Articles

Featured Tractor Of The Month For May 2013

Thu, 02 May 2013 23:43:00 +0000

I would like to nominate my 1961 wheel horse suburban. Its completely custom. It is powered by a 4 hp kohler k91. It has custom electric start and a custom wiring harness. The rear wheels came from an old planter, we put the lugs on it. Were not sure what the front wheel are from.

It has a custom hand clutch and hand brakes. We got the tractor as a frame with a transimiton from the Jones MI, swap meet. We picked the rest of the parts at other swap meets and tractor shows. It also has custom exahust sheild and straight pipe. Its just a show tractor. We have never worked it. It sure gets alot of looks, expecially when you fire it up.

Sundstrand Series 15 Inline Pump/Motor Rebuild

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:41:39 +0000

Sundstrand Series 15 Inline Pump/Motor Rebuild

The purpose of this guide is to try and take some of the mystery out of the rebuilding process.

WARNING: The following is being written in a very simple step-by-step manner. If you find it condescending or to simplified then stop here. The goal was to take the fear, trepidation, and mystery out of a Sundstrand Hydrostat.
Many of us can tear down and rebuild any engine but the idea of tearing
into a hydro can bring
fear in the heart of the uniformed.

I will not take credit for the information; it is the culmination of information gleaned from many posts and the advice shared by a Mr. Terry Maxell owner of Pump Recon in Independence, Missouri. Terry has been patient and pointed me in the direction to successfully rebuild
my series 15.

Tools needed:
Good 6-‐point sockets (there are only 8 bolts holding the unit together) Snap ring pliers (this is your opportunity to get a good quality: choose
the best quality you can afford)
Clean putty knife
Compressed air
Oil DrainPan
Cleaning parts brush
and bucket Magnet

The two rules of the re-‐assembly process are:
1: The work area must be clean.
2: All parts must be thoroughly clean

To facilitate clean components I have tried 3 different approaches.
First using lacquer thinner to clean all the parts. It’s good solvent but it evaporates quickly leaving a short dwell time to remove any gasket adhesive.
Second I tried using Carb cleaner. It too helped in removing gasket adhesive (permatex) but it's dwel ltime was less than lacquer thinner and it also dries the flesh in your hands.
Third approach and the most successful were using mineral spirits. It has a long dwell time, isn’t as hard on the skin as the former, and it will soften and allow easier removal of gasket material. You can also use a siphon spray parts cleaner in the jug to pressure clean components. Buy it at the local hardware store. Its $15.00 a gallon or you can get a 2 gallon container for about $26.00 Buy the 2 gallon jug if you will use it. Afte the assembly is removed from the tractor remove the oil filter and drain as much oil as possible from the unit prior to pulling the 4 bolts from the rear section (motorend) .Before the next step take a scratch awl and scribe a mark the full length of the top of the entire unit. It may be helpful in remembering which pieces were up in the re-assembly process. Do Not scribe the bottom side,as you do not want a scratch mark where the oil filter sits. Using newspapers or old rags,remove the 4 bolts from the rear section. Depending on the previous mechanic, you may have the rear, and center section separate easily or find them stuck from the previous ovehauler using gasket sealer. In either event
as the sections are separated you are going to have oil escape and the rags or newspapers will absorb the spillage. If the rear and center sections are stuck together get a wide blade
putty knife and start the process and sliding it between the sections. You will have 3 major sections that will come apart and for the most part it will look like the exploded diagram attached with this report.

There will be the rear pump motor housing with its shaft, barrel assembly (including its pistons). Set this section aside with the pinion gear down so that the barrel and pistons do not fall out. If the pistons do fall out DO NOT panic, they are not installed in any certain order and can go back into any barrel hole. Next will be the center section and it most likely will have round valve plates(one on each side of the center
section) that may appear to have a bronze finish. They are different and if you can, try to keep them matched to the pump or motor section they
came from. If you get them mixed up, again don’t despair. The following
photo will show you their difference.

