The Ford 6000 has a reputation, and if you're looking at one for sale you've probably already heard it: Ford's first big six-cylinder tractor was rushed out, broke, and was recalled. That history matters to a buyer for one practical reason. A 6000 from the first run, a 6000 that went back through Ford's rebuild, and a later Commander 6000 are mechanically different tractors under similar sheet metal, and the price and the parts you need depend on which one is in front of you.

This page covers what went wrong, what Ford changed, how to tell the versions apart by paint, badges and serial number, and what to check before you buy.

What the 6000 was

Ford introduced the 6000 for 1961 as its first large row-crop tractor. It had a six-cylinder engine, 223 cu in on gasoline or 242 cu in as a diesel, both rated at 2,400 rpm, and the ten-speed Select-O-Speed powershift, which changed gears with a lever and no clutch. Ford had already offered the Select-O-Speed on its smaller 01-series tractors from 1959. The 6000 also had an independent 540/1000 rpm PTO with an economy setting that gave full PTO speed at 1,730 engine rpm, and a closed-center hydraulic system with an accumulator (Tractor Data).

Engine6-cylinder: 223 cu in gasoline, 242 cu in diesel (LP-gas also listed for the Commander 6000)
PowerAbout 66 PTO hp tested in 1961; about 62 after the 1963 retest; about 67 for the Commander 6000
TransmissionSelect-O-Speed, 10 forward and 2 reverse, full powershift
PTOIndependent, 540 and 1000 rpm, with economy PTO option
HydraulicsClosed-center with accumulator, 1,900 psi
WeightAbout 6,500–7,400 lb
Built6000: 1961–1964. Commander 6000: 1965–1967

Power figures are Nebraska tests 783 and 784 (1961), 842 and 843 (1963), and Tractor Data's Commander 6000 test figure.

What went wrong

According to Diesel World, the tractor went on sale before engineering considered it ready, and the failures came in three places:

  • The diesel engine. The block couldn't stand up to the crankshaft forces, so bearings failed or crankshafts broke.
  • The Select-O-Speed. The shift from fourth to fifth tended to break parts when the engine was at high speed.
  • The rear wheel hubs. They were held by a single Woodruff key that tended to work loose and strip.

In 1962 Ford called the tractors back for factory rebuilding. Diesel World describes an owner bringing in a red-and-gray 6000, swapping his tires over, and driving away in an updated blue-and-gray tractor. The fixes included a stouter engine block, transmission changes, upgraded axles and hubs, and a second hydraulic accumulator. Ford also detuned the engine: retested in 1963, the 6000 made about 62 PTO hp, down from about 66.

For 1965 the tractor became the Commander 6000. Diesel World lists a new grille, a decal instead of a plastic badge on the hood side, and a different steering wheel, plus another block upgrade, rear hub changes and different final-drive gearing. Old Iron Garage adds that the Commander got a strengthened transmission and its power back to about 66 hp. Tractor Data lists the Commander through 1967, succeeded by the Ford 5000.

Telling early, rebuilt and Commander tractors apart

Paint. First-run 6000s were red and gray. Tractor Data and the N Tractor Club both describe the rebuilt and later 6000s as blue (the N Tractor Club pictures a red 6000 built in 1962 and says 1963 and later were blue). Paint alone proves little, though: a red 6000 today may be an unrebuilt survivor or a restorer's repaint, and a blue one may be an early tractor that went through the recall.

Badges, grille and steering wheel. A plastic badge on the hood side means a 6000; a decal and the newer grille mean a Commander. Old Iron Garage notes the Commander's black steering wheel.

Serial number. On 1961–1964 tractors, Ford stamped the model number above the serial on the left side of the transmission housing, on the flat pad above and behind the starter, the same place as its 01-series tractors (N Tractor Club Quick ID guide). The number tells you which run it came from:

1961Numbers only, in the 01-series sequence: 131,427–155,530
1962–1964Numbers only, restarted: 1962 from 1,001; 1963 from 11,948; 1964 from 38,931
Commander 6000, 1965–1967Prefixed C: 1965 from C100000; Tractor Data gives 1966 from C123000 and 1967 from C160000

Sources: the N Tractor Club guide for 1961, and Tractor Data for 1962 onward. Ford's 1965-and-later tractors carry their numbers on the right front top corner of the transmission housing (My Ford Tractors), so on a Commander check both sides if the left is blank.

Worked example (made-up number): a 6000 stamped ◇24617◇, no letter. That falls between 11,948 and 38,930, a 1963 build. A 1963 tractor came out of the factory after Ford's fixes, so you're not relying on the recall paperwork. A number between 131,427 and 155,530 with no letter points to a 1961 first-run tractor, and that's the one to ask hard questions about.

Worked example (made-up number): a Commander stamped C145870. It's above C123000 and below C160000, so Tractor Data's ranges put it in 1966. Ford's 1965-and-later tractors generally also carry a production date code, written as year digit, month letter (A for January through M for December, skipping I), day, and shift letter (A midnight, B day, C afternoon). If your Commander's stamping includes one, a code reading 6C14B (an example) would mean March 14, 1966, day shift, which should agree with the serial.

What to check before buying

  • Every gear, under load. Warm the tractor up, then select each of the ten forward speeds and both reverses, pulling something. Engagement should be prompt and the tractor shouldn't slip, hesitate or bang into gear. Pay attention to the change from fourth to fifth, the shift Diesel World singles out.
  • Records. Ask whether an early tractor went through the factory rebuild, and whether the transmission has been rebuilt since. Specialist Select-O-Speed rebuilders still exist; get a quote before you buy one that slips.
  • The rear hubs. With the tractor on level ground, watch the rear wheels as you take up drive forward and back. Any movement of the hub on the axle points to the key problem the recall addressed.
  • The engine. Listen for bottom-end knock on a diesel, check oil pressure once it's hot, and ask whether the block was replaced in the recall.
  • The hydraulics and PTO. The lift should raise a heavy implement promptly and hold it without settling. Look for leaks around the accumulator and lines. Run the PTO at 540 and 1000 and try the economy setting if fitted.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Assuming blue paint means it was fixed. Check the serial and records. Blue is only a hint.
  • Assuming red paint means it's original. It may be a repaint over a rebuilt tractor, which changes what you're buying.
  • Ordering parts as just a 6000. Blocks, hubs and final-drive gearing changed between the first run, the rebuilt tractors and the Commander. Order by serial number.
  • Judging the Select-O-Speed by its reputation alone. Many early failures were fixed in the rebuild and later. Test the one in front of you. And if you're coming from a gear-driven Ford, it's worth reading how a crash-box tractor transmission works to understand what the powershift replaced.
  • Reading a 1961 serial with the 1962–64 chart. The 1961 tractors use the earlier 01-series numbers, which are much higher. The Hundred Series decoding guide explains how Ford's serial sequences restarted between series.