Top Tips For Investing In Your First Vintage Tractor Article

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Top tips for investing in your first Vintage Tractor

When purchasing in an old tractor there are numerous things to be aware of this article reveals the most important of these. So if you are looking for a Fordson Standard or a Massey Ferguson 40E this article will be your guide.

Author: Robert Thomson

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If you are reading this article, then vintage tractors are clearly of interest to you.

Test all the basic functions of the tractor, PTO, steering, gears, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you want to work on it straightaway, you may not be interested in a full restoration for some time and need to minimize the number of initial jobs. Your check list should 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.

Does it start easily? - A tractor that starts easily from cold will eliminate 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 easily, it still may be a good tractor but you will need to do some work 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 - Make sure you get it hot, as you will want to ensure it doesn't overheat. There are simple and complex problems that can cause the tractor to run poorly after it warms up. Plan on spending a half-hour running it. After running look for leaks, antifreeze and both oil. Then, shut it down and see how it starts up again.

How well do the brakes work - Although 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 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 involves your time and also money.

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 point to very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load. This may be a sign of trouble with the bearings, crankshaft or piston rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.

Work the hydraulics - Check the full extent 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 slippage. Chattering noises from the pump while lifting indicate the pump is not getting enough supply of hydraulic oil. The pump might 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 a tractor may have before you buy.

About Author

Patrick Malloney is an internet entrepreneur who founded Youtractor.com which offers 1,000 of tractor videos showing Farm Tractors.

Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com/author-robert-thomson-5539.html

Top tips for investing in your first Vintage Tractor