20 Jan 10 How to Buy Your First Vintage Tractor
If you are reading this article, then you must have an interest in vintage tractors.
Its very important they you test all the basic mechanics of the tractor, so take time to test the steering, gears, forward and reverse, PTO, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you wish to work on it right away, you may not be interested in a full restoration for some time and need to reduce the number of initial jobs. You should have a detailed check list which included at a minimum the following: does it start easily from cold, run well when hot, all the electrical components work well, does it have good traction If possible you should go to your test armed with a toolbox containing a compression tester, expensive Fluke digital multimeter, hydrometer, and other specialty tools. or bring somebody with you who has these tools.. However if you don't own a set of these tools or have access to them then don't panic.. You should in this case rely on your own common sense and your own observation skills.
How easily does it start from cold? - A tractor that starts easily from cold will rule out several items in one go Good Battery, compression, ignition wiring / magneto, tune up, fuel flow, Carburetor can be assured (not guaranteed) by this. If it doesn't start quickly, it still may be a good tractor but you will need to spend some money on it . One key thing to watch out for is if the tractor is out and warmed up prior to your arrival, you lose an important checklist item, namely the cold start, because as we all know a warm engine starts much more easily then a cold one..
How well does it run when warm - Getting it hot is a must if you want to find out how it will work after you plowed the first row. When warmed up you should watch out for a number of problems. Make sure to run it for at least half an hour. After running look for leaks, both oil and antifreeze. Lastly after warm up, shut it down and see if it will start.
Are the brakes working well - Although the brakes are inexpensive to replace, they are inaccessible on many tractors and will require extensive teardown to get the new ones in.
Does it smoke - Blue smoke spells trouble like rings, pistons, or valve guides. White or black smoke can oftentimes be fixed with carburetion or ignition changes but still means work.
Does it make clunking noises from inside the engine - A simple ticking from the top of the engine may be a simple valve readjustment but a deep thunk from the bottom or middle of the engine would point to very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load. This may be a sign of trouble with the piston, bearings or crankshaft rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.
Work the hydraulics - Check the full range of the power rams by extending them with a load. Let the load sit in the hold position for a period of time to be sure that there is no slippage. Chattering noises from the pump while lifting indicate the pump is not getting enough supply of hydraulic fluid. The pump may have experienced excessive wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be about to fail.
While many of the above experiences may sound a bit negative, you should do your background research and understand the particular issues the model of tractor you are looking at before you invest.
About the Author:
Patrick Malloney is an internet entrepreneur who founded Youtractor.com which offers 1,000 of tractor videos showing Farm Tractors
