old tractor

[rjgogo]

I have been given the opportunity to get a John Deere A or maybe B I don't remember. It was the tractor that was on my grandparents farm. Long story short, my Uncle by marriage farmed the farm for a few years after my granddad died. He kept the tractor and it has been in a barn for about 20 years with his relatives that have since passed on and now they are trying to clean out the barn.

I drove this thing or at least thought I did from the time I was about 10 to 18. I am pretty sure on the plus 12 however. The other parts may be with the hired man pretending to let me drive. ;-)

So, things have changed, and I have been offered the opportunity to inherit this tractor. What should I do. I have a place to put it temporarily but it is a pretty big piece of machinery and I really have no use for it other than it is pretty fing cool.

Also, given the fact that it has not been started in 20 years what should I expect other than the varnish in the carb etc.

As I remember it was a 2 cylinder and you could hear each fire at idle.

 

[beenthere]

Does it have a battery and starter?
If not, then you'll have to turn it over by hand. I'd expect if it ran when it was stored, that some fresh gas, check the oil, put in new (or cleaned) plugs with spark, then it will start.

At 10, I was driving the JD A pulling a wagon to pick up hay bales in the field. Easy to do with the hand clutch and could stand on the brakes to steer and stop.

 

[DanD78]

If the tires will hold air, and the engine, brakes and clutch are not stuck it should be pretty easy to get running. All kinds of parts around and people that do carbs and magnetos. Check out Greene Magazine for vendors. The down side is that your average run of the mill A or B isn't worth what it was 10 years ago. Look it over good. There may be some little attachment or option that will make it more valuable. A set of tires might be worth more than the tractor is worth. If it's a family machine and you want to keep it in the family then costs go out the window.

Dan

 

[MBDiagMan]

I raked hay for my Grand Dad at the age of eight on his JD A. He had to operate the clutch to get it going, and then I just raked to the middle of the meadow and killed it. After getting off that tractor and being told by my Grand Dad that I had done a good job, I considered myself to be grown up.

If I had the opportunity to get that old A that I raked with after being stored indoors for all these years, I would have the truck fueled up, trailer hooked up and on my way within a few hours after getting the word.

Since it's been indoors, it is likely that you will be able to make it run relatively easily. You might have to squirt brake fluid in the cylinders to free them up, but it should be doable. Carb will probably need attention, but no big deal.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.

 

[sandman2234]

Not trying to discourage you but sitting in a barn for 20 years will not help it's looks. Keep an open mind about it till you get the tractor home and the dust and rat poop blown off.
David from jax

 

[foggy1111]

I live in a small community surrounded by Agriculture. Almost every farm has or had one or more of these old tractors in the machine shed at one time or another. Many have been fixed up for parades or simply to oogle over and have in the shed.

While they all can be neat to look at and they all provide some nostalgia....but...how many old tractors can be saved for posterity?? Same goes for old cars. There is a cost to restore and then of storage, and possession....and you cant save 'em all. Chose wisely.

 

[MBDiagMan]

Restoring old cars as opposed to old tractors is a COMPLETELY different proposition. Cars have; lots of rubber weatherstripping, upholstery, chrome trim, etc. that deterioate with age. Tractors OTOH are almost entirely steel. They restore MUCH easier than old cars.

Engines that have set for decades can often be brought back to life without taking them apart.