Inherited a tractor

[mogwild]

First post here. We purchased an acreage from my father in law. He included both Tractors, ones a Massey Ferguson 265 diesel, which I've used. The other is a "Massey Harris" Twin-Power 102cc Senior. I know nothing about it.

I've googled it but I can't find much info. I'm told it runs, but there's no battery, is it 6volt or 12volt? Is it a decent tractor? What can I do with it?

I'd like to get it running, and perhaps pull a gang reel mower with it.


Anyway, thanks for any and all info.

mogwild.

 

[dcyrilc]

Welcome to TBN. :welcome:

This was the best I could find. TractorData.com Massey-Harris 102 Senior tractor information though it really doesn't tell much.

It does indicate that it was manufactured as a 6 volt electrical system. Sorry that I can't give much more help.

Congratulations on the purchase and welcome aboard!:thumbsup:

 

[mogwild]

Defiantly helps, now I know not to boost it with my 12volt vehicles. Guess I'll have to see if I can scrounge up a 6volt tractor battery.

 

[dcyrilc]

Defiantly helps, now I know not to boost it with my 12volt vehicles. Guess I'll have to see if I can scrounge up a 6volt tractor battery.

I know that a lot of 6 volt tractors have been upgraded to 12 volt. Can't tell you how to check other than maybe making sure the battery cables aren't touching anything and trying to compression starting it. then check voltage with a volt meter. It's listed as using a distillate fuel. Not sure what that is.

Hopefully others more knowledgable than myself will jump in before long.

 

[dcyrilc]

I sent a PM out to a couple someones that are pretty knowledgable about various tractors. Maybe they can help shed some light.

 

[mogwild]

Cool! Thanks.

 

[Jeeper]

6 volt postive ground if it has a gen. it's 6 volt and if it'got a alt it's 12 volt I have 1941 massey harris they were 6 volt postive ground from the factory Jeep

 

[kennyd]

Welcome to TBN Mog

I can't help much with that machine, other than to suggest you get some pictures and post in the Vintage Tractor forum to get more exposure.

 

[Soundguy]

wow.. would love to see more pics of that MH

wish I knew more about it.

Most 6v machines of that era were positive ground.. though with a generator and mechanical vibrating reg.. most of them can be polarized to work either way. ( there are some minor beneficial reasons to retian positive ground )..etc.

if you still have the regulator, check it..some are marked what voltage they are. also.. if anyone has a 6v bat you can borrow, hook it up, jump battery hot to armature for a second then hook it up and see if it charges the battery at about 7.2v at 2/3 throttle.

soundguy

soundguy

 

[roger 4400]

hi. Go see on the site....Yesterday`s tractor..... in the Massey link, you will find many infos. Good luck

 

[dcyrilc]

wow.. would love to see more pics of that MH

wish I knew more about it.

Most 6v machines of that era were positive ground.. though with a generator and mechanical vibrating reg.. most of them can be polarized to work either way. ( there are some minor beneficial reasons to retian positive ground )..etc.

if you still have the regulator, check it..some are marked what voltage they are. also.. if anyone has a 6v bat you can borrow, hook it up, jump battery hot to armature for a second then hook it up and see if it charges the battery at about 7.2v at 2/3 throttle.

soundguy

Any idea what TractorData.com is meaning when it lists the fuel type as distillate?

 

[Soundguy]

distillate.. AKA TVO ( tractor vaporizing oil ) you might be more familiar with 'kerosene'



back in the day, some tractors had 2 tanks.. a lil tank with gasolene that you started on, then when she warmed up, you switched over to TVO.. etc. at shutdown you could switch back over to gas to make it startable the next morning..lotsa manufacturers had distilate machines. you could get ford N's as oil burners.. 'AN' suffix was added.. thus an 8NAN was a distalate burner using a ( now extremely rare ) vaporizing carb... mostly there were used outside the US.. at least he 'AN' versions.. etc.

soundguy

 

[dcyrilc]

distillate.. AKA TVO ( tractor vaporizing oil ) you might be more familiar with 'kerosene'



back in the day, some tractors had 2 tanks.. a lil tank with gasolene that you started on, then when she warmed up, you switched over to TVO.. etc. at shutdown you could switch back over to gas to make it startable the next morning..lotsa manufacturers had distilate machines. you could get ford N's as oil burners.. 'AN' suffix was added.. thus an 8NAN was a distalate burner using a ( now extremely rare ) vaporizing carb... mostly there were used outside the US.. at least he 'AN' versions.. etc.

soundguy

So according to Tractor Data he has a six volt, kerosene powered tractor... Interesting.

