Is it worth it to restore a Farmall 1947 H

I am about to purchase an acreage (7 acres) and need a tractor to help keep it up. There is an abandoned 1947(the year is based on the serial number) Farmall H with a trailing shredder on the property. The tires are flat and rotted and need replacement, it doesn't have a battery but it is a magneto ignition, and I don't know when it last ran (the H was abandoned when the prior owner purchased the property about 3 years ago). The tractor would be a nice size for the property but doesn't have a 3 pt hitch. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to determine it's condition prior to spending a lot of money on it. My goal would be to turn it into a nice looking working tractor, not necessarily a show piece.

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you are going to keep it and use it then it is worth it. If you want to fix it and put tires on it and sell it then you are better off to sell it right now.

(quoted from post at 14:53:12 07/26/12) I am about to purchase an acreage (7 acres) and need a tractor to help keep it up. There is an abandoned 1947(the year is based on the serial number) Farmall H with a trailing shredder on the property. The tires are flat and rotted and need replacement, it doesn't have a battery but it is a magneto ignition, and I don't know when it last ran (the H was abandoned when the prior owner purchased the property about 3 years ago). The tractor would be a nice size for the property but doesn't have a 3 pt hitch. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to determine it's condition prior to spending a lot of money on it. My goal would be to turn it into a nice looking working tractor, not necessarily a show piece.

Thanks for any suggestions.

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That H will be just exactly what you need on that 7 acres, but first, since it has been setting for this long, you need to find out if the engine is stuck, which quite often happens when a tractor sets outside for that long. If indeed the engine is stuck, it most likely will need a full and complete rebuild (minimum $1,000) and couple that with the need for all new tires (another $1,000 to $1,500), you might be better off to sell that H, and then turn around and buy another H that is already running and ready to go for about the same money as you will spend to get the first one going.

If the engine is not stuck I'd get it running and see what else might be wrong. I'm confident I could get it running with no other expense but the gasoline. On the other hand it's worth $400 where it sits for scrap. And you can buy running tractors all day long for less than $2000, many for less than $1000

Thanks to everyone for the information.

You have identified my concerns about the cost effectiveness of the effort. It doesn't have a crank (I don't want to break an arm either) and don't want to buy a 6 volt battery just to try to start it. I can check the motor to see if it is frozen by turning the engine using a wrench after pulling the plug wires. There is no gas in the tank currently but I can put some in. I also need to check the radiator, when I looked in it, I didn't see any water/coolant. Any sugestions on how I might get it started? Could I use jumper cables from a 12 volt battery if I didn't run the starter for more than a few seconds?

I would enjoy working on it, and might do that some time in the future anyway.

Thanks again for the help.

Is it worth the cost to restore heck no but to bring it back to life good chance it can be done with out a lot of $$ other then maybe the tires if you buy them new at around $400 or more each. If the exhaust has been covered good chance it can be got up and running in a week or so. I would first check to see if the engine is locked up or not. Then if it is or is not I would fill the cylinders with ATF and let ti sit a few days. As for the 12 volt battery will not hurt a thing to use one to spin it over and after a few days of ATF soaking clean up the points and give it some gas and see what happens

You can crank as much as you like (within reason) with the 12v battery and 6v starter. You don't need to rebuild the starter when you convert to 12v.

The easiest way to start a tractor with a mag and no battery is with your truck and a chain. Put the tractor in fourth and pull it. Let out the clutch and it should start right up.

(quoted from post at 16:02:03 07/26/12) You can crank as much as you like (within reason) with the 12v battery and 6v starter. You don't need to rebuild the starter when you convert to 12v.

The easiest way to start a tractor with a mag and no battery is with your truck and a chain. Put the tractor in fourth and pull it. Let out the clutch and it should start right up.

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My tractor (as I imagine a lot of them are) has been converted to 12 v with the same starter. Don't know if there would be anything else connected that might not like the 12 volts or not ...lights, solenoids ??? I don't know

Thanks to everyone for the information. I'll try it after we get the property. It's a Positive Ground system from what I understand.

Mike if you like spending a ton of money, that H would be ideal. Rotted tires immediately tells me it has been outside a bunch. Probably scrap at best unfortunately.