The third section will be the front end or the pump. This is the end that has the spline shaft that is most troublesome to Massey 1655, and 1855 owners. This end has what can be the most complexing components: Barrel assy, pistons, swash plate, and charge pump. Now it’s time to go into the kitchen and grab 4 zip lock sandwich bags and ba mark a lot. Do it in a quiet and stealthymanner and she will never know.
Label the bags Pump pistons, pump barrel, motor pistons, and motor
barrel. It doesn’t matter whether you start at the pump or end but pull
the barrel assembly (they slide off) and place it and its respective valve plate in the respective bag. Then gather the pistons and bag them in their respective bag. (Some have said the pistons are all the same and
it doesn’t make a difference, but truth be known, there can be some
wear differences and I have been told its better to put them back in the
barrels they came from, sometimes better to be safe than sorry).
Once you have done one barrel and set of pistons,go to the other end
and repeat. Now grab a magnet and use it to pull 2 washers labeled in
the diagram as #49. One will be in the moveable swash plate of the pump and the second in what looks like a fixed swash plate (actually a
part of the casting) in the motor section.

Next you will want to pull the swash plate in the pump. To do this you will need a 3/16” punch that is between 1&3/8– 1&1/2 inches long.
I bought one at the hardware store stuck it in the lathe and polished
the shaft with emery paper to make it slightly smaller than 3/16 of an
inch. Take the punch and a small hammer and tap the 2 roll pins out
of each end of the swash plate. They will fall down behind the swash
plate in a recess within the casting.

Now is the time to take notice of the first potential wearing point. As you pull each control shaft from the swash plate note is it easy to remove or tight. If it’s very easy you need to inspect the shaft that was pinned to the swash plate for wear and check the bearing clearance in the housing (#55) in the diagram. Excessive bearing wear will cause transmission creep. Once the control shafts are pulled the swash plate will fall out.

You will also want to check the input shaft and motor shaft for wear indicators where they ride on the caged needle bearings in the center section.

Now remove the 4 bolts holding the charge pump housing. Make a note is the LH or RH side that is up. If it’s a Massey 1655 or 1855 it will be the LH.

The charge pump has 2 gears inside and the inner gear is held in place by a hardened steel pin through the shaft. It slides out. Do not lose it, as it is small and easily lost if not paying attention. Inspect both gears for wear and if in good condition set aside for cleaning. NOTE ** There isn’t a right side up on the charge pump gears.

Turn pump housing over and remove the snap ring on the inside right next to the large ball bearing assembly. Once removed the shaft and bearing should slide out. Do not beat on the shaft with a hammer. If additional pressure is needed use a small press.

At this time you have the unit torn down far enough to start soaking and cleaning parts. Routine cleaning of the pieces should be the order of the day. Again as a lesson learned, soak them in mineral spirits and use compressed air.

On the pistons you may be tempted to use a small wire to clean the openings in the top of the pistons DON’T! Those openings are very small and of a size specifically designed for metering fluid. Soak the piston and use compressed air to clear any dirt. To make sure they are open and clear use a flashlight pointed from the bottom of the piston so you can see if light comes through the top opening. If there isn’t light visible in the top of the piston opening re-clean with solvent and compressed air. Any grooves or ridges on the top of the pistons indicate wear and the piston will need to be replaced.

Before re-assembly check all of your shafts and bearings closely for wear. Now is the time to replace any bearings that are worn and have excessive slop or play. Seals will be in the seal kit and you can replace them as well.

Center section Notes: if you suspect leakage past the check balls in the center section. Lay the housing flat and fill the openings (where you see the ball) with WD-40 and leave it sit. If it immediately leaks past they need to be removed, cleaned and inspected for wear and or replacement. If the WD-40 doesn’t leak past them don’t remove them they are ok.

Center section needle bearings. These are subject to high wear and inspect them closely. Also look at the end of each shaft that rides in the bearings. Any marks on the shafts will indicate the bearings are worn. My unit had Torrington NJ 47 bearings. Torrington sold its needle bearing division and its been resold again. You may need to contact someone like IBT to locate the bearings for you. When you replace the needle bearings note they are not flush with the center section. So when re-installing them make sure they are sticking out approx. .070 - .100 of an inch. This allows the valve plate to be centered.

