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Same Owner Since ’50: 1949 Ford 8N

'49 Ford 8N front left

Do you have a hobby or full-size farm?  Are you looking for a Ford 8N?  Listed here on craigslist and parked in Desoto, Missouri is this one-owner 1949 Ford 8N tractor with a belt driven Dearborn saw and an asking price of $2,800.

'49 Ford 8N rear with saw

If you haven’t seen a Dearborn saw in action you can view one here off a Ford 9N.  This is a nice piece of equipment to have on hand.

'49 Ford 8N

This tractor was purchased new in January of 1950 from the local Ford tractor dealer in Desoto, Missouri.  As per Rob, the seller, the tractor is in excellent shape, runs and drives great, and has been stored in a shed when not in use since 1950.

'49 Ford 8N left

This is still a 6 volt and the lights and gauges are in working order.  The tires are in good shape.  Rob thanks you for looking and requests no call after 8pm.

Motor-on,
Robert

Comments

  1. Avatar Scotty G

    Now that’s a great, and literal, barn find!

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  2. Avatar jim s

    i would sell the saw, been around to many of them and know what they can do when things go wrong, but keep the tractor. an 8n is what i was put on to learn to drive and earn my keep. no shifting the gears or moving the throttle. just clutch, steering, and brakes, which on ours had a piece of flat stock that locked the two brake pedals together. i only forgot to check to make sure the pedals were locked one time. this seems like a good deal in a running tractor that is good enough to still be used. great find.

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  3. Avatar David Member

    As long as the tires are not dried out and cracked, this seems a great deal. New tires would be very expensive. These tires look great in the pictures to these old eyes.

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  4. Avatar fred

    Almost identical to my dad’s TO20 Ferguson tractor. In the south they called them “Red Belly Ford’s”. I believe the engine is related to the Model A.

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    • Avatar z1rider

      Not related to the Model A. Rather it’s one-half of a Ford flathead V-8. Restorers of the V-8’s could get a lot of new parts for their engines from the Ford/New Holland tractor dealer well into the 70’s, and probably later.

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  5. Avatar Paul R

    Indestructible and simple tractors. There are a ton of them still in service. The only problem is the lack of a “Live” PTO. The clutch has to be released for the PTO to turn.
    The widow maker firewood saw is a nice touch.
    I own an older 2N.

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    • Avatar z1rider

      And along those lines, a one way clutch for the PTO output shaft is also a good idea. Keeps the flywheel effect of a spinning mower from pushing you further forward when you push the clutch in to stop.

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  6. HoA Howard A Member

    The farm I live/work at has an 8N, only not this nice. It’s a fun little tractor. So simple to fix. It has been downgraded to pulling the “woods” mower, or moving wagons or the log splitter, but make no mistake, when his grandfather bought it in the early ’50’s, this was it. They used it for everything. Revolutionized the farm, I bet. Classic tractors are gaining steam, and if you are looking for one, they certainly aren’t going to get any cheaper. The plus side, like Paul sez, they made a bunch of them, and a local tractor dealer in town stocks just about anything you need. Great find, although, I too am creeped out by the saw. I have scary memories of saws like this (with no guards whatsoever) and ultra close calls. There’s safer ways to cut logs. Shifting is a bit of a dance, as no synchros and hand throttle require some getting used to.

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  7. Avatar DRV

    I worked for a southern Ohio equipment dealer who had sold every 8N in Ohio twice. Not really, but it seemed that way as I painted them when they came through the dealer. If you have a pinstriped one in Ohio, chances are I painted it.

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  8. Avatar Bruce E

    I own a 641 Workmaster ( a little bigger than a 8 N) Great little tractor. Live PTO would be nice on this 6 foot blower, but if you are careful & take your time, it will move a lot of snow !!! This 8N is priced right if the rear tires are good. I just replaced rears on mine, close to $700.00 ( and that wasn’t for Firestones….) Nice little tractor if somebody needed one !

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  9. Avatar Rancho Bella

    When I see these, it makes me want to own acreage but a half acre doesn’t justify the honor of owing this gem.

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  10. Avatar William H

    I’ve seen many, many 8Ns. My grandfather had one that I earned many quarters on doing things around his land… shredding, plowing, etc. I must admit, though, that I have never seen a Dearborn saw. Certainly looks like it cuts well and would have come in handy back in the day.

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  11. Avatar Duffy

    I am still using my 1949 Ford 8N to this day. Never had a problem. I still have the original tires on it. One great old machine. Never saw one with the saw. Could be a widow maker ladies.

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  12. Avatar Dave

    I have been around many of these old tractors over the years and would love to have one in the next few years.
    I have been a cabinet maker for over 30 years and used all kinds of saws.
    I would not touch that saw for anything.

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  13. Avatar Doug Towsley

    Sweet tractor. I love these things. We have a more modern 4wd tractor with the 3 cyl diesel that works great for our little farm or moving pallets of firewood, or my old car projects. We also have a bucket on the front so very handy.
    But driven a bunch of these older ones and the Ford of this type is just Iconic. Thats not a bad price either. We have a tractor museum at our local museum complex (Antique Powerland, 12 museums on site) as well as events thru the year and the annual Steam up with is a vintage vehicle show 2 weeks long. Love going out and playing and looking at the machinery like this one.

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  14. Avatar DENIS

    I have chased all over hell to look at these as I needed one for my acreage…looked at lots of worn-out ones for this kind of money..finally gave up and spent a load on an ’08 Diesel with 700 hours….looks like a nice buy and would love to have it.

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  15. Avatar Mike

    I spent many of summers on My Grandfather farm in the Boothill of Missouri. I was always brush hawging the ditches around the fields of the 2000 acre row crop farm. The tractor I drove was a 49 8N, Red Belly as they called them. It was a tough old tractor, and it was the first new tractor my Grandfather bought on the farm. He had it up till the day he sold the farm 45 years later, and it was still running good that the day it was loaded on the trailer.
    Desoto Missouri is only about 25 miles from my home, maybe I will go take a peek at it, maybe the Little Wifey will let me buy it?
    A few years ago, my younger brother bought one to use on his house place he used it to mow the 5 acres he had. It was 1951 8N, I would borrow it for parade floats and stuff and hay rides, he sold it for a zero turn mower, but wish he had kept the Ford.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Glenn Brandenburg

    Need address , and phone

    Like 0

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