[AT] Most wore out tractor (long)

[Cecil R Bearden]

I haven't had any tractors that near qualify for that, but my Owatonna 
285 swather would fit that description.  I bought it from a "friend" for 
$4000 3 years ago when my Dad was going downhill from a stroke. I did 
not have time to go  find a good swather, and he assured me that it was 
ready to go to the field.   What he did not say was that it was ready to 
go to work....   I put it in the field and 20 minutes later, installed 
$650 worth of sickle and guards.  Went back to work, sheared all the 
bolts in the right drive hub and had to work on it in the road half in 
the borrow ditch.  Noticed that it had an oil leak on the left side and 
steamed the engine off to find the Devcon patch in the block was 
leaking.  2 slats in the reel decided to break. A day later, it blew out 
a tire and I had some wheels & tires I bought for a fertilizer spreader 
that fit, so they were used.  New ones would have been $800.  The top 
links that adjust the header angle were welded so many times there was 
nothing to weld to.    It cut about 40 acres and the conditioner rollers 
decided to come apart.   I just finished installing  John Deere rollers 
in the conditioner and rebuilding the drive.  I now have the air 
conditioner out ( a Hupp brand Unit) and am fiberglassing the bottom of 
the evaporator case.  There is not enough metal to weld, and the 
fiberglass won't rust.   I would have been better off if I would have 
left the check and the swather!!  I made a comment to this friend that I 
had to rebuild the cutterbar and he said "well it needed some 
work"......    He owns a surplus & Hardware store that we USED to do 
thousands of dollars of business with....  No More!!  We have to road it 
anywhere we need it to go, the header will not raise high enough to load 
it on the swather trailer.....   With the amount I have spent hiring 
custom operators to cut my hay, I could have spent $12000 and had a good 
swather..

Cecil in OKla


On 6/16/2013 2:14 PM, Herb Metz wrote:
> Ken
> Doubt if anyone tries to best your entry.  Reminds me of the first time I
> heard someone advertise something as "a mechanics special".   Or the "you
> are on a first name basis with every part" on that tractor.
> Will be interesting to observe if you retain that tractor and it's many
> challenges.
> Tire description was close to Farmers (who we all miss) description "the
> tire was so bad you could almost see the air".
> I, and many others (I am sure), admire your determination and capabilities
> keeping that 8N operational.
> Herb
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ken Knierim
> Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 9:18 AM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: [AT] Most wore out tractor (long)
>
> In an effort to get the list woke up, what's your most worn-out tractor...
> and do you still use it?
>
> Here's mine:
>      '49 (I think) 8N that I use as a mower tractor.
>
> "feature list"
>
> Tires: front. Mismatched castoffs; one is larger than the other. One holds
> air, the other gets aired up every time I use it. The leaking side leaves
> chunks of rubber all over the yard as big pieces flake off. cords are
> showing in several spots.
> Back. weather checked, mismatched. right side leaks down every 3 or 4
> months.
>
> Radiator.
>      Holds coolant. Looks like it was salvaged; it's all beat up and missing
> a lot of fins.
>
> Engine.
>     Starts and runs; valves and cylinder walls in bad shape. burns a LOT of
> oil. Usually about 2 quarts mowing my 1.2 acres. trails blue all over the
> yard. #4 cylinder scored really badly. #4 plug fouls regularly (so I burn
> the oil off with a torch and reinstall it); I run it until the oil pressure
> drops, then refill it with "recycled" (used) oil. Uses nearly as much oil
> as it does gas.
>     Block is cracked behind the starter and seeps coolant from time to time;
> looks like it was frozen. Front main seal slobbering oil profusely. Valve
> train (valve spring retainers) has fallen apart several times and requires
> complete rebuild (hammer it flat and reinstall). Water pump leaks
> occasionally depending on its mood. Oil in coolant from somewhere. I took
> the head off it to see what it would require for repairs, choked, held my
> nose and reinstalled the head about 7 years ago.
>      Exhaust manifold is cracked and gasket is broken on #4 making it noisy.
> Actually quite handy to know when the plug fouls so I can clean the plug.
>     Fan belt (which isn't the right width for the fan and engine pulleys)
> has been soaked in oil for years and slips easily. Generator replaced with
> alternator on homemade brackets; right tire steering link will bump into
> the alternator (if you hit uneven ground) and loosen the belt causing the
> fan to freewheel. workaround is to pry the alternator back into position
> and keep going. If you don't it'll boil over.
>      Carb works but the float sometimes sticks and leaks fuel. It has an
> inlet valve that I shut off to keep the carb from overflowing while it's
> parked.
>      Governor may be off. If you use full throttle settings the mower
> vibrates, rattles and chatters the tractor. use it a couple notches from
> full and everything seems happy.
>
> Transmission
>       I believe this unit has a faster reverse gear for running a loader;
> it's about as fast as third gear. The lift will pick up my finish flail
> mower as long as the oil is cool.
>
> 3-point height adjustment arm is stripped internally and doesn't adjust
> right. needs replacement.
>
> brakes? on an 8N? ha!
>
> steering wheel is covered in electrical tape; I don't know what's under it
> but I'm sure it's in sad shape. The front spindles, which normally clamp to
> the link going to the tie rod, have been arc welded in place.
>
> Electrical. It's been hacked up to put a 12 volt GM 3-wire alternator on
> it. (Probably the only reason it still starts.) Ammeter is falling apart
> internally and does not work. Occasionally the charge circuit will stop
> working (a couple years back it required charging every few weeks to keep
> the battery up) but it's "cured" itself again and working. I've also had it
> go a little high on voltage and boil the battery. Battery held in with
> baling wire as someone bent the tray to allow removal of the battery from
> the side. starter had to be replaced as coolant leaked into it (from the
> cracked block) and it rusted out and died. 12 volts had broken the bendix
> anyway so it was time.
>
> Overall, the tractor is in terrible shape but I keep it running (for the
> most part). If I tear it down to fix it right, I'll never get it back
> together because there will always be something else to fix.
>
> Anyone else got a tractor you know you should rebuild end to end but just
> can't get a round tuit?
>
> Ken in AZ
>
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