Anybody got a Ford 545D or similar?

[Gbkeith]

I’m looking for something to move round bales, logs, and pipe panels, do some box blade and loader work on dirt roads and fence lines, and maybe do some shredding or run a 3-point post hole auger. So pto would be nice but I can live without it. Same with four wheel drive. I’d like to be able to haul it on my tilt trailer. I’ve got 81” between fenders. Tractor data says a 545d is 78” wide but I get skeptical of some of the numbers on there. There could be 3” of difference measuring down low at the bulge of the tire or up higher. Anybody know if it’ll fit? I’m not dead set on an 545, anybody have anything they’d like to chime in with regarding 545’s, 445’s or the various Deere, Case, and MF equivalents?

 

[aczlan]

Width will depend on how the tires are set (if it has adjustable tires), but they were made to be moved, so I would bet on the widths being close.

Are you looking at a dry clutch or a torque converter one? One catch with a torque converter one is that if you have it revved to 540PTO RPM for bush hogging and need to shift into gear there is no way to "slip" the clutch and you WILL most likely spin the tires taking off.

We used to have a Case 480F LL (like a 480F backhoe, but with a 3 point and hydraulic PTO instead of a backhoe) and that is one reason we sold it.

A couple of caveats for both brands:
Case 480F (and similar Case models, from personal experience)

1. They will have a hydraulic PTO, NOT a geared PTO.
2. The parking brake is on the splined shaft that would feed the front axle disconnect (not sure it can be called a transfer case as it is reportedly just a disconnect) and over time it will chew out the splines in the center of the parking brake disk (a 6" diameter, 1" thick steel disk).
3. Service brakes are wet disk and are buried in the rear end
4. You CAN find a backhoe for the 480 LL versions (they are rare as hens teeth though), it is installed with 4 LARGE (1.5"?) bolts that hold the 3 point on.
5. Should have synchronized up shifting from 2>3>4 and downshifting from 4>3
6. They are HEAVY, ours was around 10,000# (2WD, cab, 3 point, loaded tires and wheel weights) and still needed more weight in the back to not lift the back with a round bale on the front, WAY more lifting power than the weight of the machine without 2000# on the back.
7. If you have the cab, its a sauna in the summer, no AC and only 2 windows that open

Ford 545 (some personal experience, mostly talking to a local farmer who has a pile of them that he uses on his farm):

1. The 545 (and any Fords with an independent PTO) have a wet clutch and PTO brake for the PTO. The clutch brake for them gets weak/wears out over time (especially if you do something like shutting the PTO off at 540RPM) and when that happens the PTO will spin ANY time there isn't a load on it. Parts to fix are cheap, but you have to split the tractor to install them.
2. If it has the 4 speed power reversing torque convertor transmission many (older) models COULD NOT have a PTO installed due to the internal layout.
3. They are also very heavy (probably a similar weight to the Case we had)
4. You might also look at the 3550, they are the next generation back
5. Many parts are shared with the ag versions (4610 IIRC for the 545)

Both are a bulletproof machine designed to be run by someone who was driving it like they stole it.

Aaron Z

 

[Gbkeith]

[*]They are also very heavy (probably a similar weight to the Case we had)
[*]You might also look at the 3550, they are the next generation back
[*]Many parts are shared with the ag versions (4610 IIRC for the 545)
[/LIST]
Both are a bulletproof machine designed to be run by someone who was driving it like they stole it.

Aaron Z

That’s mostly what I’m looking for. Durable with available parts. I hadn't really considered how a hydraulic pto would work shredding.

There are two 445’s for sale not far from where I’ll be tomorrow. Both have pto’s, remotes, and power reversing 8 speeds. I’m going to try and find time to at least go measure the width.