Master battery shut off

rpirkle1 · Oct 14, 2011

Rather than hijack the thread on the tractor fire that briefly touched on master battery shutoff switches, I'm starting a new thread.

Looked at the link BuickDeere posted and saw lots rated for 12V and up. What I'm looking for is something for 6v (51 Super C). Today my solution (since I don't have a battery box anyway) is to keep a half-inch wrench in the tool box and the ground cable comes off about as quick as my feet hit the ground. Kind of a PITA work around and would rather get something a little nicer that would also work when I put a battery box in.

Any recommendations?

Bryan inIowa · Oct 14, 2011

so one rated for 12v and up would not work on 6 volt ???????

John T · Oct 14, 2011

Not to worry mate, if you find a battery cut of switch rated for 12 volts, its actual voltage stand off rating is way higher then that anyway and certainly also way higher then 6 volts SO A 12 VOLT SWITCH WILL WORK ON A 6 VOLT SYSTEM (subject to that below, i.e., provided it can also handle the current)

NOTE HOWEVER:::::::::::::Its the CURRENT RATING you need to be concerned with. The switch must also be rated to withstand the current the starter draws in cold temperature at a cold start up THATS WHAT REALLY MATTERS. The thing is a 6 volt system can often draw more current then a 12 volt SO BE SURE THE SWITCH (6 or 12 volt) HAS A HIGH ENOUGH CURRENT RATING and remember its true the 6 volt may require a higher current rating.

Some of those cheap switches Ive come across dont have good quality contacts and I fear they will eventually burn and arc and create a carbon build up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Due to high current a 6 volt system already has enough potential problems lurking (loose connections, bad grounds, corrosion etc etc) so an inferior cut off switch is one more thing to worry about.

If the electrical system is well maintained there shouldnt be any residual battery bleed paths and no cut off is necessary other then true it can be safer if one is used

John T

John T

John T · Oct 14, 2011

YES it will still work at 6 volts PROVIDED ITS CURRENT RATING IS STILL SUFFICIENT, see my post above

John T

Stephen Newell · Oct 14, 2011

I don"t understand. If the electrical wiring is correct and fuses in place, why does someone need a battery cut off switch?

Chris(WA) · Oct 14, 2011

I use a battery cut off switch on my Allis WF. It is a marine 500 amp(12V)(250 amps at 6V) rated switch with a removable handle. I installed it between the ground cable and the frame at the point it connects to the bellhousing. Works great. Allows me to park it at a show and turn off the battery and take the key!
Battery disconnect switch

JOHNNYfromMI · Oct 14, 2011

All Catapiller equipment has a key switch battery disconnect located close to the batteries.

Other place to fine a good disconnect switch is marinas the service/sell the larger boats.

NAPA should also have them, make sure you get on heavy enought to handle the starting load.

Also firetrucks have battery selection/disconnect switch.

mkirsch · Oct 14, 2011

(quoted from post at 05:19:59 10/14/11) I don"t understand. If the electrical wiring is correct and fuses in place, why does someone need a battery cut off switch?

It's a safety issue.

Old tractors can easily be started by mistake if someone pushes the wrong button or pulls the wrong rod/lever. As a general rule they do not have effective parking brakes so they are left in gear.

Kids are especially notorious for doing this, because you can't watch them every second. They're sitting on the seat of "Grampa's tractor." You've told them not to touch anything, but they're swinging their legs or fiddling with the buttons the second you blink. Next thing you know you're in a fist fight with a raging 4-ton tractor, and losing badly.

With newer tractors you practically have to do the Chicken Dance to get them to start. Transmission in neutral. Parking brake set. Foot on clutch. Butt in seat. For a kid to randomly get that right just swinging their legs and randomly touching buttons would be a miracle.

greygoat · Oct 14, 2011

At larger tractor and Steam engine shows, there's
usually someone in the flea market, selling
radiater and gas caps, choke cables, solinoids,
that sells them. I've seen them for sale at
Baraboo, and Edgerton, Wisconsin shows.

kyhayman · Oct 14, 2011

mice..... it only takes one......

El Toro · Oct 14, 2011

The military has used master switches for years.
They isolate the battery or several of these from ground. Some of those vehicles had 8 large batteries. Another advantage of the master switch no one can start your vehicle. Hal

2 Cyl parts · Oct 14, 2011

As others have said, master switches are common on marine applications. I'd suggest visiting a boat dealer with a good service dept and ask what they use.

oldironman · Oct 14, 2011

Wall Mart has a disconnect for 3 or 4 dollars that works great on all my tractors and if you want to keep someone from starting it you just take the knob with you.

rpirkle1 · Oct 14, 2011

(quoted from post at 08:43:25 10/14/11)

It's a safety issue.

