1975-'81 Ford 5600

To see how Ford's definition of the "utility" or "all-purpose" farm tractor had evolved in two decades, compare this month's 1975-1981 5600 with last month's 1953 NAA Golden Jubilee (both encountered, by the way, at the New England Truck and Tractor Association's April 29, 2007, Swap Meet and Tractor Pull in Rehoboth, Massachusetts).

The most obvious difference is the now familiar blue-and-white paint scheme of the newer tractor, which became a Ford mainstay with the debut of Ford's Worldwide Tractors in 1964 and the introduction of the 1965 model-year machines.

Another important difference is the fact that the 5600 was offered only with a four-cylinder diesel engine. Ford's gasoline-fueled offerings dwindled in the gas-crunched 1970s as buyers sought the fuel economy and longevity of a diesel engine, despite the premium paid for a diesel tractor when new. Interestingly, Ford's Fordson tractor business had long supplied diesel tractors in Europe--while the NAA was powered by gasoline here, its English counterpart, the Fordson New Major, was offered as a diesel.

Finally, the size of the 5600 speaks to what was considered an all-purpose tractor by the mid-1970s. At approximately 6,000 pounds, the 5600 dwarfs the NAA, which tipped the scales at 2,840.

Of course, Ford wasn't offering just one farm tractor in the 1970s, as it had in the years immediately following WWII. The company was offering five, including the 5600, 6600, 6700, 7600 and 7700. Ford also offered a line of compact tractors in the 1970s and '80s--some of which more closely resembled the NAA in size--manufactured by the Ishikawajima-Shibaura Machinery Company of Japan. These two- and three-cylinder diesels gave Ford a foothold in the growing market for small tractors with large tractor features like four-wheel drive, live hydraulics, differential locks and live PTOs. The smallest of these tractors could be mistaken for a garden tractor, but with Category I three-point hitches and, in some cases, 10-speed transmissions.

The 5600 was essentially a clean-sheet design when it made its debut in 1975. Power came from a 233-cu.in., overhead-valve, four-cylinder diesel hooked to either an eight- or 16-speed transmission. A rear differential lock and three-point hitch were standard and, over the tractor's six-year life span, options such as four-wheel drive, cabs and a two-speed PTO were made available. The 5600 was generally considered a success for Ford and soldiered on with improvements as the 5610 from 1981-1985 and the 5900 in 1987.

Today, these tractors are sought after, not necessarily as collectibles but as useful workhorses. The four-wheel-drive tractors are particularly desirable for use as small, maneuverable front-end loaders.

Bare-bones two-wheel-drive tractors of this series typically trade hands in the $5,000-$7,000 range, while machines with options such as cabs or four-wheel drive will easily command double that amount.