[AT] Antique tractors anyone?

Tue Oct 8 18:56:18 PDT 2019

Each of us has there own thoughts on this but those that ask me… I suggest to them they should not depend on our old tractors in our collection if real work needs to be done over extended periods. I don’t really know the intimate detail relative to the repair history or even work history of any of my 12 tractor collection. I’m sure there are hidden wear in parts I don’t even see and in fact maybe I don’t even want to see.  But…… if I was forced to put one of my antique tractors into daily use on a farm, I have one that would rise to the top of the list. Everything about it tells me it is a very low hour tractor, Every time I work on it I marvel at how little wear it has. At least on the parts I have seen.  It was stuck when I bought it and I  loosened it up cleaned and homed the cylinder walls with new standard piston rings and ground the valves. And Now I had a really good running tractor. I was one of a pair of tractors I purchased at the very beginning of my collection when I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing.  The price for the pair was really good so I jumped at.  Best buy of all 12 tractors.  This all kind of fits with what the PO told me.  Never liked the tractor. Didn’t use it much. No power, etc. Parked it He had a 1940 Slant Dash B he liked better. Bought them both. The reason it had no power was the governor to throttle to carburetor linkage was way off.  I didn’t even realize it was bad until I put in on a Dyno and the HP rating was off by almost 35 to 40%. I started second guessing myself that I hadn’t done the overhaul properly. I had been away from tractors for 40 years so didn’t have much confidence or knowledge other than 40 year old memories that were really foggy.  Fixed the linkage and holy cow I had a new tractor. It became my completive puller for a few years when I was doing that adventure. Dang tractor blew me away and quite a few other competitors. Don’t tell anyone but when I found out the linage was wrong I fixed it of course quite a bit on the strong side so I was getting a little more than rated HP out of it. Shhhh…  So, that would be my “go to” tractor if I had to depend on a tractor to make a living.  It is nothing more than a Plain Jane 1954 JD 60. But I can totally depend on it whenever called on and it amazes me at times how much power it has.  Sometimes we win when we buy these old rust buckets.  This one was a real winner. 

Dean VP

Snohomish, WA 98290

From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of John Hall
Sent: Tuesday, October 8, 2019 5:28 PM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: Re: [AT] Antique tractors anyone?

Spencer and anyone else that "farms" while maintaining a full time job.,LED lights are an absolute blessing. Even if you are just moving machinery around at night getting ready for the next day, they really help out when the days start getting shorter in the fall. Not to mention if you are running a fleet of old iron that may well have wiring that is 50+ years old, the lighter load on the electrical system is a benefit as well. I have bought replacement LED lights (sealed beam style) and self contained add-on lights. Both are doing fine and are way better than original.

One thing wrestling with fence row finds has taught me is how worn out something can be and still work just fine. As I go over the olds stuff I use on the farm, I start prioritizing wear on a particular machine and then make repairs as time/money/need call for.

John Hall

On 10/8/2019 12:31 AM, Spencer Yost wrote:

Started finished mowing tonight and dang, the sun is setting early these days.  Didn’t get finished with my new hay fields. May be a 2 or 3 day job since my day time job eats up a lot of sunlight.   

Looks like I am going to have to examine the throttle on the Ford. I can’t keep RPMs up without resetting  the throttle lever; it just creeps back down.  This is a new problem. At least I have something to do this winter besides change fluids.

Like you John, we have been very dry.   Since August 24 we have had .55” of rain.   That killed the third cutting so I’m just finish mowing to top weeds.

https://www.pwsweather.com/obs/ALPACACOMFORTSENSOR.html

Spencer

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 7, 2019, at 9:48 PM, Cecil Bearden  <mailto:crbearden at copper.net> <crbearden at copper.net> wrote:

I had planned to get the pitman fixed on the swather today and start cutting hay before the cold front and rain comes in Thursday.   Then as I made a quick trip to feed the preemie calf before my Dr. appt for an ear infection, I saw a wet spot over the water line that serves the cattle tanks.  The line is 34 years old and 1in PVC.  There are 2 hackberry trees within 6 ft of the line so I know what has happened.  I have a 500ft. roll of Pex pipe that will get pulled inside the 1inch tomorrow.  I have had to fix a water line problem every 3 to 6 months for the last 3 years. changing it over to PEX eliminates the joints and a 3/4 PEX will flow more than the meter at the road.  Pulling the line into the old one saves a lot of time and digging.
Cecil

On 10/7/2019 8:29 PM, John Hall wrote:

Well, everything we have is now old or antique. One Super A is on permanent sickle mower duty,  so I have been keeping the ditches mowed all year with it. The other Super A is on rake duty--it raked the last hay about a month ago. Its so dry we won't get another baling.

The all around workhorse is a 72 IH 454, its currently hooked to my auger cart in case I cut more corn than a truckload. The brute is a 68 4020, its been pushing up trees today that fell out into fields. IF it will ever rain then it has corn stalks to grind and wheat to plant.

The 47 M will roll wheat ground, otherwise it will collect dust until time to spray nitrogen next year.

44 DC Case, its on wagon duty when we bale, otherwise it collects dust and rust. Needs rear tires but the tractor isn't worth even what a good set of used tires would sell for.

No time or money to buy or collect any more true antiques. I have a couple I need to get rid of because after 25-30 years, I'm done playing with them. There will still be 4 antique tractors here--the kind with Armstrong starters only.

I've even lost interest in most of the 40 or so antique chainsaws we have acquired. Just to busy to take the time to sell them.

I'm more interested in keeping my old farm equipment in the field than fixing up a fence row find these days.

John Hall

On 10/6/2019 11:32 PM, Spencer Yost wrote:

But that is immaterial to the purpose of my post: What I want to know is has anyone done anything with old tractors recently?   I’m going to get out the old Ford and do final mowing for the fall.   Been real dry but weeds have done alright and I need to knock down the weed heads before they seed.

Spencer

Sent from my iPhone

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