 

[irvingj]

Wow, really neat!

My first intro to "twin power" was when I took a couple of logs to a pal to cut into boards in his old sawmill...

He started the thing up (on gasoline) on a cold winter day, then waited for it to warm up as the huge sawblade began to spin up. As I was walking around looking at the engine, he threw a switch.

I just about came out of my skin as that thing suddenly banged, rattled, and shook-- I was sure a rod was about to come through the block; must have jumped back 6 feet!

Apparently he'd been waiting for just the right moment-- scared the **** out of me! We both had a good laugh afterward as he explained the set-up; I'd never seen anything like it before.:laughing: Sounds like a very practical idea, however!

 

[mogwild]

Thanks for the info guys

As suggested, I've started a new thread in the vintage tractor forum:

Looking for some info/advice on a tractor I Inherited (Massey Harris) - TractorByNet.com

-Trev

 

[dcyrilc]

Thanks for the info guys

As suggested, I've started a new thread in the vintage tractor forum:

Looking for some info/advice on a tractor I Inherited (Massey Harris) - TractorByNet.com

-Trev

Thanks for the link. Often it seems like new people drop in, ask a few questions, and disappear. Glad to see that you're still around. You really have my curiosity up on this tractor. I'll be following your thread will great interest!

 

[keyser soze]

So as not to clog up the thread in the vintage tractor forum, I'll ask a question here, as I have no information to help you...

If those tractors would start on gas, then switch to kerosene, can you not just run it full time on gasoline, and just never flip the switch to kerosene? Or is that hard on the tractor?

What was the advantage of kerosene? Cheaper?

 

[mogwild]

Thanks for the link. Often it seems like new people drop in, ask a few questions, and disappear. Glad to see that you're still around. You really have my curiosity up on this tractor. I'll be following your thread will great interest!

I would have popped in sooner, I had subscribed to the thread so I got an email when there were replies, but my Gmail had chucked the email in junk mail, so I didn't think there was any more action on the thread.

 

[beenthere]

So as not to clog up the thread in the vintage tractor forum, I'll ask a question here, as I have no information to help you...

If those tractors would start on gas, then switch to kerosene, can you not just run it full time on gasoline, and just never flip the switch to kerosene? Or is that hard on the tractor?

What was the advantage of kerosene? Cheaper?

Many homes were heated with kerosene heaters and lamps. So kerosene was an available, and cheap at that time, fuel. Our old 2 cyl John Deere's had the switch to get off the small gas tank over to the distillate tank (think #1 home heating oil was also in that grouping). But usually they ran better on gasoline, so that was what was in both tanks most of the time. And it was at the time that hand cranking was how the tractors were started, and then it was important to have the gasoline to start.

During WWII, gasoline was rationed, and kerosene more available.

Curious if this MH has a tank for gasoline to start it up. Likely has hand crank access too.

 

[dcyrilc]

Many homes were heated with kerosene heaters and lamps. So kerosene was an available, and cheap at that time, fuel. Our old 2 cyl John Deere's had the switch to get off the small gas tank over to the distillate tank (think #1 home heating oil was also in that grouping). But usually they ran better on gasoline, so that was what was in both tanks most of the time. And it was at the time that hand cranking was how the tractors were started, and then it was important to have the gasoline to start.

During WWII, gasoline was rationed, and kerosene more available.

Curious if this MH has a tank for gasoline to start it up. Likely has hand crank access too.

beenthere,
Have you looked at the pix on the new thread? This machine is beautiful!:thumbsup::thumbsup: