Guages instead of

[Anonymous Poster]

Hi all. Don't know if this would be better posted in operating/using, or, in NH area. But it applies to all equipment, so, guess will post here. As you all know tractor manufacturers have stripped guages from the tractors. NH, in its geared TC, doesn't even provide a temp guage. They use "idiot" lights-accurate expression. An ammeter lets you know more than whether the battery is dead (or rather discharging) just as an oil pressure guage tells you a lot more about the inside of the engine than whether all the oil has run out. I won't go into all the useful things guages tell you, but, suffice it to say, I had guages on my Farmall, and I had no intenion of buying a new, replacement tractor without them. So . . . when I ordered my new NH TC40 I explained there was no deal without guages. Period. The dealer added a set of good quality guages (see attachment picture). I had to settle for electric, rather than mechanical which I would have preferred, but mechanical guages would have necessitated tapping into the block and because of possible warranty issues the dealer did not want to do that. The "idiot" lights were left in place and the circuitry is outside the NH wiring. The reason for this post is to:
1) Urge all new tractor buyers to insist on guages with their tractors, and,
2) Ask how many of you have added guages to your tractors.
JEH

 

[Bird]

Well, I didn't add any gauges to my tractors, but as I've said in the past, if it were up to me, the instrument panel on my car, pickup, and tractor would all look like the ones on airplanes; the more gauges the better.

 

[BillyP]

Excellent idea, JEH. I wish I had thought of that before I bought my tractor.

Billy

 

[markie61]

Very cool!
Can you tell us what they measure from left to right?
I assume they are temp, battery, and oil pressure but what order are they in?
Any idea what brand they are?
Thanks,
Mark

 

[Egon]

Idiot Gauges or warning lights to get your attention.

The ideal situation is to have audible/visible idiot warning devices in parallel with proper gauges. You will find the idiot item will probablly alert you to a catastropic failure far sooner than a visual gauge.

This is information from an operating gas plant with many gauges. Parameters are set for high and low at which point a warning light plus audible alarm comes on. It will get your attention. The computer controlled ones will also have history to aid in determing the problem. The older ones had charts.

Please don't knock the idiot light as it serves a very usefull purpose.
Egon

 

[Stonewall]

VERY COOL INDEED! Do the gages read off the same senders as the warning lights? If not was it a huge hassle to add others. You mention not boring into the block so you had to use the plugs that were there or did they opt for a whole different set of senders for both lights and variable current guages? Or, do they all just jump to the middle when you turn on the key and everything looks fine untill the end of time? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[BillyP]

Egon,

No one said idiot lights are a bad thing. It's just they could be better, as in audible (like you said). An audible flashing guage would perfect, in a perfect world.

For instance, an oil pressure idiot light doesn't tell you your oil pressure is getting lower and lower. Actually it often comes on when you don't have any oil pressure at all.

Billy

 

[BigDave]

Looks like you are ready for the tractor drag-race nationals. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Seriously, good idea. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Egon]

Yes I know that. Its just that the calibration is not set right.
Egon

 

[njrqs]

MY Kubota is an old one, but only has an idiot light for oil pressure and alternator. Nothing for temp.

I installed a mechanical temp gauge but didn't want to tap it into anything, so it just reads from a position on the cylinder head.

yeah I know it aint accurate, but the gauge is relative.

Eg. I know it should run on eg. 60 and if it gets hotter, I need to have a look why.

Temp is important and I dunno why I didn't get a light for it.

Cheers

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Markie61 (& Stonewall): Don't know the measurements. Dealer claims equivalent quality to Stewart-Warner, but SW not have guage "pack". As far as connection, tractor is at dealers (awaiting BH which should be here this week). They do operate though as I cranked tractor up at dealers last sat when I took pics. Will check out (including how they connected them) when I get tractor-hopefully this week, unless big snow comes through. Arrangement should be viewable in picture attached.

Egon (et al): No question "idiot" lights can warn, though, as others have said should have audible alerts (and probably electro shock through the seat to wake up dozing operator-just kidding). There's nothing "wrong" with alerts, its just that guages tell much more about impending problems. I have habit of continual scanning.

JEH

 

[Stonewall]

Amen to continual scanning. My Dad owned a Jag XKE for about two years (1968-1970) and he used to joke that the car knew if you weren't watching the gauges and would quit on you if you weren't paying attention to IT! He taught me "Windshield - Mirrors - Guages" until you're home.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

New surplus 12vdc fire bells are sometimes available from dealers in the surplus market. They make great audible oil pressure and/or over temp alarms, and can be heard over a diesel much better than a wimpy sonalert or the likes.

I picked one up a few years ago for a boat. Paid about ten bucks, I think.

SnowRidge

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Stonewall, I know about the old Jag's. You work on them all week to drive them on the weekend

 

[Egon]

Was that for a few hours on the weekend?

Egon

 

[Soundguy]

They make 12vdc buzzers electrically operated for like.. low air warnings on the big trucks, etc. might try that.

Soundguy

 

[Stonewall]

I don't know where you get those low air buzzers but they do get your attention! We have them on our tenders (tankers) in the VFD and if the last guy didn't plug in the shore line you get to listen to the buzzer for about 5 minutes while the onboard compressor builds up preasure and the diesel fills the fire house with exhaust smoke - you know - that good black cold diesel kind.