Jump start tractor with truck?

[AllenArmory]

My tractor (TYM 554) won’t start and I’m suspecting a dead battery. Can I jump start it with my truck (Ram 1500)? I don’t want to cause any damage to either vehicle.

 

[AllDodge]

Tractor is the same as a truck but with different tires. So long as the battery on the tractor is not shorted out (just low) it can be jumped just like a car or truck

 

[KWentling]

Sure you can. Hook up to the truck first. Then the positive to the post on the starter if accessible and the ground last to any convenient good metal surface, preferably a bracket mounted on the engine itself. You can use the tractor battery itself if that is more convenient. Safety glasses should be worn! Batteries can and do explode. Rare, but does happen.

 

[dieselcrawler]

12v battery to 12v battery doesn't care if they are in a tractor, car, truck... just hook up your jumper cables as you would any other time. Be careful, tractors often have cramped battery compartments which make hooking up cables difficult and dangerous, but so do today's vehicles!

 

[CobyRupert]

Sure you can. Hook up to the truck first. Then the positive to the post on the starter if accessible and the ground last to any convenient good metal surface, preferably a bracket mounted on the engine itself. You can use the tractor battery itself if that is more convenient. Safety glasses should be worn! Batteries can and do explode. Rare, but does happen.

Shouldn't you hook up one (red) positive first (so there's no short circuit path back to neg. post if other end of cables are touching each other or vehicle frame);
then hook up other (red) positive at other vehicle (so if dangling black cables are contacting frame it's no big deal)
then hook up black negative cables?

Basically, I forget this and just make sure red cable doesn't touch black cable or frame.

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've been doing it that way for 25 years, I've watched my dad do it for most of my 38 years on this earth.

 

[KWentling]

Shouldn't you hook up one (red) positive first (so there's no short circuit path back to neg. post if other end of cables are touching each other or vehicle frame);
then hook up other (red) positive at other vehicle (so if dangling black cables are contacting frame it's no big deal)
then hook up black negative cables?

That does make some sense to do it that way. I always just clamp the positive to the insulated negative cable behind its clamp so they don't arc, or if I have a second person, I have them hold the other ends apart while I hook up the jump vehicle.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was taught that you should first hook the cables up to the vehicle being boosted , not last. Presuming you have been trying to start it before boosting there is a slight risk of fumes; therefore if there is an arc when you hook up the cables it will be farther away. That was 40+ years ago though, ideas may have changed.

The farmer I worked for years ago would pull his truck up until the bumper was touching the tractor, negating the need for a ground. That won't work with today's plastic bumpers though.

 

[searcyfarms]

if you are worried about the battery just drag it with the truck and pull start it - unless of course you dont have someone to drive both ;-)

 

[AllenArmory]

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone!