My Dad purchased this 1955 Ford 860 tractor with a 2 bottom 16 inch Economy Plow in the Spring of 1955. When the tractor was delivered to the farm, I was the first to drive it in the field pulling a disk over plowed ground. The sales agent rode along telling me the tractor was much more powerful than the Ferguson Dad traded in and to be careful. I was thirteen at the time.
I spent many hours in the seat of this tractor plowing and discing. Dad used the tractor to pull an International Harvester bailer, Minneapolis Moline combine, New Idea corn picker, bush hog, and other implements. We raised chickens in two buildings and Dad used the tractor with a front loader to clean out the buildings. After 27 years of use, I purchased the tractor at my parents farm sale thinking at the time I would need the tractor to manage small acreage my wife and I thought we might purchase for our next home. The property purchase never happened and I used the tractor around the area mowing, grading, and hauling wood.
In 1994 immediately after I retired from teaching, I took the hood and fenders off the tractor to begin a restoration. I drained the radiator and gasoline tank but soon was re-employed in a second career and stopped working on the tractor until the spring of 2014 when I arranged for a body shop to paint the hood, new fenders, new front wheels, and rear wheels. I purchased new rear rims and had new tires mounted to the rims and newly painted front wheels. With the tractor mobile, I pulled it up onto a trailer and hauled it to a body shop to have the chassis painted. I then spent the summer of 2016 reassembling the tractor using new parts to replace worn out parts. Finally on July 28, 2016, I started the tractor engine for the first time in 22 years. I had a neighbor grind the valves as the only change to the engine. Dad had the engine overhauled in the late 70’s or early 80’s and used the tractor as a utility tractor only since he had larger tractors for field work. The engine runs and sounds as good as new. Recently, I took the tractor on a cruise to a neighbors farm to borrow an implement to use on my garden area. After driving to and from this farm and working the garden area, a small leak started in the front of the gasoline tank where a bracket is welded. Knowing I could have the tank repaired, but finding a new tank online, I chose to purchase a new tank. After the new tank is installed, I will clean and wax the gray parts and clean the chassis to get the tractor ready for shows in our area the summer of 2017.
Larry Thompson
Godfrey, Illinois
kent babcock says
Great story and tractor. I have its litter mate in my garage that belonged to my wife’s grandfather then her father. I’d like to save your pictures so I now what mine is supposed to look like.
TONY says
CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHY I CANT FIND FRONT FENDERS FOR MY 57 600 DO THEY CALL THEM SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES FENDERS
TIM R FRITZ says
What a great story and a fantastic restoration job.
Myron Nehrebecki says
Nice job, Larry. If I fell out of the sky in front of that beauty, I’d guess that it was pretty close to brand new, not 62 years old. If you can make the trip down to Floyd, VA, for the Fun Run mid-August it would be a welcomed addition to that pack of fine old machines. I’ll be there with my JD B and my buddy will have his JD 60 in the line-up. God Bless!
Tom Kearns says
I have the same tractor but it has not been restored yet. I purchased the tractor two years ago and started by changing the fluids, or I thought. The petcock on the radiator had been replaced with a pump plug and it had frozen into place. I started to strip the hood off but it too had frozen bolts and screws. I awoke one morning to find the carburetor was running fuel.only to discover the fuel tank shut off valve was broken and wouldn’t function. Well the garage it was parked in also was blown over in a 70 mph wind storm and here the tractor sits. I’m building a more stout garage this winter and hopefully can start again fixing the tractor. LOL
Joe Gooch says
Loyalty to tractors purchased while one is young apparently is common. My dad bought a brand new 1954 NAA, and I was the one who drove it off the trailer when the dealer delivered it. The first thing we did was to pull a subsoiler across the field; my dad thought they were bragging about whether it could pull a subsoiler. It could.
The first crop year we paid for it. Try that today.
This tractor has been a member of the family. I rebuilt the engine; I painted it three times; I put new rims and tires on it. No fluid either! It never spent a night in the weather; today it sits in my implement barn on a concrete floor waiting, willing, and wanting to go to work. But, it gets only light work today.
And, it will be with me as long as I live.
Thanks.
Joe Madrid says
Awesome tractor ! It looked better than new ! I love any older tractor or equipment that someone takes time and effort to maintain it or like you , refurbish one. I admire people that take pride in there tractors and machinery. I just purchased a 600 jubilee work master that needs some TLC. I’m planning on stopping my restoration on my Jd 420 high crop ,and working on a Ford for a change. Just a few words to say ,you have a great tractor !
Herman Mooy says
Larry, Good job,did your body guy use OEM paint which I’m sure he must have ,if so can you get the paint information for both the red and grays.
I have a friend ( without a computer) who is restoring an 850 and needs the accurate paint numbers.
I live in Ontario Canada and own a Golden Jubilee but bought it restored that is why I don’t have the info
Thanks in advance Larry
Carl Post says
After nearly breaking his arm with a John Deere he got a Ford 960 which we used on the farm . I got it from him to use on my farm . We don’t farm anymore now but its now my son’s we antique tractor pull with now and plow with it once in a while .hopefully it will be my grandson’s some day
Landes Holbrook says
Larry, thanks for sharing your family’s heirloom with us! What a great story! I found a 54′ 860 in a field last year, non-running – the farmer gave it to me! I am in the process of getting it started in 15 or more years.
Alan says
I, too, have an 860 I need to restore. So many projects…