Good Day All - this winter I’ll finish rebuilding a 1953 Ferguson TEA-20 and am looking for my next project. One candidate available to me is a seized 1961 3010. My question is - can a component amateur mechanic rebuild one of these? I already know parts cost can be an issue but would I need special tools and equipment to do the job?
Thanks
Hello Brian. I'm an old mechanic and been around tractors and rebuilds for over 50 years.
First of all, congratulations on rebuilding the Ferguson. That's a nice place to start.
On the 3010, is it a gas engine? They came as gas or diesel. You already have experience with gas engine with the T-20, and diesel rebuilds are much more exacting and expensive than gas engines. A home mechanic can often get an old gas engine running decently, but a diesel rebuild is a specialty job. So I would stay with gas.
And you would do better in my opinion to rebuild a JD3020 than a JD3010. Many more 3020s were made, in my opinion it is a better tractor throughout , and it was made for long enough that parts should be more available.
A 3020 could be a keeper even by today's standards. And many were sold with gasoline engines.
There are some good old tractors out there, our old one is a 1958 JD530. Not a well known model, but at the end of JD's two cylinder tractors they built the 520/530 and 620/630 for just a couple of years - both models have old style vintage engines and transmissions but modern power steering, hydraulics, electrics, FEL, good seating, and a modern 3pt hitch.
Parts are very available for older 2 cylinder JDs, too.
If you can, you will do better with any rebuilt to start with an old one that runs but is worn & has some needs instead of one that is broken.
Good luck with it.
rScotty
