# How many SOS owner's out there?



## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

How many of you own an SOS? Let's hear some stories -good/bad/ugly! A farmer nearby ran 9 SOS Fords over the past 40+ years. Newest one he had was an early 4000. He ran them for EVERYTHING - plowing, blading, planting, all of it! He farmed several hundred acres. He took good care of them and they took good care of him!


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## Chris (Sep 15, 2003)

Beautiful tractor there...Fordfarm! Is that a Powermaster on your avatar? That is my favorite...I don't have one personally....but I have a restored 8N and Ford 4000. Here is one shot of my 8N.
How are the prices holding on these tractors? I really want to get one someday!  

<img width=700 length width=1000 src=http://www.tractorforum.com/htdocs/8n.jpg>


:tractorsm


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## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

Yeah - it's an 861! Unfortunately - IT'S NOT MINE! I have a working 1949 8N and an 850. I WILL have an 861 one of these days! I also have a couple of Farmalls, but the Fords are the workers. I was really impressed by the 8N, especially - everyone (who obviously knew NOTHING about them) told me they were less than useless. It's the best worker on the farm - including me!


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## Fordfarm (Dec 27, 2005)

Forgot to answer the other part of your question! Prices for N's are around $1800 to $2300 depending on condition and what the owner has modified. A nice used 4000 or Powermaster (861) will be around $4700. An 871, 881, 841 Powermaster will be about $1000 cheaper due to Select-O-Speed. 851's have the funky "Space Alien" Tranny so they are going cheap. All are nice tractors, but be careful on the SOS. If it's good then go for it, if it's bad, RUN!


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## damnyankie (Jan 2, 2008)

I know this is an old thread but I just got a Ford 871 Powermaster with SOS. This tractor had been repainted blue and gray and had Ford 4000 decals put on it. The previous owner had it for 18 years and it was that way when he purchased it. After a lot of research based upon the serial number and scraping, it is a Gold Demonstrator. The gold paint can be found everywhere under the blue. I will restore this one for show and will post photos when finished. Yes, I know many will yell "fake' but I will document prior to refinish with photos of the gold under the blue and gray. The serial numbers falls well within those for the gold demonstrators. There were only 2500 gold demonstrators made across all the series. According to the information available there were only 100 871 powermaster gold demonstators made!


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## Live Oak (Dec 22, 2003)

Welcome to Tractor Forum damnyankie! Old threads sometimes can use a wake up now and then. We sure could use some expertise in this area as there are not but a few old school Ford posters so dig in and enjoy!


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## damnyankie (Jan 2, 2008)

*thanks*

Thanks for the warm welcome. I have been an old Ford 8N collector. I have been buying them, restoring them and then selling them but keeping the best one for myself. lol. I also have 2 ferguson that will be restored with one being a TE-20 and the other a TO-20. I have the 8N along with my most recent purchase a 1959 Ford 871 powermaster which also happens to be a gold demonstrator. I found this out by accident as the seller did not know it as it had been repainted blue and gray and came with his home place that he bought 18 years ago. He has not had any problems with the SOS and I have not noticed any problems either but it has been too cold to play with it much. 
I have been chipping away the blue/gray paint and have been finding the gold paint under it everywhere!! The serial number falls well within the range as these were the first tractors off the line and all Ford dealerships were required to purchase at least one. It could be any of the new series and not necessary the 871. 
Based upon the information from the antique power club,other collectors and the president talking with 'big' ford collectors/restorers here in illinois, this is one of 100 that made of this model.


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## TYMinColton (Aug 15, 2008)

> _Originally posted by Fordfarm _
> *How many of you own an SOS? Let's hear some stories -good/bad/ugly! A farmer nearby ran 9 SOS Fords over the past 40+ years. Newest one he had was an early 4000. He ran them for EVERYTHING - plowing, blading, planting, all of it! He farmed several hundred acres. He took good care of them and they took good care of him! *


I've got one! A 1962 Ford 881D with an SOS tranny. Last time she was running - before her engine seized - the tranny worked great. Can't say the same for the rear PTO, but at least the SOS was holding up. . .


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## TYMinColton (Aug 15, 2008)

Oh, here she is:


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

>>be careful on the SOS. If it's good then go for it, if it's bad, RUN!

How would I know whether it's good? Or, for that matter, whether a tractor I look at has the SOS?


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## firemen122 (Feb 17, 2009)

What does sos stand for?


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## DanielWilson (Feb 2, 2009)

Select-O-Speed

I'm told it was an automatic transmission introduced for the '01 series.

So I have my answer to my question ... if it's manual it's not an SOS.


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## dave17a (Apr 2, 2009)

*SOS*

Have a '62 801. Chored with it for 20 yrs. Decided to try and restore it. Bought a lot of new and used parts. Put electronic ignition in it. Far from done. Waiting to put food plot in back, till garden again after all this rain. Should post before and after. How do we post pics? Really need help on that. Any help on that?:bigusa:


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## 59FordSOS (Oct 29, 2012)

I have a tractor I just purchased that was just like that damnyankie's...It was painted blue and cream over the gold and had 4000 stickers. The SOS 871 decals were still under the paint. It also has gold paint everywhere under the other paint. The numbers (what I can read of them) seem to indicate it is a demonstrator. Being new to tractor ownership I took the previous owners (my Dad's neighbor) word for the model and year. He thought it was about a '65 4000 diesel. The tranny is the only part that doesn't have gold under the paint so I think the tranny was a total replacement. It runs well and the tranny seems to work fine. I'm more intersted in using it than restoring it at this point but who knows what the future holds? I have a working theory about the paint job...they painted it so they could pawn it off as a later model SOS since the early models had so many problems.


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## Gurkman (Jan 29, 2013)

In the mid 60's, my father purchased a 180 acre farm with all the implements. One of these is the 871 SOS with a gas engine. My father passed away about a year ago. Now I own the farm. The tractor is in rough shape. I remember driving it when I was a kid in the mid 70's. it was a great reliable tractor. Now, it has about two speeds and reverse. I still put up hay with another tractor, but I am considering restoring it for usage. Any thoughts?


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