Old tractors can easily be started by mistake if someone pushes the wrong button or pulls the wrong rod/lever. As a general rule they do not have effective parking brakes so they are left in gear.

Kids are especially notorious for doing this, because you can't watch them every second. They're sitting on the seat of "Grampa's tractor."

Yep.. that would be why I"m asking.

Many many years ago.. 40+ ... I was the grandchild... and at 6 I could start the tractor with the safety interlocks working. Didn"t sit down for a while afterwards though, grandma wasn"t impressed I was smart enough to start PaPa"s tractor.

Now I"ve got a farmall C... and a 2 year old grandchild and know the risks... and since she"s got some of my genes I know I need to be working on being smarter.

randy hall · Oct 14, 2011

john, shouldn't the switch be in the hot wire instead of the one to ground?

rpirkle1 · Oct 14, 2011

I'm thinking from a safety standpoint as long as you interupt the circuit you accomplish the goal.

From a normal connect/disconnect battery standpoint, you generally disconnect ground first rather than hotside (sparks less as I recall) so puting the cutout in the ground makes sense to me (although I can be corrected).

I'm thinking that my math says battery power (watts) is amps X volts and if you're rated 12v at 500 amps the equivalent need in 6 volts = 1000 amps (not 250). Which is why we need bigger cables/connectors on 6v equipment compared to 12v.

Which lead to my initial discussion on finding 6v switches... would expect that they need larger "components" to handle the higher amps they need to carry compared to similar 12v usages (And I think that's what John T said above).

Lots of good discussion and I appreciate everyone's feedback.

Sid · Oct 14, 2011

In my opinion it is an,extra inexpensive safety precaution. With all the extra electric bells and whistles it is also handy to turn off when leaving equipment in case a blower notor or a light was left on by mistake. It also is an extra security precaution when equipment is left in field.

Switchflicker · Oct 14, 2011

If the ground is disconnected, the battery isn't in the circuit at all. Therefore there is no 'Hot' wires.

Chip812 · Oct 14, 2011

Putting the disconnect in the ground wire keeps it from 'accidentally' shorting...
8)

John T · Oct 14, 2011

I put them on the hot ungrounded side but, of course, they still work the same either place. As far as safetys concerned, if a body is turning nuts on or near the grounded side, however, and the wrench hits frame, nuttin so bad happens BUTTTTT if your wrench is on the hot ungrounded side and one end comes in contact with the frame OUCHHHHHHHH

John T

36 Coupe · Oct 14, 2011

Go to a marine supply and buy a good one.Never mind the 6 or 12v bit, buy by current rating.A good switch will cost more tha 3 or 4 bucks.

36 Coupe · Oct 14, 2011

My Ford 640 has a metal cased solenoid,The hot battery cable goes directly to the solenoid that has a molded paper insulator.If this insulator fails You have a dead short.I plan on a disconnect switch in the ground cable soon.The only fuse in the tractor is on the head lite switch.

36 Coupe · Oct 14, 2011

Time to remind every one that 12 volts has more arc power if some thing happens.

MO8N4ME · Oct 14, 2011

These are on e-bay for $27. 175 continuose amps 1000 amp surge. 6-36 volts

Brad Gyde · Oct 14, 2011

Sounds like this is the same as mine.. I paid a little more for mine from NAPA though.. That was a while back..

Been using it for 7-8 years, works well.

At work, everything used to have "Flaming River" cut off switches on them. When flipped to off you could lock them with a padlock. Again, I can only think of one that went bad, but that machine had a major problem.. Even with new batteries, starter, cables, etc it would still barely roll over. I think that switch was melted from the operator that just kept trying to roll it over. Since getting newer stuff at work, very little stuff still has a cut off.

Brad

MarkB_MI · Oct 15, 2011

A battery shutoff switch introduces another potential point of failure. I personally wouldn't care for one, but it's your tractor.

The suggestion to use a marine battery switch is a good one. These are overkill, but very high quality switches and reasonably priced. Because they have to work in a wet, potentially explosive environment they are sealed switches. Look at something like a Perko 9611.

Master battery shut off

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