Newbie. Please help!

   / Newbie. Please help! #1  

Jolew0225

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Went 400+ miles yesterday to buy my first tractor. A Ford 1110 4x4 with an FEL and rear blade. Drove down and gave it a test drive. Looked a little rough but everything worked perfectly. I still wanted a second opinion. Loaded it on my trailer and drove an additional 20 miles the wrong way to the nearest NH dealer. They brought it in back, checked it over and said everything checked out and for $3400 it seemed like a reasonable deal.

I drive home. It takes 10+ hours as a blizzard moves into Central and Northern MN. We're talking 35mph on the freeway in 4wd, especially since this is my first time towing this much weight in a blizzard with my Tacoma. I get home at 5am, park and immediately go to bed. Wake up this morning (well noon) and am excited to play with my new scut. Immediately things go wrong. Front left tire is frozen in place. Won't budge. I hit the tire with a mallet, the end of the axleshaft, everything thinking it's frozen some how from being covered and blasted in snow and ice. Wont budge. Put the scut in four low to see if I can break it loose that way. Nope. That tire drags while the others are spinning in place trying to push it. Lift the front tires up with the loader and pull off the wheel and whack the end of the axle again. Axleshaft won't budge. Nothing. I am seriously upset/disappointed right now. The NH dealer even jacked the scut into the air to make sure all four tires were spinning in 4wd, and they were.

Any ideas? My new/old tractor is sitting in the middle of the driveway right now collecting snow because I can't even move it! Should I heat the axleshaft with a propane torch? Could it be frozen from the weather or is this a sign of something much more dire. I can't even get it back on the trailer in it's current state. I tried shifting in and out of 4wd and high/low to no avail. The right font tire works fine. Spins with full power in 4wd.


This is my first foray into tractors. I was just gonna use this little machine for clearing snow at my house and my rents place. Possibly some small scale skid-loading, firewood handling duties. Seriously bummed right now and hoping I didn't just buy a lemon.

Thanks in advance,
Jonah
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #2  
The poor thing is just froze to death. Try this first before doing anything drastic to what sounds like a nice Ford Tractor. Build a tarp tent over it and thaw it out with some heat. Sounds to me as though some linkage an bearings got attacked by the elements.

Good luck with that new tractor.

rim
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #3  
I'm thinking the same spray from the road got in there and froze up .ice in the right (well in this case wrong place) can be incredibly strong. I wouldn't put hear directly to the axel if it can be avoided.
 
   / Newbie. Please help!
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Well i just roasted it with the propane torch and got it moving. How can I prevent this? What caused it?

Thanks in advance.

Oh and sorry to soound whiny and desperate. I was just frazzled after my awful day yesterday and really pissed off when I couldn't even unload my new tractor.

Wish me luck. And any advice you guys have right off the bat is surely appreciated.

Jonah
 
   / Newbie. Please help!
  • Thread Starter
#5  
Hey I wrote my response without even seeing you guys had responded. Thanks fellas. Yeah after this it will be stored indoors (not heated) but at least out of the elements.

Thanks again. I'm learning!

Jonah
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #6  
I have a torpedo heater that works great at times like this, but have only had to use it once in 10 years. If I were you, I'd check all my fluids in that front axle to see if they look cloudy. A fluid change could prevent this from ever happening again. My guess is it was condensation that collected in the fluid and froze. It may never be a problem again, but you want to have dry fluid in there anyway.

Congrats on the new-to-you tractor. Remember, pictures promote good karma.:thumbsup:
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #7  
give your tractor little it of hot chocolate, move your truck out of garage and move the tractor inside. Let it warm up to garage environment. Do all fluid changes (hyd and engine, antifreeze and such. FW reduction gear is separate from the rest of the hyd, so it needs to be separately drained and filled . Either you had previous condensation in the oil or driving in blizzard forced some water in and eventually froze. Give it some TLC before demanding it to work hard.

JC,


Oh , yep ...we do like pictures:) congrats on your purchase. price is good with a loader.
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #8  
give your tractor little it of hot chocolate, move your truck out of garage and move the tractor inside. Let it warm up to garage environment. Do all fluid changes (hyd and engine, antifreeze and such. FW reduction gear is separate from the rest of the hyd, so it needs to be separately drained and filled . Either you had previous condensation in the oil or driving in blizzard forced some water in and eventually froze. Give it some TLC before demanding it to work hard.

JC,


Oh , yep ...we do like pictures:) congrats on your purchase. price is good with a loader.


+1 drain everything, grease all fittings, push the moisture out. chances are, the trip, plus it had a little moisture in it already, froze everything solid.

Been there, done that, it's amazing how stuff can freeze up.
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #9  
This thread is absolutely useless without pics!!!:D
 
   / Newbie. Please help! #10  
I've had both 1210 and 1710 Fords and they really served me well. I kept both of them outside and learned to cover them with tarps to keep water from finding its way into the gear cases. During one winter rain storm the 1710 gear case absorbed enough water to freeze all hydraulic operation when the temp dropped. I was able to back it into the garage, bucket dragging, and onto my old four post lift. I ran a propane heater under the tractor for a couple of hours to thaw it out, changed the hydraulic oil the next day, and was back in business. I found the transmission top plate (factory) gasket was pinched and hanging into the case giving water a direct entrance. I also suspected some water got in by the tired shift lever boot and changed that too.
 
 
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