Farmall "Irma" Model A: Customizing cultivator lif

heinrick

New User
Hello, all! I'm the proud user and maintainer of a '44 model A on a working vegetable farm. For a long-winded story, read on--for getting to the point, skip on to the last paragraph.

I've named the tractor Irma, after Irma Harding. She came factory with the lift-all system and the one-bottom plow. Some parts--mounting brackets, pulleys, front and rear rock shafts, handles, etc. for GL-183 toolbars came with it, too, but not enough to actually use them, so the tractor was demoted to light towing for the first years that we used it.

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Because the lift-all components were in the way of maintaining the machine, I removed and stashed them away. The manifold and exhaust valve housing were hopelessly corroded and eventually broke when I attempted to attach a new muffler.

For a few seasons, I mounted a wide shovel-like shank to the front-end mounts for the one-bottom blow--as seen in above photo--and used it to furrow rows for planting potatoes into.

A few months ago, our hydraulic-equipped Allis Chalmers G, which we rely on heavily, broke down in the middle of the season! Meanwhile, a pile of Farmall A parts, including manual lift levers, and GL-183 and GL-184 toolbars popped up on Craigslist. Excited, I snagged them all. I had seen images and videos of people seeming to adequately use these tools without the lift cylinder, using the depth adjustment levers to lift and lower the gang beams just enough.

So I mounted everything we had to Irma and was cultivating two-row cabbage and broccoli plantings in no time! Still don't have the G together, though. In place of the cables that pivot all the levers, I just bolted in place a piece of flat stock that holds the assembly stationary. It works well enough, but I may replace the levers with the actual manual lift assembly that I now have.

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Unfortunately, I don't yet have rear gang beams for sweeping up the wheel tracks, and with the lifting links being static, the rear adjustment lever doesn't offer much range of motion at all. I have done some modifying to an old horse-drawn tine weeder lift so it mounts to the rear draw bar with four bolts and could possibly carry the GL-184 toolbar. I like being able to still use the rear tow hitch if I need to without much trouble.

Anyway, that's where she's at. I love this little tractor. Her sheet metal could use some fresh paint.

Today, while cleaning our barn, I realized that I had never tested the pneumatic cylinder for pressure and had wild curiosity to see what it could do. I plugged my air compressor gun into it, and to my amazement, the push rod shot right out--no leaks! Granted, this was achieved with 80 psi and without a weight load. How much pressure is really possible from porting the exhaust gas from a 74-year-old engine to move a few hundred pounds? While I'm tempted to reinstall this system, I've read that it can slow and inefficient. Would it be worth building a custom butterfly valve assembly? I have everything else. Thanks in advance for reading and for any thoughts.
 
Have you considered a pto driven hydraulic pump and just use a regular cylinder? Most around here with the A?s B?s etc without hydraulics use
that system.
 
(quoted from post at 06:25:29 07/16/18) Have you considered a pto driven hydraulic pump and just use a regular cylinder? Most around here with the A?s B?s etc without hydraulics use
that system.

Hello, Steve! Yes, I am considering it. I also have a belt driven air compressor that I've pulled from my truck that could be used to operate the air cylinder. Options!
 
There is a used tractor parts business in my area that I frequent and he just scraps the old exhaust systems when he gets tractors with them
mounted. I asked why because I had assumed they were desirable to collectors and he said nobody wants them at all if they are actually
working their tractors and the collector types generally had spares already. The system was quite innovative for its time and still can be pretty
useful. I use my offsets the same as you, but this has been the worst growing season in 20 years here, they aren?t getting much use this
summer.
 
I think 12v linear actuators rated for 500 lb would be adequate for these small implements as well. There are also 12v hydraulic systems such as a truck snow plow would use (with more reservoir capacity) that could handle your uses. Either option may work on 6v (check with manufacturer) or a dedicated deep cycle battery could be mounted to the tractor. A 50s car generator with power steering pump mounted on back would give you a basic hydraulic system, but finding one may not be as easy as the electrical options.

karl f
 
Is this guy still in business? If so do you have contact info for him, If he is scrapping these systems I would like to get ahold of some of the parts.
 
I would look into finding a Super A (130, 140) and then cross your components over to it. Reason: the rockshaft hydraulics are already there.
 
Thanks for the support, everyone.

(quoted from post at 13:09:47 07/17/18) I would look into finding a Super A (130, 140) and then cross your components over to it. Reason: the rockshaft hydraulics are already there.

Another tractor is gonna be $2,000 at least. Maybe someday we'll have one, but our regular A has lived on our farm property its whole life, so we're partial to showing it some love. Furthermore, I think it's nice to have a capable back-up tractor without hydraulics.

I also really like the idea of employing an electric snow plow cylinder. I'll hunt the forums for ideas, but does anybody have pictures of such a configuration?
 

I for one believe the Lift-All to be a very capable system, and with all the implements out there for the picking that were designed for it, it is worth it to restore the systems, as it will be easier and cheaper in the long run to be able to use the originally configured implements rather than have to modify everything around some jerry-rigged hydraulic or compressor driven system. The Lift-All, properly serviced (they are stupid simple) will lift a lot- the implements use extra leverage, and that 4 cylinders is exhausting a lot. Besides all that, they are just as cool as all get-out. Get you another manifold valve and put that stuff to work. Hopefully Gene Bender and Jim Becker will chime in here as well. Gene grew up usong Lift-All implements farming a couple hundred acres annually, amd has worked on these lifts all his life. He has high praises for them.
 
(quoted from post at 19:07:12 07/17/18)
I for one believe the Lift-All to be a very capable system, and with all the implements out there for the picking that were designed for it, it is worth it to restore the systems, as it will be easier and cheaper in the long run to be able to use the originally configured implements rather than have to modify everything around some jerry-rigged hydraulic or compressor driven system. The Lift-All, properly serviced (they are stupid simple) will lift a lot- the implements use extra leverage, and that 4 cylinders is exhausting a lot. Besides all that, they are just as cool as all get-out. Get you another manifold valve and put that stuff to work. Hopefully Gene Bender and Jim Becker will chime in here as well. Gene grew up usong Lift-All implements farming a couple hundred acres annually, amd has worked on these lifts all his life. He has high praises for them.

Thanks for the encouraging reply! Our little tractor plowed and cultivated a great acreage with the lift-all system as well. Seems like finding a butterfly valve for a 2-inch pipe shouldn't be that hard! I'll look into it. I will also need cables and a lift-all service/parts manual, for sure.

One concern I have is rain water getting into the pneumatic cylinder in the vertical position. Pardon my ignorance, but how is this averted?
 

The cable shouldn't be too hard to find, and the valves come up on ebay now and then. Best bet is to post want ads and find someone with the parts that doesn't want them. The valve is simple, but it is a special butterfly valve. Best to find an original.

Rainwater would be kept out by keeping the tractor out of the rain. Pardon the smart-alec response, but I've purchased both barn-kept and field-kept tractors, and the differences in condition are appalling. At least keep a good tarp on that sucker, or buy a harbor freight popup carport. Take care of your tools, and they will take care of you.

When water does get in the cylinder, it is easily drained. Part of maintenance anyway- water can build up from condensation out of the exhaust.
 

Also, anyone here who doesn't like these Lift-Alls should sell either me or Heinrick their parts (at a good price). :lol:
 
On a side note, does anybody have a clue what this thing might be? Looks to me like some kind of belly-mounted hitch.

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