Free Ford 1210

   / Free Ford 1210 #41  
My 1100 is 10 speed transmission, 5 gears in low range and then the same 5 gears in high range .
It will seem like you are creeping in low range gears, but when you are working the tractor, it will decide what gear you need to be in, by how the work is loading the engine. If for instance you are mowing, and the engine is having a hard time keeping the rpm's at a constant level, you may need to stop and try a lower gear. If mower is cutting fine and it seems like you are crawling, maybe a gear up would work.
David from jax
 
   / Free Ford 1210
  • Thread Starter
#42  
Hey guys so since it has been exactly four months I don't know if this would be better as a new thread but big update. So my neighbor turned the Ford 1210 over to me a few weeks ago and I just got it running today. I drained the engine oil and all the diesel out of it. Fresh engine oil, fresh diesel and bled the system. It took awhile but it started right up.

1.) I cannot lower the throttle all the way down without it dying. I was running out of daylight but it seemed to want to 'idle' around 1,000 rpms. This is my first time owning a tractor but it sounded a little high for idling. I did just get it running as well.

2.) I checked the battery voltage with it running and it reads 12.5 volts, so it looks like the system is not charging the battery. It looks like it could be an easy fix for this tractor.

3.) Can someone tell me if this engine is liquid or air cooled? It is sort of confusing but it definitely has what looks like a full radiator in the front with what sure looks like a traditional radiator cap. So does this thing have a water pump?

The clutch needs to be depressed to start the tractor, there are two wires connected to what looks like a safety device that must be grounded against the tractor. Both of those wires have seen better days and need some wiggling around before the starter will cooperate. Getting it running like this makes me want to keep it so badly but I cannot see myself really investing into this tractor. I see that they are pretty cool. They are definitely not a heavy piece of equipment but I see them blowing snow, tilling, mowing and lifting decent amounts with FEL's and it makes me want to invest in it so badly. I think we have been over this and the censuses is to sell it and invest in something else.

I have always wanted a slightly larger 4x4 tractor or Ventrac........
 
   / Free Ford 1210 #43  
If it’s still putting fuel in the oil, I can take care of that for you..
An experienced set of hands and the proper parts will go a long way in keeping that engine from eating itself..
Keep me in mind..
 
   / Free Ford 1210 #44  
I went through what you are considering on Ford 1110 tractor. Parts are really hard to get. I replaced the hydrostat transmission, put a new clutch in it, and some other small parts. It took me several days to locate a used hydrostatic transmission. I found one in a tractor junkyard in Alabama. Cost be $1000 for the transmission. The clutch is no longer available and I had to have one custom made. That cost me $500.

It was fun but I wouldnt do it again. I sold it at a loss. It would be a cool little tractor to have if parts were readily available...but they arent.
 
   / Free Ford 1210 #45  
Once again, I seem to be playing catch up on this thread. Now that it's running, I suspect that it will start to start filling the oil with fuel. That WILL ruin the engine. Thepumpguysc thinks he has a fix. I'd suggest having a conversation with him. I suspect it might fix the idle problem in the process.
When I say "talk" I mean real-time talk, not on the forum.
Meanwhile, you're figuring things out bit by bit, so have fun, learn, make some mistakes now on something that hasn't cost any great amount of money.
BTW, check the radiator and be sure there's no fuel getting in there. That will indicate another--more explensive--problem.
 
   / Free Ford 1210
  • Thread Starter
#46  
If it’s still putting fuel in the oil, I can take care of that for you..
An experienced set of hands and the proper parts will go a long way in keeping that engine from eating itself..
Keep me in mind..

I would love to hear what you have to say. I have never worked on something leaking fuel internally before. I do however believe that there was fuel in the oil when I changed it. I got some of it on my hands and you could not only smell it but see it. I could literally see it filling in the smallest groves on my hands and it gave me the impression it had fuel in it. I have honestly worked on a lot of mowers and cars before but never a tractor or diesel. Just never had the opportunity before.
 
   / Free Ford 1210
  • Thread Starter
#47  
I went through what you are considering on Ford 1110 tractor. Parts are really hard to get. I replaced the hydrostat transmission, put a new clutch in it, and some other small parts. It took me several days to locate a used hydrostatic transmission. I found one in a tractor junkyard in Alabama. Cost be $1000 for the transmission. The clutch is no longer available and I had to have one custom made. That cost me $500.

