how much do we really love our tractors?

how bout the rest of you?

casey in SD

MACE

Now what's all this paranoia about tractors catching fire just sitting there? Just can't see that as a likely scenario. Maybe startup on a gas tractor that has leaked fuel or something. Maybe a combine full of chaff, but then if you clean it out once in a while.... Anyway, I plan for the most likely bad-luck scenarios, not for the aliens landing in the back yard. I got insurance for that stuff. I'll plan for aliens too, but if it comes to an "either/or," I'll cover the most likely possibility.

You've really never seen a diesel lite off on it's own due to the accumulated field dirt/diesel fuel around that power bus under the left hand cowl?

Wish I could show you the pictures, but the ex-wife has 'em. Luckily, in my case, it happened during the day, I saw the smoke and saved the tractor and shop, but it was not pretty. :>(

Try running a 30-year-old tractor past your insurance adjuster and just try to get forty or fifty cents on the dollar. 'Taint a gonna happen.

Mine stay outside where they belong and you are more than welcome to call it paranoia if ya like.

Allan

Did you know that floor temperatures of cab of a 125 hp tractor doing tillage work can reach temperatures of 140 degrees F when its 65 degrees outside. That my friend can create fires long after you leave for the night. You go to those salvage yards, most burnt tractors happened when no one was around and chafed wires were the source. Those last 85 series IH with cabs were fire champions.

Yeah, that's fer sure.

But, I'm not the only one this has happened to. Salvage yards are full of fried 06 and up diesels. Very common occurance on these things if they are used a lot for field work.

'Bout like those darned John Deere combines. :>)

However, I understand where you are coming from too. Don't get me wrong; everything in my sensibility tells me to put 'em inside 'cause I've more than enough room and like to keep my stuff nice.

But, I just can't bring myself to do it, because they can and do torch themselves. Like my grandpa's Allis the day it decided to cook itself while he was in eatin' dinner.

Good news was that he got the afternoon off from cultivating corn. :>(

Allan

I'm with Hugh on this one as I live smack in the center of the hail/tornado belt.

Farmalls are built so much tougher than the newer sheetwork on cars and trucks that they can withstand the severe weather; they were designed that way and meant to be left outside. Not to mention the fire hazzard of being left in a building.

I would never park a tractor inside but rather keep them separated out and strung all over the yard. I've got way too much invested in 'em to risk them being all huddled up together inside an enclosure.

I can redo a little faded paint every dozen years or so, but I just can't afford to replace those tractors.

As far as the tires go, yes sunlight will work on a tire over a long period of time; but, nothing like the ill effects of inactivity and running them on asphalt. That's the real killers to a tractor tire.

Just my take,

Allan

During my farming days the first equipment to get storage were power driven implements like balers, haybines, harvesters, combines, etc. I would include grain drills, corn planters, etc in that group as well. Tractors came second and the low priority went to plows, disks, cultivators and other tillage equipment.

Then you have the sun factor, probably does more damage to paint and tires than all other weather combined.

I never put a tractor or implement inside during heavy work load seasons. That is precisely the time for electrical shorts, hot bearings, etc. and the most likely time for a fire. I always figured if a tractor or implement was going to catch fire, you may as well loose one as the whole fleet plus the building. After your heavy work load is over you go over the equipment thouroughly, put it away and remove batteries from vehicles your not going to use. Best to store tractors your going to use in off season in a separate building from other tractors and equipment.

I will relate just a few of my experiences. Had a tractor burn once, poorest one out of fleet of 6 at the time. luckily it burned outside. Had a old barn I used for equipment storage, blow down in a heavy wind, luckily all my haying and other harvesting were out at the time. Only grain drill, corn planter and a fertilizer spreader were in there, even more lucky only one lid on drill and and adjustment crank on fert sp were damaged. Just pure luck on the way that building fell. Saw a neighbor once build a fancy building to store all equipment. One tractor caught fire, and he lost all; 5 tractors, self propelled combine, haying equipment, drill, corn planter, etc. Today he has several buildings and all tractors and tillage equipment sit outside year around. Economics of storage buildings plus insurance costs dictate this.

Bob