Kid safe 12 volt M conversion

oldtanker · Apr 11, 2011

My M is a working tractor. I just finished converting it to 12 volt and making it grand kids safe. Now it needs a key to even make the engine crank. use a GM 3 wire alternator and the original genny brackets. Have to flip the bottom one and drill a new hole in the upper. I added a starter relay and a push to start button. The white knob in the photo is the light switch. Metal rod is brake line that houses the rear work light wiring. Alternator fits under the hood with no cutting.

Rick

Janicholson · Apr 11, 2011

I made the same conversion on My MD to prevent access or Accidental motion Nice job. Jim

NDS · Apr 11, 2011

Good idea. This caused me to remember an incident from many years ago, we had H setting at edge of field near woods and 3 kids crawled on and were pretending to drive it and someway got it started in fourth gear full throttle, Kids begin to bail off and tractor went into woods. Luckily none of the kids were hurt and small tree caught clutch linkage and stopped tractor without a scratch.

John M · Apr 11, 2011

I did basically the same conversion on my working M, except I just used a regular key switch with a momentary on it.

eye4iron · Apr 12, 2011

Years ago when I was young in the 60's I was told to start an H and drive it to the house. When I put it in what I thougt was 3rd gear I put it in 5th. It took off so fast it was a wonder that I stayed on. It took everthing I had to hold the steering wheel and the light bar to push the clutch in. Luckly there was a farm hand at the other end that ran up when I stopped and took it out of gear. There was no way I could because I was still holding as hard as I could with both hands to keed the clutch in. Why am I telling you this?
If grand kids are going to drive it you can easily lock out 5th gear. Just take the 3/8 bolt out in front of the shifter just to the left. It is one of the top floor plate bolts. Put a longer one in. This will block out the 5th gear shift rail. This was common practice on the Farmalls that had skelton iron wheels so you could not go to fast with iron wheels.

oldtanker · Apr 12, 2011

I could have gone that route but I had the push button switch that came in a box of stuff from an auction. So I decided to use it.

Rick

Yooper Farmall · Apr 12, 2011

I've thought about this also. I picked up a second light switch box that I think I'll mount on the opposite side of the pedestal. I'll put an hours meter guage in the amp guage hole and get a Farmall 300 off/run/start ignition key.

cowboy1 · Apr 15, 2011

I tried the same thing with my h,but don't think i have it wired right.My key switch has 4 posts marked batt,acc,st,ign,.i have the ammeter going to the batt post,the st going to the starter,ign going to the ballast resistor,and the acc going to the alternator.Iknow this is wrong,can someone help me?

SadFarmall · Apr 16, 2011

My Farmall H and M have magneto ignition, so a keyed switch to ground the magneto kills it dead. No key no start unless you unwire the magneto lead… Of course, when I was a kid that is exactly what I would have done!

SadFarmall · Apr 16, 2011

Just a question about the ammeter. Why is it showing full scale deflection (20 amps) charge? Does the alternator produce more than 20 amps? Most do I think. Can this damage the ammeter?

Kid safe 12 volt M conversion

oldtanker

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Janicholson

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NDS

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John M

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eye4iron

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oldtanker

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Yooper Farmall

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cowboy1

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SadFarmall

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SadFarmall

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