It was fun but I wouldnt do it again. I sold it at a loss. It would be a cool little tractor to have if parts were readily available...but they arent.
Yeah I have had several offers on the tractor already. Probably for many of the reasons you have pointed out. A lot of people are looking for parts and if nothing else want it as a parts tractor. Fortunately, I have only put about $250 into it so far including the $110 battery. I would like to get $1,500 out of it which I think is reasonable for a tractor that runs. I may even try to return the battery that I have had about a week now and let whoever buys it decide whether they want to put a battery on it. Having a charging system that isn't charging the battery is not going to do it any favors right now.

I do love working on things and would not mind fixing the fuel leak among other things but restoring an old tractor like this may not be worth it financially as finallydribben has pointed out. I do not think it is wise to rebuild this tractor for just myself. It has no implements with it so I would be restoring it then looking for implements. So it is more than likely that I am going to end up selling it. I would like to see it go to a good home where it could see possible use where someone is already invested in the line.
 
   / Free Ford 1210 #48  
Hey guys for years my neighbor has been interested in getting rid of his Ford tractor. So I do not think it has ran in the better part of a decade. He recently told me that it was free to me if I wanted to have it. I have posted elsewhere and got a lot of mixed feedback. I have never owned a tractor before but have been in the market for one for a long time. I do not think he really has any attachments left for it. Anyway I would love to get some feedback. The neighbor used it when it was running and I believe he told me that it leaking fuel on one of the cylinders or something.

Anyway I think it would be really cool to have if I could find FEL for it. So far I have learned that it may be tough to locate one. I heard that the company that made this Ford was also making New Holland at the time so an equivalent New Holland FEL would work. I have already checked with a couple companies that make after market FEL's but unfortunately they do not make one compatible with this tractor. Anyway I do not even know where to begin looking for an attachment like this because I need a specific one. I have worked on plenty of engines over my life but never had to work on a diesel engine before. Anyway I would love to hear feedback on what you guys think I should do. Even though I heard these engines are reliable I do not know how much money I want to invest into attachments or work though. I will also attack a picture of the tractor as well.
View attachment 768391
it is manual steering so i would forget about the FEL, otherwise the price is right.
 
   / Free Ford 1210 #49  
Whatever tractor you get you will still need to buy implements. And 3 point hitch implements are generic, so if they fit a certain class one 3 point hitch, for example, they will fit any class one 3 point hitch. Charging systems on old tractors are generally pretty simple and cheap to fix. If it was me I would fix the charging and fuel in the oil problems and then actually use the thing. This will give you some experience, show you how useful and fun a tractor is, and help you decide just how much bigger and better you may want in the future. BTW, if you do sell and buy another tractor buy one with the FEL already on it. They are widely available and super useful. In fact, if you only have one tractor it should have an FEL. I use mine all the time.
Eric
 
   / Free Ford 1210
  • Thread Starter
#50  
Whatever tractor you get you will still need to buy implements. And 3 point hitch implements are generic, so if they fit a certain class one 3 point hitch, for example, they will fit any class one 3 point hitch. Charging systems on old tractors are generally pretty simple and cheap to fix. If it was me I would fix the charging and fuel in the oil problems and then actually use the thing. This will give you some experience, show you how useful and fun a tractor is, and help you decide just how much bigger and better you may want in the future. BTW, if you do sell and buy another tractor buy one with the FEL already on it. They are widely available and super useful. In fact, if you only have one tractor it should have an FEL. I use mine all the time.
Eric
These are all good points. I already have at least a few projects in mind I would like to do with a tractor. For instance, I now have four IBC totes filled up with firewood that I would love to be able to move about with a tractor. Anyway having a smaller tractor to mow and do other things with may not be a bad idea either. I like the idea of getting used to a tractor with a older one like this. The problem is that a lot of the stuff I would like to do require a larger tractor. I have been thinking about purchasing something like a Ventrac and then just being done with it.

The good point about that is I only live on 3/4 of an acre. So a larger tractor is only going to work against me for most things. I do not have any major problem with this tractor, it is just all the little things that need to come together. It needs a lot of work (which I understand comes with a free piece of equipment). I am letting it discourage me a little bit because I do not want to go out and purchase an implement for it, get it all fixed up, possibly be several thousand dollars into it then have something go wrong.

I know I am at that crossroads right now too. If I start sinking money into it I am not going to stop. So I may be better off selling it and taking that money and putting it toward something else.

I think you have a pretty accurate understanding of what I want. If I go out and purchase a tractor I am going to look for something with at the very least a FEL on it from the start. The big problem with Ventrac is that they were bought out by Toro and have been steadily increasing the price of them. Something that was once super affordable that could do much, much more than a tractor of a similar size is now priced much higher than you could by a brand new tractor of a much larger size for. Just doesn't make sense, I guess it does, as people are still buying them.
 
 
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