Ferguson TO-20 wiring questions.

jmw132001

Member
Hello all! I have a Ferguson TO-20 that is a good running tractor. Bought it from a guy who had it which it belonged to his father (original owner). Tractor has been good, except of course the wiring has got rotten over the years along with wires exposed. I plan to redo the wiring and I downloaded the wiring diagram online, but my question is for the gauge of wiring. I know what it states in the service manual, but would 14 gauge wiring be good enough to just run everything? (minus the direct connection to the battery and starter). This is going to be a daily farm tractor (not a show tractor), so not looking to make it "look" in mint condition, but do want to maintain the upkeep and such of course. Any help or advice on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Justin
 
Charge wire from BAT on regulator (with generator) to ammeter and from ammeter to battery wire connection at starter use at least 12 gauge, if alternator 10 gauge would be better. Rest of the wiring for ignition and lights can be 14gauge
 
well Justin I got a to30 bout 5 month ago and it need wire redoing also, what I used on it was solid 14 gauge wire like what someone would use in a house, it might be best to use 12 gauge for the charging system from the generator. I used both but mostly I use 14 cause its easier to work with. also I believe solid might be better but not sure, though my tractor does run and charge fine and I use what was available and these old tractor will work with most anything one has to use and fix or repair the tractor good luck, if you have more questions just post a message
 
Thanks for the reply! Here is the diagram I had went from. Of course, the wire coming from the starter to the block behind the motor is I believe 4-6 gauge. then from block to battery is the same I believe. So my only concern would be the #3 and #6 wire in that diagram correct?
wiring.JPG
 
I don't remember and I don't have my tractor here at my house to look at it, but I do remember with my tractor I had print something off the computer. is yours a 6 volt system still? as for the cables for the starter, I have been told 0 gauge is best for that but I think what you have will work and that is what it come down to is what is the use for the tractor
 
Yes, it is factory 6 volt(positive ground) and I am leaving it at that. Never been a fan of converting over to 12 volt, but that is of course my opinion.
 
No, stranded is far better on a tractor. Solid wire will work but the connections will be more likely to break with vibration
 
I did the same on my TO-20 but I used stranded automotive wire with crimp on wire terminals as required. It's easy to work with because it's flexible. I then put them all in the split plastic tubing of different sizes as the loom got bigger and tape the joints. As to whether solid will work as good, I can't say for sure except that if you use wire terminals it seems they don't want to stay crimped as well. Also, it tends to break at the terminals a little quicker in areas that tend to vibrate. That said, it might last for years as is. Irv
P.S. As you can see mine needed a little something too!
a148389.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 16:57:48 03/07/14) is solid wire better than stranded wire in any way
Not on a vibrating piece of machinery. Solid wire is for solid areas.

You should also buy a quality wire with Cross-Linked Polyethylene (XLPE) insulation that has better heat and UV light resistance. The difference in cost is not much more than the cheaper PCV insulated wire, but the longevity in harsh conditions is a whole lot better.
Autozone carries XLPE wire under the Painless Wiring/Extreme condition brand, O'Reilly's has it in the BWD line but you have to look for SXL in the description, NAPA and Advance Auto don't carry it at all.
BillL
 
I had took a few pictures of it before, but here is what the current wiring looks like. I ended up installing a brand new starter on it.


mvphoto4478.jpg
 
I figured I would go ahead and add a few more pictures here of what I have got.

This is with the new starter installed. Got a great deal on it plus 2 day shipping (off ebay so won't link to it)
mvphoto4500.jpg


Little closer view of the area.

mvphoto4501.jpg


This here is of course the reason I am redoing the wiring. This is the "block" located behind the engine which has all the wires going to it. As you can see, if has seen better days.




mvphoto4502.jpg
 
"...what I used on it was solid 14 gauge wire like what someone would use in a house,..."

Don't use solid wire as it will harden and crack from vibration. Use automotive multi strand cable.

Don't know about the TO series, but I bought a new, inexpensive wiring loom for my TEA20:

 
To answer one of your original questions, wherever it specifies 16 gauge, 14 is great. Where is specifies 12 gauge, 14 is not sufficient, if it were me I'd use 10 or even 8 gauge. For the bat. to starter, use as heavy a wire as you can reasonably and safely put there. Also, while you're at it, run a new ground wire from the bat. to the engine. I bolted mine to one of the bolts on the bell housing. It should be at least as large as the bat. to starter wire. Your wiring is only as good as the weakest link. If you plan to use it for work, as I do with mine, I recommend oversizing things within reason.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top