You mentioned the lack of a 3 point. With what you currently know about the tractor and the fact that you mentioned the lack of a 3 point you would be better off in the long run with selling it as scrap or a parts tractor and getting something just a little newer with a 3 point. Figure 1200 for rubber and 700 or so for an after market 3 point. So that would make that tractor worth about 1900 not including anything else like a battery, cables or carb rebuild if there is nothing really wrong with the engine. Most areas you can buy a running H with ok rubber for under 1500.

But the sense of saving an old tractor from the scrapper is worth something too.

You have to decide. I don't really care for the H or M but a lot of guys have em and use em. In the H power size I like the little Fords and in the M size and larger something with dual remotes and power steering for me.....maybe I can get lucky and trade that old M of mine sometime next spring! 504 row crop would be nice!

Rick

(quoted from post at 17:59:09 07/26/12) You mentioned the lack of a 3 point. With what you currently know about the tractor and the fact that you mentioned the lack of a 3 point you would be better off in the long run with selling it as scrap or a parts tractor and getting something just a little newer with a 3 point. Figure 1200 for rubber and 700 or so for an after market 3 point. So that would make that tractor worth about 1900 not including anything else like a battery, cables or carb rebuild if there is nothing really wrong with the engine. Most areas you can buy a running H with ok rubber for under 1500.

But the sense of saving an old tractor from the scrapper is worth something too.

You have to decide. I don't really care for the H or M but a lot of guys have em and use em. In the H power size I like the little Fords and in the M size and larger something with dual remotes and power steering for me.....maybe I can get lucky and trade that old M of mine sometime next spring! 504 row crop would be nice!

Rick

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There is a lot of value in that post.

On the side it looks like 706 gas tractors sell for not much more than a good M. What is it about them that makes their value low? I know they are a gas pig, but it isn't like it is your primary tractor nowdays.

Not too smart to abandon a good running, nice tractor . Who does that. Abandoned because he didn't have a way to get it to the scrap yard.
Scap it and get something like a Ford 851.

with your 7 acres, a 3-point tractor would be a wise purchase.
implements are cheap and everywhere.
Fords, N's thru 800's are for sale in every town and
good ones can be bought reasonably with a little patience.
If you have the means, a small modern 3-point 4WD
loader tractor is a real back saver.

With all that said, I never let China get anything!
I'd buy a 3-point tractor, and then get the H useable
as a hobby.
2 tractors are better than 1

Consider this. At the moment, at least in the U.S. there seem to Farmall H tractors everywhere and you can buy them cheap. Fast forward ten or fifteen years and there will be far less of them and they will be far more expensive. Over here in Australia, where there are fewer of them, they already command much higher prices than in the U.S. As for buying any F series Farmall, they are nearly impossible to find. I should also point out that I am biased in favour of saving pretty much any old tractor. It seems such a waste to turn them in Kia motor cars and such.
If you do want to turn the motor over, you can easily get hold of a Farmall H crank, on ebay if nowhere else, for a very small sum. Remove the spark plugs and inject a decent dose of thin oil. Remove the rocker cover and oil the valve rockers. Turn the motor over slowly by hand and check all valves move freely. Then, if you are fit, do what I did for the Farmall M I bought. Crank the motor over until the gauge shows oil pressure. If you have a battery, turn it over on the start. Only after this, should you replace the plugs and try to start it. That way you won't break rings if the beast fires up and runs flat out.
SadFarmall

Sounds like a cool project. It"s usually the basket case restorations that bring the best satisfaction after they are fixed up. After-market three point hitch kits are available.

A full resto will cost at least $3k. So the economics don"t really work. But it sure wouldn"t hurt to try to get it running. It the motor is stuck, pull the cylinder head to see how bad it is. That won"t cost you anything but time.

If for your own satisfaction, YES. If for the chance to make a profit, NO.

I am working on a 47 H also. Have about all the mechanical warts fixed and oil seals replaced. Next will be painting and new tires all around when I get the urge to do so. Its been alot of enjoyment as I only work at it when the notion strikes. Gonna have more in it than its worth, just like you don't go fishing for the money you save by catching your own fish. Joe