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Farmall & IHC Tractors Discussion Forum
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Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition?

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John P.

08-22-2007 16:30:00




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Is it normal for a late production Farmall A with an electrical system to have an IH magneto instead of a battery-powered distributor ignition system? Or is this a case where the distributor was replaced with a magneto?




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CNKS

08-22-2007 16:47:48




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to John P., 08-22-2007 16:30:00  
Magneto was standard on all A's.



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John P.

08-22-2007 17:36:48




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to CNKS, 08-22-2007 16:47:48  
Really? I did not know that. I was under the impression that if you bought the electrical system option (lights, starter, etc), the magneto was ditched in favor of a distributor system.



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CNKS

08-22-2007 19:42:33




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to John P., 08-22-2007 17:36:48  
The conversion to distributers did not occur on all models at the same time. I believe it was complete by sometime in 1949, I can be corrected. I don't know if a distributer was even an option when your A was built.



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scotty

08-23-2007 04:35:45




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to CNKS, 08-22-2007 19:42:33  
Mornin CNKS, I have the mag on my 49 Super A, serial # FAA 275300 if that helps at all. I love the mag and wouldnt trade it, just my opinion !


scotty



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CNKS

08-23-2007 18:45:02




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to scotty, 08-23-2007 04:35:45  
I'm not sure when the distributer became "standard", but when it did the mag was still optional for a period of time, yours may or may not have been ordered that way. I have no preference. My 1948 C has a distributer, likely a replacment.



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ScottyHOMEy

08-22-2007 18:33:15




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to John P., 08-22-2007 17:36:48  
Nope. The battery ignition was the option, mag was standard.

The impression you have (wrong, yes, but not misguided, by the bye) is more correct for the starter, which was always an option, but pretty much installed as "standard" after the first few years. Kind of like the folks that still call a manual transmission a standard, when in fact, automatics are more often standard equipment and the manual an option. The very earliest of the letter series didn't even have a place in the bell housing to mount a starter.

The H4 mags were and are quite reliable. I love them, but don't subscribe to the "they're more reliable than a battery ignition" school of thought. Both are good, durable systems. If I were to give the mag an edge, it's onlly because having the ignition separate from the rest of the tractor'selectrical system helps narrow down problems -- i.e., a poor spark will relate to the mag, the condition of the battery and performance of the generator aren't in play to complicate the troubleshooting. Ignition prblems are divorced from charging problems. To that extent, I'll acknowledge that the mags are more reliable -- you can cook a battery, cook a generator, or lose a generator belt and the mag ignition will keep on running, and will start if you haven't misplaced your hand crank.

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John P.

08-23-2007 09:40:38




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 Re: Farmall A Magneto/Battery Ignition? in reply to ScottyHOMEy, 08-22-2007 18:33:15  
Thanks for the info. The only down side I can see to the magneto is no option to convert over to electronic ignition.



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