1st Tractor - several questions 1952 Ferguson TO30

[chabat124]

I just bought my 1st tractor. I have a lot of questions. 1952 Ferguson TO30. Going to be mowing a 2 acre field and very light dirt work.

1) Throttle: It is very hard to regulate. It seems to go way high in the rpms in just like a 1/4" movement of the throttle lever. Seems like I fight with the throttle, to keep it from bogging, to keeping it from going to high. Is this inexperience, or a problem?

2) I tried brush hogging today with the rotary mower (flail?). I broke the back wheel off. The wheel kept getting stuck dragging sideways until it just snapped off the shaft. I can weld, but I don't know why it would be binding in the first place?

3) When I set the height on the mower with the hydraulic lever, it slowly lowers on it’s own within minutes. How am I supposed to keep the deck at the right height/off the ground when it is lowering slowly on it’s own?

4) Once I got the deck too low and it was bogging the engine almost to a stall. But since the hydraulics and the pto work together, I could neither raise the deck or move forward, the tractor did not want to drag the mower deck while it was sitting flat on the ground.

This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I am starting to think I can’t operate an antique tractor. Frustrated.

Chris (TX)

 

[chabat124]

I just bought my 1st tractor. I have a lot of questions. 1952 Ferguson TO30. Going to be mowing a 2 acre field and very light dirt work.

1) Throttle: It is very hard to regulate. It seems to go way high in the rpms in just like a 1/4" movement of the throttle lever. Seems like I fight with the throttle, to keep it from bogging, to keeping it from going to high. Is this inexperience, or a problem?

2) I tried brush hogging today with the rotary mower (flail?). I broke the back wheel off. The wheel kept getting stuck dragging sideways until it just snapped off the shaft. I can weld, but I don't know why it would be binding in the first place?

3) When I set the height on the mower with the hydraulic lever, it slowly lowers on it’s own within minutes. How am I supposed to keep the deck at the right height/off the ground when it is lowering slowly on it’s own?

4) Once I got the deck too low and it was bogging the engine almost to a stall. But since the hydraulics and the pto work together, I could neither raise the deck or move forward, the tractor did not want to drag the mower deck while it was sitting flat on the ground.

This is so much harder than I thought it would be. I am starting to think I can’t operate an antique tractor. Frustrated.

Chris (TX)

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum.
Brings back memories. My second tractor was a TO-30.
1) Throttle: sounds like a dirty governor.
2) RC wheel: would guess it is stuck and won't caster properly.
3) Deck height: Use check chains that the 3pt arms can rest on, as the 3pt of the TO-30 doesn't have position control (only draft control).
4) sounds like a lower gear is in order until you get the governor fixed or tune-up the engine.

Great tractor, IMO. Be sure to ge an over-running PTO clutch, and you will learn to break the left wheel and use the clutch at the same time to get out of tough spots. Enjoy /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[beenthere]

Welcome to the forum.
Brings back memories. My second tractor was a TO-30.
1) Throttle: sounds like a dirty governor.
2) RC wheel: would guess it is stuck and won't caster properly.
3) Deck height: Use check chains that the 3pt arms can rest on, as the 3pt of the TO-30 doesn't have position control (only draft control).
4) sounds like a lower gear is in order until you get the governor fixed or tune-up the engine.

Great tractor, IMO. Be sure to ge an over-running PTO clutch, and you will learn to break the left wheel and use the clutch at the same time to get out of tough spots. Enjoy /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[chabat124]

3) Deck height: Use check chains that the 3pt arms can rest on, as the 3pt of the TO-30 doesn't have position control (only draft control).
-------------------------
What is draft and position control?
Is the weight of the deck resting mainly on the 3 point or the RC wheel?
That wheel, what do I need to do to get it to turn (castor?) properly...
BTW, it does have that overrun clutch on the pto.

********I attached a pic of the broken wheel.*********

 

[chabat124]

3) Deck height: Use check chains that the 3pt arms can rest on, as the 3pt of the TO-30 doesn't have position control (only draft control).
-------------------------
What is draft and position control?
Is the weight of the deck resting mainly on the 3 point or the RC wheel?
That wheel, what do I need to do to get it to turn (castor?) properly...
BTW, it does have that overrun clutch on the pto.

********I attached a pic of the broken wheel.*********

 

[chabat124]

Here is a pic of the tractor ****attached****

 

[chabat124]

Here is a pic of the tractor ****attached****

 

[chabat124]

Here is a pic of the rotary cutter, the sides are a little dented, is that normal for an old cutter?

 

[chabat124]

Here is a pic of the rotary cutter, the sides are a little dented, is that normal for an old cutter?