Swash plate washers; time to inspect them. If this is the first tear down of the unit one side will be smooth as silk and the other side will show signs of wear. If it’s the first tear down turn them over and have the smooth side against the pistons. If both sides show wear do the following. Get a sheet of emery paper approx. 1200 grit (auto paint supplier will sell single sheets) lay it on a piece of glass and polish the sides using a circular motion. Clean and re-clean the washers after each attempt to polish them. Using your fingernail slide it across the washers if you feel anything in the fingernail, it isn’t smooth enough. If the gouges are deep you will have to buy new washers.

Swash plate washers; time to inspect them. If this is the first tear down of the unit one side will be smooth as silk and the other side will show signs of wear. If it’s the first tear down turn them over and have the smooth side against the pistons. If both sides show wear do the following. Get a sheet of emery paper approx. 1200 grit (auto paint supplier will sell single sheets) lay it on a piece of glass and polish the sides using a circular motion. Clean and re-clean the washers after each attempt to polish them. Using your fingernail slide it across the washers if you feel anything in the fingernail, it isn’t smooth enough. If the gouges are deep you will have to buy new washers.

Barrels and Valves; Here is my painful lesson learned. Anytime a unit is torn down both barrels and valve plates should be lapped. Seek out a machine shop that has the time and equipment to do it for you. My pump shop charged $35.00 per barrel and valve assembly. When properly lapped the barrels, pistons and valve plate will be within millionths of an inch and given the viscosity of the hydraulic fluid less clearance is better for greater hydraulic efficiency and pressure.

The final piece to be inspected for wear is the caged ball bearings in the pump motor. Pull the snap ring holding the pinion gear, followed by the much larger snap ring adjacent to the ball bearing. The shaft and bearing can be removed. NOTE*** the large snap ring is NOT flat on both sides. The topside that you see is beveled and the snap rings flat side goes against the ball bearing. Pay attention to this small factor when re-installing the snap ring back in place.

Once all the components are clean its re-assembly time,

There are 2 schools of thought on gasket sealers. One is to use a sealer like permatex, and the other is no sealant at all. The person coaching me on my most recent rebuild says do not use a gasket sealer, as the gasket will seal itself. If your housings and center section don’t have gouges it will be your call. Just remember if you do use a gasket sealant use it sparingly and also keep in mind you will have to clean it off with the next rebuild.

Here is a caveat to gasket sealant issue. I was about to start making a new gasket for the flange between the pump motor and differential. Mr. Maxwell told me that because this isn’t a high-pressure area, and because of the shape of the differential flange I could use Loctite 515. So on this rebuild I will be laying a very small bead of Loctite 515 on the differential and then bolting the transmission assembly in. If you too chose to use Loctite 515 expect to pay between $15.00- $17.00 a tube for 1.69 oz., or 50ml.

The O-Ring in the charge pump must be replaced in the rebuild. If you chose not to, you can expect a leak to occur. The seal kits I am buying only come with 1 #60 gasket. The seal kit is approximately $ 30.00 it comes with O-Rings (3), 1 #60 gasket, and multiple seals. You may need to trace #60 and make a second one or order a second gasket, they will sell individual ones but they get pricey on an individual basis.

Here is a link to the seal kit supplier
www.flinthydrostatics.com/
The part # on the packaging for a 15 series is P419510354001

Re-assembly is very straight forward, with some thoughts.

First thought is to pack the ball bearing in the pump motor with Mystik #2 grease. The reason is to insure plenty of lubrication during the initial start up. This grease is available at TSC.

Second thought is to coat the charge pump gears with SAE 30 weight oil. This insures they have lubrication as well during the first few seconds of the starting process while all parts are being primed.

Third thought use grease to hold the 2 O-rings in the center section where they mate to the pump housing. Vaseline is not acceptable in this location. A small mount of Mystik grease is all that is needed. (Remember the BrylCream ad? A lil dab will do ya?)

Input shaft has been packed with grease and is ready to install.

Next step in to insert the input shaft and install the snap ring. Unlike the rear snap ring this one is flat so there is not a concern with it being installed upside down.

