Looking to buy a cub or super A

DJ54 · Feb 16, 2016

The engines don't turn over hard with a crank anyway. Even when newly overhauled. Compression ratio was only like 6.0 - 6.5 to 1, minimum, a bit higher if they had high altitude pistons. You can always do a compression test some day, if you feel it's lacking.

I see it has the industrial front axle. Square, or diamond shaped looking at it endo, plus the brace running back to the torque tube. That's worth a few bucks right there.

If you don't have any use for the sickle bar mower, you can always put it back on CL. Like you said, for sale, or trade for a front mounted blade. There seem to be a lot of the A's and Super A's being bought, and put to work. With mowing season coming up, I really don't think you'll have a hard time selling it.

Would have been sweeter it it would have had the Fast Hitch update, but depends on what all you plan to use it for. Would love to have a SA with FH, and a single bottom plow to play with at antique tractor plowing days around here.

With the mower, blade, and industrial front axle, I'd guess at one time it had been owned by a Township, or County to maintain roads, and keep them mowed.

I can't really tell from the pictures if the blade can be tilted forward or back. Just like the blade on a dozer, it will be more aggressive if it is tilted slightly ahead. And rolling material pushes and spreads a lot easier, then just standing up on the blade. You can always experiment with that, when the time comes.

I've never heard of a 6V alternator. A single wire Delco alternator would be the simplest to replace it, if you wish. If it has at least 1/0 battery cables on it, the 6V system ought to make the starter turn it over pretty easy. If it has 4 ga. automotive type cables on it, they simply aren't heavy enough. If you go to 12V, you'll need a ballast resistor ahead of the coil, to cut it down to 6V. TSC, as do many other places carry them for around $10.00.

Sawyer Rob · Feb 16, 2016

Looks like you got a great deal to me!

SR

jeffgreef · Feb 16, 2016

DJ54 said:
Would have been sweeter it it would have had the Fast Hitch update, but depends on what all you plan to use it for. Would love to have a SA with FH, and a single bottom plow to play with at antique tractor plowing days around here.

Thanks DJ and Sawyer. Fill me in on the lingo- don't know what SA and FH are. And tell me what the Fast Hitch update is- is that a 3 point add-on?

Seller bought it with no implements and added them- don't know it's history- but wouldn't be surprised if it was County or City. Seems to have been maintained.

I'll check on the blade. Didn't look to closely at it. It will go side to side.

I don't know what's going on with the electrical. He was convinced that the alternator was a 6v, but I'm not sure he knew that much. I'll bring my volt meter next time and see. On the internet I see they did and still do offer 6v alternator conversions to get rid of the generator. Another thing he said is that he can't leave the battery connected or it will drain. Somewhere I read that some alternators do this if left connected.

But wondering if I want to bother maintaining a battery at all- this tractor will sit for months and be used 6-8 times a year. It has a magneto, so I can just start it with the crank, right?

Manual says use 30w in the engine in summer, 20w if below freezing. I plan to use it summer and winter. Would running 20w in summer be a bad idea?

Thanks for your input

Sawyer Rob · Feb 16, 2016

SA = super A, FH = fast hitch...

Each company had their own hitch, Farmall/IH had the FH. Ford wanted royalties to use their 3 point, so everyone just came up with their own hitch design...

Don't worry about what hitch "your" tractor has, just buy/make tools that will work for YOU!

You aren't going to work that tractor hard, 20w should be just fine in it...

If your A is tuned up, you shouldn't have any problems starting it, just with the crank...OR just give it a "jump start" when you want to electric start it...

SR

DJ54 · Feb 16, 2016

Sorry about the anagrams, too lazy to type it out this morning. The single prong Fast Hitch came out on the Farmall 100's, the model after the Super A's. Just a very a simple, and quick way to hook attachments. They did make retro fit kits for the Super A's. Both my Super C's have the two prong FH, and I have more than several attachments. We bought all of ours back when they were cheap, as they only fit the IH's. Now, since I'd imagine many of them went for scrap, they are pretty pricey.

If you have a welder, you can make your own front blade. Here is a picture of my old Franken Farmall, with a home made blade Dad built back in 1964, and I'm still using it to this day. I can attest to over 5,000 tons of fill material I've pushed and leveled with it, in the last 8 years or so. The 1-1/4" pipe I attached to the cutting edge, is to help prevent gouging into the stone on the driveway, when plowing snow.