My "new" tractor

[Soundguy]

I did discover a potential problem safety-wise, other than no ROPS. I read a newspaper story online the other night while doing research on the tractor. A teenage boy slipped or fell getting off the tractor and engaged the PTO in doing so. Of course he landed on it and was killed. The only good way on and off for me is also the back of the tractor. I have an owner's manual for it now that says the clutch must be down to engage the PTO. Wrong! Mine can be started too without pushing in the clutch. It has a rod that needs to be pulled up to start it. This boy may have caught a shoelace or something on it, pulled it up and then fell from being caught. I can see how it could happen. So now I either shell out $50 for a PTO shield or try to make one. I'm also thinking boots without laces could be an extra safety precaution. Still won't stop me from catching my pant leg, etc. Just a note to pass on for anyone else thinking of getting a vintage tractor.

A good friend once told me that any problem that can be solved with a check, isn't a problem.. it's an expense...

Weld up a quick and dirty pto shield, and / or weld up a set of steps to make egress easier on the tractor. I have a set for my fenderless JD-B. it's virtually impossible to enter or exit that tractor if you got bad knees or an arm injury.. etc. The step makes it soo much easier.

Soundguy

 

[roxynoodle]

A wide front end would be too much hassle. From what I've read, it is questionable whether the ones that had it were more stable. This is a tractor with 24" of clearance, therefore, very high center of gravity. It will be pulling a spreader on flat as a pancake fields. Sure, it's possible to drive into a ground hog hole, hopefully I won't. I don't intend to use it for mowing or anything else that would put me on a slope.

Once I fix the choke issue I shouldn't need to get on and off while it's running. So undecided on the PTO shield. A step would take care of that issue too, good idea, Soundguy.

 

[BTDT]

PTO shield could also serve as the step, if sturdy enough.

 

[Joe1]

Looks like a pretty solid tractor. You said the instruments work. Any idea how many hours are on the tractor? I ran into a guy in Pennsylvania last year with a John Deere twin from the 1940.s (a "daily driver") that he claimed has 9,500 hours on the original engine and to have another, older version,with something like 13,000 on the original engine, allegedly neither having been overhauled.

Those old tractors were built like tanks and with relatively low speed engines seemed to last a long time.

Good luck with your latest acquisition.

 

[roxynoodle]

PTO shield could also serve as the step, if sturdy enough.

If I get on and off from the back, it is easy because I use the drawbar for a step (big C shaped one), then step up onto the rear axle, then onto the platform.

As for hours, there is no tach or hour meter. There is an oil gauge, temp gauge and battery gauge only. I have no idea how many hours it has or whether the engine has been rebuilt at any time. I figure I'll keep running as long as it will keep running and if it needs rebuilt at some time, I will get to learn something new!

 

[BobG_in_VA]

If I get on and off from the back, it is easy because I use the drawbar for a step (big C shaped one), then step up onto the rear axle, then onto the platform.

Get a couple of stair tread abrasive stick-ons to put on the axles, as early in the morning those things can get slick with condensation. I've "mis-stepped" a time or two myself as a result. All that steel and cast iron don't give much if you fall on it. BobG in VA

 

[schmism]

so for a guy that knows absolutly nothing about old iron....

how do you guys classify these things.... HP? weight?

what can/could it do?

I kinda have an idea of what modern tractors can do based on size and HP... but that doestn translate well to the old iron from what i understand...

 

[BobG_in_VA]

so for a guy that knows absolutly nothing about old iron....

how do you guys classify these things.... HP? weight?

what can/could it do?

I kinda have an idea of what modern tractors can do based on size and HP... but that doestn translate well to the old iron from what i understand...

Different times bred different tractors. The H's and M's, the 2Ns, 9Ns and JD A/Bs basically replaced the horse/mule teams. You may look at them now and say they that they appear pre-historic in relation to the stuff selling today, a farmer in the 30s/40s/50s could do many times more with one H than he could do with the best team of draft horses in the country. Hence the drawbar pull for early tractor plows, etc. A "20-couple horsepower" H could and probably still can out pull todays 35 HP stuff, just by virtue of the amazing amout of torque it put out at a blistering 1650rpm (or so). Pretty much could run it wide open for about 10 hours on a tank of gas. Pull a 2 bottom plow all day and never get above 160 degrees (they have big radiators). Todays FEL is yesterday's wheelbarrow. The H also had a road gear (close to 15mph) that a guy could take his crops to town with even if he couldn't afford a truck. Different times indeed. Now we have a tractor hooked up to each implement.....Farmwithjunk probably could go on for hours on this. I gave it up when I was 18 and went to college....But we still have my grandmother's sidesaddle in the shed.....BobG in VA

 

[roxynoodle]

I keep seeing different specs on hp and weight so I'm unsure which numbers are correct. It is rated anywhere from 19-24hp on the drawbar and higher on the belt drive. Weight I've seen anywhere from 3875 to 5500lbs. I'm thinking it's closer to the 3875 though. It's advantage over my Yanmar, at least for pulling the spreader, will be weight. The 5th gear for faster road driving is between 15-16 mph so it's nice to go down the road faster. I also like those heavy duty drawbars for pulling.

And, let's be honest, it's just plain fun to drive! For the price it was worth adding to my barn.

 

[RobertN]

The steering wheel is so gooped up from sitting out in the sun that my hands get totally black in about 30 seconds. Looks like a new one is only $30, so I was glad to see that. The choke cable has been disconnected because it is rusted. So I have to move it by hand before I start it.

Ebay has TONS of parts come through. YTmag.com is a good source too. There are others if you do a web search. YTmag could help you confirm the year...

Re: the hitch; if you have a hydrualic 1pt or 2pt hitch, you can get a 3pt conversion.

Nothin like a RED tractor