The Long Agribusiness Farmtrac 45 is great - as long as nothing breaks

Jun 24, 2016

Memories and challenges surrounding the Farmtrac 45

IN THE SHOP with Rachel

My dad owned a tractor dealership when I was young, and one of the brands he carried was Long tractors, sold under the Farmtrac name.

Dad did a lot of research before signing up to sell these tractors, and they were great: reliable, easy to service and get parts for, and plenty of power. They were a competitive price and were made by an American company headquartered in North Carolina.

Dad was so proud to sell these tractors that he even sold them to family. Both my aunt and my grandparents purchased the Farmtrac 45 from my dad. They were very happy with their purchases.

The family dealership was sold in 2007, and things went south for Long Agribusiness that same year - resulting in a bankruptcy in 2008. Dad was reassured that Long would continue to make parts available for 7 years, but less than a month after the company’s announcement the parts dried up completely.

Ever since then, Dad (and now I join him as well) has struggled to keep the tractors he sold running. While we haven’t discovered any major mechanical problems, even routine maintenance is a big challenge when you can’t just go buy the part you need.

We’ve discovered a trick, though: the Farmtrac 45 is a near replica of the Ford 3600, and lots of parts interchange. While there isn’t enough interchangeability that I’d want to own one of these tractors, we’ve been able to muddle through and keep my grandma’s tractor running.

Not too long ago, we replaced a clutch with one from a 3600 Ford. It went right in with no problem. We’ve also replaced the ignition switch with parts from a 3600 Ford. What we haven’t been able to interchange is parts for the injection pump. However, the entire injection pump can be traded for one off a 3600 Ford. (Just not individual parts.)

I cannot recommend you buy a Farmtrac 45 (or any of the tractors produced by Long Agribusiness) - not because of their unreliability, but because of the difficulty getting parts and service. That being said, if you end up owning one, all hope is not lost. The Long Farmtrac 60 is similar to a 4600 Ford, and the Long Farmtrac 35 is similar the Ford 2600. These ones aren’t too difficult to service, since you can muddle through with parts off the Ford tractors.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.