Folks, I have been busier than a set of jumper cables at an Arkansas wedding reception lately, and with the rebuild of my storm-damaged machine shed finally underway, things probably won’t loosen up for another month or so. But when a Norman Rockwell-worthy six inches of gentle snow falls here in the Middle West, it’s time to take a break and fire up my own CC to spend an enjoyable couple hours plowing out the driveways here on the farm.
This snow was a lot more pleasant than the big dump we got a couple years ago in late February with temps in the low single (F) digits (note my military surplus Arctic gear!). And so far, I’ve managed to go a dozen winters without damaging one of our vehicles due to loss of traction in snow or ice – as long as you don’t count sliding the 8N into a ditch our first winter here and having to dig it out by hand.
I restored the tractor about six years ago, and its 120 c.i.d. (2.0l) flathead four makes about 25hp and is equipped with the original 6v electrical system – with a practiced hand on the choke, it will fire up with little fuss down to 0°F and even lower with a little cajoling. The rear tires are one size up from original and are filled with a calcium chloride/water mix, which adds about 700lb. to help connect 92 ft.-lb. of torque to the ground.
So for those who enjoy (or try to tolerate) seasonal winter weather, what’s your bulk snow removal tool of choice?
This is a great tractor. Is it a four-speed? My father has had three Ford tractors and has stepped up a gear each time with his Jubilee having five speeds. He must like it as he’s had it since the mid-’80’s. His is like yours – it can sit a long time and fire right up down to around zero.
Bulk snow removal? Right now, my plan is to put it in four-high and keep my foot in the throttle. Perhaps not the most thought out plan in memory, but…
The 8N had the four speed, unlike the earlier 9N.
Right: the 9N and 2N had a three speed, the later 8N came with four. Sherman made a step-down, step-up and combo transmission adapter (that gave you twelve forward gears). “4-high” with a Sherman-equipped 8N is “Ludicrous Speed.”
My favorite machine is not a curbside classic, but rather a snowbank classic. Toro 620 snowblower with electric start. Simple, but light weight.
What a beautiful picture! It instantly took me back to my grandparents’ farm in Kansas when I was a little kid. That’s where I drove a vehicle for the first time, one of these Ford tractors.
When I lived in New York and worked in a rental yard our favorite snow shovel was a Bobcat 743 skid steer loader.
I will agree with 83 LeBaron – I have had a small 2 cycle Toro snowblower that has made my life quite a bit easier for several years. My electric start has given out, but it starts so easily with the rope that I don’t really care.
My father lived out in the country and bought a 1981 Datsun King Cab 4×4 pickup and put a plow blade on the front. He kept it backed in the garage, and it would clean the driveway in about 5 minutes. Dad was never one to do things by half. 🙂
Nice ol tractor Ed a friend of mine has a 46 Fergy like this all original with a Continental type transmission but with the then newly available Standard engine, it seems when Ford a Ferguson parted ways Ferguson didnt have an engine available as the Standard one wasnt ready and he used Continental engines my friends still has that trans. Oh and we have no snow its summer.
“So for those who enjoy (or try to tolerate) seasonal winter weather, what’s your bulk snow removal tool of choice?”
I live in an apartment, so my method is “let the grounds crew do it.”
🙂
My dad (also) bought this exact tractor for light mowing and construction duty on his property in Texas. With the occasional repaint, it’ll probably be operable in another 60 years.
Ouch! I hadn’t read that storm entry. I was hoping Ed would be a challenger in the race to the VW project finish line, but looks like you’ve got a bigger project first.
Nice tractor, my snow removal weapon of choice is a 36″ wide snow scoop that came with our house. Probably late ’60’s vintage, genuine local Stelco galvanized steel.
No doubt this is apostasy for most of my fellow San Diegans (most of whom, like me, moved here from places with actual winters), but I actually miss snow. Not that I’d want to live in Buffalo or anything,… (said as I am about to go for a lunch-time walk, 65 degrees f and sunny…) But I did really enjoy Ed’s pictures.
Wonderful lead picture. Looks like Christmas without a single commercial decoration. Indeed a Norman Rockwell.
