Re: Jump Starting Tractor

Posted by Hugh MacKay on September 04, 2005 at 04:00:20 from (216.208.58.175):

In Reply to: Re: Jump Starting Tractor posted by stu in njo on September 03, 2005 at 19:40:20:

Stu: May I remind you if running 7 tractors, 2 skid loaders, 4 trucks as I did in a cold climate, someday, a particular vehicle is not going to start. When you've got employees standing around being paid by the hour, the jump cables will come out.

In the case of my 300 battery had reached end of it's lifespan, rather than poor connections. 3 guys being paid by the hour were going to use that tractor. Hooking a 12 volt boost to a 6 volt tractor is not what blew the battery. It was not the 6 volt battery that blew. In fact at the time the negative terminals were not connected. Positive side of car was connected to the positive ground of tractor. The shiney steel cable the guys had been skidding logs with fell and hit bumper of car. The tractor had already started, and I was removing cables when this happened. Vibration of tractor running is what cause cable to come loose. I agree I was using cables too short thus car was placed too close to tractor. Thankfully, no one or nothing was injured but my pride.

I can think of numerous other situations that could cause a 12 volt dead short, and do exactly same thing. I've seen numerous cars towed it from being involved in accidents, with batteries blown.

As a kid I remember watching an old guy a bunch of us were helping, cut the battery cable with an axe, on his Ford 8N that was on fire. He yelled for us to get water. When done he praised our quick action. He said, " Well done boys we saved a tractor, and no one got hurt." I never did know exactly what caused that short, he sent us on our way and called in a mechanic.

Just 3 years ago when I moved from NS to ON, hired a trucking company to move my Farmalls SA and 130. At the time 130 had an old battery that wouldn't hold charge over night. I installed a new battery, just so movers wouldn't have trouble with it. When tractor arrived from 1300 mile journey, switch was on, battery was dead and never did take a charge, wiring harness was toast, ( fried to a crisp ) alternator was ruined. I don't know what happened along the way. Tractor was moved with front wheels on upper deck of drop deck trailer and rear wheels on lower deck, with items piled around it. Could some metal object have crossed wires? Could wiring harness have been bad? I will never know for sure. I do know the young lad moving my tractor thought the push botton switch of 130 was little more than a kill switch and you could leave it in either position. Why that never caused a fire or explosion, I'll never know. I do know I shoud have left old battery in tractor.

I will say jump starting requires care, if done right it will be sucessful. It's not for the guy that has to question which way to hook up.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Jump Starting Tractor stu in njo 08:36:11 09/04/05 (1)
  • Re: Jump Starting Tractor Hugh MacKay 11:07:04 09/04/05 (0)

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