With the input shaft in place insert the charge pump pin

Once the charge pump pin is in place you will follow with installing both charge pump gears. Once they are in place lubricate them with SAE 30 oil. The purpose of the oil is only for initial start up lubrication.

Then insert the o-ring into the charge pump housing cover and slide it over the shaft. Keeping in mind to orientate it with the correct RH / LH upward.. The housing will not immediately slide over the pump gears.. Rotatae the hosuing and it will slip easily over the 2 gears, and then you will be able to inset the 4 ½” hex headed bolts into place.

Next will be the swash plate in the pump end. There are 4 3/16” roll pins that hold the swash plate to the control shafts. Each one is supposed to 5/8” long. The casting of the swash plate is 1.5 thick, and this will require the 2 pins to be pushed below the surface approx. 3/16”-1/4” to insure the bottom roll pin has used as much of the lower portion of the swash plate casting as possible.
The following photos will help better explain.

Please do not attempt to use a single longer pin in the swash plate. Its removal will become what nightmares are made of.

At this point you can install the swash plate washer. Place the best side of the washer outward (visible to you) for the pistons to ride on. You can lightly lubricate the backside of the washer with either a very light coat of grease or SAE 30 oil.
Set the entire assembly aside and proceed to the motor section.

I personally have learned that building the components in this order makes the final assembly easier and the pistons fall out less frequently.

Take the pistons and insert them into their retainer plate. Keeping in mind the flange goes up as it rides on the barrel. Before you insert them into the barrel make sure they are clean and give them a light coat of SAE 30 oil.

Place the pump motor housing so that it is leaned backwards and resting on the pinion gear. Lubricate the worst side of your washer and insert it into the casting. Now lean the casting forward so that it is almost vertical and slide the barrel assembly with pistons onto the output shaft. Once it has been pushed all the way on you can lean the housing back again allowing it to rest on the pinion gear.

Now is the time to pour a small amount of SAE 30 oil into the barrel openings to lubricate the pistons, and some oil around the barrel to give additional lubrication to the tops of he pistons.

Place 2-3 bolts into the motor housing and then slide on a gasket.

Followed by coating the valve plate that has 4 wales with SAE 30 oil. Coat both sides. The tension in the oil will hold the valve plate to the center section. Make sure the vertical notch on the backside of the valve plate aligns with the pin in the center section.

With the center section stood vertical, and the motor section vertical (note look for your previously scribed mark to insure the motor is right side up) slide the 2 pieces together. The 2-3 bolts previously inserted will help hold the gasket in place and align the motor and center section.

Note *** theses 2 sections will be apart by approximately ¼-3/8 of an inch because of the springs in the barrel assembly. This is normal and not a reason for alarm. You will be able to take your hands and squeeze the 2 sections together but once you relax your hands they will separate slightly. Again there is no reason for alarm.

Coat the valve plate for the pump with SAE 30 oil and set it into place on the center section. Again the tension in the oil should hold the valve plate over the bearing and against the guide pin.

Then you will place the 2 O-rings in their respective places around the check balls.

Push the bolts through a little farther than they have been and slide the second gasket over the center section. Make sure the 2 O-rings have not fallen out or slid out of their recesses.

Bring the center section and motor section vertical, and align with the pump section, and push the pump assembly to the center section. You may need to rotate the input shaft a little but all 3 sections should come together.
Again the pump section may have a gap of ¼ inch but this should not be cause for concern.

Start 2 bolts in opposite corners, insert the final bolt and tighten the other 2 bolts. As is customary tighten the bolts finger tight only and use a criss cross pattern to keep the gasket from being pinched or deformed.

Snug up the 4 bolts and then tighten them down. Check the charge pump housing bolts and make sure they are tight. You are now ready to reinstall you Sundstrand Series 15

Featured Tractor Of The Month for April 2013

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:01:38 +0000

I posted a "WTB" post on Craigslist and a man about an hour or so south of us responded about his RIDE-a-matic sitting in his barn. We went and looked at it and brought it home.

Here is the "before" picture from May 30, 2011.

