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The thing I find fascinating is that when new these 6V tractors started just fine. Then as they age and 12V became available, lots of people jumped on the 12V bandwagon. 6V vs 12V is not and has never been the issue. The issue is that as 6V tractors age, cables/connectors, everything else ages. It's also true of 12V tractors, it's just that 6V tractors have had much longer to age. Expecting 40+ year old electrical equipment to work as well as the day it was made is just silly. My solution is to rewire the entire tractor with high-quality 1/0 cable with soldered connections, shine up everything the cables connect to, make sure the charging system is working correctly, and make sure the battery is perfect. At a cost far less than a 12V conversion, you now have a 6V system that will work even better than it did when it was new as modern batteries are far superior to the ones made 40+ years ago. Are 12V systems better than 6V? Of course they are. They have more margin for aging. And if lights are important, 12V lights are much brighter. But a properly functioning 6V system will start the tractor. Regardless whether 6V or 12V, the engines state of tune is critical. Ignition components wear out too and need to be replaced. Trying to start an engine with a 40+ year old ignition system is an exercise in futility even with a perfect starting/charging system.
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