Is Horizontal Exhaust Fire Hazard?

DD in WA

Member
Just bought an 861 to hay with and it has a horizontal exhaust setup. It seems that would be dangerous when haying and could potentially start a fire. What is your experience and your thoughts on this matter? What's the easiest way to convert to a vertical setup and best place to buy the parts?

Thanks,
 
obviously running an underslung exhaust running in tall dry grass is more of a fire hazard than vertical exhaust.

your call. if you think it warrants it.. go for it. I like the look of a vertical exhaust.

I mow tall grassy weeds.. but they are green.. and I'm in usually wet florida so I don't convert mine.

if I ran in tall dfry grass.. that might be different.

good luck
 
It would be more of a fire hazard than a verticle exhaust... but we've raked hay with our Jubilee with a horizontal exhaust for ummm... well, since before I was around, and it's never caused a fire. Not saying it couldn't, just that it hasn't. The highest heat will be at manifold and muffler; the tailpipe will be cooler. As long as you don't let grass build up on the pipe, it should be OK.
 
In theory yes having the exhaust coming out under the tractor does make a hazard. But any spark can cause a fire no matter where it comes from. As for making it go up any good NH dealer will have the parts as will this site and others
 
I use horizontal exhaust systems on all of my vintage Fords except the 961 and also on my later model mowing tractors. I have never had any fire issues.

Dean
 
I run both and never was concerned and never had a fire. suppose you could, but never did. I made hay and mowed tall grass for many years and never smelled smoke. I hate the vertical exhaust for the stink in my face, and crap on my hood, and the horizontal stinks when I hook up implements unless I shut it off. Pick you poison.
 
It"s not like a catalytic converter. Doesn"t get hot enough to start a fire.

The only time I saw an exhaust system start a fire was when my Dad was putting gas in a hot tractor (plowing) and spilled some on the manifold. Serious fire, but he got it out by throwing dirt on it.

My cousin used to tell me that he could light a cigarette on a Farmall manifold when plowing. I tried it on an old Ford 8N manifold while plowing. Didn't work for me, so I put that tractor to some serious work plowing. Yes, you can light a cigarette on a Ford manifold while plowing if you work it hard enough.
 
Thanks for all the feedback gents. I actually like the idea of horizontal exhaust. I"m pretty sick of getting exhaust in the face while driving. Spend a lot more time doing that than hooking up implements.

The horizontal exhaust stays!
 
i have caught a corn field on fire with my underbelly exhaust system.
that was not fun, so i installed a upright muffler

but as others said it was loud and in your face and had to have a cover if the tractor was ever left out in a big rain

i later put the muffler back under the belly of the tractor, much better.

i just watch the muffler when bushhoging and try never to stop the tractor in tall dry grass.

you just have to be aware of where you stop as the muffler is hot.

i understand back in the day, they made a heavy mesh wire muffler screen to protect the underbelly muffler from grass, but i have never seen one, so they must not have worked very well.
 
I removed my stock exhaust and made a 90 right at the muffler to come out the side just past the sheet metal.
 
(quoted from post at 05:49:50 10/19/12) I removed my stock exhaust and made a 90 right at the muffler to come out the side just past the sheet metal.

had one of those on a 860 when I got it.
about a foot out the side.
worked pretty good actually, best of both worlds
no fires, not in your face, and you can still keep an
eye on the exhaust for problems/tuning
 
I put a vertical on mine. Tall enough that I never smell any exhaust while raking... Plus, SWMBO and daughter kept hitting the low muffler and getting burnt on the leg, not good for morale...

July2009036.jpg


John
 
I would say horizontal exhaust does not get hot enough to start a fire except in very dry conditions. Yes a spark could come out of the end of the pipe from old flaking metal and would be more prone to start a fire with horizontal exhaust but that would be rare.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but........
I think all gas tractors came from the factory with horizontal exhaust so that the exhaust would exit behind the operator. There is a thing called benzene poisoning you may get from driving a gas tractor with vertical exhaust.
 


Dad had an 8N and every year he would remove the horizonal muffler and install the vertical muffler for use on the combine. Once the combining was finished the horizonal muffler went back on. He would not think of going into a wheat or oat field with the low muffler however that was the only conditon he was concerned about.

We used the tractor for both raking hay and baling with the horizonal muffler. He was never concerned about that.
 
Not true.

The overwhelming majority of gasoline powered tractors were sold with vertical exhausts.

Dean
 
Ive seen reports of horizontal exhausts starting fires.My 640 has a vertical exhaust.I remember the Ford hot foot using a 9n with foot pegs.I use a shaft drive cord wood saw so a bottom exhaust would gas me.You cant use a bottom exhaust on transplanters.Never had a problem with vertical exhausts on Farm Alls and JDs Ive run..Back when I used the JD haying or in the woods I made a cover from window screen.Ive seen a hay field fire,you dont want one.
 
I never felt good having one in tall grass. I went to a muffler shop and had them turn the muffler outlet pipe to the side and weld an additional elbow and vertical straight pipe. Cost $30 and took half an hour.

Mark
 

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