Adam's goal is usually to restore one tractor every winter. During the winter of 2011-2012, he took everything apart - down to nuts and bolts. Many parts were sandblasted at a local truck repair shop and hours of sanding other parts, we were ready for primer.

And after paint, we were ready for reassembly!

Final product!

It was a learning experience, as each restoration teaches Adam new methods and techniques. This Bolens has the original engine, a Kohler K161. We still have the original mowing deck, although that was not restored with this tractor.

The decals were provided by Hank, the "Old Bolens Guy". The paint was purchased from Napa and is a late model Dodge/Chrysler color. It was Adam's first experience spraying with a metallic flake. Pictures don't do it justice!

1st Featured Tractor of the Month of March 2013

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:07:37 +0000

I am going to nominate my 1964 Economy Power King, in memory of my neighbor, Theresa Young.

Back in 1963, a couple by the names of Bob and Tessie Young needed something to tend their property. They decided to purchase an Economy, and went with the Power King Model. To buy an Economy tractor, one would have to be bought from an Economy dealership. Bob, did not want to buy from a dealer so he and his friend Joe came up with a plan; Joe also wanted a tractor, he went with a Jim Dandy model. They came up with a phony company called "Joe's Tractor & Mower Sales" that would buy the tractors from Economy, as if it were a dealer. They also purchased what implements they wanted, and had everything shipped to a local trucking company; Bob was a friend of the company owner. Since they bought directly from the company, they got everything for the price the dealer would have paid. Once their tractors arrived, they took them home and were put to work.

Bob and Tessie used the tractor to mow their lawn, till a garden and plow snow. Along with the belly mounted mower deck, they also had a tow-behind mower; when the belly mounted mower became damaged, the brackets where swapped and the tow-behind was used as a belly mower. In 1988 Bob had a heart attack and passed away; long time neighbor Herby was there to maintain the tractor and look after things. More problems with the mower deck came, and it was rebuilt; after that, mower deck rotted out once again and another was purchased. Before Bob had passed, the engine was blown, Bob had an engine shop rebuild it; after his passing, the engine went again, this time it was replaced. In 1994, when the splines on the drive shaft has stripped; Herby had gotten a new drive shaft and coupler, and got the tractor back into service. In the early 2000s my father and I began doing maintenance and whatever rapair work needed to be done . Everything from this point forward had gone great until a young man named Jimmy started borrowing the tractor in 2010. Jimmy had done a number of things to it, and several hundred dollars where spent on parts and repairs that I spent months working on. Despite the horrible things that Jimmy had done to the poor tractor, the engine was not damaged; it still started right up and ran strong.

In early 2012 Tessie became horribly ill, and I began to mow her lawn for her. Things grew dark, and she passed away on August 10th 2012, she was 84. I still continued to mow the lawn for Tessie's niece Chiarina and her husband Frank, who took the responsibilities to come after Tessie's death. In the fall, Frank had offered me the tractor for all that I had done; to which I gladly accepted. Before I was offered the tractor, I already had it set in my mind that I was going to buy it when the estate sale came around, at any cost. I had asked if I could leave the tractor in the barn until I had a place to properly store it; Frank had said this was fine. About a month later, Frank came to me and asked if we could take the tractor out of the barn; later that day we proceeded to take the tractor back to my house. Along with the tractor I also got a working mower deck, a parts mower deck, a snow plow, and several other odds and ends.

The tractor still runs great, but just about every bearing and bushing needs to be replaced. My plan is to restore the tractor back to original condition this summer. After restoration, it will be retired and only used for shows; after almost 50 years of hard use, the tractor will finally have a chance to rest.

From the brush line back, was the Young's property.

Here is Tessie Mowing.

2nd Featured Tractor of the Month for March 2013

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 22:02:57 +0000

My favorite attachment would probably be the leaf collection system which has the blower/impellar on top of the engine, and shoots the debris into the catcher that slides in the bed of the back half. It is articulated and 2 wheel drive off the front axle. The models with higher horsepower had power steering. Mine does not. They even had an 80in bat-wing mower deck. The mowing decks were actually Woods branded decks, which Hesston owned at the time.

