Can an old lady get her MF1250 to start?

[whistlepig]

I hook my charger up with the cables still attached. I attach the negative charger lead to the negative post on the battery. Always worked for me. If the battery is weak it could still power the glow plugs and lights and still not have enough juice to turn the starter. I have never had any luck with chargers that are supposed to jump start. I hope your charger better than the one's I have tried. If the charger doesn't jump start use jumper cables off your truck.

 

[KubotainNH]

I live alone, but I think I can set the tester so I can see it while I turn the key on.

How do I test the solenoid or starter? Please be specific

That can be tough by yourself and depends on your starter. I don't know MF's so well but that model lists an Iseki motor. The starter may look like this, the toothed part is inside the motor housing so unseen. Starter Massey Ferguson Isekinouki Tractor MF1250 MF1260 MF1433V E3CD B29 Diesel | eBay

If the fat red 12volt wire from the battery goes right to the starter then the solenoid is built in. Kinda looks like a fat metal tube on the starter. That may be what you hear clicking. You should have 12volts on it constantly. Turning the key puts 12volts on the smaller wire also on the tube which turns it on like a big heavy duty switch. If you have that 12volts on the big wire from the battery even when the key is turned then it's the solenoid or starter. The nut shown on the picture in the link is the output from the solenoid, it should have 12volts only when the key is turned to start. If this checks out and battery checks good then you may want to try tapping on the starter with a rubber mallet. Sometimes this will give you a start or 2 when the starter is going bad.

 

[2458n]

Whistlepig has got it right about hooking the charger up. Just hook it up to the battery terminals. I read where your truck would not get close enough to jump off it. Your tractor should fire up for you after using the jump start feature. I cheat mine alittle and use the glow plugs while it is charging and hit the starter before the jump function shuts off. My charger has a three minute timed cycle so I can get away with this. If this does not work go to your local battery retailer and put the charm on them and get yourself a loaner battery. It works for me- sometimes they ask for your drivers license,but that is okay. Take your new barrowed battery and try to jump start off it if the charger did not work. If this does not work swap the barrowed battery into the tractor cleaning the terminals before doing so. Now you have a good battery to try the whole process over again. I have a bunch of diesels around and they all like a good battery.

 

[whistlepig]

You have an 8 year old battery. How often used and charged we do not know. It's your prime suspect. Before you start doing solenoids, starters, and safety switches (which, by the way, can be a royal PITA) bless your battery. You have to start somewhere. The solenoid, starter, or safety switches are definitely not the easiest place to start if you have any starting problems. Start at the battery if the battery is suspect. Do the basics first. The battery is most basic.

 

[boggen]

easy does it with the battery, my mom and her best friend, do the buddy thing, they both grab the handle and off they go with the trolling motor battery. it is a struggle for either one of them to move it by themselves without risking injury.

if need be see if you can ask a neighbor to help ya out with moving the battery.

even i hate moving some batteries due to there location, and having to lift them up and out at odd angles. *shakes his fist at lifting 5 gallon cans of fuel* not sure what one aggravates me more.

 

[mark02tj]

Like most of the others, I'm leaning towards the battery being the culprit too. Pretty impressed that you checked the cells and topped them off in the old battery! :thumbsup:

As an aside, I looked up "Ash Fork, AZ". It looks like you're right along old Route 66 and some of the old buildings have survived! Too cool!

 

[Baby Grand]

Maybe the battery, but if the terminals haven't been cleaned in 8 years, that could be the culprit, too.

If you haven't already done so:
Check the battery voltage across the posts, then check it across the terminals.
If the voltage across the terminals is less, then the terminals need cleaning up.
Or just take the terminals off and wire brush the posts & terminals, reassemble and run the charger for a few hours.
Make sure you've one of these battery terminal brushes in your toolbox:

... and one of these terminal removers for removing stubborn terminals:


Some good information for DIY:

Custom Battery Cables Product Info

Good luck - you can do this!

 

[Walkin Horse]

Why not swap the truck battery and try that. If you can't get the truck close take the battery to the tractor.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'll hook up the charger tomorrow. Is it OK to leave the battery hooked up as is, or do I have to remove the terminals? Would you advise to hook up the black charger lead to the tractor frame or to the negative battery post?

If the battery is weak, would it still power the glowplugs and lights, but not the starter? :confused3:

Thanks again...you all are great!!

You should get an indication simultaneous with the "click". ... IF that click is the solenoid. Sometimes a worn solenoid will click, but the internal contacts wont make connection. In that case the lights would be steady. When the solenoid does make contact the starter is powered and there is a big drain and lights would dim even with a strong batt. KubotainNH post#4 trouble shooting would apply.
,,,, From your description I think it is the solenoid contacts giving trouble. Usually this is intermittent and worsens slowly. The contacts are closing but dirty/pitted and dont make a good contact. The next time they close they may make contact. When a solenoid goes this way -just at the verge of malfunction -, even just charging the batt will suddenly "fix" the problem. Temporarily. ... Try it. Try repeated clicks. Before going to a new batt or solenoid.
larry

 

[MoKelly]

First of all, 64 is NOT old.

Second, just FYI, I was unable to jump start my tractor a few weeks ago because the battery was toast. I put in a new battery and it fired up immediately. So, even if you can't jump statr the tractor doesn't necessarily mean the battery isn't still the issue.

Good luck.

MoKelly