Bruce (VA)
11-24-2006 08:41:29
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Re: 12v vers. 6v stock??? in reply to GB in MT., 11-24-2006 08:26:26
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If you need to run 12v equipment (sprayers, pumps, lights, etc) or you N has poor compression (like less than 90 lbs) and you do not want to rebuild it, then a 12v conversion makes sense. Otherwise, you will likely be trading one set of problems for another. If your N is hard to start in cold weather (or any weather) find out why & fix it! These tractors have low compression, low HP engines and will start just fine on 6v. There is nothing inherently 'wrong' w/ a 12v conversion. The problem is that there are about 6 different ways to convert the tractor to 12v, all of them work, and an infinite number of ways to do it wrong. It's like this..... if you have a basic understanding of tractor mechanics, you can buy a quality kit & do it correctly. But, and here is the #1 issue: the first time you have an electrical problem, you are going to have to explain to everyone trying to help exactly how your tractor is wired & what exact parts you used. The owner of one of the local small tractor repair/parts shops around here refuses to work on electrical problems on 12v conversion tractors that he did not convert himself. As he explained to me, at $50 per hour, tractor owners get mighty hot when they get a $100 or $150 bill just for him to find the problem. If I had a good running N w/ a 12v conversion, I would take the time to figure out exactly what parts it had & exactly how it was wired & write it down while it was still running, because the first time you have a problem, everyone will ask you for the alternator type, number of resistors, 12v or 6v coil, etc, etc. Most problems we read about w/ 12v conversions are as a result of folks getting in over their heads or buying tractors w/ "Bubba" conversions, and now the new owner is stuck with trying to figure it out. Now, having said all of these good things about 12v conversions, I must declare, for the record, all three of my N's are 6v & they all three start the first time, every time, no matter what the weather. You will find that to be the case with folks who live in a lot of places much colder than VA.
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