation units, from two 'Tourrain' reels to a rotary thing mounted on a Major, to alloy pipes and sprinklers. Three or four reservoirs, one of which I helped to build, mainly driving a Volvo loader towing a vibrating roller.

We had two of those rotary things, you made a big circular puddle with the power major in the middle and had to drive it out...fun and games

 

[essex man]

Like many bought 2 p for potato reg 6600s.
First tractor I drove