For the 70th time

[tessiers]

Just fired my 41' Farmall H after setting all winter for the 70th spring. Nothing new or unusual, checked a few fluids, turned on the gas, give her a little throtle, pulled choke, press starter. Flopped 3 times then fired, and died. Pushed in choke and started again, that time she just purred like a kitten. Back to a spring, summer and fall of work, just like the last 70 years.

Just wanted to pass it along, kind of makes me proud, and I am sure the original owners would love to see it working today.

 

[oldnslo]

I bet you won't see many of the new tractors around 70 years from now. The "H" & "M" where tough old machines.

 

[20 20]

:thumbsup:

 

[jake98]

I hope I can still get up and go at 70.

 

[Glen Watkins]

I have been thinking the same thing Jake!

 

[blueriver]

You got me on the year and model ... however my 1954 Super A did the same this week. I checked things over ... a little throttle, choke and ya know the same deal. Fired up a few seconds, died and then she cranked right over.

I added a 3 point hitch to it in hopes to put the garden cultivator on ... didn't lift high enough ... oh well I quess the brush hog will go on!!

 

[L3700SU]

I have a 43 H, same deal every year. I haven't tried it yet this year but I'm confident she'll start and purrr like a kitten.:thumbsup:

 

[Gordon Gould]

I hope I can still get up and go at 70.

Just treat yourself like a tractor: Limit the abuse, regular preventative maintenance, and lots of steady work. Then you will have a good chance to make it just like tessiers tractor. I am awful close myself and am going to make it. If I don't blow a hose that is.

 

[Marveltone]

This just males me smile! Thanks for sharing.

Joe

 

[Soundguy]

one of my hardest working tractors is a ford 850 from 1955.. starts when i need it.. only 56ys old though..


still a youngun compared to the 70yr olds.

soundguy

 

[jpm1]

We had a narrow front end 39 H, that started on a hand crank. About 3 or 4 turns over and it always started and run as brand new, I can say Farmall hit the jackpot when they made that tractor.They are still one heck of a work horse. Really miss ours. . . John

 

[Farmerford]

Pictures please!

The H was nearly perfect. I recall cranking one (and it started) with a pipe wrench on the shaft that extends through the front steering housing.

Three things I never understood: 1. Why not a plain old dipstick rather than those two petcocks, 2. That adjustable pulley on the generator seemed like a hard way to tighten a belt, and 3. automatic voltage regulators were in wide use by then, so why that manual control.

 

[tessiers]

Here you go, nothing special but she works for a living and does it well.

The petcocks are not that bad once you get used to them. Mine has been converted to 12v so I don't know much about the other 2 items.

I also have a 53 Ford NAA, they both work for a living.

 

[YesDeere]

Hand cranked mine tonight just because. Just like kickin a shovelhead cuz you can.

 

[jenkinsph]

The old H and M with a little care touch ups can be as good as new. This era produced lots of good dependable machines. Nice to hear about some of these still being used.

 

[rankrank1]

... 1. Why not a plain old dipstick rather than those two petcocks....

Actually there was a good reason for the petcocks or pipe plugs that some other manufacturers used in lieu of a dipstick.

Many tractors of that era were designed to burn distillate fuel. One of the side effects of burning distillate is that it did not burn away 100% like gasoline will. Hence some of the distillate makes its way into the engine oil which can thin out the viscosity. Proper recommended procedure back then was that for every so many hours of use you needed to let the the tractor sit overnight which allowed most of the distillate to rise to the top of the oil and then petcocks (or pipe plugs) were used to drain away the distillate contamination without doing an entire oil change. Then one quart of oil was added to bring it back to full again after bleeding off the distillate contamination.

 

[sixdogs]

Wow--imagine if that tractor could talk.

 

[JB4310]

Here you go, nothing special but she works for a living and does it well.

I also have a 53 Ford NAA, they both work for a living.

They Both Work for a living, I like that

I doubt there are to many of those oldies still in service, working the fields ?

JB

 

[JoeinTX]

Indeed, a good read.

Fired the now 60 year old 8n up a couple of weeks ago for the first time since fall. Of course, battery was dead, but once done she started on the second try. Love that little bugger and I do wish she could talk.

 

[sixdogs]

....Fired the now 60 year old 8n up a couple of weeks ago for the first time since fall. Of course, battery was dead, but once done she started on the second try. Love that little bugger and I do wish she could talk.

Anyone know how many 8N's are still in service?
I read the number somewhere and it was surprisingly high.