Talk tractors

The Junk Drawer is for those Off Topical discussions where we can ask questions of the community that we feel might have the ability to help out.

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neanderman
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Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Talk tractors

Post by neanderman »

A thread about mowing kind of veered off course into tractors.

Made me curious: any of you here into tractor restoration?
Ed

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spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

No doubt many of us were. I dabbled into restoring until they worked, then used them. I'm saying smaller tractors but many things apply to the larger ones. It does come back to what shop you have at that location. One equipped lathe and a mill and a grinder and measuring tools and bearings and 100 belts. Air compressor and tubes and tires... works. Welder of course. Presses and lots of bearings. But no, I never had a "show tractor" or anything that would raise an eyebrow except for the fact some relic was plowing through same high grass as its cousin did 30 years ago.
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

If I was to focus on restored tractors; tractors of every description which had been restored, they are/were under water. :(
stevec
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by stevec »

I have three old Allis-Chalmers tractors, a Model B for which I built a front end loader and rear blade, A model CA on which I mounted a snow blower and another Model B that I am turning into an IB (lowered version of the B ( they all date back to the 1940s & 50s).
stevec
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by stevec »

John Hasler
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by John Hasler »

> No doubt many of us were. I dabbled into restoring until they worked, then used them.

Same here (except that mine ran as purchased). My first was a JD60. I now have a Ford 8N, an IH544 utility, and a Farmall 560. Current focus of efforts in my shop is the JD lawnmower, but I need to do quite a bit of work on the 544 before winter: it will get used every day to put out a round bale for the horses. And the Ford has managed to split a bushing on the kingpin. And the 560 has started missing under load...

I have draft horses and because of the local Amish community horse-drawn equipment is readily available. Maybe I'm going about this wrong?
curtis cutter
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Location: Curtis, WA

Re: Talk tractors

Post by curtis cutter »

I have an old JD MT200 that sits in the barn. Someday I may do something with it but time I do not have. I also have a Kubota L2550DT and a IH584 4WD. The restoration project I keep telling myself will take place during inclement weather. Seems I ALWAYS have something else coming up that is more critical.

Today's project is getting a brush truck running for our local fire department. It is a surplus truck with pump and 600 gallon tank from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. We picked it up yesterday and the goal is to have all the plumbing repaired and radios installed by Monday. Our community is without a off road vehicle having retired our 55 year old jeep due to mechanical as well as safety issues.

Thank goodness for a shop I can park a truck in and have a nice 360 degree 10' work area around.
Gregg
Just let go of it, it will eventually unplug itself.
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

It is good to see many of us have "real" tractors so we know what another is talking about. If someone is rebuilding a cylinder, arbor or splined shaft or coupling.. we sort of know about that in a smaller scale. There is a little book Busted bolts and Rusty Knuckles which is a good read about acquiring and restoring Allis Chalmers tractors.
spro
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by spro »

"Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles" is the name.
RONALD
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by RONALD »

In the early 70's we bought a used 1955 International Harvester 300 U Utility Tractor from a neighbor for $1000, and I just got rid of it last month by selling to a local guy for $400.

We had used it for all kinds of projects including building my home in the background of the photo, and our railroad. It was a rough SOB to run because it did not have power steering and had a clutch for shifting gears, all of a sudden if you hit a bump, the steering wheel would spin in your hands. We did a bad thing, I suppose, by painting it green, when as everyone knows, all IH products were painted brite RED!

Tho we had thought of restoring it, it was not worth our time and effort. I was going to put it on eBay, but decided that was too much of a problem.

The new owner may rebuild it or part it out, either way, it's not our problem anymore; the new all hydraulic Kubota HST L3940 where it has power steering and lots of other "goodies", is a pleasure to run.
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Mr Ron
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Re: Talk tractors

Post by Mr Ron »

Not much to share, but when I was in Chile about 10 years ago, I drove on a road and passed a business that had about 10 old traction engines parked on the side of the road. I inquired and was told those old traction engines are still being used by local farmers and he repairs them. I took some pictures and will post them if I can find them. I remember one of them was a Rumley and another was an Alchin. These were not rusty relics, but engines that were in use on farms.
Mr.Ron from South Mississippi
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wlw-19958
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Location: Lewes, DE

Re: Talk tractors

Post by wlw-19958 »

Hi There,
spro wrote:"Busted Tractors and Rusty Knuckles" is the name.
I'm just the opposite. I have Busted Knuckles and Rusted Tractors.

Good Luck!
-Blue Chips-
Webb
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