TRACTOR FIRES

I have read about and seen pics of several tractors that were once on fire. I am considering moving my Ford 641 from the barn and into my attached garage (with the house). I have no leaks in the fuel system. Does anyone else park their vintage tractor in the attached garage? What causes most tractor fires?

birdnest on manifold

electrical and battery shortouts

Don't know about tractor fires, but I used to do commercial fishing boat financing with PCA back in the 70's and 80's. We experienced a lot of what we called "friction fires"- caused by the mortgage rubbing up against the insurance policy.

Got word one day that a boat we had financed (and was seriously in arrears) had sunk off the coast of California. I told my guy from California, and he got a big smile- "I'll bet it's at xxx (location off Fort Bragg- don't remember the specific name). Checked back, and sure enough, that's where it was. Cal guy said water there was 1200 feet deep, and currents such that a diver couldn't go down and inspect.

Insurance Co. said they suspected foul play- they weren't going to pay for a year, while they investigated. We told them, Go ahead and investigate- we'll be waiting.

Year went by, and check for the entire amount showed up. Case closed.

Had an early model 4020D to burn; employee was raking hay with it and I was baling with another tractor. We went to lunch and when we came back, it was blazing away. Only burned the wiring and scorched the paint, but I'm not sure what would've eventually happened. (Insurance paid half the value and allowed me to keep the tractor; based on the mechanics' opinions at the local dealer, I sold it for salvage) Fire started somewhere in the wiring; I think it was more at risk because of the 24V system. Personally, I don't think your tractor is any more dangerous than an automobile.

Ft. Bragg is in North Carolina. My SIL is stationed there. Bout 1 1/2 hr. to the beach.

In my attached shed there are 11 machines with batteries and gas tanks.Only 11 years though.

I think there's a Ft. Bragg off Cal. coast- at least, that's my position, and I'm stickin' to it. I'll try to remember to look into it tonight- stay tuned.

Can't find it here.
Poke Here

funny that most combine ,picker & tractor fires happen in the fall when all the crops are out & the fall bank note is due..Kent

How about
here

Most tractor fires are probably the result of an electrical malfunction. Second most common would be busted fuel or hydraulic lines spraying liquids onto a hot exhaust manifold... or a buildup of dust/chaff on a manifold smoldering and starting a fire.
Chaff is likely the most common cause on most combine fires... with some caused by static (supposedly) in extremly hot, dry low humidity conditions...

If it was me I would install a batter ground master disconnect on the tractor and USE IT when you park inside. That will isolate the battery the same as removeing the cables. I"d also make a point of turning the fuel off at the same time. Suppose that the float is bad and there"s a constant drip from the carb... if it sufficiently fills the garage with gasoline vapor then simply turning a light on is enough to spark an explosion.
Use caution when parking inside a building.

Rod

Yeah. I had a combine once that I said I made two mistakes with. The first was when I bought it, and the second was when it got on fire, I put the fire out.

I rewired my 4020 some years ago because the aging wiring scared me. I was pleased that the replacement harness was updated with circuit breaker protection.
After my neigbors MF 65 burned, I installed either a fuse or circuit breaker on all my old tractors so any short in the system would knock out the power.
I like the ideas about a master switch, and turning off and/or draining gas too.

I was driving my Dad's Chevy pickup in a dry rice field back about 1961 or 62 & straw from the combine built up under it & it cought fire...I worked very hard throwing dirt with my hands & used his & my water jugs to put it out....man was he mad..LOL ..Kent

We once had a 1586 IH catch fire in the barn and burn the roof out of it because a mouse chewed a constantly live wire bare underneath the POS plastic fuel tank so i would disconnect the battery. Dad had a 856 IH catch fire when side-dressing anhydrous because of the brakes getting hot and then lit the coating on the wiring on fire. so like stated before my recomindation is to always disconnect the battery.

Have a good evening and God Bless,
Cort B. Lamey

ammeter's and any kind of nest...just like a match and kindling.

my 4020 Dieselcaught fire just sitting in the driveway .. Switched it to 12 volt after that joke ,.. Still got problems with poor skinnyaz battery life, cranking time performance ,and slow charging ,, alternator shop says the alt is fine,.they suspect batteries bacause they are nearly 2 yrsold

Electrical problems are your biggest worry. A battery disconnect is a good idea but it won't always save you. We were told that the battery shorted out internally on our tractor here. Someone decided to leave it outside for once because we would use it again in a half hour anyway. It was shut off for 10 minutes before it burned. Last summer I was tracking down a bad short on another tractor when I found I could get 6-10 volts between the negative terminal and the tractor frame with the positive cable taken off the battery! Even between negative and the plastic battery case! When I listened close the battery was clicking and ticking up a storm. I'll tell you that battery was out in the open on the gravel driveway in a big hurry! Batterys scare me because of stuff like that!

Its a town, not a military base. Ft. Collins and Ft. Worth won't show up on your search, either.

As previously stated. Use a HD battery disconnect.
Ever notice people can afford a $100,000+ tractor or $300,000+ combine. And at best if they ever do install a fire extinguisher. It's a toy sized 2lb or 5lb chem.
Two 2-1/2 gallon class A water extinguishers mixed with AFFF and antifreeze.

<< Last summer I was tracking down a bad short on another tractor when I found I could get 6-10 volts between the negative terminal and the tractor frame with the positive cable taken off the battery! Even between negative and the plastic battery case! >>

If you are using a digital meter it will measure very low currents and therefor show voltage where you wouldn't expect. This is why using a digital meter to diagnose wiring problems can lead to false a diagnosis. A test light with a incandescent bulb is best to use.


<< When I listened close the battery was clicking and ticking up a storm. I'll tell you that battery was out in the open on the gravel driveway in a big hurry! Batteries scare me because of stuff like that! >>

If the battery was just being charged ( or is overcharged ) that is hydrogen gas bubbling to the surface.

Batteries can explode on their own, but that is pretty rare ( 2 in the 30 years I've been in / close to the automotive industry ). When they do go boom, there isn't a fire just lots of acid.

Wiring rubbing through is the most likely cause of a fire. Proper routing / inspection is vital as is having a fusible link on the main power feed leading from the battery to the main tractor wiring. Having push to reset type breakers on small circuits is helpful as well.

12 or 24V isn't a issue for fire as there will be enough watts to generate heat. However at higher voltages there is a chance of throwing a spark ( or ball of hot copper ) and starting a fire.

Ive seen enough car fires over the years.I would not keep a tractor or car/pickup in an attached garage.Cars burn fast, were often completly involved by the time we got there with the fire truck.You would be better off to build a small shelter for the tractor.I put 4 treated 4x6 in the ground to build a shelter for my band saw mill power head for 200 bucks.I sawed about half the lumber used to build it.The insulator on the solenoid where the battery cable connects is one thing that should be checked.I found mine in poor condition when I split the tractor for a new clutch .If you insist on keeping the tractor in a building disconnect the ground cable.Dont use battery chargers or maintainers.A good battery can go 3 months with out losing much of its charge.Some battery dis connects are junk.If you use one buy it from a marine supply.You can build a 12x12 building with just 4 treated posts.