Top Tips For Buying 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.

Make sure that your tractor performs all the basic tasks properly, so check the steering, gears, forward and reverse, PTO, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you are willing to work on it straight off, you probably won't be interested in a complete reconditioning for some time and need to minimize the number of things to do when you get the tractor home. 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.

How easily does it start from cold? - A tractor that starts easily ...
... from cold may rule out several particular problems 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 easily, it still may be a good machine 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..

Does it run well when hot - Getting it hot is a must if you want to find out how it will work after you plowed the first row. A number of issues can cause the tractor to run poorly after it warms up. You should run it for al least half an hour. After running look for leaks, antifreeze and both oil. Once warmed up, stop it restart it again..

Are the brakes working well - Although the brakes are inexpensive to replace, they are inaccessible on many tractors and will involve a lot of effort to replace.

Does it generate a lot of - Blue smoke spells trouble like rings, pistons, or valve guides. Smoke that looks black or white can often be fixed with carburetion or ignition changes but still means work.

Does the engine make unusual noises - 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 show very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load conditions. This may be an indication of trouble with the crankshaft, bearings, or piston rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.

Work the hydraulics - Check the full range of the 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 leakdown. Chattering noises from the pump while lifting suggest the pump is not getting enough flow of hydraulic fluid. The pump will have experienced excessive wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be about to fail.

While many of the above examples may sound a bit negative, you should do your research and understand 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