I go to a lot of auctions, and found this one being advertised at upcoming estate sale. The first time I laid my eyes on it, I knew I had to own it. It wasnt running, which was great. That helps the price stay low at auctions. No mowing deck, or attachments, so it wasnt very desirable to the average joe. I was bringing it home with me, and I made sure the auctioneer knew it. Once home, it needed a coil, and a little routine maintenance and I was cruising around on it.

It goes to a lot of shows with me, and Im constantly stopped and asked " What is it? Is it 4x4?" Ive also had to turn down many offers for it. I dont see these come up to often, and would hate to sell it. Since finding it, Ive been able to contact 2 old dealers for them and they have really helped me with the background info on these. I havent done anything to it cosmetically except wash it and ad some Sears wheel weights all around. I definitely dont see this sweet ride leaving my stables anytime soon.

Ive enclosed a pic of when I first bought it, working on it, and current condition with me riding it in a local Christmas parade. I also added an old ad pic showing the leaf collection system. I do not own that picture, but found it on Google.

Im also searching for more Hesstons, and their implements. I have yet to find any pants like what that operator is wearing either!

2nd Featured Tractor of the Month for February...

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 02:08:32 +0000

I will nominate my C.F. Struck Mini Dozer. I don't know the exact year or model, but I believe it is a 68 or 69 MD-45. I purchased this dozer from the son of the original owner in the spring of 2012. I found it by accident when I was buying some Honda mopeds from the guy. He told me about how his dad bought the kit back when he was a child and remembers his dad assembling it in their garage. They used it mostly for snow removal and said it was endless amounts of fun to operate. After hearing the history of it, I was really shocked to hear that he would be willing to sell it. I guess I convinced him that it would be going to a good home and not just collecting dust.

It had sat still in the shed where I found it for approx. 25 years. The shed protected it from the elements surprisingly well. The paint is all original and the hood, grille, and original 7hp Tecumseh are still present and accounted for. Getting the engine to run was fairly easy. Getting it to move reliably took quite a bit of work. I had to replace a few pulleys and bearings as well as all the (original) belts and some other misc. items inside. Assembling and aligning the internal components is a little tricky, there's a lot of moving parts hidden inside of it and most of them are under the seat area, which is not removable for easy access. Once it's all done, however, it works really well. It functions as any tracked vehicle should. It can spin 360 degrees in it's own footprint and the blade is operated by the lever at the right rear corner. The blade can also be angled (manually). I got the opportunity to play in the snow with it a couple weeks ago and it is every bit as fun as I imagined it to be. My son loves the machine even more than I do, although he's still a little too young to operate it alone. I get the feeling that when he IS old enough, we are going to be fighting over who gets the priviledge to remove the snow from the driveway! I see "heavy equipment operator" in his future.

I have included a picture of it sitting where I found it, and 2 pics of it doing what it was built to do. If anyone is interested in the long version of the story, it can be found in the "other brands" section of this forum.

Bob Koch (and my 3 year old Ryan too!)

1st Featured Tractor of the Month of February 2013

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 01:54:49 +0000

I would like to nominate my 1957 David Bradley Tri-Trac. My grandfather bought it from the original owner around 1960 and used it in his garden and for cutting the field . After he past away I was given the tractor from my grandmother in 1994 . I have the attachments that he had gotten with it , single bottom plow , disc harrow , 2 row planter , two row cultivator , middle buster and sickle bar mower .

I've only had the sickle bar on and used it to cut my cover crop . It has a 6hp Wisconsin engine with a variable speed pulley system a forward and reverse transmission on the single 7.50x16 rear wheel . The front axle is adjustable between 48”to 72”tread width in 4” increments on 4:00x12 tires. A unique feature about these tractors when the steering wheel is turned it articulates some to help turn and there is a draft adjusting crank located at the steering box that’s used to compensate when working on hillsides , adjusting furrow width , when using the sickle bar it keeps the right tire inline with the single rear so you don't knock the grasses down before cutting ( found that out the hard way lol ). The paint and tires are original . As far as I can tell the muffler was the only thing changed besides maintenance items .

