# Ford 641 Workmaster Questions and Advice



## knifeman32 (May 14, 2012)

Hi guys, I am new to the forum. I am sending a certified check to a dealer in Michigan to purchase a 1959 Ford 641 Workmaster tractor. It has a freeman pipe loader, drawbar, etc.. I am buying it from M. Nolan Farms in Michigan. Has anyone had any experiences with this company? Anyways, I realize that I am going to need an overrun clutch in order to do some mowing. I will be using a 5ft rotary cutter. I haven't quite made up my mind about the brand as of yet. I worked at a tractor supply for about 7 years before I went into education and was considering their county line brand of rotary cutter. Basically, my question is, will a standard 6 spline 1 3/8 slip clutch fit with this tractor? Also, what are your thoughts on the county line brand of mower? It seemed as if customers had mixed reviews about the mower when I would talk to them. Some seemed to love it and others seemed to think that it was not up to par with other brands. Finally, will I need to run this mower with a slip clutch as well as the overrun clutch? I also realize that different tractors need different lengths of shafts for the mower. Will the shaft that the TSC brand mowers come with work for me? Thanks for all of the help in advance guys. I appreciate it. 


By the way, here is the link to the mower that I have been looking at: 

http://www.tractorsupply.com/countyline-reg-5-ft-rotary-cutter-with-a-40-hp-gearbox-2127248


Also forgot to ask about hydraulic fluid and engine oil? What weight should I use? Will general trans-hydraulic fluid work in the hydraulics? Thanks.


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## boxco49 (Jan 13, 2012)

That is hat I use for my backhow.


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## harry16 (Dec 8, 2011)

I hope you have seen this tractor and driven it, checked for leaks, check that everything works, etc., before you send a certified check. If not, you should deliver the check in person and check out the tractor before paying for it. 

Yes, you should have an overriding clutch for your safety and the safety of others. It prevents the mower momentum from pushing your tractor forward via the transmission. It can push you into dangerous situations.

Your tractor will have the standard 1-3/8" PTO shaft. A slip clutch is different than an overriding clutch. A slip clutch will slip if your rotary cutter is hung up in a overload situation - prevents the tractor from applying excessive power to the mower gearbox or other mower components. Your mower should have a shear bolt at the gearbox PTO connection for this purpose. It shears in an overload situation. If you are mowing pasture with no known obstacles, a shear bolt should suffice. If you are cutting heavy brush, then a slip clutch may be desireable.

County Line cutters look to be the same as King Kutter rotary cutters. They are very good machines, not meant for a massive dose of brush cutting, i.e., 3" tree cutting. When you are cutting anything the tractor can run over, you can really bash a rotary cutter. BTDT. But for cutting pasture and moderate brush, County Line and King Kutter are the best buy, IMO.

No, you do not need both the ORC and slip clutch. I would use the ORC and rely on the shear bolt for overloads. Never use a high strength bolt in place of a shear bolt. 

But since you asked the question - yes the ORC and slip clutch can be used together. Because they slip/yield in opposite directions. For totally different circumstances. 

Yes, the PTO shaft that comes with TSC equipment is designed to handle the loads you apply to their equipment.


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## knifeman32 (May 14, 2012)

harry16 said:


> I hope you have seen this tractor and driven it, checked for leaks, check that everything works, etc., before you send a certified check. If not, you should deliver the check in person and check out the tractor before paying for it.
> 
> Yes, you should have an overriding clutch for your safety and the safety of others. It prevents the mower momentum from pushing your tractor forward via the transmission. It can push you into dangerous situations.
> 
> ...



Hi Harry, 
I understand the difference between an overrun clutch and a slip clutch. I also know for a fact that king kutter produces the County Line Brand. I worked at TSC for about 7 years before I became a teacher. The transition was at the beginning stages at that point. My question was, is it okay to run an overrun clutch and a slip clutch at the same time? Also, will a standard 1 3/8 6 spline overrun clutch work alright? I will be mowing in some rocky areas. I will try to remove as many as possible but I am sure I will miss a few. 

I actually didn't have the opportunity to view the tractor in person but I did spend a few hours at different times on the phone with the owner. I also received detailed photos. I realize that I took a big risk but I am a 12 month employee of the local school district (teacher) and I don't get any sort of vacation. I only have weekends off but being that it is about 900 mile trip, 1 way, I didn't think I could make it. Hopefully I didn't make a big mistake. I have looked for similar ford models for sale in my area by individuals and local dealers, even as far as Virginia and South Carolina but everything I came up with was much more expensive than we could afford. I have been told a few times that tractor prices are generally higher in the southeastern US.


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## PSJ (Sep 20, 2011)

knifeman32 said:


> My question was, is it okay to run an overrun clutch and a slip clutch at the same time? Also, will a standard 1 3/8 6 spline overrun clutch work alright?QUOTE]
> 
> Answer, YES!


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## bluespade00 (Apr 9, 2017)

Does the order in which the slip clutch and ORC go on the PTO shaft matter?


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## HAJ (Jun 25, 2020)

New to the site, recently acquired a 1956 model 641, not running but worth the effort to make it so. The 641 is now running, but the clutch would not disengage the transmission. Split the case thinking the clutch was rusted to the flywheel, the clutch disc was in bad shape. The 641 now has a new throw out bearing, 10" pressure plate and disc, and pilot shaft bearing. Got everything buttoned back together, but the clutch still does not disengage the transmission. The clutch pedal is adjusted as far is it will go. Thought maybe the input shaft and cluster gear might be seized, but with the transmission in Nuetral the tractor can be rolled around with turning the engine. I am at a loss for what wrong. Any ideas?


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