Farmall A Kerosene

Sherry O · Aug 21, 2010

My husband is wanting to restore a Farmall A that starts on gas and runs on kerosene. If I found one that is in running shape what should I expect to pay for it? Also, what is it worth restored?

Janicholson · Aug 21, 2010

Most of them are Distillate, or Kerosene fueled.
They will run on gasoline just fine. If it is running and has great tires, straight tin, good clutch, and seems to not smoke. it is probably worth 1500. If tires are toast, take off 700, if the engine is stuck take off 1000. If all of the above, it should be sold for the scrap price (weight of iron times current scrap price.) possible 250. If it was well restored (new bearings in trans, all worn gears replaced, new tires, engine rebuilt with everything from crank to valves in perfect shape, with good paint prep and good paint. Probably 2500 to 3000. It will not be making money if sold.
It will however be a fine tractor for a small patch of land. It will also keep him off of the street. Go for it. Jim

Anonymous-0 · Aug 21, 2010

I may well be mistaken, but don't believe they made a "A" model farmall that burns kerosene. Maybe he's talking about a John Deere. If I'm wrong someone else will correct me.

Athol Carr · Aug 21, 2010

Farmalls A, B, H and M were initially made to run on kerosene or distillate (different heads to give compression ratios) and later high compression heads became available to burn gasoline only. The kerosene and distillate tractors will run happily on straight gasoline as long as the heat shield is taken off the manifold, see owners manual. They not quite have the power available in the higher compression version. In the 1940s gasoline was much more expensive, per gallon, than kerosene and distillate which is not true today. The last time I looked kerosene was about twice the price of gasoline. Mind you, the service stations no longer sell kerosene in bulk, only in small quantities in small plastic containers.

gene bender · Aug 22, 2010

The A should have the distillate manifold along with the shuttersin working condition. As far as the heads they were the same as the gasolene models just had different pistons with a dish inward compression was real low. Your chances of finding one that is all there to burn the fuel will be almost nothing as over the yrs stuff got broke taken off and just lost. You also need the carb with adjustable main jet good luck in finding one thats ready to run.

NDS · Aug 22, 2010

When I bought my A in sixtys it would have been just what you are looking for. Back then it was just an old tractor to cut grass with and like most of the other ones shutters were taken off sometime and have disappeared so has small gasoline tank manifold rusted out and was replaced with gasoline manifold and now it is like vast majority of the old distilate/kerosene tractors. Tractor was kept in Dads shed and parts probaly got swept up in one of his occassional clean ups.

Farmall A Kerosene

Sherry O

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Janicholson

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Anonymous-0

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Athol Carr

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gene bender

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NDS

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