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History of Ford 2N, 8N & 9N

The son of a farmer, Henry Ford understood how hard farmers worked and the need for agricultural technology. Even though Ford did not build the first tractor, he was the first person to mass produce them for the American market, starting with the model 9N. By using mass production, Ford could sell his tractors cheaper and farmers could afford to buy them. Challenges such as the war did not slow Henry Ford down in his vision to revolutionize the agricultural industry.

9N
- The Ford 9N tractor, also known as the Ford-Ferguson 9N was produced from 1939 to 1943. The 9N featured a 28-horsepower, four-cylinder gasoline engine, and an electrical system with a starter, battery and generator. In addition, a hand crank was installed in case the battery ran low, and a safety device prevented the tractor from starting while in gear. The 9N was built using the Ferguson three-point hitch. This hitch replaced the previously used straight drawbar and the Ferguson hitch greatly improved the method of attaching implements. In 1941, due to World War II, raw materials were hard to acquire and Ford stopped producing the 9N and the transition to the 2N began.
2N
- Characteristics of the 2N appeared as 9N parts were used up. Production of the 2N began in 1942 and lasted until 1947. Built using materials that were not as limited, the four-cylinder gasoline powered 2N was primarily the same as the 9N. Changes included a magneto and crank replacing the starter, generator and battery, steel wheels replacing the rubber tires and the elimination of the chrome trim. As materials became more accessible, the 2N essentially returned back to the design of the 9N. Total production of the Ford 2N was 207,000 units.
8N
- Production of the 8N began in 1947 and ended in 1952. The 8N had a 30-horsepower, four-cylinder gasoline engine, hitch position control and automatic depth control. An improvement to the brake system was that both of the brake pedals were mounted on the right side. The most visible change was the new paint job on the 8N's. The dark grey color of the previous "N" tractors was replaced with a lighter shade of grey paint and bright red castings that earned this tractor the nickname "Red Belly." Other changes included a raised steering wheel, running boards and a hinged flip-up seat. Ford embossed the trademarked Ford script logo on the hood and in 1951, added the logo to the fenders.
"N" Tractor Serial Numbers
- The model and serial number of "N" tractors are on the left side of the engine block. The numbers are stamped with the model number 9N or 8N followed by the serial number. The 2N models were also stamped with the 9N prefix. A tractor with "NAN" stamped next to the serial number signifies a kerosene engine and "NNN" represents an industrial engine. A diamond symbol stamped before and after the serial number denotes cast iron sleeves, and a star symbol indicates steel sleeves.

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