After putting up with what was left of a very small two stage snow blower that had taken in a couple of newspapers over the years, I treated myself last season to a new Arien’s Deluxe 24″ with a 254cc engine. After the old blower, this thing is just amazing. Actually too big for some minor stuff the old one was used for. But, when the plow plugs up the end of my driveway a smile has replaced the dread I used to feel! Hopefully it becomes a classic in time.
Wow that sounds familiar. I had a Sears Craftsman 20″ two stroke that I used for several years for the powder snow. Anything heavier than that it was stick a couple of beers in the snow, grab a shovel and have at it. 80′ of single driveway and 40′ of sidewalk in front normally took a couple of beers to complete and there’s nowhere to go anyway.
Then two summers ago I had a near death experience and walked away from it with a shattered wrist that the surgeons called the worst break they had seen in a long time. Last winter fell within the physiotherapy and the “up to a year of problems from the nerves healing” so I got the same Ariens. I shovel the porch and steps only and spend 15 minutes on the rest. Then the neighbour’s drive ways and sidewalks etc. Bring it on!
Snow, snow, what is snow?
It’s 86 degrees down here in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Anything lower than 75 and it’s
too cold!
My family had a circa late 1990s snow blower until the Briggs & Stratton motor threw a rod in the early 2000s which makes me wonder if we should have paid that Sears and Roebuck person to come out once a year. Dad was doing all the right things to the engine anyway so I figured it was just the motor’s time.
So now to clear the snow at my folks house we use a 2 or 4 stroke Weed Whackers with a snow throw attachment. Either that or snow shovels. To clear the ice I use a heavy ice breaker and clear the walkway down to bare gravel. We also use a 96 Legacy and used to use a 95 Voyager as a snow plow, but the 05 Sedona got stuck too easily so we stopped using that. Our driveway is not very big so we can get away with using these methods and that part of Central New York does not get as much snow as other parts.
My grandparents either use me to clear the snow or hire someone with a plow truck. Gramps is convinced Old Man Winter wants to kill him so he does not shovel snow anymore and I do not blame him.
My Aunt/Uncle sometimes pool their money together with a neighbor to plow the shared driveway or the neighbors just pay for it themselves. Either that or she shovels it by herself or I do it by myself or we help each other out.
Some of my ex-neighbors from back over there have really long driveways so they clear the first few hundred feet then snow shoe in the rest of the way.
Sorry to read about the storm I am glad there was not too much damage. Did not realize you had a 1984 Mustang L and I am assuming the F-Series is totalled. I do not get the jumper cable quip though.
Ed, that’s a nice tractor! I rate these a tie for first stylewise relative to the Oliver’s. And that is about the extent of my tractor knowledge, just whatever I see at the County fair every year!…That old Ford color scheme is wonderful though.
Thanks for sharing!
On the family farm south of Rock Island, IL my uncle would assign me the task of plowing snow in one lot to give cattle access to the herbage below the snow. I did this in a 1953 Ford two-bottom plow tractor. Don’t know the model number but it was gray and red. The key to driving the thing without slowing down when reversing direction was using the inside brake pedal to pivot the tractor. Quite a revelation for an 11-year old.
1953 would be the Golden Jubilee that succeeded the N Series. It’s on my “to-do” list to do a full CC on the Ford N Series.
102F here and rising so not much chance of snow – although I did see snow falling a few weeks back up at Mt Buller, it melted as it hit the ground.
A mate has a few tractors like this on his parents farm, one lives at the top of a hill & is roll-started for example. No snow in winter but it gets wet in the hills, occasionally they will get a tractor bogged and it stays where it is until spring and can be dug out – any attempt to pull it out will result in two bogged tractors, as they found the hard way of course.
My fine son-in-law gave me a new snow shovel when he saw the old worn-out thing I was still using that was about three inches shorter than when I got it. It’s a great tool – I can out-shovel anyone in the cul-de-sac with it.
That’s about all the snow-removal equipment we need here in western Washington, and I’m not sure we’d really need that if we didn’t have a curving uphill driveway that’s nearly impossible to get a run at, because our road sees enough traffic to get plowed fairly early.
It takes a fairly unusual set of circumstances for us to get snow here at all. That new snow shovel sat for a full year before I needed to use it.