As you are looking at this article, then vintage tractors are clearly of interest to you.

Test all the basic functions of the tractor, PTO, steering, gears, lift, lights, indicators and hydraulics. Even if you wish to work on it straight off, you probably won't be interested in a complete restoration for some time and need to keep to a minimum the number of initial jobs. You should have a detailed check list which included at a minimum the following: does it start easily from cold, run well when hot, all the electrical components work well, does it have good traction If possible you should go to your test armed with a toolbox containing a compression tester, expensive Fluke digital multimeter, hydrometer, and other specialty tools. or bring somebody with you who has these tools.. If you don't have these tools, don't panic as these tools can end up costing more than the tractor itself.. You should in this case rely on your own common sense and your own observation skills.

Does it start easily from cold? - A tractor that starts easily will eliminate several particular problems at once Good Battery, compression, ignition wiring / magneto, tune up, fuel flow, Carburetor can be assured (not guaranteed) by this. If it doesn't start easily, it still may be a good machine but you will need to do some work on it. One key thing to watch out for is if the tractor is out and warmed up prior to your arrival, you lose an important checklist item, namely the cold start, because as we all know a warm engine starts much more easily then a cold one..

How does it run when warm - Getting it hot is a must if you want to find out how it will work after you plowed the first row. There a number of problems to watch out for that can cause the tractor to run poorly after it warms up. Plan on spending a half-hour running it. Look for leaks, antifreeze and both oil. Lastly after warm up, shut it down and see if it will start.

Do the brakes work well - Although the brakes are inexpensive to replace, they are inaccessible on many tractors and will involve a lot of effort to replace.

Does it generate a lot of - Blue smoke is a bad sign like rings, pistons, or valve guides. Smoke that looks black or white can often be corrected with carburetion or ignition changes but still costs time and money.

Does it make clunking noises from inside the engine - A simple ticking from the top of the engine may be a simple valve readjustment but a deep thunk from the bottom or middle of the engine would point to very serious and expensive repairs. The clunk should be more pronounced under load conditions. This may be an indication of trouble with the crankshaft, bearings, or piston rods. And mean a very expensive repair job.

Use the hydraulics - Check the full range of the power rams by extending them with a load. Let the load stand in the hold situation for a period to be sure that there is no leakdown. Clacking noises from the pump while lifting suggest the pump is not getting enough flow of hydraulic oil. The pump might have experienced a lot of wear when run this way for long periods of time and may be ready to fail.

While many of the above experiences may sound a bit negative, you should do your research and understand the particular issues the model of tractor you are looking at before you buy.

Author: Patrick Molloney

About the author:
Patrick Malloney is an internet entrepreneur who founded Youtractor.com which offers 1,000 of tractor videos showing Farm Tractors

Article source: Free Automotive Articles.