GTtalk's Featured Tractor Of The Month For...

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:12:11 +0000

My 4 Grandkids can't wait to see the tractors set up every year too! Last year they actually helped their Papaw Jones set up the tractors in the yard. That was a real good time for all of us. It doesn't get any better than that!

The next generation of garden tractor junkies has to be brought up to enjoy this old stuff! My Grandkids have been riding my tractors around since they were little tikes, one is now 7, one is 9 and one is 14. My oldest Grandson Dylan, has his own old garden tractor, a 1962 Bolens Model 600, just like Kate's!

The tractors pictured are 2-1960's Wheel Horse Lawn Ranger's with 2 snow blades to clear the way for Santa, 2 1962 Wheel Horse's Model # 502 with consecutive Serial Numbers! 2 square hood Wheel Horse's, a rare 1968 Model 500 Special and a 1967 Wheel Horse Model 857, 2-1990's Wheel Horse's Model Numbers 314-8's pulling a rare 1964 Wheel Horse 4 wheel dump cart, full of toys!

Thanks for considering my tractors for the month of January, I hope we get a little bit of snow this year! This is the first time I have been on this good GT site! Keep up the good work! Thank You!

Keith-Hammerhead-Jones
Wheel Horse Collector

Featured Tractor Of The Month Of December 2012

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 14:04:43 +0000

As a kid, my job was to step on the clutch while dad cranked the engine to start it. Dad was a machinist and made a crank set up for this tractor because he got tired of getting hit in the head with the rope. At the time, I hated that tractor. It scared the daylights out of me because it was old and loud and I just didn't understand it.

As I got older, I would drive the old tractor down to my grandparents place (a mile away) and plow for them. I learned to drive on that old tractor. In the late 70's dad felt it was time to upgrade so he traded the old Pond back to his neighbor (by then a well established business) for a brand new Satoh Beaver. I hated to see that tractor leave but I was all stary eyed over the new diesel.

Well about 11 years later I was married and on my own. We rented the top floor of an old farm house in the middle of a local farm. We are allowed to have a garden so I thought I would look for my own tractor instead of using my landlord's equipment. I went to dad's neighbor and asked what they had. Well here the mechanic told me that he had dad's old tractor over at his house and he would sell it to me.

Dad and I went over to look at it and after pulling all the junk off of it and giving it some gas, it fired up on the third crank. We bought it on the spot. My dad's first tractor was now my first tractor. I used that old Pond to make a garden, clear snow and even pull tree stumps until several years ago when it retired to show duty only. That tractor is the one thing I will always have to remind me of dad when he is gone. He is 88 now and still gets a kick out of seeing the attention it gets at shows. People ask me if I will be buried with that tractor. I always tell them "no, but it may attend the funeral". Incidentally, I also now own the Satoh and use it on a regular basis.

I just added a picture of the original owner standing next to the tractor, taken summer of 2012. The Pond has a Wisconsin AEN engine with a Ford Model A transmission and rear end. I was always told that it had an Allis Chalmers clutch but I can't verify as I've never seen it!

2 Bottom Plow

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 17:33:57 +0000

I have been asked about this a few times, so decided to do an article on my building of a 2 bottom plow.

I jury-rigged up my 2 bottom plow to see if my Massey tractor would pull her. It is simply two 10" Brinly's coupled together. My modified MF1650 pulled it easily, power is NO problem, traction is the key and she did super.

Of course this tractor weighs nearly 1900lbs with my 200+lbs & FEL on it (filled tires & cast weights add 300lbs of the weight). Running somewhere around 6"+ deep. After testing & finding the tractor would pull it, I built a toolbar to stay on the plow set & build better cross brackets to stiffen it all up. Didn't want to cut or weld anything till tested.

I had to cut off the front following share as it extends too far to the 2nd moldboard, build another coulter out of a worn down corn planter coulter, and I want to add a gauge wheel to automatically set the depth.
Here it is in test form:

Here is the easy adjust gauge wheel I built:

And the plows after building a dedicated toolbar & adding braces.

Here is the final product: