8 volt or 6 volt Battery for a Fergie TO-20?

   / 8 volt or 6 volt Battery for a Fergie TO-20? #1  

penokee

Platinum Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2004
Messages
532
Location
Little Girl's Point (Lake Superior), MI
Tractor
Ferguson TO-20 (sold to son-in-law), AC - H3 Crawler, L3130HST, (AC-WD w/Attachments - SOLD), 1984 Honda Big Red, Honda Foreman 4x4 w/plow
Anyone using an 8 volt battery in an older 6 volt tractor? My Fergie TO-20 had an 8 volt battery when I bought it, and I replaced it with an 8 volt 4 years ago and now looking for another battery. Couldn't really notice anything special about the 8 volt, but then again never ran it with a 6 volt.
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   / 8 volt or 6 volt Battery for a Fergie TO-20? #2  
I've never been too impressed with the 8 volt batteries. I work on quite a few older cars with 6 volt systems and if everything is working right a good six volt battery will do the job just fine. The 8 volt batteries seem to have a shorter life and also have less cranking amps than the same sized 6 volt. Usually someone will install an 8 volt battery when the starter is worn and doesn't crank right anymore, you do get brighter lights too but the charging system can have trouble keeping the voltage up.
 
   / 8 volt or 6 volt Battery for a Fergie TO-20? #3  
I agree with Diesel... an 8v battery is a bandaid for a 6v electrical system that really just needs maintenance.. or an engine getting tired.

In the end, unless you have the regulator adjusted to charge an 8v battery.. you have a partially discharged batttery. If you have a manual adjust genny.. like a 3rd brush job, you can adjust the charge votlage to charge it.. but then things like points, ignition coil , and light bulbs are being run over tolerance.

Best to clean all alectrical connections.. drop in or file ( yuck) yer points, and a fresh 6v battery, and do a soft part tune up on the engine, nad see where you are at.

That t?-20 is a first cousin of those ford N's I'm so fond of.

Soundguy
 
   / 8 volt or 6 volt Battery for a Fergie TO-20?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks for both replies - I'm going back with a 6 volt.

My TO-20 is a 1950 model. Son-in-law has a TE-20. Both nice tractors as is the 8N.

Previous owner had painted mine to look like an 8N, not to try and deceive anyone, but to improve on the drab grey Fergie looks.
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