It followed me home. Can I keep it?

WellWorn

Member
'44 H (yes, that's me in the photo too)

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With thanks to those here who offered advice in what to look for as well as what to look out for, and for even providing a few leads, I finally found an H that came close to fitting the budget that "will do". No, it isn't pretty, but after getting the old gas out of it and getting the points set from the roughly .100 some prior mekanik thot rite, to a more reasonable .020, cleaning plugs, setting plug gaps a bit larger (and getting the rain water out of #2 cyl), it started, put itself on a good neighbor's trailer, and followed us the 50 miles home.

The good: engine serial is 1 lower than the tag and all major castings look to be within +/- 1 month; it has lots of new bolts indicating that someone was in the process of making improvements; the clutch is smooth, the trany is quiet, the governor is responsive, brakes are smooth, even and have new return springs; the fronts are new, the 13.6 rears though old and checked are matched and ~70% tread, weighted and not loaded; the rims are in really good shape, the seat support has been rebuilt, gas tank is nearly rust free inside, it has the replacement gas cap, and the seller put on a good battery.

The indifferent: changed to 12V and key start; needs all fluids changed; has the OEM 2way hydraulic valve add-on, but it's disconnected (w/ports plugged), stuck and rod missing; home made snow blade is pretty rough.

The bad: the ignition key is missing (required 'pick' to get going); one bolt is broken out of a wheel clamp (others are all new bolts); someone cobbled a Delcotron on it (complete with a butchered hood clearance notch); choke rod is missing; it will need a replacement manifold (riser pipe rusted off & rust hole on engine side of #4 exh), PTO shaft needs replaced, PTO actuator lever welded on backwards and missing rod; pan seat has stress cracks; needs some wiring tweaks and a replacement headlight.


Can you believe that with all those flaws, the seller wouldn't budge from $800?? Me neither. *shrug* "It'll do".
 
Good old H's, the best. One recommendation for safety. I cann't tell but you might have that great big coil seat spring. Get a NEW one. The old rusty ones are 60+ years old, will snap in two, dump you right off the back. eBay's got 'em.
 
I think you did good at 800 for something that will move under its own power and has usable tires. The problems are typical.
I second the advice on a new seat spring!

Congrats on your "new" tractor! I used my '43 H to do some shredding yesterday.
 
I bought this one 2 years ago for $800. Went to drive it home (about 30 miles), and it wouldn't stay in 5th gear.
It's fixed now. Still 6 volt, but charges good.
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Every time I hear a great story like yours, I have to ask: what part of the country do you live in?

I looked at a M here in CT yesterday - tires rotted out, missing a few parts, very ragged in most respects. All for only $3250!
 
I think for that price you did just fine. Useable, but yet still gives you a few things to fix to make it your own. Win win there.
 
Gentlemen, thanks much for the feedback. And yes, the better half says I can keep it as long as it earns it's keep. That's the primary (only?) reason she keeps me. :D

OldPopper, I have to assume that for $800, yours didn't arrive looking that good. If it did, you stole it. Haven't had mine any higher than 3rd gear and just moving around the yard so far. It will get tried on the road today. What did you have to do to yours about 5th?

Yes, the seat spring is on the list to replace, though I'm in less hurry about that a few other needs because it doesn't look nearly as weathered as the tractor, the seat shock has been replaced (perhaps spring too?). I'm the only one gonna be using it, I'm not a heavy guy, won't be going too far too fast for a bit, and being warned, I'll have a firm grip on the steering wheel.

Got almost 2 gallons of water out of the tranny, plus another 5 of oil 'milk'; a pint of water from the engine, though both looked free of metallic sheen and there were no bits or pieces that drained out - a good sign. I'll change them again after a few hours of use. Hydraulic oil looked good, so just added a couple quarts. Today it starts it's working life here by taking out a load of manure, and see if it gets stuck in a still soggy field. :?


C1802362, I've seen a few tractors like that myself. Went to an auction a couple weeks ago and had to shake my head at the prices some of the 'junk' brought. I can only surmise that it's worth that much to somebody, but that somebody isn't me. Keep looking - there are diamonds in the rough out there. It may just take a lot longer to find one than you'd like. Put "the word" out. I know when I ask everyone I know to look for a ___, there is a good chance someone will know someone who knows someone who has one, or they've seen one for sale, or sitting in a hedgerow. It just seems to take a very long time, most of the time.
 
decent deal for our area.
The little this and that's are normal....they kept the price at 800..instead of 1200 if he would have fixed them.
$100 a pair for weights in our area, so they are a plus.
Crack the engine oil drain plug again in a few days to make sure it was just rainwater in the engine.

I'd scrap the plow, but if you want it, change the design some. as is, it will just dig in and pick the front of the tractor up.
Also, if you keep it, add some braces from the under engine mount back to the rear axle. as is, something will break.
 
I would be lost be lost without my h. They are the Rodney Dangerfield of tractors in that they get little to no respect. My ole h is one of the most reliable pieces that I own even though mine looks terrible.

Big enough to do some jobs that it really does not have the hp spec rating to do, yet they somehow get it done in spite of their meager hp rating.

They are a Miser on fuel too relative to the technology being used.
 

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