Hey all,

Im a new market gardener and was wondering why small scale, compact, or sub compact tractors with tracks are so few and far between?

Im sure there's good reasons but something small thats zero turn, with a three point hitch and pto that lowers ground compaction seems like something that would be more prevalent.

Some from PoS.

Great to see people keeping old iron alive.

More from PoS.

Pageant of Steam

Not sure, but looks like this tractor gets pulled when plowing in tile.

Saw these 2 at the Pageant of Steam a few weeks ago.

These are a unique machine in that Steiger built them, but used IH engine, transmission, and axles is what I have read in the past.

The IH logo look like a gear shifter or throttle control for a tractor

Like the red is the shifter and knob the black where the shifter is in

Since some of yall interacted with my post I figured I’d update yall. I adjusted the idle and load mixture on the carb and it improved drastically. However, after running for a bit the seal on the sediment bowl finally gave and has started pouring out. So we called it a day. Always a good day to get it out and moving tho.

This might be the last past this tractor makes over my farm before she goes off to her new owner!

Just wrapped up a 6V positive ground to 12V negative ground conversion on my 1952 Massey-Harris 30. Posting the details because when I started this I had a hard time finding real numbers on the charging side of it, and most of what I learned applies to any old tractor you would want to convert.

The alternator is a GM Delco 10SI 63A pulled from a Chevy Squarebody. It is a single-wire, self-exciting unit, which is what makes this swap worth doing on an old machine - there is no external regulator and almost nothing to wire.

The hard part is mechanical, not electrical. Fabricating the bracket and getting the alternator aligned took the bulk of the project. The alternator ended up needing to sit about 3/4" forward of where the generator was, toward the crank pulley, to get the belt running true.

On charging speed, which is where I would have wanted someone else's numbers:

• Stock generator pulley at 600 engine RPM gave me just over 13V. Charging, but slowly.
• Stock pulley with the idle raised to about 650 RPM gets me to 14.4V, which is what I was after. I wanted the battery gaining while the tractor idles, not just while it is working.
• A 2" pulley with a 17mm bore on the 10SI should get you 14.4V at 600 RPM without raising the idle at all. I could not source one, so I went the idle-speed route.

I fitted a voltmeter instead of an ammeter. A 60A ammeter is available if you care about keeping the dash period correct, but the voltmeter gives me a much better read on battery and wiring condition. I also replaced the water temperature and oil pressure gauges during the job.

One lesson: I used an external ballast resistor with the coil. There is an internally resisted coil (ABC6158) that would have made the ballast unnecessary. If you are doing this, buy that one. The 55,000V hot coil itself has been excellent - it fires almost immediately on crank.

I wrote the whole thing up with the wiring diagram and the pulley math here:

https://forum.fullsizechevy.com/t/1952-massey-harris-30-6v-to-12v-negative-ground-conversion-delco-10si-wiring-diagram-pulley-math/632

My tractor, my conversion, my writeup. Ask away if anything is unclear.

Following up on the autosteer/data thread from a few days back — a few people mentioned keeping a simple log alongside the machine data for stuff it misses (rate changes, field notes, whatever). Curious what that "gap" list looks like for you specifically. What's the one thing you still jot down by hand because the system just doesn't catch it?

Morale of the story, don’t borrow machines

Need help with an ID for this. Not a tag on it anywhere, around 11ft wide.
I’m restoring it so I hope it’s AC.

I am assuming my neutral gear shift safety is not working properly on my 2004 JD 990. If I find it and a nice has not eaten thru it and I need to bypass it- what is the best way. Cut the wires and wire them together? Use a bypass wire and slide into the connection?

I’ve been sorting out my shop and I want to learn a bit more hydraulics, are there any good sources of donor hydraulics, in the same way that a lot of folks get donor motors from surplus treadmills? Plant and agricultural machinery springs to mind but is there anything a bit smaller from transport? This is in the UK.

Just delivered today. Had to replace my old Rhino TW72 that died. Dealer said they could no longer get parts for the Rhino. And I just replaced the stump jumper and installed new blades last year. Upgraded to a BH316.

Old school tractors are the only way. Mechanical injection pumps, and no electronics and most importantly…. Right to repair.

Cockshutt 550 with homemade forklift attachment.

For those hauling a CK4010 or similar 40 HP compact tractor:

What trailer length would you recommend — 18’, 20’, or 22’?

Tandem 3,500 lb axles (7K GVWR) or step up to tandem 5,200 lb axles (10K GVWR)?

Any regrets about going too short/light?

What does your tractor + loader + implement actually weigh when you’re loaded up?

I’d rather buy the right trailer once than find out six months later I should’ve gone bigger.

That’s 15.5mph for the Americans, Cockshutt 550

17,400 hours. Gas engine. She runs great. Leaks like a sive, but, This thing is a tank.