Use of fuel additives in old tractors

Lead additive may have some benefit for high performance, high RPM engines. Your 30+ year old tractor is neither, and as such it will make your pocket book lighter. That is the only guarentee.

You you think an old tractor REALLY responds to the flavor/aroma of oil of wintergreen?

Unless of course you have a burning desire to throw money at those snake-oil venders.

Allan

However I've never seen any evidence that running unleaded gas harms the old stuff. (Lots of anecdotal stories but never any hard evidence).

Further, my father in law continued farming 600 acres with his 5 gas tractors a dozen years or so after leaded gas was banned. Never had a valve problem with any of 'em. In fact all still are in "ready to work" condition - if one could afford to run 'em at today's prices for gasoline that is...

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My position: Don't bother with additives - they benefit only the people that make and sell the stuff. But if you feel you MUST spend the $$$ on gas additives, instead take that money and stick it in the bank. Then use it to pay for a valve job if/when one is actually ever needed.

• Hobby farm

I don't run any additives. What was called regular gas when the letter series tractors were built (and for some time after) was a hotter, higher octane product than today's high test. So, on that score, the potential for damage to the valves or seats is much less.

Going at it another way, the switch to unleaded did not make the valve issue go away. All that happened was that they took away the lead for environmental reasons, but had to replace it with other compounds to serve the same purpose.