Top Tips For Investing In Your First Vintage Tractor

By Author: Patrick Molloney
Total Articles: 4762
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If you are reading this article, then its clear that you 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 want to work on it right away, you may not be interested in a complete reconditioning for some time and need to minimize 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.. If you are not lucky enough to have access to these tools, as many don't then don't panic. You should in this case rely on your own common sense and your own observation skills.

Does it start easily? - A tractor that starts easily from cold will eliminate several items in ...
... one shot Good Battery, compression, ignition wiring / magneto, tune up, fuel flow, Carburetor can be assured (not guaranteed) by this. If it doesn't start easily, it still may be a good tractor but you will have to spend some time and money on it. One thing you should be watch out for is if the tractor is out and warmed up when you arrived, 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 does it run when warm - Make sure you get it hot, as you will want to ensure it doesn't overheat. When warmed up you should watch out for a number of problems. Plan on spending a half-hour running it. Look for leaks, both oil and antifreeze. Lastly after warm up, shut it down and see if it will start.

Do the brakes work well - Although the brakes are inexpensive to replace, they are difficult to get at on many tractors and will require a lot of work to replace.

Does it generate a lot of - Blue smoke indicates many potentially difficult problems like rings, pistons, or valve guides. Black or white smoke can frequently be sorted out with carburetion or ignition changes but still represent work.

Does the engine run smoothly - A simple ticking from the top of the engine may be a simple valve adjustment but a deep thunk from the bottom or middle of the engine would indicate very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load. This may be a sign of problems with the crankshaft, bearings, or piston 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 while to be sure that there is no movement. Clacking noises from the pump while lifting suggest the pump is not getting enough supply of hydraulic oil. The pump might have experienced a lot of wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be ready to fail.

While many of the above experiences may sound a bit negative, you should do your background research make sure you are aware of the specific issues a tractor may have before you invest.
About Author:
Patrick Malloney is an internet entrepreneur who founded Youtractor.com which offers 1,000 of tractor videos showing Farm Tractors