TRACTOR PARTS Allis Chalmers Case & David Brown Farmall & International Ferguson Ford & New Holland John Deere Massey Ferguson Massey Harris Minneapolis Moline Oliver & Cockshutt Kubota / Yanmar

TRACTOR MANUALS

Allis Chalmers	Case	Farmall IH	Ford 8N,9N,2N	Ford
Ferguson	John Deere	Massey Ferguson	Minn. Moline	Oliver

Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Damage generator if you run without battery?

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register

Author

Tom

08-07-2003 10:08:05

Report to Moderator

If you run a tractor with a magneto without a battery installed will it damage the generator and/or regulator?

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

thebigron

08-08-2003 19:56:28

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Of course not, Tom. How many times have we had a poor connection at the battery post? Same thing as no battery.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Bus Driver

08-07-2003 16:32:07

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Of course the owner's manual would be the definitive source of information. One of my tractors, 6 volt generator, has a caution in the
manual advising not to run without a battery. Many alternators will be very quickly damaged to the point of requiring repairs if operated without a properly connected battery- the condition is called an uncontrolled open. So I do not run without a battery on my tractors.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Jake

08-07-2003 15:11:13

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Sheese!!! Don't any of you guys responding to Tom read your owner/operator manual? Generators are NEVER to be run battery disconnected. They will build up extremely high voltage and burn out themselves. Most of the op manuals say which wire to disconnect. Usually it's the field wire so that the field winding can not power up to make generator start charging.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Bob M

08-07-2003 13:36:19

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

I've done it many times. As long as there's no load on the generator (tape up the ungrounded battery clamp so it doesn't become grounded, and leave the lights off) it won't hurt a thing.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

08-07-2003 11:14:47

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Not likely to damage the generator but electrical loads will see higher/lower voltage spikes. Running an alternator equiped machine especially with electronic loads is looking for trouble. More problems with low or no electrical loads when when run without a battery. If everything is turned on the spikes will be dampened and regulation will be better.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Tom

08-07-2003 12:19:45

Report to Moderator

Re: Re: Damage generator if you run without batter in reply to buickanddeere, 08-07-2003 11:14:47

Will not be any load. Will start with a crank.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

buickanddeere

08-07-2003 16:06:44

Report to Moderator

Re: Re: Re: Damage generator if you run without ba in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 12:19:45

Lights and guages?Are you trying to save weight for pulling or too "economical" to purchase a battery? Hand cranking a distributor/alternator engine is impossible. Hand cranking a generator/distributor engine is nearly impossible. If equiped with a mag, then ok.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

08-08-2003 10:11:41

Report to Moderator

Re: Re: Re: Re: Damage generator if you run withou in reply to buickanddeere, 08-07-2003 16:06:44

Man, I wouldn't hand crank it if I could avoid it.

For $50 I'd go out an get a 12v battery. Only hook up the starting circuit that way you don't have to do a conversion. You probably will only have to charge the battery a couple of times a year and save your arm and start a lot faster.

Regarding the generator,
1.)Overvoltage shouldn't be a problem if the regulator is working
2.)Insuring the battery terminals are insulated from the frame of the tractor is a good thing (assumed you would do this).
3.) I would doubt that voltage spikes would hurt anything - well maby the lights. Old tractors really don't have much of an electrical system. Starter, lights and generator. Your mag is self contained and produces it's own electricity. Grounding the P lead turns off the tractor.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Red dave

08-07-2003 10:30:00

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Yes, a generator shouldn't be run without having a battery on it. Most manufacturers recommend disconnecting it first, or you could just take the belt off of it.

My tractor is 63 years old, it has a generator and a magneto and both work just fine.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

08-07-2003 10:16:38

Report to Moderator

Re: Damage generator if you run without battery? in reply to Tom, 08-07-2003 10:08:05

Tractors using a mag are on the older side. I'll bet the generator probably dosen't work anyway.

Unless something else is wrong I don't believe you would damage anything by running it without a battery.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

[Options] [Printer Friendly] [Posting Help] [Return to Forum] [Log in to Reply]

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

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. [ About Us ]

Home | Forums

Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy