Top tips for investing in your first Vintage Tractor

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If you are reading this article, then you must have an interest in vintage tractors.

Its very important they you test all the basic mechanics of the tractor, so take time to test the steering, gears, forward and reverse, PTO, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you plan to work on it right away, you probably won't be interested in a full renovation for some time and need to minimize the number of initial maintenance tasks. You should have a detailed check list which included at a minimum the following: does it start easily from cold, run well when hot, all the electrical components work well, does it have good traction If possible you should go to your test armed with a toolbox containing a compression tester, expensive Fluke digital multimeter, hydrometer, and other specialty tools. or bring somebody with you who has these tools.. If you are not lucky enough to have access to these tools, as many don't then don't panic. You should in this case rely on your own common sense and your own observation skills.

Does it start easily? - A tractor that starts easily from cold may eliminate several items in one shot Good Battery, compression, ignition wiring / magneto, tune up, fuel flow, Carburetor can be assured (not guaranteed) by this. If it doesn't start quickly, it still may be a good tractor but you will have to spend some time and money on it. One thing you should be watch out for is if the tractor is out and warmed up when you arrived, you lose an important checklist item, namely the cold start, because as we all know a warm engine starts much more easily then a cold one..

How does it run when warm - Getting it hot is a must if you want to find out how it will work after you plowed the first row. A number of issues can cause the tractor to run poorly after it warms up. Plan on spending a half-hour running it. Look for leaks, antifreeze and both oil. Lastly after warm up, shut it down and see if it will start.

What condition are the breaks in - Although relatively inexpensive to replace, they are difficult to get at on many tractors and will require extensive teardown to get the new ones in.

Does the tractor smoke - like rings, pistons, or valve guides. Smoke that looks black or white can frequently be corrected with carburetion or ignition changes but still involves your time and also money.

Does the engine run smoothly - A simple ticking from the top of the engine may be a simple valve adjustment but a deep thunk from the bottom or middle of the engine would indicate very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load. This may be a sign of problems with the piston, bearings or crankshaft rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.

Use the hydraulics - Check the full range of the rams by extending them with a load. Let the load stand in the hold position for a period of time to be sure that there is no movement. Chattering noises from the pump while lifting indicate the pump is not getting enough supply of hydraulic oil. The pump will have experienced excessive wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be ready to fail.


While many of the above examples may sound a bit negative, you should do your research and understand the specific issues the model of tractor you are looking at before you invest.